Thursday, June 23, 2022

Travel to Thailand without Thailand Pass from 1st of July

From 1st of July no registration for Thailand Pass will be needed to travel to Thailand. This has been decided by Center for Covid-19 Situation (CCSA) under its director PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha. Also no more Covid-19-insurance will be needed. Right now visitors are required to have US$10,000 Covid-19 insurance coverage. From 1st of July Thailands government only recommends to have such a coverage.

Travellers will still have to show proof of either a vaccine certificate or a COVID-Free test result (within 72 hours before departure). That will be checked by airline staff at check-in and once again when travellers arrive in Thailand.

The CCSA has also decided to move the legal closing hours for nightlife outlets from midnight to pre-pandemic hours or around 2 AM. It will be still recommended to wear masks in crowded spaces.


Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Thailand visits with Thailand Pass (Test and Go): From 1st March no more Hotel Booking for 5th Night

Thailands Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), the task force chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has decided: Fully vaccinated international visitors from 1st March don't need a hotel booking and a PCR test for the fifth night after arrival anymore. Instead they can do a self-antigen test.

Another decision: The minimal medical insurance coverage for visitors is reduced to no less than $20,000 from $50,000 from 1st March. Read details of the new regime.

Who wants to enther Thailand before 1st March still has to book a SHA Extra plus hotel for the 5th night and stay there until a negative PCR-test-result has arrived. See: Thailand Test and Go from 1st February


Saturday, February 19, 2022

Koh Lanta เกาะลันตา: What Guests discover here

See the locations: Koh Lanta Beaches Hotels Bungalows Google Map
See the Thai Meteorological Weather forecast for Krabi

Picture marhas1
Sunset a Khlong Dao Beach


Test and Go Koh Lanta - how it works

Since 1st February 2022 fully vaccinated international tourists can visit Koh Lanta. See hotels and resorts, who offer Test and Go-Packages on Koh Lanta Google Map by #treasuresofthailand. You will do the first PCR test after arrival at Phuket Airport. Ask the hotel if they can arrange the test on day 5. On Koh Lanta you can also do the PCR test before flying home, Read infos on diveandrelax.com. More details about Thailand Test and Go.


About Koh Lanta

No longer a forgotten island Koh Lanta today in the highseason is a meeting point for Scandinavians and Germans. But during the low or so called green season it is still very relaxed. "But word about just how great Ko Lanta was has slowly spread and the last few years have seen substantial development on the island", comments travelfish.org. But: "Still, there’s no need for panic: Just because a six-star boutique glistens over the headland doesn't mean all the bamboo shacks have gone the way of the dodo.* The possibiitiesy for diving are worth a mention. Reefs lie off some of the beaches, but dive trips also go out to many islands.

Picture by i.
With elephant in the sea.


Koh Lanta Yai, the main island, is 27 km long. It's traversed by a mountain range that reaches the height of 500 m in the south. The mountains are covered with virgin rain forest. The population of the district counts around 20,000 people, 95% Muslim, 4% Buddhists and 1% Chao Ley, the sea gypsies. The people live from rubber plantation, fisheries, various types of agriculture (orchard, parkia, coconut, palm oil and water melon), husbandry (such as cow and poultry raising and tourism.


How to go to Koh Lanta:
Koh Lanta is easy to reach from Phuket, Krabi or Malaysia. The island is normally serviced by passenger ferries from Phuket (via Phi Phi) and car ferries from the mainland. During the Covid-19-pandemic somme ferries were suspended. Since February 2022 a daily speedboat is running again on the line Phuket Rassada Pier - Koh Lanta - Koh Ngai - Koh Mook - Koh Lipe (Schedule). See also schedule Phuket Rassada pier - Koh Lanta. Updates you get von Rassada Harbour Facebook page. Opal travel is running a daily speedboat Koh Lanta - Koh Phi Phi.
A taxi from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta you can book on taxitransferkrabi.com. A taxi from Phuket Airport you can book there.



Discover Koh Lanta (places and beaches from North to South):

Ban Saladan ศาลาด่าน
Kawkwang Beach คอกวาง บีช
Khlong Dao Beach หาดคลองดาว
Long Beach (Phra Ae) หาดยาวหาด (พระแอ๊ะ)
Relax Bay
Baan Phu Klom Beach and Khlong Khong Beach
Khlong Toab
Khlong Nin Beach หาดคลองนิน
Ba Kantiang Bay อ่าวบากันเตียง
Nui Beach อ่าวนุ้ย
Khlong Jak Beach (Waterfall beach)หาดคลองจากหรืออ่าวคลองจาก
Bamboo Bay (Ao Mai Phai) อ่าวไม้ไผ
Mu Ko Lanta National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติหมู่เกาะลันตา

And some Hidden Treasures on Koh Lanta):
Lanta Old Town: Where Thais, Muslims, Chinese and Sea Gypsies formed the community
Tung Yee Peng Mangrove Forest: Listen to the Nature
Diving around Koh Lanta



View Koh Lanta เกาะลันตา Google Map in a larger map


Sources for more information about Koh Lanta:

Koh Lanta February 2022 – An Update On What Businesses Are Open


Recommend this blog on Twitter and Facebook:

Monday, February 14, 2022

Thailand Test and Go: Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai among the Destinations

For fully vaccinated international travellers from every country worldwide Thailand offers more destinations since 1st February. With the Thailand Pass they can visit the so calledTest and Go destinations and then travel on to other destinations in Thailand. After the arrival they have to do a PCR-Test, then stay in the hotel room until they get the negative result. From then on they are free to move inside Thailand. On the fifth day they have to do another PCR test and stay in the hotel room until they get the result. With the second negative result they can travel anywhere inside Thailand. The hotel will hand out the release form.


The Test and Go destinations:

Bangkok: By air you enter at Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang Airport. For the first night with test you stay at hotels in Bangkok. For the fifth night with test you can go anywhere, where hotels offer the Test and Go Package.
Hua Hin: By air you enter at Bangkoks airports. Hua Hin is within a five hours distance, so you can book a hotel in Hua Hin, which offers test and first night.
Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi provinces: In Phang-Nga Khao Lak and Koh Yao are included. In Krabi Koh Lanta and Ko Phi Phi are included. By air you enter at Phuket International Airport for Krabi, Phang-Nga (Khao Lak) and Phuket or at Krabi Airport for Krabi. You can also enter by Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and then transit on a sealed flight for Phuket. There is a Sandbox Extension program between Phuket, Phang-Nga Krabi and Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao). Sandbox travellers can travel within these destinations during the first 5 days in Thailand.

Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Ko Tao in Surat Thani province: By air you enter at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, then transit on a sealed flight for Koh Samui. The first night travellers have to stay on Koh Samui.

Pattaya and surrounding districts Si Racha, Si Chang and Sattahip (only Na Jomtien and Bang Saray beaches): By air you enter at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, then transit on a prearranged vehicle on a sealed route.

Koh Chang in Trat province: By air you enter at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, then transit by a prearranged vehicle on a sealed route.

Chiang Mai: By air you enter at Bangkoks airports and stay in Bangkok for the first night with test, then you travel to Chiang Mai and stay for the fifth night with test at a hotek there. Or you arrive by Chiang Mai international airport and stay for the first and fith night with tests there.

Other destinations in Thailand: You can go anywhere, where hotels offer Test and Go packages. For example you enter at Bangkoks airports, stay the first night with test in Bangkok and travel on to the destination, where hotels offer the fifth night with test.



What you need to enter Thailand:

Apply for Thailand Pass: From 1st February on https://tp.consular.go.th. After your registration you should get the Thailand Pass within seven days.
Do a PCR-Test before the flight: Bring a medical certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected, issued no more than 72 hours before traveling.

Must have a health insurance policy: Coverage no less than US$ 50'000.

Hotel payment confirmation: A confirmed payment for 1st and 5th day stay at approved accommodation establishments in the sandbox destination.

Confirmed payment for 2 RT-PCR tests: For Krabi, Phang-Nga and Phuket you reserve and prepay at www.thailandpsas.com (4,200 Baht for 2 tests). For Koh Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao you book and prepay, when booking and prepaying for accommodation at SHA++ hotels (4,400 Baht for 2 tests). The first test will be conducted at Samui International Airport and the second test at hospitals on Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan or Ko Tao. For Pattaya and Koh Chang you book packages for first and fifth night, including tests and transfer from Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang airports.

Certificate of Covid-19 vaccination or recovery from Covid-19: Vaccinated at least 14 days before traveling to Thailand.


Test and Go Hotels

During the first and fifth night in Thailand travellers have to stay at SHA Extra Plus hotels. You find the official list here:

Bangkok SHA Extra Plus hotels
Hua Hin SHA Extra Plus hotels
Phuket SHA Extra Plus hotels
Phang Nga SHA Extra Plus hotels (included Khao Lak and Koh Yao)
Krabi: Krabi SHA Extra Plus hotels, Koh Lanta SHA Extra Plus hotels, Koh Phi Phi Extra Plus hotels

Koh Samui SHA Extra Plus Hotels
Koh Tao SHA Extra Plus Hotels
Ko Phangan SHA Extra Plus Hotels

Chonburi: Jomtien Beach SHA Extra Plus hotels, Pattaya SHA Extra Plus hotels. Check the hotel location on Treasures of Pattaya SHA Extra Plus Hotels Google Map

Koh Chang SHA Extra Plus hotels

Chiang Mai SHA Extra Plus hotels

SHA Extra Plus hotels in any destination in Thailand


Frequent asked questions

Can I stay in my own house between the first and the fifth night?
Yes you can, but you have to stay at the hotel during the first and the fifth nights, says Giorgio Bonfante on Facebook, who is very well informed.

My flight date has changed, how can I change my Thailand Pass?
If your flight has changed to within 72 hours of your original flight time, you can arrive using the same Thailand Pass application. If your flight date has changed for more than 72 hours then you will need to apply again.

More detailed informations you can read at tatnews.org.


Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Thailand suspends Test and Go - again Quarantine for vaccinated international Tourists or Phuket Sandbox

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) ordered an immediate suspension of issuing the “Thailand Pass” for the "Test and Go"-Scheme from Tuesday 21 December until January 4th in 2022. This to prevent spreading of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Thailand. This means that fully vaccinated international visitors have to go to quarantine again, if they want to enter Thailand. They can register with the "Thailand Pass" for a 7- oder 10-night quarantine in a quarantine hotel or for Phuket Sandbox.

These are the details of the new regulation:

People who have got the Thailand Pass already can still enter the kingdom through the “Test and Go” scheme for fully vaccinated arrivals from 63 low-risk countries and territories until January 10th, 2022. They still have to get a PCR Test after arrival and wait in their SHAplus hotelroom, until they get the negative result. After 6 days they have to do another PCR-Test (no additional cost). After that they are free to travel inside Thailand, if the test is negative.

Applicants who have already registered, but have not yet received their QR Code, must wait. Once approved, they can enter Thailand under the "Test and Go"-Scheme or another they have registered. After 6 days they have to do another PCR-Test (no additional cost). After that they are free to travel inside Thailand, if the test is negative.

New applicants for Thailand Pass can visit Thailand with a 7-days oor 10-days quarantine in so called ASQ hotels, where they have to stay in the hotel. Or they can enter Phuket Sandbox, where they can leave the hotel after they got the negative PCR-Test-result and have to do another test after 6 days, before they are allowed to leave Phuket island an travel in Thailand.

Sandbox-programmes in other areas than Phuket are suspended. The prime minister said that the government will review the situation again in January and decide whether the “test and go” scheme should resume.


Thursday, November 18, 2021

Timetables of Ferries and Speedboats between Phuket / Ko Phi Phi / Krabi

Ferries and Speedboats from Phuket and Krabi to Ko Phi Phi are not running with the full timetable at the moment and it is a bit difficult to find the valid timetables. These links to the Ferry- and Speedboat-Companies will help you:

Krabi to Ko Phi Phi Island:
Kanichta Speedboat, every day.
URip ferry, every day.
Arisa Speedboat, every day.

Phuket to Ko Phi Phi Island:
Andaman Wavemaster Speedboat
PP Sabai Marine Speedboat Phi Phi Cruiser Ferry
Phi Phi Logistic and Tour Speedboat

Railay East to Ko Phi Phi Island:
Koh Yao Sun Smile Speedboat

Friday, October 29, 2021

Thailand opens for visitors from 63 countries - Thailand Pass operational from 1st November

On his Facebook page Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha announced on 21 October, that Thailand opens the country for fully vaccinated visitors from 46 countries, who arrive by airplanes. The Ministry of Forein Affairs announced the 46 countries shortly after his announcement. On 30 October 17 more countries have been added. The countries, from where the residents can enter with Thailand Pass Test and Go system (exemption from quarantine):

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Children under the age of 18 who are not eligible for vaccination, and are travelling with parents, only need to do a RT-PCR test no more than 72 hours before departure. Also adult people have to do this test.
See from which countries you can enter Thailand without a Visa for tourism purposes here.


An article by Thaiger shows how Bangkok is preparing for the entry of fully vaccinated international tourists from first of November. On Thaiger we read, that the tourists, who have arrived at Bangkoks airports Suvarnabumi and Don Muang, will be tested outside of the airport in swab hubs. Approved limousines will bring these guests to SHA plus hotels, where they will have to stay in the hotel room until they get the negative test result. They will be tested at these hotels or in nearby test hubs. According to this report over 300 hotels are waiting to receive the SHA plus certificate. See list of SHA plus hotels in Bangkok. See Bangkok SHA plus Hotels Google Map

As Richard Barrow tweets, the arriving guests will have to book a SHA+ hotel for the first night within a two hour drive from the international airport. For example, if you land at Suvarnbhumi, you can go straight to Pattaya, but for Hua Hin, must stay in Bangkok.


How to get Thailand Pass and who still has to register for COE

The CCSA (Centre for Covid-19 situation administration) has announced that the new Thailand Pass system will be operational on 1st November. The process then can take 7 working days. Therefore Thailand Pass registration is for people who travel after 8 November. Until then travellers have to do the COE (Certificate of Entry) registration process at https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/ and COE registrations will be valid after 1st of November. But the mentioned 7 days of staying in a SHA plus hotel are not definite. At the immigration Public Health officers will that reduce to 1 day. From 1 November 2021, the Certificate of Entry (COE) registration website will be closed for new registrations. But it will allow travellers, whose application has been pre-approved, to continue their application process to obtain COE until 7 November 2021.

Travellers who are in the process of requesting a COE and travel before 12 November can submit a SHA plus hotel confirmation for only 1 night instead of 7.

Travellers, who will travel before 12 November must still request a COE around two weeks before travelling. You can submit a SHA plus hotel confirmation for only 1 night instead of 7.

The registration for Thailand Pass will be possible at thailandpass.go.th/ from 1st November. Thailand Pass will require travelers to upload a vaccine certificate. Travelers can then download the Thailand Pass QR Code immediately after receiving the approval.

By doing Thailand Pass registration, you may get an error at the end. If this happens, do, what thaiger.com recommends: Thailand Pass workaround for API error.

The Regulations for Entry in Thailand

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published formal regulations for entry to Thailand as follows:



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published the following FAQs. The Ministry says:
If your COE has been pre-approved, you will need to submit the rest of the required documents by 7 November 2021. Otherwise, your COE request will be automatically rejected, and you will need to register with the Thailand Pass system to travel to Thailand.

If your COE has not been pre-approved by 1 November 2021, your COE request will be automatically rejected, and you will need to register with the Thailand Pass system to travel to Thailand.

Exemption from Quarantine scheme: You can travel to any destinations in Thailand once the RT-PCR test upon arrival received is negative.


Entry to Thailand with Sandbox scheme

Travellers from any country of the world can use the Sandbox scheme: You can travel freely in the sandbox area for the duration of 7 days once the RT-PCR test upon arrival received is negative. Once you have completed your 7-day mandatory stay within the Sandbox area, you can travel freely to other parts of Thailand. There are 17 Blue Zone Sandbox destinations:

Bangkok, Krabi, Chon Buri (Banlamung, Pattaya, Si Racha, Ko Si Chang, Sattahip - Na Jomtien, Bang Sarey), Chiang Mai (Mueang, Doi Tao, Mae Rim and Mae Taeng), Trat (Ko Chang), Buri Ram (Mueang), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin and Nong Kae), Phang Nga, Phetchaburi (Cha Am), Phuket, Ranong (Ko Phayam), Rayong (Ko Samet), Loei (Chiang Khan), Samut Prakan (Suvarnabhumi Airport), Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao), Nong Khai (Mueang, Sangkhom, Si Chiang Mai and Tha Bo), Udon Thani (Mueang, Ban, Dung, Kumphawapi, Na Yung, Nong Han and Prachaksinlapakham).

Read this checklist.


Updated informations about Thailand Pass can be found here.


Read more about COE registration:
How to use Phuket Sandbox: Now 7 Days on Phuket or in Phang Nga, Krabi or on Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao