There are two pieces of good news for British expats in Thailand who want to return to the United Kingdom.
The British government on Thursday (Oct 7) announced that Thailand has been removed it’s so-called ‘red list’.
At the same it was announced the UK now recognises people who have received two doses of most vaccine brands administered in Thailand as being ‘fully vaccinated’.
This means that from October 11, people travelling to the UK from Thailand who have been fully vaccinated only need to take one PCR test on day two of their stay in the UK. They do not need to quarantine or self isolate.
Travellers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated will need to take a pre-departure test, as well as PCR tests on days two and eight in the UK. They will also need to self-isolate for 10 days, although they can pay for a fourth test which if negative enables them them to leave self isolation early.
The new rules apply to people from Thailand visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If you are fully vaccinated, the information on what you need to do before you travel to the UK from Thailand can be found here.
With regards to vaccines, the British government says people must have received the complete course at least 14 days before arrival in the UK.
The vaccines currently approved by the UK are:
- Oxford/AstraZeneca
- Pfizer BioNTech
- Moderna
- Janssen
This includes formulations of the above vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda.
So called ‘mix and match’ vaccines are also approved, providing they are a combination of the following: Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca.
However, the UK does not yet recognise other vaccines such as Sinovac and Sinopharm.
The rules regarding approved vaccines can be found here.
Announcing the new rules, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “With half-term and winter sun around the corner, we’re making it easier for families and loved ones to reunite, by significantly cutting the number of destinations on the red list, thanks in part to the increased vaccination efforts around the globe.
“Restoring people’s confidence in travel is key to rebuilding our economy and levelling up this country. With less restrictions and more people travelling, we can all continue to move safely forward together along our pathway to recovery.”
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