Thailand Pass will offer instant approval from 1 June

Although there was hope that the highly-unpopular Thailand Pass would finally be scrapped from 1 June, it looks like we’re stuck with it for at least another month.

On the bright side, the Thai authorities will be fixing one of the big bugbears of the scheme: turnaround times. While Thailand Pass approval has already been shortened from seven days to two, the lack of instant approval still rules out spur-of-the-moment trips. 

From 1 June 2022:

• Thai nationals will no longer require a Thailand Pass
• Non-Thais will enjoy instant Thailand Pass approval, subject to the submission of the necessary information

Unvaccinated travellers will be allowed to enter Thailand without quarantine (though pre-departure testing will be required), while nightlife businesses like pubs and bars will also be permitted to resume operations in the green and blue zones (covering most tourist areas). 

Thailand Pass changes from 1 June

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed the following changes to the Thailand Pass scheme, effective 1 June 2022:

Thai nationals will no longer be required to apply for a Thailand Pass.

Foreign nationals will still need to apply for a Thailand Pass, by submitting passport details, vaccination proof and proof of a travel insurance policy with at least US$10,000 coverage for COVID-19 medical treatment. 

Upon submission, the Thailand Pass system will automatically issue a Thailand Pass QR code to applicants (instead of the current two-day turnaround period).

Vaccinated travellers will undergo entry screening upon arrival in Thailand (i.e. temperature screening; on-arrival testing is not required), and then be allowed to travel anywhere within the country. 

Unvaccinated travellers will be required to take a pre-departure PCR/ART within 72 hours of departure, and submit the results via the Thailand Pass portal. Upon arrival they will be treated the same as vaccinated travellers, with no quarantine or on-arrival testing, and free to travel anywhere within the country.

For a list of the cheapest places to take a pre-departure PCR/ART in Singapore, refer to the guide below.

Cheapest pre-departure COVID-19 ART and PCR tests in Singapore

Applying for a Thailand Pass

Thailand Pass

Thailand Pass applications are free of charge (beware of lookalike websites that charge a fee!).

Applications can be made up to 60 days in advance of travel, and approvals are valid for +/- 7 days from the stated date of entry. For example, if I apply for a 15 June entry date, I can use my Thailand Pass to enter Thailand anytime from 8 June to 22 June. 

Recap: Travel to Thailand

Here’s a reminder of how the travel process to Thailand will look like from 1 June 2022.

No testing is required for fully vaccinated travellers, which means that Singapore residents can enjoy completely test-free travel to Thailand.

For those having difficulty keeping up with all the changes, here’s how the process has evolved since the start of this year. 

Conclusion

As with all changes to Thailand’s entry requirements, nothing’s official until it’s published in the Royal Gazette, which should happen in the next few days. Once that’s done, last-minute travel to Thailand will become much more feasible- I won’t say it’s back to the pre-COVID era yet since you still need to apply for a Thailand Pass, but we’re getting ever closer.

Hopefully July will be the month we see the Thailand Pass requirement scrapped altogether.