Goodbye Test & Go, Thailand reactivates sandbox for tourists
It lasted just under 2 months for the Test&Go program, a protocol that had effectively reopened the Asian Kingdom to [...]
Thailand
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It lasted just under 2 months for the Test&Go program., a protocol that had effectively reopened the Asian Kingdom to tourists from more than 60 nations, including Italians. Launched on November 1, it was suspended a few days before Christmas with the spread of variant omicron, and today Jan. 4 was canceled altogether.
As expected, the Bangkok government has outlined new guidelines for continuing to accommodate, at least partially, tourists who would like to travel to Thailand. New guidelines that are nothing more than a return to the Sandbox protocol, devised in July and then slowly refined. In fact, the protocol had never been cancelled since, for all passengers excluded from the Test&Go scheme, it was the only way to avoid quarantine in a military hospital in Bangkok.
What changes
The Phuket Sandbox remains valid and will be extended to other provinces.
- The islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, which are part of the province of Surat Tani
- Phangnga
- Krabi
How the Sandbox protocol works
The operation is very similar to what we have recounted this summer on our trip to Phuket. It has since been modified only in duration. In the initial version it was necessary to stay two weeks in Phuket and be subjected to 3 PCR swabs, as soon as you disembarked from the plane and after 6 and 13 days. In case of a negative result on the 13th day swab, one could move freely throughout the island.
Now the length of stay in the province you choose to visit is only 7 days and the number of tests has dropped to 2, on arrival and after the 6th day. After passing the second test, you will get permission to move wherever you want in Thailand.
In conclusion
I have visited Thailand 3 times this year and find the Sandbox protocol perfect for those who want to move around on vacation, the constraint of a week in a place like Ko Samui o Krabi is by no means a captivity. After those 7 days have passed, you can move to Bangkok or wherever you want without any restrictions and being able to experience an incredible situation, given the small number of tourists around the Asian nation. The only flaw is that at the moment, tourist travel to this nation from Italy is not authorized, so if you go to Phuket, you will need to undergo quarantine on your return.
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