Covid 19 Travel Updates (Jan 2022)

• Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have mandated centralized quarantine regardless of vaccination status for anyone arriving from countries that have detected the Omicron variant.
• Passengers from Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho do not need to provide negative COVID-19 tests before boarding for flights. Only passengers from very high-risk localities or locked-down areas would have to provide test results within 72 hours.
• Travelers entering Vietnam for business purposes for less than 14 days will be exempt from quarantine requirements, however, they must comply with pandemic prevent measures including staying at separate accommodations.
• People are asked to keep safe distance with each other and avoid mass gatherings. The 5K (in Vietnamese) message still applies: Khau trang (Facemask) – Khu khuan (Disinfection) – Khoang cach (Distance) – Khong tu tap (No gathering) – Khai bao y te (Health declaration) to help citizens get used to  living safely with the COVID-19 pandemic in ‘new normal’ state.

Transport companies’ actions

(Air & land)

• Domestic flights resumed on October 1 under a four-phase plan. Flights resumed with localities that have relaxed pandemic prevention and control measures.
• Vietnam approved the resumption of international flights with nine destinations from January 1, 2022, only five international routes have been confirmed such as to the US, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Singapore.

• Lao Government asked localities to serious follow pandemic prevention and control measures and prepare for provisional funding to buy vaccines and necessary medical supplies.
• Public transportation in Laos is operating.
• Restaurants, cafes and bars in Laos are open under social distancing restrictions. In high-risk areas, restaurants, cafes and bars are closed.
• Most non-essential businesses and attractions in Laos are open, under social distancing and capacity requirements.
• Night clubs, karaoke bars, gyms and sports facilities are closed. In high-risk areas, non-essential businesses and attractions are closed.
• Wearing face masks is required in all public places.

Transport companies actions

(Air & land)

• The Wattay international airport has been ready to welcome the first foreign visitors after a long time of border closure triggered by the ongoing pandemic.
• Vaccinated arrivals from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, United States, Canada, and Australia can enter under the “Travel Green Zone Plan”. They will have to show health insurance and a negative test upon arrival.
• Anyone arriving to Laos will be required to quarantine for 14 days in a designated location, and wear a tracking device during that time. Arrivals from the “Travel Green Zone Plan” will need to quarantine until getting test results.

• The public is directed to wear masks, use hand sanitizers and practice social distancing.
• Shops, restaurants, cafeterias, supermarkets, banks and other commercial areas must require customers to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and engage in social distancing.
• Private meetings or gathering are ordered not to exceed 50 people.
• All businesses are ordered to check for COVID-19 vaccination cards of their customers before permitting them to enter their business locations.

Transport companies actions

(Air & land)

• All travelers to Cambodia who have been physically present or have transited Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia within 14 days will be subject to a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival.  Travelers in this category will be required to adhere to an additional seven day quarantine at the traveler’s expense.
• No quarantine required at arrival
• Upon arrival: Present a negative PCR test done 72 hours before arrival
• Rapid test mandatory at the airport upon arrival. Wait for the result (20 – 40 minutes) then go.

• It is compulsory for all individuals to wear a face mask when going out in public.
• Reduced capacity on public transport.
• Stay-at-home orders in Yangon.
• Social gatherings limited and events canceled
• Strict guidelines for hospitality

Transport companies actions

(Air & land)

• Myanmar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced the extension of entry restrictions for all travelers to the end of January.
• The issuance of all types of visas and visa exemption services will also be suspended with very few exceptions.
• Foreigners with compelling reasons to travel must get entry permission from the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• To enter Myanmar for essential reasons, foreigners must:
  • Be granted access to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Arrive at Yangon, Mandalay, or Nay Pyi Taw International Airports
  • Present proof of a negative COVID-19 test, issued at most 72 hours before departure
  • Undergo temperature checks on arrival
  • Airline crew are subjected to quarantine until their next flight.

• Thailand is aiming to treat Covid-19 as endemic in 2022 by resuming normal activities, increasing immunization through booster shots, and reducing hospitalizations.
• Officials are considering implementing new disease prevention measures against Omicron such as a ban on alcohol sales in restaurants and limiting large gatherings.

Transport companies actions

(Air & land)

• Travelers entering through the Phuket sandbox program are required to spend the first week on the island before traveling to other parts of the country.