Yellow Fever Shot Requirement For "Infected" Countries

[Jingthing]

Here is the list of countries that Thailand considers yellow fever risk.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2494

- The Ministry of Public Health has issued regulations that applicants who have travelled from or through the countries which have been declared Yellow Fever Infected Areas must provide an International Health Certificate proving that they have received a Yellow Fever vaccination.

- The International Health Certificate must be submitted together with the visa application form. The traveller will also have to present the said certificate to the Immigration Officer upon arrival at the port of entry in the Kingdom. As for those nationals of the countries listed below but who have not travelled from/through those countries, such a certificate is not required. However, they should possess concrete evidence showing that their domicile is not in an infected area so as to prevent unnecessary inconvenience.

As far as the need for a yellow fever vaccine, I can see if you sent in your passport for a visa and it showed recent travel to one of these countries, they might know to require the proof of vaccine.

However if you already have a visa you are on and you travel to one of these countries, and you return to Thailand leaving from another "non yellow" country, what do you reckon the chances are that they would enforce this rule at BKK airport?

I am thinking about a trip to one of these countries, and I know I will not be traveling in yellow fever infected areas of that country.

What would happen if they did enforce this and you didn't have the proof? Sent away, quarantine, etc.?

[garyh]

If you know anything about Yellow fever you would hope they are very strict on it.

[Richard4849]

For what it is worth, I have made several trips to "yellow fever" countries in West Africa, and never had the Thai officials even notice.

I did have a vaccination, though -- it's good for ten years so why not just do it? Takes about five minutes at Chaengwattana Immigration's little travel clinic.

[Phatcharanan]

I too have entered Thailand with no probs after having worked in Nigeria. Although I have my little yellow book showing the vac.......it has never been asked for.

[Digitalbanana]

You'd more likely get checked on entry to those countries requiring YF vaccine than returning to Thailand. I know in past I was checked at Lagos and Duala airports but never in Bangkok. Why would you go there without?

[Jingthing]

It's a tropical area disease. I am not going anywhere near the tropical part of the country I am considering traveling to. I don't want a shot I don't need absolutely for health reasons and no rational person should either. I noticed Argentina is also on the list. I wonder how long that has been on the list as some years back I got a visa from the Thai embassy there, no vaccine required for the visa and no vaccine required for entering BKK with a visa from there. Of course, it may not have been on the list when I got the visa. Believe me, I do not need the vaccine for health for where I hope to travel any more than you need it to travel to Chiang Mai. The question in the OP is about enforcement, as stated. I would think entering from a flight that originated in one of the listed countries may trigger attention, but just having a stamp in your passport probably wouldn't. The people that may actually know enough about this to have an informed opinion may be people who were carrying the required vaccine proof, had a stamp in their passport, and either WERE or WEREN'T asked for it when entering BKK.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Jingthing

[S1MON]

It really depends on where you are flying in from, i work in Angola and have flown in on Ethiopian Airways, and you must go to the health check area and they stamp your arrival card, but if i fly via anywhere else, like Dubai yesterday it is not requested, i have seen people from the Ehtiopian flight stand in line for 40 minutes to then be told to go back to get the stamp.

I guess they know when these flights are arriving as it has only been on Ethiopian that i have ever been asked for it.

[Jingthing]

To be clear, the country I want to travel to is not in Africa and is not normally a country you would associate with yellow fever. For example, do you associate Argentina with yellow fever? I get the issue of arriving on a flight which originated from one of these countries. But in my case, I would only have a stamp from a listed country, and come to Thailand some weeks LATER on a flight originating in the US. Also, if they enforced the vaccine stamp after you had traveled to a listed country, it makes no sense to give you a shot at the airport on the way to Thailand or at BKK. Too late. BTW, the country I want to travel does not require this vaccine to enter, and neither does Argentina. Hilariously the country I want to travel not only does not require a vaccine to enter, but THEY require a vaccine if you are entering their country IF you are coming from a country that is on THEIR high risk list. If I was planning on traveling in the JUNGLE area of that country, I would want the jab, but that isn't on my projected itinerary. Look, I know this isn't an easy question to answer. I will probably end up caving and getting this totally unnecessary shot to satisfy this overzealous rule. But I don't want to, which is why I am asking.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Jingthing

[wellred]

Just to clear up if im coming from the UK (where I live) and have never stepped foot in any yellow fever countries then I don't need one for Thailand right?

[Maestro]

Right.

[wellred]

Right.

ta

[klinpree]

I've flew in from many Arican countries Ethiopia is the only flight that I got asked to see the vaccination card