Thailand to cut quarantine for vaccinated foreigners to 7 days from April

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand to cut quarantine for vaccinated foreigners to 7 days from April

 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will from next month reduce its mandatory quarantine from 14 to seven days for foreigners arriving in the country who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, its Health Minister said on Monday.

 

Vaccinations must be administered within three months of the travel period and visitors will still be required to show negative COVID-19 test results within three days of their departure, Anutin Charnvirankul told a news conference.

 

Those not yet inoculated but with coronavirus-free certificates would be quarantined for 10 days, he said.

“Foreigners travelling to Thailand with vaccination certificates in accordance with the requirements of each brands, will need to quarantine for only seven days,” Anutin said, referring to the doses needed to be effective.

 

Thailand’s flight limits, its strict entry requirements and mandatory quarantine for all arrivals have been central to its success in limiting the spread of the virus to just over 26,000 cases and 85 deaths.

 

Those curbs have decimated its vital tourism sector, however, prompting widespread jobs losses and business closures and contributing to the country’s deepest economic traction in over two decades.

 

The country received close to 40 million visitors in 2019.

 

The new measures do not apply to those travelling from Africa, who would still be subject to quarantine for two weeks due to concerns about other variants of the virus.

 

Vaccinated Thai nationals without a certificate showing they are coronavirus-free need to spend one week in quarantine after two negative tests in the country.

 

After October, if Thailand inoculates 70% of medical personnel and at-risk groups, there could be more easing of restriction, Anutin said, adding it was possible quarantine could be waived completely.

 

Thailand has so far vaccinated 27,497 people, mostly medical workers, using the Sinovac Biotech vaccine.

 

It has ordered 61 million doses in total of the AstraZeneca vaccine with mass vaccinations slated to begin in June

Anutin said the country may need to order an additional 10 to 20 million doses, which it could source from other producers.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

This post has been updated.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-08

 

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[Big Yuley]

rumour? or fact

not that it means anything to me.

 

australia still lock the people in until June

[silicastorm]

Is this another one of his "Mary J Wanna" do something dreams?

[Meat Pie 47]

7 minutes ago, Big Yuley said:

rumour? or fact

not that it means anything to me.

 

australia still lock the people in until June

When can Australians travel overseas?

Currently, there’s a travel ban in place for all overseas travel from Australia. There are no definitive plans to lift this ban as of yet. This ban also restricts the entry of cruise ships into Australia.

https://www.skyscanner.com.au/news/when-can-i-travel

[stubuzz]

14 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Vaccinations must be administered within three months of the travel period

within?

[MadMac]

You can always go and play golf they said.

[damascase]

Starting April 1, I assume.........????

[Big Yuley]

7 minutes ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

When can Australians travel overseas?

Currently, there’s a travel ban in place for all overseas travel from Australia. There are no definitive plans to lift this ban as of yet. This ban also restricts the entry of cruise ships into Australia.

https://www.skyscanner.com.au/news/when-can-i-travel

Yes i know that. Ban extended until June 17

See what happens in the next few months.

Hopefully by June / July, Thailand will reduce quarantine further and this <deleted> country Australia will let people out!

[bolt]

Great News

I'm due to fly any time after April 1, and I've already had 2 Vaccine Shots, with the 2nd Shot Feb 15th, so I'm in the Green Zone

[Frank Abegnale]

22 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

those who have not been inoculated but have COVID-19 free certificates would be quarantined for 10 days.

14 days reduced to 10 days, this is a good sign. 

[kimamey]

This sounds like good news but I wonder how this will work for me as a UK citizen where the second injection can be up to 12 weeks after the first. My first one was on the 11th February  my second should be before 6th May although it will probably be in the few days before. Hopefully this will work out OK for me but it could end up being a bit tight if they count from the first injection. That wouldn't make much sense but that doesn't mean that's not how it will work.

 

[damascase]

4 minutes ago, damascase said:

Starting April 1, I assume.........????

Just saw a different take in a Thai newspaper: ‘Shorter quarantine for vaccinated arrivals possibly from October’.  But even that is nothing more than a proposal. So, don’t hold your breath!

[tifino]

sounds like they are jumping onto the bandwagon, following all  the hype that the/a vaccine will actually work ????  

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, damascase said:

Starting April 1, I assume.........????

Everyday it seems is April Fools day around here.  Or just a big misunderstanding.  Me thinks that they are about to push the worlds biggest Songkran festival tour with free water guns, and talcum powder issued upon deplaning.

[Pottinger]

It's quarantine, Jim. But not as we know it.

[stuarty]

Can the 7 days be 3 days quarantine then 4 days in the resort, but not in the room?

[bolt]

15 minutes ago, kimamey said:

This sounds like good news but I wonder how this will work for me as a UK citizen where the second injection can be up to 12 weeks after the first. My first one was on the 11th February  my second should be before 6th May although it will probably be in the few days before. Hopefully this will work out OK for me but it could end up being a bit tight if they count from the first injection. That wouldn't make much sense but that doesn't mean that's not how it will work.

 

It should be both dates, but the 2^nd dose supposedly fully kicks in after 28 days after that injection.

Where am I, our status becomes a Star after 28 days of the 2^nd dose

 

But who knows what will happen

[fangless]

How are governments etc going to "prove" you have been fully vaccinated?

 

Time to get the colour laser printer/barcode/QR code reader and laminator ready.  Especially now that all the copy shops (ID Cards etc) in KSR and elsewhere in Thailand have closed.

 

 

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

This is the next logical step.  I saw this coming while in quarantine.  The most likely incubation period after infection is 2 to 5 days.  So a test on day 5 or 6 is will probably yield an accurate test result.  I see a possibility of quarantine being cut to 10 days for those who are not vaccinated.  However I do not see the completion elimination of quarantine at least for this year.  

[Donga]

Trying to understand the logic of 7 days quarantine if vaccinated and only 3 days longer if not. I'm waiting for my shots in March/April and was hoping to take the bus from the airport to my place in Hua Hin.

Oh well, next step is which visa - Retirement, STV or Tourist as wish to stay at least six months. I resent medical insurance impost, given I get free travel insurance so thinking about Tourist visa, get married and convert ????

Does anyone know if you can you do a visa run these days to Laos ????

[Kelsall]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Justgrazing]

43 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will reduce mandatory quarantine from 14 to seven days starting April for foreigners arriving in the country who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirankul said on Monday.

 

Still incorporating the word quarantine .. folk will not fly 000's of miles to be cooped up like a battery hen .. and pay for the privilege .. Try again ..

 

[Big Yuley]

7 minutes ago, stuarty said:

Can the 7 days be 3 days quarantine then 4 days in the resort, but not in the room?

you want to sleep on the banana lounge by the pool at night?

[bolt]

2 minutes ago, fangless said:

How are governments etc going to "prove" you have been fully vaccinated?

 

Time to get the colour laser printer/barcode/QR code reader and laminator ready.  Especially now that all the copy shops (ID Cards etc) in KSR and elsewhere in Thailand have closed.

 

 

 

 

Where I am all residents are logged into the system using an app, that app has last PCR test date, and it includes vaccination data.

The reports can be easily printed off, and them emailed  

 

We are (Supposedly) fully protected 28 days after the 2^nd injection, that when we recive a Start status in the application, which reduces our quarantine if we return from overseas, however we still need to be tested every 7 days to keep our star status

[OKF]

4 minutes ago, fangless said:

How are governments etc going to "prove" you have been fully vaccinated?

 

Time to get the colour laser printer/barcode/QR code reader and laminator ready.  Especially now that all the copy shops (ID Cards etc) in KSR and elsewhere in Thailand have closed.

 

 

 

 

By the yellow vacination passports that are around for decades.....

[scorecard]

44 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

"Vaccinations must be administered within three months of the travel period ..."

 

So does that mean if my 2 shots were completed 6 months before my arrival in Thailand date (or into the longer-term future 2 years ago) then I get no reduction and I must do the full 14 days quarantine?

 

Strange logic...

[keith101]

36 minutes ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

When can Australians travel overseas?

Currently, there’s a travel ban in place for all overseas travel from Australia. There are no definitive plans to lift this ban as of yet. This ban also restricts the entry of cruise ships into Australia.

https://www.skyscanner.com.au/news/when-can-i-travel

Currently around 99% of  all infections in Australia are people returning from other countries and very few local infections so what they are doing is working exceptionally well .

Vaccinations on the other hand are incredibly slow and well behind they're predictions .

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia | Data (covid19data.com.au)

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, OKF said:

By the yellow vacination passports that are around for decades.....

Oh silly me Mr IO, thats my Yellow book for my residence, I thought it was my yellow vaccination booklet, let me get that for you......

[Frank Abegnale]

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Still incorporating the word quarantine .. folk will not fly 000's of miles to be cooped up like a battery hen .. and pay for the privilege .. Try again ..

 

I keep trotting this out. . . (At least changing 2 weeks to 10 days).

 

You and a guest will fly to beautiful Thailand for 10 sun kissed days, enjoying the views, the sun (from your balcony), and tropical breezes (if you open your window), all while never having to leave the comfort of your hotel room. All this can be yours if the price is right.

[fangless]

Just now, OKF said:

By the yellow vacination passports that are around for decades.....

And easily copied.

Not that I have seen any Yellow etc in use in Europe etc for a very long time.