Covid-19: Quarantine rules for Thailand

As we’ve all seen since the Covid pandemic began, the situation and travel advice can change quickly. And that applies equally to Thailand as it does to the UK and Ireland. Details remain subject to change and you should ensure you comply with the latest regulations and government advice in your region and home country. We will continue to update this page with new details as and when they are confirmed. Please also see our travel advice page which has more information and links you may find helpful.

Information updated: 7 January, 2021

Flying to Thailand

Travellers heading to Thailand need to complete a number of steps first. This includes obtaining a Certificate of Entry. Please see the information in the links below for more information:
Covid-19: Thailand travel advice
Royal Thai Embassy, London

At the start of January 2021, there were false reports circulating in the Thai press and on social media that travellers from the UK would be banned from entering Thailand. The rumours suggested this was because of the new strain of Covid that was identified in the UK. However, there is no such ban and travellers from the UK are allowed to enter Thailand.

Quarantine rules in Thailand

At the time of writing, all visitors to Thailand must undergo a 14 day quarantine period on arrival. Thai passport holders are able to stay at a state quarantine facility. Non-Thais need to book a hotel which meets all the strict criteria laid down by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. The hotels in Bangkok are known as ASQ (Alternative State Quarantine). There are also some hotels in provinces outside of Bangkok and these are known as ALSQ (Alternative Local State Quarantine). The video below (produced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand newsroom in Bangkok) provides a good overview of the arrival and quarantine procedure.

Clearing quarantine and travelling around Thailand

Visitors who do travel to Thailand and clear quarantine are then free to travel around Thailand (subject to any regional restrictions that may be in place). You may also be required to agree to track and tracing procedures. Please also ensure you adhere to all local advice and wear a mask. You can expect to have temperature checks at a number of locations including shopping malls, before boarding a flight and on transport networks (e.g. Skytrain and Metro in Bangkok). To check the latest situation in Thailand, see the helpful TAT Newsroom website.

Covid situation in Thailand

While Thailand has coped remarkably well throughout the pandemic with less than 70 deaths in total since the crisis began, the end of December 2020 saw a spike in Covid cases. The rise has continued into the New Year and has prompted Thai authorities to introduce local restrictions with schools, entertainment venues and National Parks amongst the venues that are temporarily closed in some provinces during January 2021. Although there is no national lockdown, people are being asked to work from home wherever possible and inter-provincial travel is being discouraged during January 2021. Check the latest situation in Thailand with the TAT Newsroom.

When can I travel to Thailand without quarantine?

At the moment, this isn’t known. Hopefully, the introduction of vaccines will make travel easier without compromising safety and it’s encouraging that vaccination is being rolled out in the UK and Ireland. It’s possible that at some point in the second half of 2021, Thai authorities may agree to allow travellers to forego quarantine if they have been vaccinated. However, it’s also possible that Thailand may also wait until their own citizens have been vaccinated.

Vaccination plan for Thailand

Thailand has already signed an agreement with AstraZeneca. In May 2021, around 26 million doses of the vaccine developed by Oxford University will be produced under license in Thailand by Thai firm Siam Bioscience. In January 2021, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha confirmed that another 35 million doses will be secured from AstraZeneca in the near future. Thai authorities have also cleared the Sinovac Biotech vaccine from China and an estimated 2 million does are expected to arrive in Thailand between February and April.

Thailand has an estimated population of 69 million people (a similar size to the UK). As in the UK, the vaccination programme in Thailand will be a huge task. Travellers to Thailand will still need to be patient, but there does at last seem to be some positive news.

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