In October 2022, Thailand lifted all Covid entry bans. However, the Thai government held a meeting on January 5, 2023 to discuss potential changes to entry rules in light of China's reopening.
What followed was a PR and communications disaster. The Thai authorities decided to change the entry rules at short notice. On January 7, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced that travelers will need proof of Covid-19 vaccination. That was later changed to say that unvaccinated travelers can travel, but may be subject to a Covid-19 test on arrival in Thailand. That changed again on January 9th when Thai authorities canceled the previous announcement. We are now back to where we were before all these failures started.
After all the twists and confusion, here is the current situation at 14:00 local time on January 9, 2023:
- There are no restrictions on entry to Thailand
- No need to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination
- Unvaccinated travelers can travel to Thailand
- If your country of origin (eg China) requires a PCR test on return, you may need to have health insurance before entering Thailand
- There is no mandatory insurance for other travellers, but it is recommended
- With all the confusion, there may be a delay before airlines update their website/social media with the latest information
Information first published: January 8, 2023
Last updated: January 9, 2023 (14:30 Thailand time)