UPDATED 02/04/2022 – The Test & Go Entry Scheme for fully vaccinated travellers has now been re-introduced. As part of the Test & Go scheme and as part of the “Phang Nga Sandbox”.
Meaning that fully vaccinated arrivals only need to quarantine until they get the results of their RT-PCR test upon arrival (usually maximum 12 hours). After that tourists are free to travel within Thailand.
These requirements are frequently revised and updated. CLICK HERE for the lastest updates and information.
Test & Go
As part of the Test & Go scheme, fully vaccinated travelers can now travel to Khao Lak without the need for extended quarantine.
Before travelling
Ensure you have all the correct documentation and apply for a Certificate of Entry on the Thailand Pass website.
You will need;
- Passport and Visa (if required)
- Certificate of Vaccination
- Insurance with minimum coverage of 20,000 USD (not required for Thai nationals, and foreign residents in Thailand can use their social security or certificate from their employer)
- Paid Reservation Confirmation from SHA Extra+ / AQ Hotel for 2 nights (Day 1 and Day 5)
- Day 1 hotel reservation and fee for 1st RT-PCR test and airport transfer.
- Day 5 hotel reservation and finances for or access to a self administered antigen test.
Upon arrival & during your stay
Upon arrival all travelers must undergo health screening, including temperature checks at the airport.
After presenting your Thailand Pass documentation to the immigration officer you must go directly to your pre-booked SHA PLUS certified accommodation or medical facility to under go the pre-booked RT-PCR test. You are required to remain in your hotel until you receive the results of the test (usually within 12 hours). Children under 6 years old who are travelling with parents are permitted to take a saliva test instead.
Once you receive a negative test result you are free to travel within Thailand.
On day 5 of your stay, you will be required to return to your SHA PLUS certified hotel for the second self administered antigen test.
While travelling in Thailand you are required to load the “MorChana” covid tracking app to record your test results.
What if i test positive?
Travelers who test positive will be receive the appropriate medical treatment in accordance to Thailand’s Communicable Diseases Act BE 2558 (2015). The expenses should be covered by the travelers insurance. It is recommended that you check the small print of your insurance policy thoroughly before arriving in Thailand.
CLICK HERE for the lastest updates and information.
Phang Nga Sandbox
It was previously announced that starting from 1st October 2021, fully vaccinated tourists can travel directly to Khao Lak after arriving in Thailand. Upon arrival in Khao Lak, arrivals are required to stay within Phang Nga or the Khao Lak area for a minimum of 7 days before moving to other destinations in Thailand.
Upon arrival in Khao Lak you are required to take a RT-PCT test on day 0-1, after you are free to travel around the local area. You will need to take a second RT-PCR test on day 6-7, after which you are free to travel further afield if you wish.
As in Phuket you must download the “Mor Chana” app and scan the QR code provided in your hotel at least 1 time each day throughout your stay.
You are free to travel and take part in tours and activities within the Sandbox area, although using SHA and SHA Plus services is recommended. Here at Discovery Travel we are fully SHA Plus registered.
When you arrive, and on your sixth or seventh day in Khao Lak you will be required to take a RT-PCR test. Should the test come back positive you will be transferred to a quarantine facility for observation and treatment. This should be covered by your insurance.
After 7 days, your hotel will provide you with the necessary documents to enable you to travel elsewhere in Thailand if you wish.
There is no minimum required length of stay in Khao Lak or Phuket for those not wishing to visit other detinations in Thailand. Just be sure to check the arrival requirement at your next destination before departure. Many airlines and destinations require additional RT-PCR tests before departure.
Khao Lak’s post COVID Recovery
As time goes on, we are starting to see a few tourists arriving each day. shops, restaurantsn ar bars are slowly starting to open. But it has been a slow start and many of the local people are still out of work.
You can help!
Did you know… just by booking a tour and enjoying a day out you are employing an average of 5-10 people? When you stay a night in a hotel you are emplying almost double that!
It’s as easy as that.
Book a tour today!
Khao Lak and the COVID Crisis
Thankfully since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, there has been no officially confirmed cases of the virus in Khao Lak, or the surrounding area. Khao Lak remains to this day unaffected and one of the safest places not just in Thailand, but in the world.
Economically and socially however, Khao Lak has taken a battering.
It has been reported that 90% of Phuket’s economy relies on tourism. Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, borders have been closed and that 90% all but disintegrated. Phuket Airport was left empty and quiet, with only but a few half empty flights arriving and departing daily.
In Khao Lak however the problem is possibly even worse. Phuket is a much larger town, with a scattering of other industries that do not rely completely on tourists, even if those industries do only make up 10%. Phuket is also much more well known and popular with domestic tourist. Meaning that although the tourism income has taken a massive beating, there is still some hope. Meanwhile in Khao Lak I would guess that the tourism industry makes up a much higher percentage if the local economy than even in Phuket.
Back in March 2020, when the pandemic took hold almost every business was forced to close. Thailand closed the borders to incoming foreigners and banned all non-vital inter-provincial travel. Alcohol sales were banned and a 10pm curfew was put in place. The whole country went into hibernation. After about a month of this people started poking their heads out if their houses and blinking in the sunlight. Some of the rules were relaxed and people began to go back to work.
But in Khao Lak there was no work to go back to. The majority of people living here had come to work in the hotels and tour offices that had become the backbone of the Khao Lak economy. With the borders closed and no tourists in town the hotels and tour companies remained closed. Almost the entire town remained unemployed.
There were many reports in the media about potential government support packages, soft loans and stimulus packages soon to come. Few however ever saw the light of day, and of the few financial support packages that did make it further than being just a media rumor, the vast majority of people and small businesses in Khao Lak soon discovered that as they were previously employed in the tourism industry and had no immediate prospects of further employment, they were not eligible for any help as there was no way they would be able to pay it back. Leaving them to wonder who exactly were these support packages aimed at helping?
The government did however set up a few initiatives aimed at supplementing basic necessities for a select number of people and for limited periods. This was based on a first come first serve basis, with quotas often being filled within the hours of the announcement.
Similar initiatives were set up, aimed at boosting domestic hotel stays and the number of people eating in restaurants. Unfortunately, in a time where many are unemployed inter-provincial is highly regulated, these initiatives provided very limited results.
Around this time the population of Khao Lak fluctuated massively as people returned to their family homes in hope of finding an income through farming or setting up a food stall. Many of the expats and foreign retirees who had called Khao Lak their home, in some cases for many years, and formed a small but crucial customer base for many local shops and restaurants were forced to leave Thailand. As there was no longer any work in the hotels and dive centers their visas and work permits had been cancelled. Many of them found it all but impossible to fulfill their visa requirements after having lived off their savings for so long without work.
Khao Lak became a ghost town.
What have we been doing?
As one of the smallest tour operators in Khao Lak we were hit hard! We went from having trips every day to nothing overnight. Although we could no longer offer full time employment to our team, we supported them every step of the way. We made sure they received all social security benefits and government support they were entitled to. We helped them buy essential groceries when times were tough. And we donated the use of our beloved boat, Explorer 1, to enable local families to find food and income through fishing.
Today, after over a year, Khao Lak has become a few rows of empty shophouses waiting to be reclaimed by the jungle. Many once successful businesses have been forced to close for good.
There are however small pockets of life and a sense of expectation is in the air. Many of the remaining businesses are now starting to tentatively prepare to re-open. The Similan and Surin Islands are open again. Although the visitor numbers are nothing compared to previous years, the tour boats are starting to bring employment back to the area. Further up the coast Memories Beach Bar has become the “go to” place for Thai surfers. A handful of hotels have started to open up with a skeleton crew in the hope that tourism, be it domestic or international, will begin to return soon.
Local tours, with local people!
Khao Lak Is Open to Tourists – Test & Go & Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension
Many countries, including Thailand are now planning to re-open. Thailand has already taken the first big step towards re-opening with the Test & Go, Phuket Sandbox and Phuket Sandbox 7+7 extension schemes.
Fully vaccinated tourists are now able to visit Thailand without extended quarantine. Travellers are required to take 2 RT-PCR tests, one upon arrival and one on day 5 of their stay. To avoid contamination, tourists are required to stay within their SHA+ certified hotel ono these days until they recieve the test results.
This is a massive step forwards along the road to recovery. The scheme started in July, and at the time of writing there has been no major disasters, outbreaks or adverse effects as a result.
The Test & Go scheme was suspended briefly in January 2022, while the implications of the Omicron variant were re-evaluated. However the scheme was re-instated with minor changes on the 1st February 2022.
It is the continued hope that Thailand will be fully opened with almost normal entry requirements by the end of the year. With further reduced requirements in operation from October onwards.
How can you help?
It will take many years for Khao Lak to recover and for the people to find their way back to full time employment. But there is hope. Surveys by companies such as TripAdvisor and messages we have received from some of our previous customers indicate that the demand for international travel is still high and people are looking to travel as soon as they are confident of their safety.
You can help to re-build peoples lived here taking a few easy steps.
- Book your holiday with an agent you trust. Before you book be sure to ask…
1. What happens if the flight/holiday gets cancelled at the last moment?
2. What if the entry requirements or rules change at the last moment?
3. What if you are told you have to go into unexpected quarantine?
Make sure you know all the conditions before you book and get yourself some good travel insurance just to be sure.
- Use local services. When booking your airport transfers check out local taxi drivers and tour operators. Using a local taxi driver helps to feed his children.
- Eat in local restaurants – DON’T GO ALL INCLUSIVE! Locally owned restaurants are often much cheaper that in your hotel. The food is usually excellent and the restaurants are mostly family owned. Your hotel is already getting your room rate and employing several staff. By eating in a different restaurant each night, you are providing income and employment for many more people, while often saving money!
- Experience the local area. Sitting by the pool is a great way to relax. But getting out and about is the only way to truly experience a country. Take some tours, go on a day trip, rent a taxi for a day. See the beautiful country side and help local people support their families.
- Enjoy your holiday! Take the time to recommend and review local goods and services.
A short recommendation or review costs nothing and can often be the decider for other people looking to book.
Get the most from your stay in Khao Lak! CLICK HERE to check out our amazing Khao Lak tours.