Thailand to be first Southeast Asian destination to reopen without quarantine for vaccinated travelers

This is a news article by Southeast Asian Tourism Associate, Alizee Drizet.

- The first country to reopen its provinces in mid-2021.

On July 1, 2021, after vaccinating 70% of the province's population, Phuket was able to welcome back vaccinated international travelers under the "Phuket Sandbox," a program that allows tourists to land on the idyllic island and stay quarantine-free for 14 days in certified* accommodations, before being able to travel anywhere they want in the Kingdom of Siam.

Since then, the program has been successful and other Thai provinces (with vaccination rates above 70%) have been able to follow in Phuket's footsteps, such as: Ko Samui, Krabi and Phang Nga. It is now even possible to combine these programs by staying 7 days in Phuket, then 7 days in Krabi, Samui or Phang Nga.

- What is the way forward for Thailand?

According to a recent communication from the Thai government, on October 1, 2021, 5 other provinces should also reopen: Chiang Mai, Rachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Chon Buri (Pattaya), Phetchaburi, and Bangkok!

Finally, with the goal of reaching a vaccination rate of 70% by the end of 2021, the government announced that the country should reopen its borders completely without any quarantine for vaccinated travelers in January 2022!

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*Accommodations must be SHA+ certified to open their doors to international travelers, which means that at least 70% of their staff must be vaccinated.