Thailand

The Rocket Festival (Boun Bang Fai) is a merit-making ceremony traditionally practiced by ethnic Lao people near the beginning of the wet season in numerous villages and municipalities, in the regions of Northeastern Thailand and Laos. Celebrations typically include preliminary music and dance performances, competitive processions of floats, dancers and musicians on the second day, and culminating on the third day in competitive firings of home-made rockets. Local participants and sponsors use the occasion to enhance their social prestige, as is customary in traditional Buddhist folk festivals throughout Southeast Asia.

The festival in Thailand also includes special programs and specific local patterns like Bung Fai (Parade dance) and a Beautiful Bung Fai float such as Yasothon the third weekend of May, and continues Suwannaphum District, Roi Et on the first weekend of June, Phanom Phrai District Roi Et during the full moon of the seventh month in Lunar year's calendar each year. The Bung Fai festival is not only found in Isan or Northeasthern Thailand and North Thailand and Laos, but also in Amphoe Sukhirin, Narathiwat.

Bangkok, 22 April, 2022 – Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today approved the lifting of the RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals beginning 1 May, 2022, and introduced two new entry schemes specifically customised for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Friday resolved to discontinue the requirement that visitors pass a pre-travel Covid-19 test, from April 1, but testing on arrival will continue.

The change in procedure was announced by CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin.

He said the requirement for pre-travel tests would end for all visitors, whether arriving by  Test & Go, Sandbox or quarantine channels.

People who enter the country through Test & Go or Sandbox programmes would be given an RT-PCR test on arrival, and be required to perform an antigen self-test on day 5 after arrival, monitored at their hotel.

Sandbox visitors would remain in their reception areas for five days. Visitors in the quarantine scheme, including people caught sneaking in, would be kept in isolation for five days and have an RT-PCR test on day 4 or 5 after arrival.

The CCSA would continue to require visitors to have Covid-19 insurance coverage of at least US$20,000 but was likely to reduce it later, Dr Taweesilp said.

Also, from April 1 people would be able to arrive by land through Satun province in the South, in addition to current Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Songkhla.

Arrivals by sea would be allowed through Surat Thani ports, in addition to the present Phuket and Chon Buri.

By air, the reopening would include Hat Yai airport in addition to the current Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai and U-tapao airports.

The CCSA hoped to expand the reopening by air to all airports, depending on their readiness, in May, Dr Taweesilp said.

Thailand currently approves 8 COVID-19 vaccines, and everyone 18 years of age and older should get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before travelling to the Kingdom, while rules differ for those under 18 years. Here’s an update to our guide to COVID-19 vaccines for international travelers to Thailand.

Searching for tourism information about Thailand during Covid, you always see the terms of SHA and its related certificates of SHA+ or SHA++ (Extra plus) sticked to the suppliers of tourism service such as accommodations, restaurants, or tourist attractions. 

Feeling confused?

Here you come to the right place!

In this article, we will give you the explanation of What is SHA & the meaning of its certificates, and some of the frequently asked questions that you may have relating to the terms.

Check it out!

From 1 February 2022, Thai government has adjusted Thailand reopening measures by allowing travelers from all countries of the world to register in the Thailand Pass system to obtain permission to enter Thailand under the Test & Go program.

Here you will find information how to register for Test & Go and the process of getting Thailand Pass approval for traveling to Thailand on the official website of Thailand Pass system: https://tp.consular.go.th/