Thailand Will Now Charge Tourists a Fee to Enter the Country

“Part of the fee will be used to take care of tourists. We’ve encountered times when insurance didn’t have coverage for tourists … which became our burden to take care of them,” said Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn, according to local media.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with the tourism fee, US travelers are currently required to submit a negative RT-PCR (NAAT) test taken within 72 before departing to Thailand, a Thailand pass, an insurance policy with coverage no less than $50,000 for medical expenses. There are two schemes currently offered for foreign travelers. The Sandbox program is available for fully vaccinated travelers entering through Phuket, Krabi, Phang-Nga, and Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao). Sandbox program travelers must provide a confirmed payment for at least a seven-day stay at an approved accommodation, as well as pre-payment for two COVID-19 PCR tests — one upon arrival, and another five-to-six days after staying at their approved accommodation.

The Alternative Quarantine program allows travelers to apply for the Thailand Pass regardless of their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated travelers will be subject to a 7-night quarantine, while those who haven’t been fully vaccinated will be subject to a 10-night quarantine. All visitors must pre-pay to stay in an Alternative Quarantine accommodation with two pre-paid COVID-19 tests.