Fully Vaccinated Vietnamese Can Travel To Thailand Without Quarantine, But Here’s Why We Aren’t Packing Our Bags Yet

Vietnamese are exempt from quarantine rules when traveling to Thailand

Over the course of two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on international travel, hotels, and attractions across the globe.

In an effort to revive its tourism industry, the Thai government has announced its plan to open its doors to fully vaccinated travellers from 63 countries, including Vietnam. According to Bangkok Post, fully vaccinated travellers from Vietnam can travel to Thailand from 1st November without having to quarantine.

This is great news! However, not all of us Vietnamese are excited about it – and here’s why.

Thailand lifts quarantine upon entry for Covid-19 vaccinated Vietnamese

Image credit: Geoff Greenwood

Thailand will kick start quarantine-free entry to fully vaccinated Vietnamese from 1st November, says Bangkok Post.

On 31st October, Thailand’s government announced that Vietnam would be included in its quarantine-free travel sandbox arrangement.

Image credit: Thai Embassy

This means that travellers from Vietnam can enter Thailand’s safe zones that are taking part in the sandbox program, such as Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

You can discover picturesque beaches, majestic pagodas, and eat spicy Thai food to your heart’s content without having to quarantine.

Image credit: Sumit Chinchane

Travellers will need to provide certificates of vaccination against Covid-19 received no less than fourteen days before departure, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure, and an insurance policy that covers Covid-19 treatment for up to USD50,000.

It’s great to travel to Thailand again, but things are not that simple

The Covid-19 situation in Hanoi is escalating
Image credit: Quân Đội Nhân Dân

A quarantine-free trip to Thailand sounds great after so many months of being cooped up at home. However, this policy might not suffice to lure local residents back to the Land of Smiles and cabaret shows just yet.

The primary reason is that the Covid-19 situation in Vietnam has yet to stabilise, with Covid-19 clusters continuing to pop up in our western and northern provinces. Over the past few days, Vietnam has been recording over 5,000 locally acquired infections daily, according to the Ministry of Health. For the time being, it’s impossible to fly to Dalat, a local mountainous town, without having to quarantine for at least seven days.

Besides, the government has yet to issue a statement affirming that Vietnamese travellers returning from Thailand can re-enter the country without having to quarantine for at least seven days.

Until the Vietnamese government comes up with a detailed vaccinated travel lane program, residents might wish to postpone flying to Thailand for a holiday as they may have to return to quarantine facilities.

A trip to Thailand is a great opportunity to unwind and enjoy life, but for many, it may not be worth the swab tests and stress that follow.

Thailand has relaxed its quarantine restrictions, but Vietnam hasn’t

It’s great to hear that Thailand, the Land of Smiles where millions of Vietnamese flew to every year for holiday, has eased its quarantine curbs for international travellers. Meanwhile, Vietnam remains relatively guarded in its plans to reopen to international travellers.

Therefore, it might take a while to see how things transpire before we can make informed decisions and hassle-free plans to travel to and from Thailand again.

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Cover image adapted from: Mathew Schwartz

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