When the Covid-19 pandemic started, the RMCO, which is the Recovery Movement Control Order, was due to expire on August 31.
As long as Malasia is keeping the RMCO order in place, tourist visas will be automatically extended. Foreigners with a 'social visit pass' (tourist visa) that expired after January 1, 2020, are allowed to leave Malaysia without incurring any fines. The proposal does not apply to passes on social visits, which expired before January 1, 2020.
Thailand allowed foreign tourists a much shorter grace period ending on September 26. Tourists who stay in Thailand longer than that period will need to apply for a visa extension or leave Thailand by the deadline to avoid penalties.
Traveling to Malaysia will continue to be subject to strict controls with foreigners who are required to obtain a 'Letter of Undertaking and Indemnity' approved by the nearest Malaysian consulate or embassy in addition to a visa. Leisure travelers will not be allowed to visit Malaysia, however, as long as the RMCO is in place.
Entry is limited to travelers with families in Malaysia and business and investment-related essential travel.
All travelers allowed to enter Malaysia must take mandatory quarantine of 14 days.
Thailand follows similar protocols, applying the 14-quarantine rule strictly, but offering to travelers arriving in Bangkok what it calls "alternative state quarantine" in certified hospitals. They charge for the 14-day stay about 50,000 Baht to 70,000 Baht, including three meals a day and COVID-19 tests.
SOurce: The Phuket News
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