Tax News Flash Issue 114

As of 1 October 2021, the Thai government announced changes to certain visas’ status for entry into Thailand and reduced the quarantine periods for vaccinated travelers.

These measures have been passed in order to help ease travel to Thailand as part of the economic recovery process following the COVID-19 pandemic. For organizations and individuals hoping to rely on travel to Thailand, an awareness of these measures is important to update operations and manage time.

Among the changes announced by the government are:

• The Visa on Arrival scheme has been restarted.¹
  
• The Visa Exemption period has been shortened from 45 days to the original 30 days.¹
  
• The Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme has been extended until 30 September 2022.² 
  • As before, an STV is valid for 3 months from the date of issuance. 
  • Travelers must enter Thailand within the said 3-month period.
  • They will be allowed to stay in Thailand for a period of up to 90 days.
  • An STV can be extended twice within Thailand for a period of up to 90 days per extension.
• The quarantine period has been reduced as per the details shown below. ³

• 7-day quarantine
  • Travelers who are fully vaccinated and who have received a second vaccine no less than 14 days before their travel date, with a vaccine approved by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or the World Health Organisation (WHO), must present a vaccine certificate (either the original or a printed copy) at the point of entry into Thailand.
  • During quarantine, fully vaccinated travelers are required to undergo two RT-PCR tests; first upon arrival on Day 0-1, and the second before finishing the quarantine period on Day 6-7.
• 10-day quarantine
  • Travelers who have not been vaccinated, who do have a vaccine certificate, or who are partially vaccinated, and who arrive in Thailand by air will be required to enter a 10-day quarantine and undergo two RT-PCR tests; first upon arrival on Day 0-1, and the second on Day 8-9.
• 14-day quarantine
  • Travelers who have not been vaccinated, who do not have a vaccine certificate, or who are partially vaccinated, and who arrive in Thailand by land will be required to enter a 14-day quarantine, and undergo two RT-PCR tests – first upon arrival on Day 0-1, and the second on Day 12-13.  

We would strongly recommend any exceptional cases to get in touch with the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your location for more information about how to prepare the necessary documents prior to arriving in Thailand.

1. Information for the Visa on Arrival and Visa Exemption
   https://www.thaiembassy.org/
   
2. STV has been extended to 30 September 2022
   http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2564/E/240/T_0009.PDF
3. The latest developments regarding quarantine period in Thailand.
   http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2564/E/239/T_0125.PDF
4. The list of vaccine approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
   https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/agency/who/