Thailand has updated its Covid-19 travel rules, so that vaccinated visitors to the country no longer need to show a negative PCR test on arrival.
The country launched a new quarantine-free visa programme on February 1, allowing vaccinated travellers from any destination to visit. Tourists of any nationality can apply for quarantine-free entry into Thailand, provided they are fully vaccinated.
Visitors do still need to undergo Covid tests on their first and fifth days in the country, as part of the Test and Go scheme. Once they test negative, they are free to leave their hotel and travel freely throughout the country.
Thailand's Covid-19-hit tourism industry, which welcomed nearly 40 million visitors in the year before the pandemic, is welcoming the return of international travellers. If a trip filled with culture, idyllic beaches, island-hopping and an amazing culinary scene tempts you, here’s what you need to know before you go.
Who can travel to Thailand?
Travellers who have received a full dose of a Covid-19 vaccination can now fly to Thailand without quarantine.
The final dose of a vaccine must have been taken at least 14 days before arrival. Travellers between the ages of 12 and 17 travelling to Thailand unaccompanied must have received at least one dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before travelling to Thailand. Those travelling with parents are exempt from this requirement, as are those under the age of 12.
The new rules allow travel to any province in Thailand, not only those listed under the country's Sandbox scheme.
What do I need to get a quarantine-free visa for Thailand?
To qualify for a quarantine-free visa to visit Thailand, tourists need the following:
- Proof of a completed dose of an approved Covid-19 vaccination, taken at least 14 days before travel.
- Covid-19 insurance cover with a minimum limit of $20,000. This has been reduced from an initial requirement of $50,000.
- Proof of prepayment for one night of accommodation at a government-approved hotel, which should also include the expenses for two Covid-19 tests: a PCR test to be taken on day one and an antigen self-test on day five.
What vaccines are recognised for travel to Thailand?
Authorities are recognising all the major Covid-19 vaccinations, in line with the latest guidelines of the Thai government.
This includes Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, SK Bioscience-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Sinopharm.
What do I need to do before flying to Thailand?
Travellers must apply for a Thailand Pass before heading there. This will generate a QR code that will be required for entering the country.
To get the pass, visitors must provide proof of vaccination. All travellers must also have an approved hotel booking for both their first night in Thailand (which should include an airport transfer).
Day one is the day of landing in Thailand, unless you arrive after 6pm, in which case you should count the following day as day one.
All travellers must download and install the MorChana application, and make sure it is on at all times. This must also be used to record the antigen test on day five.
Which airlines are flying from the UAE to Thailand?
Etihad Airways and Emirates are both flying to Thailand from the UAE, with a journey time of about six hours.
You can fly from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok with Etihad in economy class from Dh2,315 ($630). The national airline of the UAE also flies to Phuket.
From Dubai, Emirates' fares to Bangkok are from Dh2,395 in economy class and are slightly more expensive to Phuket. Thai Airways also operates from Bangkok to Dubai.
What restrictions are in place in Thailand?
Face masks are compulsory across the country and must be worn in indoor and outdoor public places and on public transport. If you do not wear a mask, you may have to pay a fine.
The Thai government also advises that you avoid unnecessary travel and crowded places, and scan the Thai Chana QR code where available.
Provinces across Thailand are colour-coded and each colour has its own level of restrictions. The categories range from blue, which has the least restrictions, to red, where there are rules and restrictions on dining in restaurants, gathering in groups, closures of shops and curfews.
Is Covid-19 still prevalent in Thailand?
Thailand recorded 25,752 new Covid-19 cases in the week leading up to April 1, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has rolled out a mass vaccination drive with a target of inoculating 70 per cent of the local population by 2022. Johns Hopkins University reports that the country has reached its self-imposed target, with more than 72 per cent of the population now fully vaccinated.
When’s the best time to travel to Thailand?
November to March tradition offers best weather for travel to Thailand as it's the end of the monsoon season, which means lush landscapes and pleasant temperatures.
July to October brings Thailand’s monsoons back to the country, which can mean anything from an afternoon shower to major flooding, making this low season for visitors.
– This article was first published on November 1, 2021
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Lady Parma, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
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Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
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Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
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4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
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Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The 24-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
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Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
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