Thailand | International Travel Warnings

[Pegasus]

Thailand on UK “Red List” from August 30.2021

Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket or elsewhere, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK: the country is being added to the UK’s red list. The British Department of Transport says that from Monday, Thailand will be a new addition to the UK government’s red list. This means UK residents arriving home from Thailand will be subject to 10 days of mandatory hotel quarantine, while non-residents will not be permitted to travel.

“Thailand will be added to the red list from 4:00 am on Monday, August 30, 2021.”

The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand is being added to the list as a result of a low rate of Covid-19 vaccination that the British government says leaves it at risk of new variants, which could then be imported into the UK. The move is another blow to Thailand’s tourism hopes, making it very unlikely that any British holidaymakers will arrive in the near future.

[Pegasus]

US Travel Advise | Thailand on highest travel warning level

While officials rush to restore Phukets reputation following the murder of a Swiss tourist, the eyes of the US government are on how Thailand is managing the pandemic (or not). According to a Bangkok Post report, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is warning citizens against travel to Thailand as Covid-19 infections and deaths continue to rise. The CDC has just upgraded Thailand to the highest Covid-19 warning level (“Level 4: Very High”), along with over 70 other locations, including Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia. The centre has posted an update on its website, warning that even vaccinated travellers are at risk from new variants. The highly-contagious Delta variant is now the dominant strain in Thailand and behind the ongoing surge in infections.

“Because of the current situation in Thailand, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants.”

The Bangkok Post reports that the US State Department has also issued Level 4 warnings against travel to Iceland and France. Level 3 warnings have also been issued, advising unvaccinated Americans against non-essential travel to Austria, Croatia, El Salvador, Azerbaijan, Guam, Kenya, and Jamaica. oday, The Kingdom has now reported 795,951 infections and 6,588 Covid-related fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

[Sundance2020]

JP Morgan includes Thailand in 5 Economies most at risk from Delta variant

The investment banking firm JP Morgan says there are 5 emerging economies that are most vulnerable to the Delta variant – and Thailand is one of them. According to a Reuters report, the others are South Africa, Colombia, the Philippines, and Peru.

The primary reason given for these findings is the low rate of vaccination, with analysts comparing the pace of vaccine rollouts with the spread of the Delta variant first reported in India. In some countries, mass vaccination is not happening quickly enough to offset the surge in infections caused by the highly contagious variant.

The findings indicate that pressure on healthcare systems and rising death rates can result in governments being forced to re-introduce or extend mobility restrictions. Analysts say the rate of vaccination that will enable mobility to return to normal will vary depending on the country.

“The model estimates suggest that the Philippines, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and Colombia face the longest journeys back to pre-pandemic levels of mobility, while Singapore, Turkey, India, and Brazil have the shortest journeys.”

According to Reuters, the findings also point to a general reluctance among Latin American nations to introduce lengthy mobility restrictions.

“While the region has shown surprising resilience in the face of the virus and other headwinds, downside risks to growth could still manifest through the impact of worsening public health on confidence even if the uptrend in mobility remains in place.”

[Paul]

TAT pushes for Indonesia, Malaysia to be added to approved list for Phuket sandbox

The Tourism Authority of Thailand says there is demand in the Malaysian and Indonesian markets, but both countries are currently off the approved list for the Phuket sandbox. The Bangkok Post reports that Sophon Tantayotai from the TAT’s Jakarta office says Indonesians are allowed to travel abroad but cannot avail of the Phuket sandbox, instead having to quarantine for 14 days if they come to Thailand. The reason given is that Indonesia is still considered high-risk, following a severe Covid-19 outbreak in July.

According to the Bangkok Post, at the height of the outbreak, cases peaked at 60,000 a day, but the situation is much improved since then, with new infections dropping to between 3,000 and 5,000 a day in mid-August. Around 20% of the country is now fully vaccinated, although the figure is closer to 100% in Jakarta. Another stumbling block for Indonesian travellers interested in Thailand is that they would have to carry out 8 days of quarantine on their return. Nevertheless, Sophon says the eventual re-opening of Bangkok is likely to generate further interest from Indonesian tourists. In 2019, Thailand welcomed 709,613 visitors from Indonesia, contributing 18.2 Billion THB in revenue.

“The Phuket sandbox alone might not attract huge demand as tourists would like to combine Bangkok in their plans. Re-opening the capital will help revive volume from the Indonesian market.”

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Nongyao Jirundorn from the TAT’s Kuala Lumpur office, says locals are not permitted to travel internationally for now. Malaysia is also not on the approved list for the Phuket sandbox. However, the country was the second largest tourism market for Thailand before Covid-19, with 4.2 million tourists generating 107 Billion THB, according to the Bangkok Post report. Nongyao says Malaysians have expressed interest in the Phuket sandbox and nearly 80% of Malaysians are now fully vaccinated.

[Steve]

Thailand remains on UK Red List

The British government has amended its advice to avoid non-essential travel to 32 countries. The Bangkok Post reports that the move comes as countries around the world continue to make progress in fighting the pandemic. However, according to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Thailand remains on the red list, along with South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico.

“The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advise against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks.”

In addition, the British government continues to advise its citizens to avoid travel to areas in the south of the country, including Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and southern parts of Songkhla, due to the risk of insurgent attacks.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post reports that the UK has dropped its advice to avoid non-essential travel to Malaysia, Algeria, and Senegal among others. The move will make it easier for travellers to obtain travel insurance for these destinations, which would have previously been excluded from coverage.

The British government continues to move towards easing travel restrictions, having recently ditched its so-called “traffic light” system, whereby countries were on green, amber, and red lists. It now has just one single red list, where Thailand still sits. Foreign Minister Liz Truss says Covid-19 testing requirements have also been reduced for fully vaccinated arrivals.

“We’re striking the right balance between keeping people safe, which remains our priority, and giving them the freedom to exercise personal responsibility, while supporting the travel sector.”

[Steve]

Thailand to be removed from UK Red List from Oct.11.2021

Thailand is being removed from Britain’s red list, meaning no more hotel quarantine for arrivals from the kingdom. Earlier this week, the UK ditched its advice against non-essential travel for 32 countries, but left Thailand and others on the red list. Now, that list will be cut to just 7 countries from Monday, with Thailand and 46 others coming off.

The Bangkok Post reports that the UK has now missed 2 summers of tourism, due to tough travel restrictions that made it difficult for people to travel overseas or for international tourists to visit. Airlines have criticised the restrictions, in particular the frequency with which they changed. The uncertainty caused by the constant changes proved a significant deterrent for travellers.

Yesterday, the UK’s Transport Ministry confirmed that from Monday, October 11, the red list is being slashed to just 7 countries: Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. A total of 47 countries, including Thailand, are being removed.

“Thailand will no longer be on the red list for entering England. Check what you must do to travel abroad and return to England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.”

The ministry has also relaxed restrictions on arrivals from places like Ghana, Turkey, and India and will now recognise their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated travellers will now only need to submit to a Covid-19 test on day 2. The Bangkok Post reports that once the testing requirement changes to lateral flow instead of PCR testing, travellers will be able to submit a photo of their test result to check its accuracy.

[Sundance2020]

Germany removes Thailand from its list of high-risk countries

The Thai embassy in Berlin says Thailand has been removed from Germany’s list of Covid-19 high-risk countries, according to a Thai PBS World report. Provided they are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, travellers from Thailand can now enter Germany without having to quarantine. The accepted vaccines are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.

In addition to being fully vaccinated, arrivals from Thailand must produce a negative PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of travel, or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours. Travellers who have recovered from Covid-19 need to show proof of a positive PCR test result that is at least 28 days old, but no older than 6 months, or evidence of being fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before their arrival.

Travellers from Thailand to Germany are required to provide a valid urgent reason for their journey. However, exceptions will be made for Thai nationals who also hold German citizenship, those who have a home or family members in Germany or elsewhere in the European Union, and people who are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before their arrival. Arrivals who have fully recovered from Covid-19 and have been inoculated with at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine are not required to provide a reason for their need to travel.