ICYMI: Thailand now allows quarantine-free entry to Filipino tourists. Here are the requirements
Been wanting to quench your wanderlust for the past two years in quarantine? There's no need to go farther than Thailand, as the country is now accepting tourists from the Philippines without having to quarantine.
Since March 1, Thailand has been allowing quarantine-free entry to tourists from countries at low risk from COVID-19, provided that they are fully vaccinated against the disease.
This new regulation is being implemented as part of the Thai government's renewed "Test and Go" system, which now permits vaxxed tourists from low risk countries to travel anywhere in Thailand after they have tested negative on the RT-PCR test to be taken upon arrival in the country.
Test & Go is one of the three entry schemes Thailand is offering to travelers who would like to visit the country. One of which is the "Sandbox Programme" where fully vaccinated travelers from high risk countries are required to stay for five nights in a designated hotel. The other is called "Alternative Quarantine," which also requires unvaccinated travelers to quarantine for five days.
Since the Philippines has been at low risk from coronavirus since February 15, according to the Department of Health, it falls in Thailand's list of countries eligible for Test & Go.
Requirements for Test & Go
To apply for the program, Filipino travelers need to furnish the following documents:
- Passport
- Certificate of vaccination
- Negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours before departure in a DOH-accredited testing laboratory. Visit this site for the list of licensed facilities.
- Booking confirmation from hotels accredited by the Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration (SHA) or included in the list of Alternative Quarantine (AQ) hotels. The paid amount must include one RT-PCR test, one antigen test kit, and airport transfer.
- Travel insurance with minimum coverage of US$20,000 or approximately P1.1 million.
Application process
After securing your documents, register for a Thailand Pass, or certificate of entry, at https://tp.consular.go.th at least seven days before your departure date.
Processing of registration usually takes three to seven days, as it includes the authentication of your hotel booking and vaccine certificate.
If proven true, your Thailand Pass QR code will be sent to you via email.
Arrival procedure
You will be required to pass through checkpoints and take a RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport. Then, you can just wait for your test result at the hotel.
Five days after your arrival, you will be required to take a self-administered rapid antigen test and report the result on the Mor Chana mobile app.
