All participants must register through the Indico system (https://indico.un.org/e/UNRBHR) in advance, but no later than 25 May 2023 to facilitate smooth coordination of the issuance of photo badges as well as the compilation of the list of participants. Please note that prior online registration is mandatory in line with standard security procedures to facilitate security clearance and entrance to the UN premises. Participants who have registered online can obtain photo badges at the registration counter, located on the Ground Level, UNCC, from 08:00 to 10:00 hours on the opening day of the event. Participants who cannot register online during the times indicated above are requested to do so upon arrival at UNCC and before going to the conference room. Only the names of duly registered participants will be included in the list of participants. Please note that this is not preferable and could delay your entry to the Forum premises. For identification and security reasons, all participants are REQUIRED to wear their meeting badges at all times while they are in the UN complex, which includes meetings and social functions. The loss of a meeting badge should be immediately communicated to the registration counter or the UN security so that the incident can be recorded and a new badge can be issued. Important: Participants are requested to complete the COVID-19 Health Self-Certification prior to entering the UNCC, sharing emergency contact details and certifying that: You have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 7 days. You have not had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in the last 7 days. You agree to comply with the COVID-19 infection prevention measures in place. Upon submission of the above-mentioned COVID-19 Health Self-Certification Form, you will receive a clearance email. You will be asked to show this email when picking up your meeting badge at the UNCC Registration Desk. Ensure that you have your health insurance card or information with you at all times. Stay at home or in your accommodation if you or anyone in your household feels unwell and develop a fever and/or respiratory symptoms. All personnel entering the UNCC, whether on foot or using their transport, may be subject to thermal screening at all entrances. This is done through self-screening using stationary thermal scanners situated at various access points. If a person has a temperature greater than 37.3 degrees Celsius, s/he/they should not enter the UNCC. Please note that parking space is not available at the Venue unless otherwise agreed with the organisers.

Participants are requested to complete the COVID-19 Health Self-Certification prior to entering the UNCC, sharing emergency contact details and certifying that: You have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 7 days. You have not had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in the last 7 days. You agree to comply with the COVID-19 infection prevention measures in place. Upon submission of the above-mentioned COVID-19 Health Self-Certification Form, you will receive a clearance email. You will be asked to show this email when picking up your meeting badge at the UNCC Registration Desk. Ensure that you have your health insurance card or information with you at all times. Stay at home or in your accommodation if you or anyone in your household feels unwell and develop a fever and/or respiratory symptoms. All personnel entering the UNCC, whether on foot or using their transport, are subject to thermal screening at all entrances. This is done through self-screening using stationary thermal scanners situated at various access points. If a person has a temperature greater than 37.3 degrees Celsius, s/he/they should not enter the UNCC. Please note that parking space is not available at the Venue unless otherwise agreed with the organisers.

All personnel entering the UNCC, whether on foot or using their transport, are subject to thermal screening at all entrances. This is done through self-screening using stationary thermal scanners situated at various access points. If a person has a temperature greater than 37.3 degrees Celsius, s/he/they should not enter the UNCC. During the event: Wear face masks at all times except when you take the floor to speak in the respective conference/meeting room and sit in designated areas and keep physical distance. Wash or sanitise your hands frequently – after coughing, before preparing food or eating, after toilet use, after contact with ill persons, and during exposure to high-traffic public areas. Avoid sharing personal items. If you feel unwell while in the meeting, do not ignore it – report immediately to the meeting organiser. For more information, please refer to refer to the links at the bottom of the FAQs page for additional COVID-19 information for meeting participants at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok. 

UN Conference Center (UNCC), UNESCAP, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue Khwaeng Bang Khun Phrom, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand

Participants are REQUIRED to obtain an appropriate entry visa by themselves from the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate-General before entering Thailand, EXCEPT for those nationals listed in this link: MFA list of Visa Exemption and VOA. Participants holding UN Laissez-Passer (UNLP) travelling on official business to Thailand are REQUIRED to obtain an appropriate visa before entering. To apply for an appropriate entry visa to Thailand, participants are required to contact their nearest Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General for the most updated information regarding visa application procedures and required documents. The list of Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate-General can be found at https://www.thaiembassy.org. Participants who wish to apply for a visa outside their country of residence or reside in a country where there is no Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate should check with the meeting organiser for the location where it is possible for them to apply for a Thai visa. Please note that certain nationalities, for security reasons, are not allowed to apply for a visa except at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General, which has jurisdiction over the concerned territory.  Participants who wish to apply for a visa on arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport or Don Muang International Airport should follow the below requirements: The applicant must possess a passport with a validity of more than 30 days, at least one completely blank page, and be in possession of a valid return ticket with a date of departure within 15 days of the date of entry. The applicant must fill out an application form, which is available at the Visa-on-Arrival counter at the airport, and supply one recent passport-sized photograph and a fee of Thai Baht (THB) 2,000. Participants may apply online at https://www.evisathailand.com and contact the Visa-on-Arrival counter at the airport upon arrival before proceeding with immigration procedures. The applicant must provide proof of means of living expenses at the amount of THB 10,000 per person or THB 20,000 per family. Note:  The information provided above is accurate as of 17 December 2021. Entry requirements Further to obtaining a Thai entry visa, all participants are required to register on the Thailand Pass system (click here) and obtain a QR code in order to travel to Thailand. Please find more information in the following link: A summary of Thailand’s entry procedures Participants may consult with the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate in their respective countries regarding the latest applicable immigration requirements in preparation for and prior to their departure to Thailand. 

Hotels located relatively close to UNCC or by mass-transit routes may be used by participants, should they choose to. The selection of hotels within walking distance from the UNCC is encouraged to reduce participants’ local travel emissions and their exposure to traffic. Find a list of hotels with indicative prices: https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/event-documents/Hotel_Offers.pdf NOTE: The UN cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information or rates contained in the document. The list is meant purely for reference and ease of participants. Please confirm the room rates with the hotel directly. Participants are responsible for booking their own rooms and are requested to contact the hotel well in advance. Any cancellations, postponements or other changes should be reported to the hotel. Rooms not occupied may be charged to the participants as per the hotel’s policies. Before departure from Bangkok, participants should settle directly with the respective hotels on all accounts, including room charges and other expenses, such as local and long-distance telephone calls, Internet usage, business centre usage, laundry, room and hotel transportation services, mini-bar items, as well as restaurant and bar services. Participants are also responsible for any charges incurred with respect to rooms remaining vacant owing to late arrival or rescheduled departure for which inadequate prior notice is given.

For security and safety reasons, participants are reminded NOT to leave their belongings unattended. Belongings left unattended within the UNCC may be removed to the nearest Lost and Found counter or the Security Operations Centre. All drone unmanned aircrafts are prohibited from flying over the UNCC as per the security requirements. All occupants of the UNCC MUST comply at all times with all lawful directions given by the officers of the United Nations Security and Safety Section. Failure to do so may lead to the participant’s removal from the UNCC. Contact numbers: UN Security Security Control Centre (24/7): +66.2.2881102 UN Security Emergency Number: +66.2.2881100 Mobile +66.81.8078471 Thailand emergency numbers: Police general emergency call: 191 Fire: 199 Ambulance and rescue: 1669/1554 Tourism Police: 1155 Zero tolerance towards harassment The United Nations has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of harassment, including sexual harassment, and will deal with such complaints promptly. Please refer to the United Nations Code of Conduct and report any incident to the Security and Safety Section either in person or by phone at +66 2288 1102. Security protocols for UN personnel In line with security procedures for UN staff, travel notification through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) is required prior to any official travel. Upon notification of travel on TRIP, UN staff members will automatically receive an updated security advice for UN visitors to Thailand. Please visit https://dss.un.org to apply for this travel notification. In addition, the UN Department of Safety and Security requires all UN personnel, including interns and consultants, to complete the mandatory BSAFE Security Awareness Training. These security certifications are required to be completed prior to having commenced official travel.  For more, please watch this short video.

Participants should make their own transportation arrangements from Suvarnabhumi International Airport or Don Mueang International Airport to their respective hotels. For the Airport Rail Link, an express and commuter rail connecting Makkasan Station (MRT subway Petchaburi Station) and Phayathai Station (BTS Skytrain), passengers should go to Level B. Detailed information can be found at https://www.srtet.co.th/index.php/en/. Electric taxis (EVsociety/VIP) are currently available at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The counter is located next to the main taxi area. The service is available 24 hours and can be pre-booked via: Line ID: @evsociety Phone: +66 2039 8888 Email: taxivip@evsociety.co.th EV Society Facebook Metered taxi and bus services are readily available at the airport. More information is available at https://www.bangkokairportonline.com. To use the airport limousine service, it is strongly recommended that participants contact only the authorised officials at the counters located in the airport arrival zone. These officials will issue a ticket for the assignment of a limousine for transporting passengers to the desired destination upon request. The Suvarnabhumi International Airport limousine service counters are located on Level 2 at Baggage Claim, and Arrival Hall exits, channels A, B and C. For public taxis, participants are advised to proceed to Level 1 of the Passenger Terminal, between exit doors 4 and 7, the outdoor area, where they will find automatic dispensing machines from which they can collect a queuing ticket for a public taxi. In addition to toll fees, there is a THB 50 surcharge to be added to the meter charge from the airport to the city. Please refer to the airport website noted above for details. Transportation from downtown to the UNCC Sukhumvit area, a primary centre of Bangkok, is situated along Sukhumvit Road and far from the UNCC. Information on how to commute from downtown to the UN premises is as follows. There are two elevated rail lines (BTS) and one underground rail line (MRT) in Bangkok. Bangkok’s BTS “skytrain” and MRT “subway” is quick, efficient and air-conditioned means of travel, high above or way below the traffic. They are useful for the city’s centre, but the network has yet to be extended to suburban areas, nor is there a station near the United Nations building. Passengers can conveniently connect from the skytrain to the subway or vice versa at interchange stations. Separate fares and fare cards are required since the two operations are run by separate organisations. Bangkok Transit System (BTS – Skytrain) A map of the public transportation system can be found at the web page of the Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (www.bts.co.th). It allows you to click on each individual station for a more detailed map of the surrounding area. The BTS currently has two separate lines. The interchange for the two lines is the Siam station. (i) The “Sukhumvit,” line is the Mo Chit to Bearing station. (ii) The “Silom” line is the Wongwian Yai – National Stadium station. The lines are open from 6:00 am to midnight. The highest fare is 52 Baht per trip. One-time only trip cards can be purchased at a staffed counter or automated machines at each station; change is provided at the staffed counter. You can purchase a day pass and stored value plastic card (Rabbit Card) at the staffed counters. For Rabbit Card, please see website for more details (www.rabbitcard.com). The closest station is BTS Ratchathewi station or MRT Sam Yot where you can get off and take a taxi.

The UNCC is fully wheelchair-accessible and houses the Accessibility Centre on Level 1. For more information, please visit the Accessibility Centre’s webpages. 

Clothes: Business casual or traditional cloth are recommended. September is raining season. We recommend you carry an umbrella and raincoat. Currency: The Thai Baht is used in Bangkok. All major international credit cards (such as MasterCard and Visa) are widely accepted in Bangkok. Participants can exchange their foreign currency at the airport or use any of the 24-hour ATM machines found across the city. Time Zone: Bangkok follows Indochina Time (ICT) which is GMT+7. Electricity Supply: The electric power in Thailand is 220V running at 50Hz and the plug types used are either Type A, Type B, or Type C. A hybrid socket is almost universally found, which accepts a combination of the above plug types. Delegates are strongly encouraged to carry their own adapters for use with laptops and other electrical appliances as the Secretariat will not be able to provide these. In case of need, adapters can be purchased from shops in the city dealing in electronic and electrical items. Telecommunication Services: Participants can either obtain a local temporary sim card for calling and data services or update their usual sim cards to international calling and data. Free wireless internet access is available in all conference and meeting rooms and in the public areas of the UNCC. Please use UN-WiFi. No password is required. The use of the internet at UNCC is governed by relevant organisational policies and guidelines. Failure to adhere to policies may result in revoking those services. Health Services: It is recommended to carry drinking water with oneself at all times due to the temperature. Tap water is not drinkable in Thailand. Language: Thai is spoken widely. However, English is also spoken for business purposes by parts of the population. Cultural Sensitivity: Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city which is a much-loved travel destination internationally. Travel Advisory: Visitors are advised to be respectful of Thai customs at all times. Please note that Thailand has laws against making negative comments about the institution of the monarchy. Such laws are strictly enforced and are applicable to spoken, written, gestures and electronic communication, including social media. Souvenir Shop: The souvenir shop is located on Level 1 of UNCC. It is open from 09:00 to 16:00 hours, Monday through Friday. Prayer and meditation rooms: Prayer and meditation rooms are located in front of ESCAP Hall on Level 2, UNCC. Postal Services: Postal services are available at the United Nations branch of Thailand Post, located on the Ground Level of UNCC. It is open from 08:00 to 16:00 hours, Monday through Friday. Lost and Found: Please contact the Security Operations Centre in person or by phone at +66.2.2881102.  Airlines Reservations: Many international airlines operate regular services to and from Bangkok. Participants are advised to secure their return bookings prior to their departure for Bangkok. If this is not possible, they should make firm return bookings immediately upon arrival in Bangkok. Foreign Currency Declaration: Any person who brings or takes an aggregate amount of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000 or its equivalent into or out of Thailand shall declare such foreign currency to a Customs Official. Failure to make such a declaration or any false declaration to a Customs official is a criminal offence. Currency exchange facilities are available at hotels and all over Bangkok. Such services are also available at the Siam Commercial Bank, United Nations Branch, on Level 1 of the Service Building. The Bank opens from 08:30 to 15:30, with no lunch break, from Monday to Friday. For reference, participants may use – at their discretion – online currency conversion tools, such as https://freecurrencyrates.com, for indicative currency conversion rates. The UNCC floor plans are available at https://www.unescap.org/uncc/our-rooms.

To enter Thailand, one must have a certificate of vaccination or an RT-PCR/Professional ATK COVID-19 test result issued 72 hours before departure. Fully vaccinated individuals must carry their certificate of vaccination, whereas unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated individuals must have an RT-PCR/Professional ATK COVID-19 test result issued within 72 hours before departure. Children under the age of 12 who are travelling with their guardians will mandatorily have to take ATK test kits.

Yellow fever Upon arrival at the port of entry in Thailand, participants who are nationals of or have travelled from/through countries listed below, which have been declared Yellow Fever infected areas, must provide an International Health Certificate proving that they have received a valid Yellow Fever vaccination at the Health Control Office upon arrival before proceeding to immigration. A valid vaccination certificate means that the vaccine was administered at least 10 days prior to travel to the affected country. The International Health Certificate must also be submitted together with the visa application form. The countries/areas listed below have been declared yellow fever infected areas: 1. Angola 2. Argentina 3. Bolivia 4. Brazil 5. Benin 6. Burkina Faso 7. Burundi 8. Cameroon 9. Central African Republic 10. Chad 11. Colombia 12. Republic of Congo 13. Cote d’Ivoire 14. Democratic Republic of Congo 15. Ecuador 16. Equatorial Guinea 17. Ethiopia 18. French Guiana 19. Gabon 20. Gambia 21. Ghana 22. Guinea 23. Guinea-Bissau 24. Guyana 25. Kenya 26. Liberia 27. Mali 28. Mauritania 29. Niger 30. Nigeria 31. Panama 32. Paraguay 33. Peru 34. Rwanda 35. Sao Tome & Principe 36. Senegal 37. Sierra Leone 38. Somalia 39. South Sudan 40. Sudan 41. Suriname 42. Tanzania 43. Togo 44. Trinidad & Tobago 45. Uganda 46. Venezuela Zika virus Thailand is currently experiencing ongoing sporadic transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. All travellers are advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites while in Thailand. Given the possible transmission of the disease to unborn babies, pregnant women should consider postponing travel to Thailand or talking to their doctor about the implications of travelling to Thailand during this time. In addition to the above, the Medical Services Division at UNHQ advises that pregnant UN personnel should not undertake duty travel or be relocated to countries/areas where local transmission of Zika virus is known to occur. Women who are seeking pregnancy should obtain individual advice from their medical practitioner on risk management regarding their plans to travel into a Zika-affected area. For further information, please refer to the Zika virus FAQ. Air pollution and health Bangkok, like many metropolitan Asian cities in the world, is periodically affected by high levels of air pollution, with haze and high concentrations of PM2.5, particularly of concern for sensitive groups. The Tourism Authority of Thailand advises tourists to monitor Bangkok’s air pollution and take precautions when necessary. People with asthma or who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution should consult their treating physician as to whether a trip to Bangkok is advisable at this time. This website is maintained by the Government of Thailand with daily information on air pollution: http://air4thai.pcd.go.th/webV2/index.php First-aid and emergency medical service During the event, first-aid and emergency medical services will be available at the First-Aid Room, which is located on the Ground Level of the UNCC, next to the Post Office. Delegates are strongly encouraged to subscribe to travel or health insurance that is valid in the Kingdom of Thailand in order to cover any medical bills or hospitalisation fees. The UN buildings are smoke-free. Smoking is permitted only in the designated areas outside of the buildings, and in the UNCC, the designated smoking area is outside of the Public Foyer.

Catering services are available at the following locations: International Cafeteria (Level 1, UNCC), which serves breakfast from 7:30 to 10:00 hours, and Thai, Halal and International menus for lunch from 11:00 to 14:00 hours on Monday through Friday. Participants will receive coupons for lunch, and tea/coffee breaks will be available at the mentioned time in the schedule in front of the Meeting Room(s), both Conference Room 1 and 3. Minimising wastage In line with minimising wastage at the UN in Bangkok, the UNCC employs a strict disposable waste policy. Coffee shops at the UNCC do not provide disposable cups, so the users either bring their own reusable cups/mugs or put a security deposit of THB 100 (per cup/mug), which will be returned to the participant when the cup/mug is returned. Dining venues at the UNCC also do not provide food storage boxes, plastic cutlery or straws for takeaway orders. Diners wishing to take food away are advised to bring their own reusable food containers.

Banking services are available at the Siam Commercial Bank, United Nations Branch, located on Level 1 of the Service Building, from 08:30 to 15:30 hours during weekdays. Siam Commercial Bank ATMs can be found near the registration desk, on the Ground Level of UNCC, and near its UN Branch office, as noted above.

The primary language will be English. However, there will be in-person and virtual interpretation available in Japanese and Thai.

Registration for in-person participation will be screened by the Forum Secretariat due to limited in-person capacity at the event venue . Registration for in-person participation will close on 25 May A final confirmation will be sent to selected in-person participants. Please do not make travel arrangements before receiving an invitation to attend the Forum in person in Bangkok. For queries related to this, please reach out to the Forum Secretariat at unrbhrforum@undp.org. Registration for virtual participation will remain open until the event. Note: All costs related to in-person participation (i.e., travel and accommodation) will be borne by the individual or their organization.