Thailand to Drop More COVID-19 Restrictions for Travelers — What to Know

Thailand will eliminate pre-arrival testing for all visitors next month as the country becomes the latest to ease pandemic-related restrictions.

Starting May 1, the Southeast Asian country will no longer require visitors to get tested before coming or upon arrival, regardless of their vaccination status, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. While fully vaccinated travelers will be able to come into the country and travel freely without any quarantine restrictions or mandatory hotel stays, the rules will be slightly different for unvaccinated travelers.

Visitors who are not fully vaccinated and arrive without a negative COVID-19 test will be required to book a minimum 5-day stay in an approved hotel, quarantine, and get tested with a PCR test on day 5 of their trip. Alternatively, unvaccinated travelers may skip quarantine and travel freely throughout Thailand if they arrive in the country with a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their trip.

All travelers to Thailand must still register for a Thailand Pass online and obtain an insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $10,000, which is less than the previous requirement of $20,000.

Before May 1, vaccinated international visitors must pay for at least one night in a government-approved hotel, take a PCR test upon arrival, take a rapid antigen self-test on day 5 of their trip, and obtain an insurance policy with at least $20,000 in coverage. Thailand eliminated the pre-arrival test for vaccinated travelers earlier this month.

Thailand first started welcoming international tourists quarantine-free as part of its Phuket Sandbox program in July 2021, but required them to remain on the island. In November, Thailand then allowed tourists to visit the rest of the country quarantine-free, but tightened border restrictions again in December amid the emergence of the omicron variant.

In February, the country once again brought back its "Test & Go Thailand Pass" program, allowing vaccinated international visitors to travel to any part of the country and skip quarantine.

Thailand joins several other countries around the world in eliminating pandemic-related measures for vaccinated visitors, including Canada and Australia, which each dropped pre-arrival testing for vaccinated travelers. Some destinations have taken it even further, eliminating pandemic-era travel rules altogether, regardless of vaccination status, including Iceland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Aruba.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.