As we all know pretty much know by now, the reopening of travel is happening on a country-by-country basis and depends greatly on which passport you hold. There are a million variables that we won’t get into here. But there was one slice of sunshine in the travel news this week and it’s a nice one, to be sure.
Thailand is reopening to vaccinated travelers from some countries, starting November 1st. The backpacker-friendly nation had already started a “Sandbox” travel system on October 1st. That system was put in place in very popular destinations around the country. Basically, if you were vaccinated and traveling from a low-risk country, you could go to Phuket or Ao Nang, for instance, but you had to stay there for seven days — a sort of quarantine in paradise. The success of that scheme has led to the government announcing that the country would fully reopen to vaccinated travelers from “low-risk” countries starting November 1st, 2021.
According to a press release from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the country will welcome vaccinated travelers from “10 low-risk countries, including China, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and USA” starting in November. They plan to expand the list of ten countries on December 1st and again on January 1st. You’ll also be required to show a PCR test before you board a flight to Thailand and get a test once you arrive. If you’re negative when you arrive, you’ll be allowed to travel around the country.
While November 1st is right around the corner, the same press release also notes that “consumption of alcoholic beverages in restaurants as well as the operation of entertainment venues under appropriate health precautions would be allowed from 1 December.” So that gives you about a month to chill in Thailand before the party crowd returns in earnest.
It goes without saying that any part of this or all of it could be reversed as the Thai government sees fit. Still, it’s a ray of hope for any traveler looking to get in on a slice of paradise in one of the best food countries on earth before 2022 arrives.
Until then, here are some Instagram shots from Thailand to whet your appetite.
