Thailand Opens Bangkok & 4 Other Popular Thailand Locations From October
Originally, Thailand introduced the Phuket Sandbox program, allowing fully vaccinated travelers to head to Thailand without quarantining. The only requirement was that they stay in Phuket, Phang-Nga, Surat Thani or Krabi for a minimum 14 days before traveling to other areas of the country. From October, Thailand is extending its sandbox program to five more popular regions.
Thailand reopens more locations
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently announced plans to extend the sandbox program to allow fully vaccinated travelers to visit more locations. On the list are some highly popular destinations, namely Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. From October, these areas will scrap the current mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine meaning fully vaccinated travelers can enjoy more of this beautiful country.
How does this work?
Basically, travelers will need to stay within designated areas of their destination for seven days after arrival. However, they will have free reign to travel freely within that area and won’t be confined to their hotels.
To take part in the program, travelers will need to download the MorChana contact tracing app and will be required to take regular COVID-19 tests to monitor their health. To facilitate the sandbox program, Thai officials are seeking ways to make regular COVID-19 testing more affordable for visitors with the possibility of introducing antigen tests by October.
The governor of TAT, Yuthasak Supasorn, told the Bangkok Post, “We will try to halve the RT-PCR price and allow tourists to use antigen test kits for their second and third tests.”
“The package price should be universally applied to every province from October, including the Phuket Sandbox,” he added.
The AFP reports that should the program prove successful, it will be extended to other regions, including Chiang Rai Rayong and the ancient province of Sukhothai.
So far, details of the sandbox extension are scarce, especially relating to the itinerary available for visitors within the designated areas. More details are also required of the documentation needed to take part in the program. We will keep readers updated as soon as more information arrives.
Samui Plus scheme
In the meantime, fully vaccinated travelers can also visit Thailand under the Samui Plus scheme, covering the islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao. Under this program, visitors will be required to isolate for a day or two at one of the program’s certified hotels while awaiting their RT-PCR test result. Once the results are in, travelers will be able to explore the islands freely without sticking to a designated route.
International travelers staying 14 nights must choose a certified hotel on Ko Samui for at least the first seven nights. After this, they can move to other certified hotels on Ko Samui, Ko Phangan or Ko Tao for the remaining seven nights of their vacation. Once the 14 days is up, travelers can then travel freely to other destinations in Thailand if they desire. However, anyone staying less than 14 days will not be able to travel further afield.
Visitors are required to purchase medical insurance with COVID-19 treatment coverage of at least US$100,000 and all the relevant health documentation must be completed in English prior to traveling to Thailand.
Who can take part in the Samui Plus scheme?
Vaccinated travelers from 70 countries are permitted to take part in the Samui Plus scheme, including the US, UK and most European countries. Read more information about the Samui Plus program here.
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