Despite the ongoing pandemic and Covid being far from over, the world is slowly welcoming back travellers with little to no quarantine or tests required. As the Thai summer heats up with many looking to escape, Guru has compiled a list of countries that have opened their borders to tourists.
United States Of America
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: A negative RT-PCR result taken no more than one day before travel or documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 in the last 90 days.
Mask mandates: All travellers are required to wear a mask on board flights.
(Source: cdc.gov)
Switzerland
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: If travellers are not fully vaccinated but need to travel on specific exceptions, they have to produce a negative RT-PCR test taken less than 72 hours before travelling or a negative antigen rapid test taken less than 48 hours before travelling.
Quarantine: No quarantine is required. However, online entry registration is required.
(Source: thaiembassy.ch)
France
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: No quarantine is required.
(Source: th.ambafrance.org)
Germany
Minimum vaccination: Two doses taken 14 days prior to travel.
Tests: Travellers must produce a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before travelling or a negative antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before travelling. Those who have recovered from Covid must provide proof of recovery via an RT-PCR test taken at least 28 days but no more than six months before travelling.
Quarantine: No quarantine if all documents provided.
(Source:auswaertiges-amt.de)
The United Kingdom
Minimum vaccination: None.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
(Source: gov.uk)
Greece
Minimum vaccination: Two doses with an EU Digital Covid Certificate.
Tests: All travellers are subject to selective PCR or antigen testing administered on arrival. If results are positive, travellers must self-quarantine for five days and wear a face mask (FFP2 or N95) for five days after being released. Non-vaccinated travellers must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arrival. Alternatively, proof of a negative antigen test taken 24 hours prior to arrival is also accepted. Those who have recently recovered from Covid are exempt from vaccination requirements and will have to provide proof of a positive antigen or PCR test, issued at least 14 days before departure and not more than 180 days, on arrival. Test results must be in English and must include the passenger's name as in their travel document.
Quarantine: Only if positive upon arrival.
(Source: travel.gov.gr)
Georgia
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: The unvaccinated must produce a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to travel, must have a follow-up three days after arrival and must provide contact details and detailed travel history. A RT-PCR negative result certificate must be presented in Georgian, English or Russian languages.
Quarantine: No requirement.
(Source: geoconsul.gov.ge)
Australia
Minimum vaccination: Two doses with certificate and vaccine passport.
Tests: Travellers must produce a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure.
Quarantine: Non-vaccinated individuals are required to quarantine at a facility or a hotel on arrival for seven to 14 days and are subject to post-arrival testing as determined by state or territory governments.
Extra: Fill in the Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) 72 hours prior to travelling at dpd.homeaffairs.gov.au.
(Source: health.gov.au)
Denmark
Minimum vaccination: None.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
However: There are no Covid-related requirements regarding vaccination, test or self-isolation when entering Denmark. However, businesses and private cultural institutions are allowed to have their own requirements regarding face masks, shields, vaccination certificates, etc.
(Source: en.coronasmitte.dk)
Sweden
Minimum vaccination: None.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
(Source: government.se)
Iceland
Minimum vaccination: None.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
(Source: icelandair.com)
Italy
Minimum vaccination: Two doses (certified with the Covid-19 Vaccine Passport).
Tests: Non-vaccinated travellers must provide proof of a negative molecular test, taken 72 hours prior to departure. Alternatively, proof of an antigen test taken 48 hours prior to departure may also be provided on arrival. Travellers may also provide documentation of having recovered from Covid, which requires proof of a positive test result taken 180 days prior to departure.
Quarantine: Only in case of failure to present one of the above certifications, shall the travellers be submitted to a five-day quarantine and be obliged to take a swab test (molecular or antigen) at the end.
Extra: Travellers must present a digital Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in digital or paper format.
(Source: esteri.it/skyscanner.co.th)
Vietnam
Minimum vaccination: Two doses taken at least 14 days and no more than six months prior to departure.
Tests: Travellers must produce a negative RT-PCR or RT-LAMP test taken 72 hours or a negative rapid test result 24 hours prior to departure. Travellers must produce a negative rapid test at the place of accommodation within 24 hours after entry.
Quarantine: None.
Extra: Travellers must possess medical or travel insurance that covers treatment for Covid with a minimum liability of US$10,000 (B334,966). Install the PC Covid app and stay connected during your stay.
(Reference: vietnamtourism.gov.vn)
Singapore
Minimum vaccination: Two doses at least 14 days prior to departure. Travellers also need to hold an e-vaccine passport or the yellow passport, acquired through the Mor Phrom App.
Tests: A negative RT-PCR or ART test taken 48 hours prior to departure.
Quarantine: None.
Extra: Travellers must be registered through the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), must travel on a VTL flight, fill in the SG Travel Card and Health Declaration three days prior to travelling. Covid medical insurance with a minimum liability of SG$30,000 (B741,360).
(Source: singaporeair.com)
Indonesia
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: Travellers must show a negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours prior to departure.
Quarantine: The unvaccinated or those who have received the first dose must quarantine for five days.
(Source: kemlu.go.id)
South Korea
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
(Source: workpointtoday.com)
Nepal
Minimum vaccination: Two doses taken 14 days prior to departure.
Tests: Unvaccinated travellers are required to produce a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure.
Quarantine: None.
(Source: immigration.gov.np)
India
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: Unvaccinated travellers are required to produce a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure. They will also be subjected to random Covid-19 testing on arrival.
Quarantine: Symptomatic travellers during random screening will be isolated.
Extra: All travellers have to download the Aarogya Setu app and self-monitor for 14 days after arrival.
(Souce: mohfw.gov.in/skyscanner.co.th)
Sri Lanka
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: A PCR test will be administered to unvaccinated travellers on arrival.
Quarantine: Unvaccinated travellers will be under the Tourism Bio Bubble for a duration of seven nights/eight days.
Note: The island nation is currently undergoing its worst economic crisis since 1948, leaving food, fuel, gas and medicine in short supply, and sending the cost of basic goods skyrocketing.
(Souce: srilanka.travel/skyscanner.co.th)
Dubai
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: Produce a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure in English or Arabic.
Quarantine: None.
(Souce: emirates.com)
Turkey
Minimum vaccination: Two doses.
Tests: Travellers must present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arriving or a negative antigen test taken 48 hours before arriving.
Quarantine: Not required.
Extra: All visitors must submit a Travel Health Certificate and the Entrance Form.
(Souce: visasturkey.com)
Maldives
Minimum vaccination: None.
Tests: None.
Quarantine: None.
Extra: All arriving and departing passengers via airports and seaports are required to complete the Traveler Declaration form within 72 hours of flight time.
(Souce: imuga.immigration.gov.mv)
* Travel restrictions of each country might change at short notice, so stay updated, take tests and prepare your vaccine certificates just in case.
Re-entry regulations
Thailand allows travellers from all countries to apply for the Thailand pass, under the Test & Go scheme. Travellers will be tested on arrival and quarantined for a day in their hotel of choice no more than five hours away from the airport to await negative results. All travellers must also be registered in the Thailand Pass system three to seven days before departure. Visit tp.consular.go.th.
What to do, where to go?
Silk Road
Samarkand in Uzbekistan has been at the crossroads of world cultures for more than 2.5 millennia and is one of the most important sites on the Silk Routes traversing Central Asia. Silk Road Samarkand is a multifunctional tourist complex designed to become a modern attraction not only for Samarkand but also for Central Asia. The complex will combine cultural, gastro, medical and business tourism facilities. More than 200 hectares will include a congress hall, an expo centre, eight hotels (of different categories), Eternal City, branded outlet stores, an eco-village, restaurants and cafes and much more.
* Visitors travelling from Thailand are required to undergo a 10-day quarantine upon entering Uzbekistan (Source: uzbekistan.travel)
Bali Reawakening
Bali has long drawn travellers into its captivating embrace. From rolling rice paddies to balmy beaches, create your own four-night itinerary, including one or more of Aman's three Balinese resorts. A minimum four-night stay includes daily breakfast, airport and inter-resort transfers, two activities for two persons per suite, per stay at any resort. At Amandari, there will be the Ayung Valley trek, bike riding, guided market tour or private visit to a silver atelier, at Amankila, an East Bali trek, cycle or tour and at Aman Villas Nusa Dua, a 60-minute Balinese massage, Uluwatu Temple Tour or special Megibung dinner awaits.
Incredible India
The best time to observe tigers at Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan is until May 31. Aman-i-Khas offers daily safaris: after sunrise and in the late afternoon, the best times to spot wildlife. The park is home to crocodiles, leopards, jackals, sambar deer and some 300 species of birds, but it is the Bengal tiger for which it is best known. Spot tigers in the wild and experience Rajasthani culture from a luxurious wilderness camp with a full-board, three-to-five-night stay.
Explore Sri Lanka
Ideally positioned on Sri Lanka's south coast, Amangalla welcomes guests inside the historic Galle Fort with gracious colonial grandeur, while Amanwella, a 75-minute drive east, provides the sun, sand and turquoise seas for which this natural paradise is renowned. A five-night stay (minimum of two nights at each resort) includes daily breakfast, afternoon tea, guided tours of Galle Fort, sandalwood facials, a traditional shave, visits to a cinnamon plantation and the Mulgirigala Rock Temple.
Worldwide celebration
To celebrate 30 years of "A Style to Remember", General Hotel Management (GHM) will herald a new era of ultra-luxury hospitality. Throughout 2022, guests staying at The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah, UAE; The Chedi Muscat, Oman; The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland; and The Chedi Hotel & Residences Luštica Bay, Montenegro, will enjoy 30th anniversary experiences specially curated for each hotel. Visit ghmhotels.com/ghm30.
Luxurious cruises
Oceania Cruises has added more staterooms for solo travellers along with the debut of "Go Green" and "Beyond Blueprints" shore excursion series. Each of the four ships will feature 14 Solo Oceanview Staterooms, which debut aboard Regatta on Sept 25, Nautica on Sept 26, and Insignia and Sirena on Oct 1. Visit OceaniaCruises.com.
Flight promotions
Fly with Vietjet / until June 10
Vietjet
Fly from Bangkok to Cambodia, which starts at B1850, or from Bangkok or Phuket to Singapore, which starts at B1,570. Book by Apr 10. Visit th.vietjetair.com.
Double the miles / until July 23
Emirates
Starting June 23, fly to and from Tel Aviv, Israel and earn twice the number of Skywards Miles. If you book by July 23, for travel until Sept 30, you earn double miles on your flight, bringing you closer to your next reward. Visit emirates.com.
Seat discounts / Until Nov 30
Bangkok Airways
Holders of TTB Reserve cards can book flights and get a B500 discount per seat for all roundtrip flights until Nov 30, for travel until Dec 31. Visit bangkokair.com.
Thai Airways / Until April 18
Thai Airways
Fly to Melbourne and back, and enjoy Australian hospitality with perhaps the cheapest flights ever in the history of Thai Airways at B7,520++ for a one-way ticket or B15,807++ for a roundtrip. The tickets can be used to fly until Dec 2022. Visit skyscanner.co.th.
