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Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers



Foreword The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has answered the Thai government’s policy to reopen the borders of the Kingdom of Thailand and aimed to provide convenience for travelers by streamlining and simplifying the required procedures from their entries to their returns from the Kingdom of Thailand. The Ministry proposed an ease of traveling e-service system, to be run on an application programming interface (API); this is an important integration of workings of different government agencies related to tourism services. Furthermore, according to cabinet resolution at the meeting on 3rd August 2021, the matrix for improving the efficiency of government services of the fiscal year 2022 stipulates that ease of traveling be an important index for assessing the performance of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports; it will also affect future policies aimed to boost revenue from tourism, and effect ease of doing business in Thailand via uses of e-services. Therefore, ease of traveling is an important agenda of the Thai government and of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has developed the web portal Entry Thailand, as a hub providing a complete list of procedures for applying for an entry permit into the Kingdom of Thailand, as well as a collection of related links to web sites and important information for the ease of traveling, and, for instance, the process of applying for e-visa; information regarding health insurance; information regarding reservation of alternative state quarantine (ASQ) or alternative local quarantine (ALQ) facilities, as well as SHA+ (Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administrative Plus) certified hotels; the process for requesting Covid-19 vaccination certificates; flight timetables; tax refund procedures; information regarding the Tourist Police I Lert U application, which provides tourist police services and information about tourism services; link to TATnews.org, which collects information about tourist attractions in Thailand, advices about high seasons and recommendations regarding places to visit; and link to Thailandsha.com, which provides a list of SHA+ certified establishments. Entry Thailand is a one-stop facility, providing convenience for tourists planning to spend their vocations in Thailand. It covers procedures before and during their stays, as well as while leaving the Kingdom. It simplifies processes, solving the problem where tourists need to contact different offices for different procedures. It also reduces the number of members of service staff required to accommodate tourists, facilitating the reopening, and welcoming of tourists in accordance with the policy stated above. Administrative System Development Division Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports

Entry Thailand

Table of Content Page 1-2 The importance of facilities for tourists 3-4 1. The importance of the tourism sector, foreign tourists, and the reopening of borders for both Thai and foreign nationals 4 2. Development of Entry Thailand 4 3. Entry Thailand as an integrated database 5 4. Objectives of Entry Thailand 5-6 5. Benefits of Entry Thailand 7-8 Entry Thailand: A Traveler’s Facility 9 Entry Thailand User Guide 9 Accessing the Entry Thailand Web Site 10 Home Page 10 1. Menu bar 10 2. Slide show 11 3. Banner links 11 4. Additional Information section 12 5. Before Arrival section 13 6. Arrival and During the Stay section 13 7. Before Leave section 14 8. Information about the number of travelers and countries of origin 14 9. Contact information and sitemap 15 Main menu 15 1. Menu: Journey 15 1.1 Sub-menu: Before Arrival 16 16 Information and Documents 17 Thailand Pass 17-18 ASQ Booking 19 SHA/SHA+ Booking 19 Covid-19 Insurance 20 MorChana Application for IOS and Android 20 Flight status 21 VISA Online 22 VISA On Arrival 22 1.2 Sub-menu: Arrival and During the Stay 22 Thailand Tourism Directory 23 Thailand Information 23 Tourist Police I Lert U Application 23 1.3 Sub-menu: Before Leave 24 VAT Refund 24 2. Menu: News and Events 24 News 25-26 TAT News 27-28 3. Menu: Government Directory 29-30 Appendix A Usage statistics

Entry Thailand

The Importance of Facilities for Tourists

Entry Thailand 2 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

The Importance of Facilities for Tourists Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers 1. The importance of the tourism sector, foreign tourists and the reopening of borders for both Thai and foreign nationals The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has a negative impact on Thailand’s economy, especially on the tourism sector, which is crucial for both income and employment of many Thai workers. Hitherto, the government had to implement policies to stop the spread of the virus, some application has been applied and, for example, restricting travels between provinces, regions, and restricting international travels. These unavoidably affected the tourism sector that usually relies on international tourism. However, after the implementations of the health policies, it was found that the number of infections significantly reduced, leading to new policies to stimulate the economy by relaxing the restrictions. One of such policies is the reopening of the country to international tourists, allowing both Thai and foreign nationals to enter Thailand. Hitherto, the government had implemented a policy issued under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005) and the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015), where individuals entering the Kingdom of Thailand must undergo a quarantine period within designated facilities. This resulted in extra layers of procedure for those entering to the Kingdom and led to most effective monitoring and control of the disease. Tourists or individuals entering for other reasons must comply with many procedures outlined on web sites of related ministries and institutions, including, for example, applying for a Certificate of Entry (COE), obtaining health insurance, booking flight tickets, reserving ASQ or ALQ facilities, etc. These layers of procedures may cause confusion to those entering the Kingdom. Given the problem above, an integration of tasks of different government offices was sought, leading to discussions between those offices, and an assignment given to The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which was responsible for the promotion, supporting and development of the tourism sector. This led to the development of the Entry Thailand web portal (www.entrythailand.go.th), to facilitate inbound travelers, both Thai and foreign nationals. This project was sponsored by Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI)’s Fund for Science, Research, and Innovation. Collaborating offices for this project include the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of 3

Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Ministry of Public Health, Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Defence, Immigration Bureau, TSRI and Office of Insurance Commission. 2. Development of Entry Thailand The development of Entry Thailand stem from the need for travelers to follow various procedures managed by different government agencies and public offices, which were not centralized, leading to the following problems: - Travelers are required to follow procedures which were listed separately in many related ministries’ or offices’ web sites, including, for example, application for COE, purchase of health insurance, flight booking, booking of ASQ or ALQ facility, etc. - There are confusion and losses of opportunities for ASQ and ALQ providers who faced no-shows due to COE withdrawals or trip cancellations without prior notices. - Distribution of news and information was slow or confusing since the news originated from many independent offices and may not be up to date. There could also be errors in the information gathering and distribution processes. 3. Entry Thailand as an integrated database The listed problems led to a collaboration of offices working with the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, collecting different offices’ systems and procedures for travelers into one web site called “Entry Thailand”, where all steps and procedures for entering Thailand, as well as links to web sites and important information are collected in one portal. These include procedures for applying for a COE of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for purchasing health insurances provided by Thai General Insurance Association, under the supervision of the Office of Insurance Commission, and for booking ASQ or ALQ facilities, as well as a list of SHA+ certified hotels from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Moreover, the portal is flexible and can update its information according to new government policies, such as changes in the required quarantine period or changes in requirements for quarantine groups for travelers from high-risk regions, to facilitate future reductions of travel restrictions. The “Entry Thailand” was first launched and promoted on the web sites of Thai Embassies around the globe sine 7th April 2021. 4

4. Objectives of Entry Thailand Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers - To promote collaboration and integration of information from different offices - To collect information from collaborating offices, provide up-to-date news and record archives for the purpose of reporting to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration - To provide convenience to tourists and travelers of both Thai and foreign nationals - To help service providers free up their bookings in cases where COE applications are not approved or where COE collections are cancelled, as well as providing them with marketing opportunities 5. Benefits of Entry Thailand The vantage point of Entry Thailand is that it collects all procedures, starting from preparations for traveling into Thailand until leaving the country. Many travelers will benefit from access this service. First, foreign tourists or other inbound travelers who would like to visit the Kingdom may find it more convenience. Second, ASQ and ALQ providers, as well as SHA+ certified hotels will benefit from rapid distribution of information, thus preventing preventable losses in cases where COE applications are withdrawn or where COE collections are cancelled. Moreover, this portal provides opportunities to market their services to tourists. Last, governmental organizations could analyze the data and compile reports, which will be helpful for overall management. Since the first launch of Entry Thailand (currently not official) on 7th April 2021, as of 26th June 2021, there were more than 97,000 users from different nationals, and more than 143 ASQ or ALQ reservations, accounted for more than 5.7 million THB. 5

Entry Thailand 6 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

Entry Thailand: A Traveler’s Facility Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Entry Thailand: A Traveler’s Facility Administrative System Development Division Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports 7

Entry Thailand 8 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

Entry Thailand User Guide Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Entry Thailand is a web portal where information regarding traveling to Thailand is shown. It also collects essential applications to help those planning to travel to the Kingdom of Thailand. The system covers everything from visa application / tourist information / Covid-19 vaccination status check / travel information / emergency services for tourists / tax refund. The system integrates services from different responsible offices – namely, the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Immigration Bureau, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Airports of Thailand Co., Ltd., Tourist Police Bureau, and The Revenue Department – into a single e-service portal. The provision of many tourist facilities in one web site organized by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports facilitates and simplifies procedures for tourists. All procedures required to enter the Kingdom are collected in a single portal. Accessing the Entry Thailand Web Site Entry Thailand portal can be accessed at http://www.entrythailand.go.th. The home page is shown in Figure 1. [Figure 1 Home page of Entry Thailand] 9

Home Page Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers The home page contains: 1. Menu bar The main menu consists of the follow: - Home Page - Journey - News and Events - Government Directory - Change Language (TH-EN) - Other Options tab 2. Slide show The slide show automatically scrolls but can be manually controlled by clicking the numbers displayed on the left-hand side. [Figure 2 The home page contains the main menu bar as well as a slide show] 10

3. Banner links Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Next to the slide show is a banner, divided into 3 parts: 1. Before Arrival 2. Arrival and During the Stay 3. Before Leave All 3 parts link to their respective sections. [Figure 3 Banner links in the home page] 4. Additional Information section Below the banner links are additional information and links to more information about entering Thailand. [Figure 4 Additional Information section in the home page] 11

5. Before Arrival section Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers In the home page, below the Additional Information section is the Before Arrival section, where the user can follow links about preparations and about different procedures before their travel to Thailand. The available links are as follow: ‣ Information and documents: Information and documents for entering the Kingdom of Thailand ‣ Hotel Booking: SHA/SHA+ Booking ‣ Insurance: Covid-19 Insurance Services ‣ Thailand Pass: Registration System (air travels only) ‣ MorChana: Download MorChana for IOS and Android ‣ Flight status: Real-time in-depth flight information ‣ VISA Online ‣ VISA On Arrival [Figure 5 Before Arrival section on the home page] 12

6. Arrival and During the Stay section Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers In the home page, below the Before Arrival section lies the Arrival and During the Stay section. User can follow links about procedures when they arrive and during their stay. The available links are as follow: ‣ MorChana: Download MorChana for IOS and Android ‣ Thailand Tourism Directory ‣ Tourist Police I Lert U ‣ Travel Information [Figure 6 Arrival and During the Stay section on the home page] 7. Before Leave section In the home page, below the Arrival and During the Stay section is the Before Leave section. User can follow links to procedures they could follow before they leave the Kingdom of Thailand. The available link is: ‣ VAT refund for tourists [Figure 7 Before Leave section on the home page] 13

8. Information about the number of travelers and countries of origin Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers This section displays the number of travelers and his/her origin countries, traveling to Thailand. [Figure 8 Information about the number of travelers and countries of origin presented on the home page] 9. Contact information and sitemap This section contains web site information; contact details and a link to a sitemap. [Figure 9 Contact information and sitemap link on the home page] 14

Main menu Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers When the user clicks on an option on the main Menu bar sub-menu is displayed, as follow. 1. Menu: Journey When the user clicks the Journey menu, 10 sub-menus are displayed, and the user can follow each one to their respective contents. The sub-menu is as follow. 1.1 Sub-menu: Before Arrival ‣ Information and Documents ‣ Thailand Pass ‣ ASQ Booking ‣ SHA/SHA+ Booking ‣ Covid-19 Insurance ‣ MorChana: Download MorChana Application for IOS ‣ MorChana: Download MorChana Application for Android ‣ Flight Status ‣ Visa Online ‣ Visa On Arrival [Figure 10 The Before Arrival sub-menu] 15

• Information and Documents Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Links under the Information and Documents sub-menu links provide additional information and documents, regarding traveling to Thailand as well as recommendations about traveling to Thailand. User can learn about procedures and how to travel to Thailand under the Traveller’s Journey to Thailand (Simulation) sub-section. [Figure 11 The Information and Documents sub-menu] • Thailand Pass Thailand Pass is available for travelers, both Thai and oversea travelers. Travelers can enter information about their travels and health. Once approved, they will be sent a QR code, giving them permission to enter Thailand. [Figure 12 The Thailand Pass sub-menu] 16

• ASQ Booking Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) is facilities available as alternative accommodation during the required quarantine period, available for both Thai and oversea travelers traveling to Thailand. There is a fee for ASQ facilities. These facilities are inspected and satisfied the standard and requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Defence. ASQ facilities strictly follow these requirements. In the sub-menu for ASQ hotel reservation, user can choose his/her ASQ hotel to reserve. [Figure 13 The ASQ Booking sub-menu] • SHA/SHA+ Booking Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) is a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health Department of Disease Control, Department of Health, Department of Health Service Support as well as other public and private agencies related to the tourism sector. The objective is to have a disease control as well as to enhance the experience and confidence in healthcare and hygiene of goods and services for both Thai and oversea travelers, visiting Thailand. Public health policies are integrated with service sector’s focus in the quality of services and facilities to reduce risks and prevent the spread of Covid-19, as well as to improve the quality of goods and services in the tourism sector. 17

The goal of SHA is to encourage businesses in the tourism sector to strongly consider the potential spread of Covid-19 and improve their products and services, accordingly, making all business activity in tourism sector safe and hygienic. The SHA mark builds customer’s confidence. The SHA+ mark is given when at least 70% of the service providers’ members of staff are fully vaccinated. [The SHA] [The SHA+] [Figure 14 The SHA/SHA+ Booking sub-menu] Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers 18

• Covid-19 Insurance Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers In this sub-menu, user can choose and purchase a Covid-19 insurance scheme provided by the Thai General Insurance Association [Figure 15 Covid-19 Insurance sub-menu] • MorChana: Download MorChana for IOS and Android MorChana is a mobile application designed with collaboration between the public and private sectors, for tracing the travel routes of users. MorChana was designed for tracking and tracing infections of Covid-19, providing information to healthcare service providers, and informing those who were in close proximity or in contact with known Covid-19 cases in a timely manner. The application also provides practical guidelines. [Figure 16 The MorChana: Download MorChana for IOS and Android sub-menu] 19

• Flight Status Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers This sub-menu allows user to check flight status and view detailed flight information in real-time. [Figure 17 The Flight Status sub-menu] • VISA Online In this sub-menu, visitor can apply almost every type of visa online. [Figure 18 The VISA Online sub-menu] 20

• Visa On Arrival Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers What is visa on arrival? Visa On Arrival (VOA) is a type of visa where a passport holder can apply for at an immigration checkpoint in Thailand. This is a tourist visa with a duration no longer than 15 days. This visa requires no pre-submitted applications (the procedure starts once the visitor arrives in Thailand) and is granted when the visitor arrives at the destination country, at the immigration checkpoint. There are 18 countries and 1 economic zone whose citizens can apply for this type of visa. Where can I apply for VOA? VOA must be applied for at an immigration checkpoint at a participating airport. Citizens from different countries have different document requirements for their applications. Details regarding required documents are available on related web sites of the destination countries. Is there a fee for VOA? VOA is considered a type of visa, fee is therefor applied. The amount of fee depends on the country of citizenship and may not apply to citizens from some countries. 21

1.2 Sub-menu: Arrival and During the Stay Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers • Thailand Tourism Directory Thailand Tourism Directory is a web site collecting wide range of information for tourists by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. [Figure 19 The Thailand Tourism Directory sub-menu] • Thailand Information Thailand Information is a web site presenting information for tourists by Tourism Authority of Thailand [Figure 20 The Thailand Information sub-menu] 22

• Tourist Police I Lert U Application Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers Tourist Police I Lert U is a mobile application for tourists, where help from tourist polices can be requested. The requester sends some personal information, photograph(s), date and place of incident to the War Room, where officers will be on stand-by 24 hours every day. The officers will coordinate, and despatch tourist polices to provide help in a timely manner. [Figure 21 The Tourist Police I Lert U Application sub-menu] 1.3 Sub-menu: Before Leave • VAT Refund The Revenue Department has found the VAT Refund for Tourist Office, in accordance with the policy to invest tax money to support and promote tourism. The Office answers directly to the Director-General of the Revenue Department or a person nominated by the Director-General. It correctly, timely and effectively processes VAT refund for tourists. [Figure 22 The VTA Refund sub-menu] 23

2. Menu: News and Events Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers When the user clicks on the News and Events menu, sub-menus appear as in Figure 23. The user can then select a sub-menu. These include the following. • News [Figure 23 The News sub-menu] • TAT News TAT News is a news web site by Tourism Authority of Thailand. [Figure 24 The TAT News sub-menu] 24

3. Menu: Government Directory Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers User can view additional and government information and access links to related web sites. [Figure 25 The Government Directory sub-menu] 25

Entry Thailand 26 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

Appendix A 27 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

Entry Thailand 28 Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers

Usage statistics Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers [Figure 26 Number of Entry Thailand visitors] [Figure 27 Countries where Entry Thailand is accessed from] 29

[Figure 28 Accumulated number of visitors] Infor Information Regarding Entry Thailand System for Travelers [Figure 29 Service statistics] 30



Editing Consultants 1. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports 2. Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports 3. Assistant Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports Edited by Administrative System Development Division Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sports

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Ministry of Tourism & Sports 4 Ratchadamnoen nok Road, Watsomanas, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100 Phone : 0-2283-1500 Fax : 0-2356-0746 www.mots.go.th