Thailand's quarantine-free travel pass suspended over concerns over Omicron variants

(DailyExpertNews) — Amid the novel Omicron strain of the coronavirus, Thailand has announced some changes to its incoming quarantine-free travel status for some visitors.

From midnight on December 22, no new applications for quarantine waivers under the Thailand Pass scheme will be considered. The government says this is a temporary suspension rather than a permanent ban, but there is no date yet for the suspension to be lifted.

Thailand Pass was one of the Southeast Asian country’s significant steps toward reopening for travel. Tourism is one of Thailand’s largest industries, with nearly 40 million visitors in 2019. Under the terms of the Thailand Pass, fully vaccinated people hoping to visit from a low-risk country can apply to bypass the quarantine upon arrival.

The pass, which came under the ‘Test & Go programme’, was launched on November 1.

According to a news release from the Thai government, 200,000 people have so far applied for the pass, which comes with a QR code for the phone that allows them to freely travel around the country and enter restaurants, attractions, shops and other public places.

Travelers who have already signed up and been approved will not be affected by the new regulations. However, if they have not yet entered Thailand, they now have to do two PCR tests upon arrival, one of which will be in a government facility.

Now travelers to Thailand – except those participating in the Phuket Sandbox program – will be subject to a seven to 10 day quarantine, depending on their country of origin.

Thailand has also announced that it will expand its nationwide contact tracing program, but has not yet shared details on how that will happen.

Those who have applied for the Thailand Pass but have not yet been approved can also continue as soon as they receive a response to their application.

The Omicron variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa in November. It is now the dominant strain of new infections in the United States.

Eric Cheung of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report.