Thailand Suspends Quarantine-Free Travel Pass

As of December 22, 2021, Thailand suspended its quarantine exemption program, Thailand Pass, for inbound international travelers following the spread of the Omicron variant.

According to CNN, the suspension of the Thailand Pass program, which granted quarantine-free travel for travelers from 46 countries including the United States, is suspended temporarily for all TEST&GO and Sandbox travel applications, except for Sandbox Phuket. There is currently no date for when travelers can apply for the quarantine exemption again.

Travelers who have been approved can still use the pass to get around Thailand quarantine-free. Travelers who haven’t entered the country yet but have applied can still receive their quarantine-free travel pass if approved.

Travelers who have not yet applied will now have to take two PCR tests, one prior to arrival and the other at a government-designated testing facility at no added cost, as well as quarantine for seven to ten days depending on their country of origin.

The quarantine exemption program began November 1; so far, 200,000 people applied for the pass, according to a press release from the Thai government on the pass’s suspension. The Thailand Pass provides accepted travelers with a QR code on their smartphones that provides free access to enter attractions, restaurants and other places.