All Thailand Visitors Required to Show COVID-19 Vaccine Proof

The Thai government has reintroduced a requirement for a full COVID-19 vaccination for foreigners visiting the country. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said on Jan. 7 that people over 18 must have at least two vaccinations from accredited companies or a medical report that proves recovery from the virus if they were infected from July 2022 onwards.

Meanwhile, uninoculated individuals need to present a medical justification for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The CAAT added that visitors must accomplish said requirements before boarding a flight to the Southeast Asian country.

The new rules will take effect on Jan. 9 at 1 AM local time until Jan. 31. It has been three months since Thailand scrapped the vaccination requirement to lure foreign tourists to the country, a famous backpacking destination in Asia before the pandemic.

China’s reopening played a major factor in reviving the vaccine requirement, as there are fears that a wave of infections could follow the influx of mainland visitors. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul emphasised that the blanket application of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement is to ensure there is no discrimination among travellers.

“The principle is there will not be any discrimination against a particular country because COVID-19 is spreading in all countries and the strains are similar. So, COVID-19 should not be an issue of discriminating against any country,” he was quoted as saying in a report by the Bangkok Post.

Nonetheless, China’s lifting on travel restrictions will mean a boost to the tourism industry that has been struggling since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the vaccine requirement, visitors who are traveling to a country that requires a negative RT-PCR test must have a COVID-19 health insurance upon entering Thailand. Local passport holders and passengers, as well as those in transit to another country, are not required to submit a proof of vaccination.