Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

A notice from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has been issued to airlines to advise them of the new conditions for entering the kingdom. The move follows the suspension of the Test & Go system and all sandbox schemes with the exception of Phuket’s.

The government took the decision to suspend the schemes as a result of the recently emerged Omicron Covid-19 variant. The decision is expected to be reviewed after January 4. According to a Thai PBS World report, the CAAT has called on airlines to help passengers by checking their documents and ensuring they meet the new criteria.

For now, travellers who’ve already received their Thailand Pass under the Test & Go system can still enter Thailand with minimal quarantine but will be subject to 2 PCR tests. Prior to this, they only had one PCR test on arrival and an antigen test on day 6. Thai PBS World reports that people who’ve applied but are still waiting for the Thailand Pass can also still enter the country once they receive the pass, under the same revised testing conditions.

Foreign tourists availing of the Phuket sandbox scheme must stay on the island in a SHA Plus hotel for at least 7 days, before being free to travel elsewhere in the kingdom. All travellers, whether pre-registered Test & Go visitors or Phuket sandbox arrivals, will have to submit to a second PCR test at a government facility.

For more information on how to get into Thailand during the pandemic, CLICK HERE.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World