Official, Thailand reopens to Italians. Here are the few rules starting Nov. 1
The Bangkok government announced on Thursday, October 14, its new plan to reopen the country to foreign tourists, [...]
The Bangkok government announced Thursday, Oct. 14, the new plan for the Reopening the country to foreign tourists, which will kick off on November 1. And it will send to the attic almost entirely the previous COE system.
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What's new will greatly facilitate travel to the Thailand (here is our story), which had seen a sudden rise in infections last August, but in this early fall has begun to see a flattening of the pandemic curve. The new system includes several rules And it will apply to 46 different nations, including Italy. Let's see how it will work.
The new rules for entering Thailand
The abandonment of the old COE system. (Certificate of Entry, a document that had to be requested at the embassy for any visitor before departure) is the main novelty, although it does provide for some exceptions. In fact, the document will continue to be required for those traveling in groups, those arriving by sea, and those who need to undergo AHQ (Alternative Hospital Quarantine, i.e., the preventive quarantine system for travelers).
Changes also regarding quarantine, of course: to date, travelers heading to Thailand who have not completed the vaccination cycle are indiscriminately subjected to a 10-day AHQ; however, for those vaccinated, quarantine is only required for those heading to Bangkok, but not for those traveling to the Phuket Islands, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan e Koh Tao.
As of November 1, quarantine will no longer be necessary under any circumstances for travelers coming from low-risk countries: in questa category, initially, wasno included only Singapore, Germany, Cina, the United States and the United Kingdom.
But an expansion of the list was in the air, and already within days of the first announcement a more extensive (though unofficial) list of 20 nations had begun to circulate. On Thursday, October 21, the Thai government has instead disseminated a list of 46 countries whose citizens will be affected by the new rules.
Countries involved in the new rules
So there is an official list indicating all the countries in the world that the Thailand currently considers "low risk" and whose citizens, If vaccinated, Will therefore not be subject to quarantine On arrival as of November 1, 2021.
We are talking about: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, South Korea, Czech Republic, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Sweden, and Switzerland.
However, the basic requirement will not be the nationality of the traveler, but the fact of Having resided in one of the nations from the list for at least 21 consecutive days before embarking on the journey to the Thailand.
What it takes for Italian residents to enter Thailand
Under the new rules announced by the Thai government in mid-October, which will take effect in November, COE will no longer be required for travelers heading to and around Bangkok, and quarantine restrictions will be limited to some cases of unvaccinated adult travelers.
Access to the Asian country will then be allowed for foreign travelers in possession of these specific requirements:
- Passport, visa on arrival is 45 days.
- Vaccination certificate
- Health insurance against Covid-19
- Negative PCR test at departure (at least 72 hours before flight)
- Booking the first night in a SHA+/AQ-certified hotel
Upon arrival in Thailand you will have to undergo a new PCR swab. The swab will be paid for along with the first night in the hotel. Having done the swab you will have to wait in your room for the test result and only after receiving the negative result will you be allowed to leave the room.
At this point you will be free to Travel freely throughout Thailand and stay in any type of facility or in the homes of friends and relatives.
Non-essential travel to Thailand
Currently, the Asian nation is not among the destinations that can be reached for tourism from Italy. This means that when you return to Italy you will have to comply with 10 days of fiduciary isolation, as well as undergo a PCR swab.
A new tourist tax
Finally, the Bangkok government has decided to implement a new tourist tax that will affect all tourists starting in January 2022. The tax, worth 500 baht (about 12 euros), will serve to curb visitor numbers especially to certain locations that previously suffered from overtourism problems.
The plan is to go out and raise about 5 million baht a year, to be put into a special fund for "tourism transformation."
