A negative result is required to bypass a brand-new quarantine rule for local travelers based in high-risk areas.
A trishaw driver waits by the Old City Moat in Chiang Mai. (Photo: Adli Wahid/Unsplash)
With Thailand battling a second wave of Covid-19, more than two dozen provinces have now imposed travel restrictions on domestic visitors from harder-hit areas of the country, including Bangkok. Health officials previously classified provinces with more than 50 confirmed coronavirus cases as “red zones,” and millions of Thais now face mandatory two-week quarantines should they travel elsewhere in the kingdom.
According to a news update posted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chiang Mai and Buriram will allow Bangkok residents and those coming from other red-zone areas to skip mandatory self-isolation if they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival. Travelers are expected to shoulder the costs of testing; a rapid test in Buriram will set you back 600 baht, while the price of one in Chiang Mai has not yet been publicized.
In the south, Chumphon is taking the most cautious approach: a PCR test is a must for anyone from the red zone, while the 14-day self-isolation period applies to visitors from all provinces. The central province of Chai Nat now requires red-zone travelers to be tested on arrival or present a medical certificate showing a negative result from a PCR test, which must have been taken less than 72 hours beforehand. Over in Isan, arrivals into Sisaket should also expect to be tested by local health workers.
The Thai provinces putting up travel restrictions are as follows:
| Province | Quarantine requirement |
| Ang Thong | 14 days |
| Ayutthaya | 14 days |
| Buriram | 14 days, except tested travelers |
| Chanthaburi | 14 days |
| Chai Nat | 14 days, even with advance or on-arrival testing |
| Chiang Mai | 14 days, except tested travelers |
| Chumphon | 14 days, from all provinces; red-zone travelers tested on arrival |
| Kanchanaburi | 14 days |
| Nakhon Nayok | 14 days |
| Mukdahan | 14 days for those from Samut Sakhon |
| Nan | 14 days for those from Samut Sakhon |
| Phetchabun | 14 days |
| Phichit | 14 days |
| Phrae | 14 days |
| Roi Et | 14 days |
| Phayao | 10 days for those from Samut Sakhon and Rayong |
| Samut Sakhon | 14 days |
| Samut Songkhram | 14 days |
| Saraburi | 14 days |
| Satun | 14 days |
| Sing Buri | 14 days |
| Sisaket | 14 days |
| Suphan Buri | 14 days |
| Surat Thani | 14 days |
| Ubon Ratchathani | 14 days for those from Samut Sakhon and Rayong |
| Yasothon | 14 days |
