Yaowarat/Chinatown
Photograph: Nontawat Sutthikorn
Photograph: Nontawat Sutthikorn

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 situation in Bangkok

The new season of “Who Will Survive: Omicron Edition” has arrived.

Arpiwach Supateerawanitt
Contributor: Top Koaysomboon
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How is Bangkok—and the rest of Thailand—doing?

Updated January 20

Just when we thought the situation would get better, sh*t has once again hit the fan.

Things were looking up for the pandemic situation in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand in the last quarter of 2021. The number of COVID-19 cases were going down and vaccination rates were on a steady rise. Life was almost back to normal just in time for the holiday season.

Then Omicron broke out. The new COVID-19 variant brought about a new wave of infections in many countries, taking no prisoners. After the first few Omicron cases were detected elsewhere, the government quickly imposed entry bans from several African countries to prevent a breakout in Thailand back in early December.

But it was no use. By mid-December, Omicron had already infiltrated Thailand’s shores, supposedly spreading from international tourists to the locals, many of whom were traveling across the country during the holiday season. Come the new year, Bangkok and other big cities in Thailand were once again posting record highs of infections.

How is life in Bangkok at the moment?

Updated January 20

Despite the ongoing Omicron outbreak, authorities haven’t imposed strict preventive measures, such as a lockdown or curfews, aside from mandating the wearing of face masks. People are still out and about, engaging in social activities at their own risk.

The government has put Bangkok and seven provinces in the Sandbox program (namely Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Chonburi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang Nga, and Phuket) in the Blue Zone category, and Thailand’s 69 other provinces in the Orange Zone category.

Here’s what you can and can’t do in Bangkok and other ‘Blue Zone’ provinces:

Updated January 21

  • Entertainment venues, such as nightclubs, bars and karaoke lounges, can return to business as usual under the consideration by the authorities in each district. However, the venue must immediately close if a positive case is traced from there.

  • Alcoholic beverages can be served in bars and dining establishments (with a restaurant license) until 23:00 (in effort from January 24 onwards).

  • Some venues in Bangkok, such as bars in Chinatown’s Soi Nana and Khao San Road, are now requesting customers to show proof of vaccination or get an ATK test prior to entering their premises. Read more here.

  • The general public is encouraged to work from home until at least January 31.

  • Mass gatherings are permitted under strict supervision, providing participants are limited to a minimum (a number has not been specified). Alcoholic beverages can’t be consumed, eating and drinking should be minimized, and wearing face masks and social distancing are strictly imposed.

How is the vaccine rollout going?

Updated January 10

Things are looking up on Thailand’s vaccine front. As of January 10, about 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given, with 51 million individuals receiving the first dose and 46 million completing two doses.

With the concern over the new variants, the government has finally focused on providing mRna (Pfizer and Moderna) vaccines, which have been proven to be more efficient in combating the mutated forms of COVID-19. Individuals who previously received vector (AstraZeneca and Sinovac) vaccines are encouraged to get a booster shot of either Pfizer or Moderna.

Read the news about the US government’s donation of Pfizer here

What about the travel policy?

Updated January 21

Despite the current outbreak of the Omicron variant, the Thai government has brought back the quarantine exemption program "Test & Go" after putting it on hold in the late December and early January. International tourists who aspire to travel in Thailand can start applying for the quarantine-free entry from February 1 onwards. Read more here.

Other Sandbox programs also continue in popular destinations like Phuket and Surat Thani, and the authorities have agreed to push forward the returning of tourism in more provinces including Pattaya, Si Racha, Koh Chang, and Koh Sichang.

You can find more information about the latest updates on Test & Go and the Sandbox schemes here.

Furthermore, the Thai government has recently comfirmed the initiative to charge international tourists B300 for the fund for reviving Thailand's tourism. Read more here.

More details on regulations for aspiring visitors will be released later.

Don't forget to follow Time Out Bangkok on Facebook to stay updated

  • Drinking

In an initiative spearheaded by Asia Today, eight of the most popular bars in Chinatown’s Soi Nana, including the former, Teens of Thailand, Ba Hao, Black King Bar, TAX, Tep Bar, Pijiu Bar, and Wallflower, are now asking for vaccination proof (ie., a vaccination certificate from the likes of the MorProm app) from customers hoping to enter their premises. In addition, guests should have completed at least two doses within three months prior to their visit.

The unvaxxed and those short of one dose can still access these hip venues, but they need to take an ATK test and show negative results. Those who recently recovered from COVID-19 can also show a document stating their health status.

Soi Nana’s bars have been the first to enact this plan—without the government’s enforcement—following the spread of the supposedly more transmissible Omicron variant that’s been blamed on recent New Year celebrations. It’s interesting to see if more venues in Bangkok will follow suit.

See the announcement below.

  • Travel
  • Transport & Travel

On 21 December, it was reported that Test & Go, the quarantine exemption program for international tourists, and all Sandbox schemes (excluding Phuket) have been officially suspended until further notice due to concern over a possible outbreak of the new COVID-19  Omicron variant.

Prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) confirmed the suspension, which took effect from midnight of 22 December. They also revealed that there are currently about 200,000 individuals already registered with the program—around 100,000 of whom are already in the country, while the remaining 90,000 are expected to arrive soon.

From now on, all international arrivals would be automatically sent to a quarantine scheme, namely Phuket Sandbox or Alternative Quarantine (AQ) and are also required to take an RT-PCR test regardless of their vaccination status.

What do you need to do if you want to visit Thailand?

Following the cessation of all quarantine-free passes for international arrivals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Phuket Sandbox and Alternative Quarantine (AQ) are the only programs available for international tourists wishing to enter Thailand.

This means you have to fly to either Phuket for the Sandbox program, which requires seven days of quarantine on the island, or other destinations in Thailand for the AQ program.

Read more about Phuket Sandbox here.

What if you’ve already registered to visit Thailand?

You can still enter Thailand for the holidays. However, you can only travel around the country if your first RT-PCR test on arrival comes out negative (you’re required to spend a night in a hotel until the result comes out the next day).

What’s more, you will be tracked 24/7 via the MorChana Application, which you have to download on arrival and use to check in at every place you visit.

You also need to take a second RT-PCR test (provided by the government, thus free of charge) on the fifth or sixth day of your visit.

Prior to your visit, you have to wait for the QR Code confirming that you have been granted access to Thailand prior to the current suspension. Once you’ve gained approval, you are allowed to enter the kingdom as planned until as late as 10 January 2022.

See the announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs below.

The quarantine-free policies are suspended until at least 4 January 2022. The authorities have promised to review the suspension after the said date.

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  • Travel
  • Transport & Travel

It’s official: Thailand will ban entry to travelers from eight African countries from 1 December. The decision came after the unexpected emergence of a new coronavirus variant, dubbed Omicron, which was allegedly first detected in Africa.

According to Bangkok Post, the countries on the ban list are:

  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

The Disease Control Department also asserted that anyone from the aforementioned countries who recently arrived in the Kingdom have to be put in quarantine for 14 days.

In the meantime, authorities have confirmed that, so far, no case of the emerging variant has been found in Thailand. PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha has also ordered stricter screening protocols. “If there’s any urgent need for the government to adjust control measures against this new variant, I will order agencies to act immediately,” he declared. “We will closely monitor how this new strain will impact Thailand.”

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