do I have to be vaccinated to enter Thailand?

[joeshmoe23]

Hello. The information that is out there  confuse me. I know that you need to be vaccinated if you want to take part in Phuket sandbox scheme. But apart from that, I don't see a vaccine being required for things like Special tourist visa. Does that mean being vaccinated is not a necessity or am I missing something?

[ubonjoe]

Being vaccinated is not a requirement to enter the country unless you are going into one of the sandboxes at this time.

My suggestion would be to get vaccinated before arriving if possible.

 

[joeshmoe23]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Being vaccinated is not a requirement to enter the country unless you are going into one of the sandboxes at this time.

My suggestion would be to get vaccinated before arriving if possible.

 

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated? Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

[tonray]

Just now, joeshmoe23 said:

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated? Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

Because vaccination may prevent you from dying. That would be the primary reason. If you had verifiable Covid, it still does not tell if you have measurable antobodies for disease resistance. More difficult to get vaccinated here in Thailand and many flights may begin to consider that a step for boarding the planes.

[RoyLee]

No you don't need to be vaccinated, but you will need to endure the 14 day quarantine at an ASQ hotel at your expense.

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, joeshmoe23 said:

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated?

I assume you are aware Thailand is in its worst outbreak of covid 19 at this time.

I was just stating my opinion since it is not easy to get vaccinated here if you wanted to.

[phetphet]

it's not necessary at the moment, but who is to say the authorities won't change that any time soon. Covid is spreading rapidly here. The country looks like it is heading into a major Wuhan style lockdown.

Could be a wasted flight ticket and  cost of ASQ if you got turned away by the airline at point of departure, or by immigration on arrival.

Edited July 28, 2021 by phetphet

[Alwaysthailand]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Being vaccinated is not a requirement to enter the country unless you are going into one of the sandboxes at this time.

My suggestion would be to get vaccinated before arriving if possible.

 

Ubonjoe is VERY right.  Just get vaccinated, or take your chances with covid, if you see the light go INTO it.

[Jack1988]

I think this is not the right time  travel. Now I live in Thailand but if for example I still was in my country I wouldn't travel

[shdmn]

It would be pretty stupid to travel anywhere if you are not vaccinated, regardless of whether it's allowed or not.

Edited July 28, 2021 by shdmn

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, joeshmoe23 said:

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated? Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

I see no reason for you to come to Thailand.

 

[joeshmoe23]

thank you guys for all the responses. Policies changing overnight is a valid concern. I don't get why everyone is so paranoid about covid though. I said I already went through it so I have immunity and won't be spreading it.

Edited July 28, 2021 by joeshmoe23

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

COVID doesn't seem to affect most people very much, once you've had it already then I wouldn't worry, despite popular opinion humans still have very capable immune systems - this is why everyone who gets COVID doesn't die - because it still works.

 

Despite this the Thais are still treating double vaccinated tourists like infected lepers, isolating them on arrival and with multiple tests before allowing them to roam free.

 

I believe they're doing this because they allow people to have the second shot just a couple of weeks before they can come to Thailand - well before the vaccine provides the wanted immunity.

 

 

 

 

[bartender100]

If not already in place, I doubt very soon you will be able to get on a plane to anywhere unless you are double jabbed

[Captain Monday]

4 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated? Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

One reason is being allowed on a domestic flight or being allowed entry to a province without another additional quarrantine .

 

The day I flew to Chiang Mai this month an unvaccinated person  was tuned away from the ticket counter. They told him to take a minibus.

 

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

thank you guys for all the responses. Policies changing overnight is a valid concern. I don't get why everyone is so paranoid about covid though. I said I already went through it so I have immunity and won't be spreading it.

The immunity conferred by a prior Covid-19 infection is believed to be lower, in most cases, than with a two shot vaccine. Even if fully vaccinated, there is a chance of a breakthrough infection (though hospitalisation and death is unlikely). That risk is higher if relying purely on the immunity conferred by a prior infection. I know I am very unlikely to convince you, but the risks of serious side effects from having a vaccine are extremely low, and the Delta variant of Covid has a significant mortality even among younger people. By refusing to be vaccinated, you are endangering not only your own health, but that of others also. You have a right to remain unvaccinated, but others will have a right to protect themselves from the possible risks of you being Covid-19 positive. Do not be surprised if this causes you significant inconvenience at some stage.

 

As for being "paranoid", the official death toll from Covid so far is over 4,000,000, but the real death toll is believed to be far higher. In  many countries (notably India where the true death toll might well be as high as 5,000,000 in that country alone) Covid-19 deaths have been greatly undercounted.

 

My own view is that people saying they do not need to be protected against Covid-19 is similar to those saying they are not worried about the health impacts of tobacco smoking. I do not propose banning cigarettes, but think smokers need their head examined, and support attempts to protect me from second hand cigarette smoke.

Edited July 28, 2021 by BritTim

[beano2274]

there was a story sometime ago in Germany about someone who recovered from Covid, but actually caught it again, hell know how.

[treetops]

7 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

I said I already went through it so I have immunity and won't be spreading it.

No you don't have immunity and you may well catch it again and spread it to to others.  Even if the odds against it are acceptable to you, please don't be so selfish as to forget about those around you.

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

The immunity conferred by a prior Covid-19 infection is believed to be lower, in most cases, than with a two shot vaccine.

 

That's not what I've been reading very recently, in fact it was the opposite but it's still early days at this stage.

 

What you're saying above was the 'accepted (promoted) knowledge' a few months ago but the situation is fluid....

Edited July 28, 2021 by ukrules

[BritTim]

11 minutes ago, ukrules said:

That's not what I've been reading very recently, in fact it was the opposite but it's still early days at this stage.

As you state, the jury is still out, and we are trying to predict the verdict based on the evidence in front of us. One recent study that seems very logical to me is this:

https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/06/22/how-immunity-generated-from-covid-19-vaccines-differs-from-an-infection/

 

The study's conclusion is that vaccination should protect against new variants better than natural immunity from a prior infection. Other studies also suggest that immunity from prior infection starts to fade after about three months (as is true with only a single dose of most of the vaccines).

 

Yes, still early days. However, vaccination after previous infection certainly cannot result in worse levels of immunity.

[rimmae2]

10 hours ago, RoyLee said:

No you don't need to be vaccinated, but you will need to endure the 14 day quarantine at an ASQ hotel at your expense.

Currently vaccinated or not ASQ is required. (Sandbox or 'similar' as per Samui not are considered differently).

[Tony125]

17 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

thank you guys for all the responses. Policies changing overnight is a valid concern. I don't get why everyone is so paranoid about covid though. I said I already went through it so I have immunity and won't be spreading it.

Ask your Dr but most people even if had Covid especially if only a mild infection need a vaccine shot. I have friends in US who had Covid and still needed to get shots, advised by their Dr's.

https://www.greaterthancovid.org/videos/immunity-if-i-had-covid/?gclid=CjwKCAjwo4mIBhBsEiwAKgzXOGJzfohrlojjGXKK-ToY6Am_1RQ411YmW081A5jOvAul9CGdYzvhixoCMb8QAvD_BwE

 

Even if you had Covid or 2 shots of Vaccine you can still be a carrier and spread it.

Edited July 29, 2021 by Tony125

[Scouse123]

19 hours ago, joeshmoe23 said:

Thank you for the response. Is there any specific reason as to why you suggest to get vaccinated? Personally I am trying to avoid it. I am in my 30's and already went through covid so I see no reason to get jabbed.

I will tell you the same as I told my sons, both in their thirties as well, who actually used the same argument as you.

 

It's not all about you and just because you have had it does not prevent you from getting it again and even if you have very mild symptoms you could easily pass it on to somebody else who isn't so lucky!

 

It's about respecting and protecting others around you.

[BusyB]

17 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

One reason is being allowed on a domestic flight or being allowed entry to a province without another additional quarrantine .

 

The day I flew to Chiang Mai this month an unvaccinated person  was tuned away from the ticket counter. They told him to take a minibus.

 

That was probably faster ...

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, Tony125 said:

Ask your Dr but most people even if had Covid especially if only a mild infection need a vaccine shot. I have friends in US who had Covid and still needed to get shots, advised by their Dr's.

https://www.greaterthancovid.org/videos/immunity-if-i-had-covid/?gclid=CjwKCAjwo4mIBhBsEiwAKgzXOGJzfohrlojjGXKK-ToY6Am_1RQ411YmW081A5jOvAul9CGdYzvhixoCMb8QAvD_BwE

 

Even if you had Covid or 2 shots of Vaccine you can still be a carrier and spread it.

A shot gives a significant boost to the immune system.

[dennnis]

22 hours ago, tonray said:

Because vaccination may prevent you from dying. That would be the primary reason. If you had verifiable Covid, it still does not tell if you have measurable antobodies for disease resistance. More difficult to get vaccinated here in Thailand and many flights may begin to consider that a step for boarding the planes.

By the new Israeli research, people who had covid are more protected than vaccinated ones.

[dennnis]

13 hours ago, beano2274 said:

there was a story sometime ago in Germany about someone who recovered from Covid, but actually caught it again, hell know how.

There are stories of thousands vaccinated who caught covid.

[MrJ2U]

I'm not sure.  But who would want to come here without a vaccination?

[BritTim]

27 minutes ago, dennnis said:

There are stories of thousands vaccinated who caught covid.

Those stories are true. Of the 160,000,000 people fully vaccinated against Covid-19, there have been a little over 4,000 hospitalisations for Covid, and around 800 have died. That compares with over 5,000,000 hospitalisations and over 600,000 deaths among the unvaccinated. [Yes, many of the infections and deaths occurred before a significant segment of the population was vaccinated, but 99.5% of recent deaths from Covid are among the unvaccinated, and your risk of dying from Covid in the US at this time is approximately the same as dying from a bee sting and much less than being struck by lightning.]

[tonray]

45 minutes ago, dennnis said:

By the new Israeli research, people who had covid are more protected than vaccinated ones.

Then perhaps he should go to Israel instead.