Well, the moment that we have all been waiting for has finally arrived & Thailand has announced that it is reopening for tourism … sort of.
On September 15th Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced an official reopening plan for tourists coming to Thailand with the introduction of a new long-stay visa program. This new STV visa will be the first of many phases in Thailand’s reopening & will allow long-stay tourists to visit and travel within the country.
Applicants for this long-stay STV visa will need to meet a number of requirements to visit (and the number of visas granted will be limited) but if you are lucky enough to meet these requirements, you could be packing your bags & heading to paradise sooner than first thought!
If you are like me though, you still have questions. So, here is what we know so far.
This STV Visa comes with a long list of requirements & not all are quite so clear just yet, but what we do know should give you a good idea not only about whether or not travel to Thailand will be feasible for you in the near future, but if it is the kind of adventure that you can enjoy (and afford).
Price / Person
The price of the Long-Stay STV Visa is 2,000 THB ($85.00 CAD)
Number Available
As of the announcement on September 15th, 1200 long-stay visas will be available each month (14,400 visas total over a one year period.)
Length of Stay / Quarantine Requirements
This long-stay visa is valid for travelers visiting for 90 days & can be renewed twice prior to its expiry allowing for travel up to 270 days total in the country.
Note: When applying for this visa, potential tourists will need to show proof of a prepaid stay equal to the full 90 days (or more) using hotel bookings, rental contracts etc.
Any applicant who receives approval for a long-stay STV visa will need to agree to quarantine for 14 days on arrival at either an approved medical facility, a government quarantine site, or a hotel that has been previously approved.
A list of approved hotels can be found here & is worth looking over when planning your proof of accommodation, as you will be footing the bill for your stay.
Additional Documentation
In addition to your STV visa which you will pick up from the Thai Embassy nearest you, you will also require a Fit to Fly Medical Certificate stating that you have tested negative for Covid-19 & proof of insurance coverage for up to 100,000 USD.
Until this recent announcement, Thailand had shown minimal signs of reopening outside of discussions to open Phuket (and Phuket only) for International tourism with a 14 - 30 day mandatory quarantine on arrival.
The decision to make travel to Thailand possible for long-stay visitors has been met with some criticism (as expected) but has also been looked on as a sign of hope for the hospitality industry in a country which has taken a significant hit this year.
Although no information has been provided as of the publishing of this article regarding which countries will be allowed to apply for this long-stay visa, it has been speculated that Canadian travelers will be on the list of approved countries, and that the United States likely will not.
Regardless of these visa requirements though, the ultimate question is whether or not you would feel safe traveling to Southeast Asia at this time. If not, what safety precautions will need to be in place before you feel comfortable traveling again?