Proof of Covid vaccines will be required again for ALL arrivals to Thailand

[snoop1130 36004]

Proof of Covid vaccine re-introduced

 

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has this afternoon adopted four measures that will be applied to ALL tourists visiting Thailand, including from China. The announcement follows news that the Chinese Government would travel restrictions on their citizens on January 8.

 

The first flights from China, in the wake of the announcement from China, are scheduled to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport on January 12. So the time for the re-introduction of the measures will be sometime from now until January 12… the Minister was not clear on this.

 

The newly announced measures:

 

1. All visitors must have received at least TWO doses of Covid-19 vaccine before their arrival
2. All visitors should take out health insurance coverage, which includes Covid-19, before their departure for Thailand
3. All visitors should wear face masks while travelling on public transport in Thailand and in public places and take rapid antigen tests if they develop Covid-like symptoms.
4. Visitors should postpone their visits to Thailand if they develop a respiratory disease.

 

We’ll have a more detailed report on Phuket-GO tomorrow morning.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/proof-of-covid-vaccines-will-be-required-again-for-all-arrivals-to-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-01-05

 

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[internationalism 8285]

"Although it’s true the health minister talked about a plan for vaccination certificates, he didn’t say when this would be brought it. Bloomberg picked up the phone and got this quote from the TAT: “Visitors won’t be required to produce proof of vaccination at this time”.

that is from Richard Barrow fb published 2h ago.

Nothing certain at that time

[Eleftheros 1334]

Just when you think this country couldn't get any more stupid ... they always prove you wrong.

[rbkk 2031]

Genuine question: How long is a Covid-19 vaccine/booster "Valid" for travel? I'm off next week for a short trip and I've had 4 in total but the last booster was about 9 months ago. Do I now need a "Top-up?"

[nigelforbes 4879]

Presumably the vaccinations must have been within the previous X months?

 

The health insurance rule is risky, that may deter some tourists and will impact older expats. 

 

Enforcement of facemasks in public places sounds almost unenforceable.

 

 

[Boomer6969 5285]

3 minutes ago, rbkk said:

Genuine question: How long is a Covid-19 vaccine/booster "Valid" for travel? I'm off next week for a short trip and I've had 4 in total but the last booster was about 9 months ago. Do I now need a "Top-up?"

Yes. Whether you travel or not.

[NanLaew 28390]

6 minutes ago, Eleftheros said:

Just when you think this country couldn't get any more stupid ... they always prove you wrong.

They're just playing follow the leader. The US says they will test arrivals from China, The UK says "no plans" for tests. Twenty-four hours later, UK requires tests. The EU said they won't and Von der Leyen herself goes on the record saying it's discriminatory.  Twenty-for hours later, the EU follow the herd. The US sees Xi's U-turn on zero-covid at home as a moment of weakness and plays the the rest of the world.

 

Why does EVERYTHING have to be a Thai bash?

[NanLaew 28390]

6 minutes ago, rbkk said:

Genuine question: How long is a Covid-19 vaccine/booster "Valid" for travel? I'm off next week for a short trip and I've had 4 in total but the last booster was about 9 months ago. Do I now need a "Top-up?"

No.

 

But it's up to you.

[NanLaew 28390]

3 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Enforcement of facemasks in public places sounds almost unenforceable.

Only for farangs maybe. When I boldly stride around the local Big C maskless up here in Bahn Nawk, most of the locals are masked up and most of the farang squatters, like myself, aren't.

[NanLaew 28390]

5 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

9 minutes ago, rbkk said:

Genuine question: How long is a Covid-19 vaccine/booster "Valid" for travel? I'm off next week for a short trip and I've had 4 in total but the last booster was about 9 months ago. Do I now need a "Top-up?"

Yes. Whether you travel or not.

I've flown over 45,000 km across three continent's and in and out of half-a-dozen countries in five months and two shots is still considered "fully vaccinated".

 

A booster was recommended for the over 60's, but that's about it.

[matchar 357]

40 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

• All visitors should take out health insurance coverage, which includes Covid-19, before their departure for Thailand
• All visitors should wear face masks while travelling on public transport in Thailand and in public places and take rapid antigen tests if they develop Covid-like symptoms.
• Visitors should postpone their visits to Thailand if they develop a respiratory disease.

The key word is SHOULD. People should not listen to government suggestions but decide for themselves.

 

Wearing a mask is not compulsory.

[ozimoron 22994]

Good. Hospitals around the world are being overwhelmed again and Thailand doesn't want to follow suit.

[nigelforbes 4879]

The BP is reporting the story and saying that insurance will ONLY be required from travellers who have onward travel from Thailand, to countries requiring a negative test for entry. 

[gejohesch 532]

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I've flown over 45,000 km across three continent's and in and out of half-a-dozen countries in five months and two shots is still considered "fully vaccinated".

 

A booster was recommended for the over 60's, but that's about it.

That's a bit reassuring. I'm "fully" vacc'ed (3 times Pfizer, the last one in Dec 2021). So, no need to get another jab then?

 

Another question I have is, I'm going for 1 week to Cambodia later in January (3d week), then back to Thailand. Will I need to worry about getting tested to (first) fly from BKK to Cambodia, and (second) to fly back to Thailand 1 week later?

 

Shxt, when we were thinking that we could start relaxing a bit about COVID! 😖 Now we have to start worrying about all those rules again! 😣

[sezze 2231]

2 minutes ago, gejohesch said:

 

Shxt, when we were thinking that we could start relaxing a bit about COVID! 😖 Now we have to start worrying about all those rules again! 😣

This would be temporary , thx to the huge outbreak ( and actually 1st real wave) in China . With so many cases now in China , it is logic that some precautions are made.  Covid is not gone and will not be gone , however by far most people do not have large reactions to it anymore. Nobody wants to go back to the strong rules and i think they will not happen but some kind of precautions are needed in case it will get out of control . Remember China is huge , with a huge population, when many bring in covid at the same time you can have a mass outbreak .

[rbkk 2031]

26 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Yes. Whether you travel or not.

 

25 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

No.

 

But it's up to you.

Thanks chaps!  To be honest I'm aware that a booster is prudent for my personal circumstance but I'm still a bit concerned if it's a necessity for my upcoming trip.

 

[Boomer6969 5285]

25 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I've flown over 45,000 km across three continent's and in and out of half-a-dozen countries in five months

proves that

 

26 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

two shots is still considered "fully vaccinated".

 

😃

[3NUMBAS 2632]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64164306

 

new strain on the march

 

A new Covid sub-variant is causing some concern in the US, where it is spreading rapidly.

Some cases have been recorded in the UK, so what do you need to know about XBB.1.5?

Edited January 5 by 3NUMBAS

[Mac Mickmanus 16107]

2 minutes ago, Seppius said:

I would guess the amount of travellers that have not been vaccinated these days is very low, and if you have not....

 

Well, pretty easy I would think to get a photoshop of two certificates, they never hardly checked them before, certainly not against any database. The airports will be so busy now, a quick glance is all they will get

Not a good idea , would be big trouble if caught 

[bang saen guy 819]

Does Sinovac actually count?

[sezze 2231]

5 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

Does Sinovac actually count?

It counted before , why wouldn't it now ?

[falang07 637]

12 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Not a good idea , would be big trouble if caught 

no chance to check your health data

[edwardandtubs 3760]

8 minutes ago, Seppius said:

I would guess the amount of travellers that have not been vaccinated these days is very low, and if you have not....

 

Not that low, about 20% remain unvaccinated but this new rule is a nonsense because someone from, say, the UK who is unvaccinated will have natural immunity from catching the virus at least once and probably two or three times. Someone from China on the other hand has probably had no exposure to the virus until the past few weeks so has lower protection and higher exposure as the virus rips through the population. So there's every justification in treating visitors from China differently and the fact that they aren't just shows Thailand's independence is slipping away if it hasn't gone already.

[Anton9 1008]

Not gonna happen, they will stop talking about this in 2 weeks when the China hysteria will be gone

 

[Etaoin Shrdlu 1815]

1 hour ago, rbkk said:

Genuine question: How long is a Covid-19 vaccine/booster "Valid" for travel? I'm off next week for a short trip and I've had 4 in total but the last booster was about 9 months ago. Do I now need a "Top-up?"

Same.

 

I'm off on Monday for a week in the US. My last vaccination was in March last year.

[ozimoron 22994]

2 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Same.

 

I'm off on Monday for a week in the US. My last vaccination was in March last year.

I think you will be fine if you can prove you have had at least 2 vaccinations at any time. Just my opinion.

[Etaoin Shrdlu 1815]

Just now, ozimoron said:

I think you will be fine if you can prove you have had at least 2 vaccinations at any time. Just my opinion.

Sure hope so. Can't postpone the trip.

 

I have both the Mor Phrom app on my phone showing three vaccinations plus the yellow booklet issued by the MoH here showing same.

[freedomnow 2501]

Haha, great way to up tourist numbers at this point - policy makers in LoS  - circus.

[FarAway 565]

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

Good. Hospitals around the world are being overwhelmed again and Thailand doesn't want to follow suit.

As in every winter before "COVID" already.

Since 2020 the personal of the health sector was even more reduced, so it is obvious the hospitals can cope less and less every year with respiratory diseases and other seasonal things prevalent in winter.

[Blumpie 4382]

I truly don't care because I am vaccinated,, but you can  clearly see they are doing this to not offend their big brother.  

But then why is everyone surprised?  Past behaviour is indicative of future behaviour.

 

Truth be known, they don't give a jolly good toss about the unvaccinated - they are going after the greatest numbers, end of story.  They will toss you aside like an old rag to achieve that goal.  

 

Same same.