CAMBODIA (Update 18/11/2021)

Cambodia has vaccinated nearly 86 per cent of its more than 16 million people, with two million given booster shots already and 300,000 school children set to be inoculated. As of November 13, over 14 million Cambodians aged five and up have been vaccinated with their first shot – equal to 87.82 per cent of the total population. Of those, 13.2 million have received their second dose and more than two million have received a third, or booster shot.

Cambodia is lifting all quarantine requirements for vaccinated inbound travellers entering Cambodia by air, waterway or land border checkpoints effective from November 15, 2021. Travellers will be required to take a rapid antigen test on arrival rather than waiting for the results of the lengthier polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Those who have not been vaccinated must quarantine for 14 days, both Cambodians and foreigners.

The order applies to all routes – airports, waterways and land border checkpoints with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

Entry Conditions 

Vaccinated travellers (including children/babies) can enter Cambodia, by land, air and water without Quarantine with :

• Negative PCR Test for 72hours prior to arrival in Cambodia. (Must be hard copy not digital, should have wet ink signature & stamp – printed on clinic/testing facilities letterhead and includes travellers full name, date of birth/age & passport number ).
• Legitimate certificate of fully COVID-19 vaccination Card. (vaccination so final dose need to be completed a minimum of 14 days before arrival – must state travellers name, type of vaccine, dates of vaccinations – must be hard copy not digital)
• Tourist Visa. ⚠️ Visa on arrival remains suspended. So visa need to be done at Cambodian Embassy prior to travel or online https://www.evisa.gov.kh/
• Travellers are encouraged to purchase local FORTE Insurance (90$ per person) but it is NOT mandatory.

Unvaccinated travellers need to undergo a rapid test on arrival, FORTE Insurance purchased, 2000$ deposit and a Quarantine of 14 days with a PCR test at Day 13th.

Note for children: Unvaccinated under-18-years-olds travelling as part of a family group will be quarantined in accordance with the period that applies to their parents.

Health Check/Declarations:

• On arrival, vaccinated travellers will undergo a Rapid Antigen Test (results 15-20min ) and if it’s negative, they will be free to go anywhere. For now, this test is free of charge.
• Those who test positive will be sent to a separately approved quarantine, treatment facility.

Follow our article The Kingdom of Wonders Like You’ve Never Seen It Before – A Short Q&A With Clémence, Country Director for Cambodia for more information about us in Cambodia.

VIETNAM (Update 16/11/2021)

As of late November 16 – 101,823,402 vaccine doses were administered, currently at rate of about 15.51/second or 1,339,886 each day. That is about 103.7 doses per hundred people (~98.17 million). At this rate, Vietnam could have 70% of people vaccinated (2 doses) in 27 days (or by Dec 12, 2021).

International travellers who are either fully vaccinated or recovered Covid-19 patients can visit five destinations (designated places in Vietnam’s most oversized island Phu Quoc, Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, which is home to the ancient town of Hoi An, Khanh Hoa Province, which is home to Nha Trang beach town, and Quang Ninh Province home to Ha Long Bay) in Vietnam starting this November, without quarantine mandate as the Government Office approved a pilot plan to welcome international visitors as proposed earlier by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Accordingly, the pilot plan in three phases:

• Phase 1 from November 2021, Vietnam welcomes travellers who book the package programs through charter flights and commercial flights to these five places.
• Phased 2 from January 2022 is expected to take effect in January next year to have tourists travel between the five destinations allowed in the first phase.
• Phase 3 will see Vietnam fully open to foreign visitors. A specific timeline will depend on the pandemic situation.

Under the pilot program for foreign tourists, they could spend a maximum of 90 days in Vietnam. People on tours lasting more than seven days will be tested again on the 7th day of their trip. They can visit destinations that are open to foreign tourists under the pilot program, with the full combo booked in advance.

If tourists want to visit locations not included in the pilot program, they have to register with tourism agencies, informing authorities in the host localities for health monitoring and quarantine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs temporarily recognizes ‘vaccine passports’ of 72 countries and territories and is in discussions with nearly 80 others on mutual recognition for the ‘vaccine passport’.

Borders with China, Cambodia, and Laos are currently closed except for the import and export of goods and returning Vietnamese nationals.

Entry Conditions and Health Check/Declarations:

• Travellers must show proof of complete vaccination or Covid-19 recovery, as well as a negative coronavirus test (RT-LAMP or RT – PCR) taken within 72 hours before departure.
• Visitors will also have to furnish medical or travel insurance, including coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least $50,000 and book a package tour. Children under 12 years old travelling with a parent or guardian do not require a vaccination certificate against Covid-19.
• They must install the IGOVN application on their smartphones and use it during their tours in Vietnam. Masking is required, and there will be no quarantine mandate.

THAILAND (Update 03/11/2021)

Thailand has administered at least 83,320,621 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 59.8% of the country’s population. However, all popular holiday destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket etc. have a vaccination rate higher than 70 %.

Thailand’s Royal Government announced the reopening of the Kingdom’s borders without quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers on the 1st of November 2021! News that we received with great joy at Easia Travel as we can’t wait to welcome back your travellers to our beautiful destination! Starting from November 2021, fully-vaccinated travellers will be able to freely tour Thailand’s sandy beaches, temples and tropical islands after testing negative for COVID on arrival. The full list can be found on the Tourism Authority of Thailand website.

Inoculated visitors from countries not on the list can travel to Bangkok and 16 other regions, but they will be confined to their initial destination for the first seven days before being allowed to travel elsewhere.

Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from countries, not on the list are eligible to enter through a “sandbox” scheme that requires them to stay in a government-approved hotel or resort in one of 17 “blue” destinations, including Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, for seven nights before they will be allowed to travel freely in the country.

Travellers who have not been fully vaccinated are required to quarantine in an approved hotel for 10 days.

Tourists from countries not on the visa exemption list can apply for a Special Tourist Visa (STV), which allows for 90-day stays, and can be renewed twice. The travellers must apply for an STV via the Thai consulate or embassy in their own country.

• All travellers need to apply for a “Thailand Pass” prior to their journey and are subject to two required Covid-19 tests: the first test upon arrival by an RT-PCR method, the second test on Day 6-7 with a self-testing Antigen Rapid Test.
• Foreign tourists must provide proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment for Covid-19 up to the cost of $50,000. All travellers need to provide proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
• From November 1, fully vaccinated travellers residing in one of the approved 63 countries/territories wishing to enter Thailand without quarantine restrictions must check into a Thailand Safety and Health Administration accredited (SHA+) hotel for one night to await the results of their Covid-19 test. After that, they are free to travel in the country.
• Visitors under the age of 12 who are travelling with their parents are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
• Fully vaccinated travellers coming from a country, not on the approved list can opt to enter via the “Sandbox” program, which includes 17 Blue Zone destinations. The 17 destinations are Bangkok, Krabi, Chonburi (including Pattaya), Chiang Mai, Trat, Buriram, Prachuap Kiri Khan (including Hua Hin), Phang-nga, Petchaburi, Phuket, Ranong, Rayong, Loei, Samut Prakan, Surat Thani, Nong Khai and Udon Thani.
• Visitors entering via the Sandbox program need to stay in a SHA+ hotel or resort for seven nights. At the end of this period, they will be permitted to travel elsewhere in the country. Travellers under 18 and travelling with their parents as part of the Sandbox program are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
• Unvaccinated travellers must quarantine at government-approved quarantine facilities or Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facilities. This can include luxury hotels, some of which have developed quarantine packages.
• A full list of participating hotels and resorts, along with package rates, can be found here: asq.locanation.com.

LAOS (Update 03/11/2021)

Laos has extended COVID-19 business and gathering restrictions through Oct. 30 for 2 weeks due to COVID-19 activity. 4,814,483vaccine doses were administered for COVID-19 in Laos. That is about 65.2 doses per hundred people (~7.38 million). At this rate, Laos could have 70% of people vaccinated (2 doses) by Mar 7, 2023.

The government of the Lao PDR has suspended the visa on arrival service at all international entry points. No visas are being issued to people travelling from a country with cases of COVID-19. However, the Lao authorities may consider granting special entry permission for foreigners (e.g. experts, technicians, and foreign nationals that are needed for essential projects) who wish to come to Laos.

Lao Airlines (QV) is operating limited domestic flights to most major cities with health protocols in place. The controls reportedly include allowing only fully vaccinated passengers.

Entry Conditions:

• Entry procedures for Laos visa-holders:
  • all foreigners must present a Certificate of Entry (issued by the MFA); a completed Health Declaration form; and a ‘Fit to Fly’ Certificate issued no more than 72 hours prior to travel. You should not use the NHS testing service to get a test in order to facilitate your travel to another country. You should arrange to take a private test
  • all arrivals will be subject to a COVID-19 test at their own expense. Positive cases will be admitted to the hospital for treatment
  • all negative cases have to undergo 14 days quarantine at designated locations (with all expenses covered by individuals or their organizations/companies)

The timelines for reopening included in the plans the government has been presented with a range from January 2022 to March 2022. We believe that if any reopening goes ahead between January and March that it will still be quite controlled and restrictive, probably with some form of short quarantine. We believe that all of this will change slowly over the following months with a full “real” reopening in time for the next high season (October 2022).

MYANMAR (Update 05/08/2021)

Entry/Travel Conditions:

• Since 01 February 2021, the Myanmar military has assumed control of the country, arresting the existing National League for Democracy party leaders and detaining them after declaring the results of the November 2020 general election invalid
• The military went on to declare a year-long state of emergency and have banned all international travel.
• Following the coup, the regime intermittently resumed immunization and geared up in August with vaccines donated and purchased from China, vowing that half of the country’s more than 55 million population would be jabbed by the end of this year. As of Monday, the regime said, 3.92 million people had been fully vaccinated.

For information on your clients’ upcoming trip to Southeast Asia with us, please contact your dedicated Sales Executive or the Sales Development Manager in your region directly.