The Tourism Minister boasted a significant rise in hotel bookings under the Phuket Sandbox scheme for November now that travelers from 45 countries and one territory will be allowed to enter the country without quarantine, state news agency NNT reported today (Oct 27).
However, visitors need to provide a negative test for COVID-19 before traveling and take a COVID-19 test on arrival and wait in an approved hotel for the results. After they have been cleared, they will be allowed to travel freely in the country, said the report.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Thailand Pass system is web-based and designed to make the documentation process for people entering Thailand more efficient. The system collects both travel and health information and will help facilitate the filing of TM6 and T8 forms, NNT noted, repeating many other previous reports.
The system also applies to people who have not been vaccinated or have received just one shot of COVID-19 vaccine and are entering Thailand under the alternative quarantine program, it said.
As Thailand is transitioning from the Certificate of Entry (COE) to the Thailand Pass system, hotel refunds for any seven-day booking are eligible for those unable to apply for Thailand Pass in time,NNT reported.
Travelers from the 45 countries and one territory exempted from quarantine, who booked their accommodations prior to the commencement of the quarantine exemption scheme, are advised to contact their hotels for a full refund. The government has already notified hotel operators regarding this eligibility, it added.
However, despite the reopening of the country to tourists and the launch of the Thailand Pass system being only five days away, the state news agency today had no other details to confirm, including whether the Thailand Pass system will require any less, or different, documentation than the COE.
The Thailand Pass registration website is here.
A notice posted on the website’s home page currently reads, “Thailand Pass will open for registration on 1 November 2021 at 09.00 hrs. We recommend you to register for Thailand’s new electronic entry document (Thailand Pass QR code) at least 7 days prior to your travel date.
“For travellers who have been granted COE (Certificate of Entry) and will arrive in Thailand from 1 November 2021 onwards, the COE remains valid for entering Thailand. Travellers can update the approved COE with the revised terms and condition of stay complying with new entry regulations by downloading the new COE at the registration website (coethailand.mfa.go.th) or the link from your COE approval notification email.”
The COE website also now carries a notice on its home page, advising prospective visitors to Thailand, “From 1 November 2021, the Certificate of Entry (COE) registration website will be closed for new registration. The applicant can apply for Thailand new electronic entry document (Thailand Pass QR code) at tp.consular.go.th which will be open for registration from 1 November 2021 at 09.00 hrs. onwards.
“The website will allow traveller whose application has been pre-approved to continue their application process to obtain COE from the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate-General until 7 November 2021.
“For travellers who have been issued COE and will arrive in Thailand from 1 November 2021 onwards, the COE is valid for entering Thailand. The travellers can update the COE format which will mention the condition of stay complying with new entry regulations by downloading the revised COE document at this registration website (coethailand.mfa.go.th) or the link from your COE approval notification email.”