Thailand Reopening To Tourists: Everything You Need To Know

Trevor KucheranSeptember 15, 2020

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Last Updated 1 week ago

On June 25, 2020, the Government of Thailand approved a draft plan for relaxed measures for foreigners entering Thailand, which could see the reopening of international tourism to select foreigners as of August 1, 2020.

Sept 15 update: New updates have been made and can be seen below ↓

Thailand's draft plan includes three phases of reopening:

Phase One: Business travelers, investors, skilled workers, people with Thai family members, teachers, etc.
Phase Two: Medical tourism travelers
Phase Three: General tourists

The timelines for the phases are still in a proposal state, but are drafted as follows:

Phase 1: starting July 1
Phase 2: starting July 1
Phase 3: Starting August 1 (delayed)

The proposed reopening plan also includes details on how the Thai government will control the virus.

Included in the reopening plan are health and entry requirement protocols like:

Travelers arriving with travel health insurance that also covers covid
A pre-screening health declaration card filled out before departure
The wearing of masks mandatory on in-bound flights and in the airport
Thermal scans and temperature checks upon arrival

The proposed plan does not yet clarify if mandatory testing will be done.

Update Aug 3:

The start of general tourism did not start on August 1 like the government had originally planned. We have reached out and will update this article once we have new documentation of their plans.

Important Thailand Reopening Update Sept 15:

Thailand will soon start issuing 90-day long stay visas.

Thailand’s new 90-day visa for long-stay tourists has just been announced by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, during a cabinet meeting on September 15.

Applicants for the visa will have to book a hotel or private accommodation for the full 90 days in order to qualify, and they also must agree to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. After the quarantine is completed, the tourist will be granted free movement. No testing procedures have been mentioned yet, but they also could come into play as the visas are issued.

Read everything we know about Thailand's long-term 90-day visa HERE

Important Thailand Reopening Update August 23:

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, made a statement on August 21^st confirming the government’s plan to open Phuket for international tourism on October 1^st.

Reopening Phuket for international tourists will act as a pilot program for the rest of Thailand.

There are many rules, including a mandatory 30 day stay, 14-day in hotel quarantine, and many PCR tests, but tourists will be able to enjoy hotel facilities and in some cases, the beach.

Read everything we know about Thailand's Reopening of Phuket on October 1st

AOT's six airports have now resumed their operation. Here are the “new normal” measures for passengers. For more information on conditions during the COVID-19 situation, please contact the AOT Contact Center at 1722. Source: https://t.co/TDmj2Bpqba pic.twitter.com/U8PxaNzVC3
— PR Thai Government (@prdthailand) June 27, 2020

Thailand's Airports Reopening

Six of Thailand's international airports are reopening on July 1st, handling both domestic and international arrivals. (Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai, and Suvarnabhumi)

The Thai government has published an infographic (shown above) to inform passengers on the new health protocols happening at the airports.

Medical Tourism Thailand

In the proposed plan, Medical Tourism is set to resume a full 30-days before general tourism, starting July 1.

The Ministry of Public Health states Thailand receives over 2.5 million medical tourists per year, making it a very large group to consider giving early access.

Update July 23:

On July 23 the government of Thailand put out a press release saying there are now 4 type of foreigners that are currently allowed entry, with 14-day quarantine and potentially tests on arrival.

The four categories include:

1) foreigners participating in trade fairs in Thailand

2) foreign film crews coming for filming in Thailand

3) foreign workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for food and construction industries

4) foreign visitors for medical and wellness services.

Update June 30th:

Thailand is now issuing an International Flight Permit, effective July 1, which gives certain tourists and non-nationals the ability to have first access to the country.

See the full list of entry exceptions and which type of tourists can visit Thailand as of July 1, 2020

Original article first published June 18, 2020 now continued below…

One thousand international travelers will be allowed entry to Thailand a day without the need for a 14 day quarantine, according to an implementation plan for “travel bubbles” to be submitted for approval.

These visitors, who in the beginning will be mostly business travelers and patients seeking medical treatment.

General foreign tourists will later be allowed to visit Thailand if the tourism promotion program proves successful in terms of the transmission control, she said.

Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international leisure visitors this year, predicted a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

“I see no signal from the government that the country will open this year. That’s putting lot of pressure on the tourism industry. The Christmas period, usually the high season, is in jeopardy and I’m looking horribly even to Chinese New Year in February, which is an iffy proposition at best now. Unfortunately, this is not a rosy picture.” he said.

Here is everything you need to know about Thailand reopening to tourists and what to expect when one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world opens their border.

Thailand is now focused on domestic tourism which opened in June. Resorts and hotels in popular tourism destinations have reopened including in Hua Hin, a popular beach resort about 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Bangkok.

Nationwide lockdown measures put in place in late March have been easing in stages throughout May.

Malls, markets, museums and some tourist attractions have already reopened and more are slated to follow.

Bangkok's Grand Palace opened on June 4.

National parks, theme parks, spas, cinemas and massage shops remain closed, but local media reports some will likely be given the go-ahead reopen in June.

Restaurants — limited to offering only delivery and take-out services in late March — will now allow dining in but are banned from serving alcohol and must adhere to strict social distancing measures. Pubs and night clubs remain closed, and a curfew is in place from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Local transport networks are increasing services, including rail and bus lines, while airlines are upping the number of domestic flights.

Phuket International Airport, however, remains closed until further notice.

Thailand's most popular tourism island emerged as a coronavirus hotspot in March, facing the highest infection rate per capita out of all of Thailand's 77 provinces.

Even with domestic tourism starting to kick off in some provinces, it's only a drop in the bucket.

In 2019, nearly 40 million tourists visited Thailand, according to government data. The TAT estimates only 14 to 16 million will visit this year.

Financially stressed hotels in need of cash flow have already started aggressively selling hotel rooms and vouchers, says Barnett, while also looking to the local market to provide some relief.

Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the city's most popular shopping destinations, reopened on May 9. But though Thais and expats have returned, it's simply not enough foot traffic for vendors to make a sustainable living, says shop owner Tassanee Larlitparpaipune.

“International tourists make up about 50 percent of my customer base,” she says. “Most are from Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.”