Now that the Covid-19 cases are limited to a few areas, with fewer infections, the Thai Covid situation has gradually improved, prompting the Ministry of Public Health to downgrade Covid-19 from a dangerous infectious disease to a “contagious illness requiring surveillance,” effective 1 October 2022, after the global trend of patients with severe symptoms and mortality rates decreased.

International Visitors’ Requirements for Entry into Thailand 

     The government has declared the cancellation of the 2-dose Covid-19 vaccination document check for travelers entering Thailand, as Thailand has been adjusting measures encompassing screening, prevention, and treatment of foreign tourists for some time, beginning in 2022, and it has not been identified as a source of new Covid-19 outbreaks, as has been the case in other countries where significant numbers of people have been vaccinated.

     Nevertheless, the Ministry of Public Health recommends that all travelers receive at least two doses of vaccination to avoid serious illness if infected during the trip and says that travelers from countries that require RT-PCR testing before returning to their home country should purchase comprehensive health insurance to cover Covid treatment for the duration of the journey in Thailand, plus an additional seven days to reduce the burden of health expenses if they become infected or sick. In case of respiratory illnesses, travel should be postponed and treated first to reduce the spread of the disease. The ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to explain such measures to visitors before they enter Thailand by issuing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), or regulations.

     The Ministry of Public Health has assigned government hospitals to arrange specific injection units for foreign tourists in central tourist provinces, such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya, for foreign tourists who are interested in getting the Covid-19 vaccine service. The fee will be charged as necessary, and there will be talks with private hospitals about how the expenses will be collected if tourists seek the vaccination service.     

     As before, the situation will be watched and evaluated in the first quarter of 2023 in order to modify measures based on the risk situation, while keeping in mind the principle of equality and non-discrimination, based on academic, safety, health, economic, and societal factors.