hioctane

Yes, you don’t need ID. It is to encourage testing. I was just in Germany and free testing for everyone including tourists. In Spain you needed to be symptomatic. In Colombia you needed to pay (about $50 for PCR). It varies by country.

Most published rates are for 1/2 people. If you have a family with kids, I suggest you talk to the hotel directly. Most can give you a discount on transport/room. Test costs will be non-negotiable though.

You are talking about NOW. What about when they had to do mandatory quarantine on arrival? Rules are constantly changing for every country.

I actually drank tap water before (when I ran out and was hungover and too lazy to go to 7/11). It actually tasted perfectly fine. I even tested it with a <deleted> water meter and it was within acceptable drinking levels. Next time, I will test a water filter. Keep in mind I was in a new condo in the middle of Pattaya and not some rural village.

Sadly it is happening all over the world. No one wants to have kids anymore… and when they do.. it is one or two max.

I guess that is why they are requiring you to get a room for for second test too.

The hotel is similarly priced. You are tacking on the cost for tests and transport.

To where? There has got to be a better flight than this.

There are still many airlines that are not flexible, like budget airlines. As for asymptomatic hospitalization, that is issue with Thai as well as international insurers. Not all don't. It is a special situation that you need to clarify with your insurer.

It isn't rocket science. With increased purchase of insurance due to Covid, people just are not aware how insurance works. To summarize the article, voluntary cancellation is generally NOT covered.

That is covered as long as it is not your choice. Again, it varies by insurance. Clarify with them before you buy.

duplicate.

In a lot of less than first world countries you need to pay for hospital services in advance. They don’t bill you after and hope you pay. Stop thinking you are back home.

I wouldn’t say most. It is probably 50/50. You should clarify in advance. When I bought my insurance, they said if I test positive and the doctor says I need need to go to a hospital, they will cover it.

The way most insurance works is that you pay first and the insurance reimburses you. Some people seem to think that since they have insurance, they don’t have to fork over a dime. ????‍♂️

The problem with PCR, is that it can take days to get the results back, by then you can “infect the whole village!” This is my advice if you are in Thailand specifically (I am no doctor). If you start feeling symptoms, take a home ATK test ASAP. If positive and you are in a high risk group, get a PCR. If positive and in a low risk group, take a test again tomorrow and every 3 days after. Of course, stay home (not even to get food… get delivery!) If negative and symptoms persist, take a home ATK again in 3 days. If still negative, but symptoms get worse, get a PCR!

Omnicron didn’t exist 2 years ago. It mutated recently from South Africa.

They are millions of variants. Everytime viruses spread they mutate. It is just that some are more notable than others.

You are behind. USA has surpassed a million a day! And yes, it happened that fast. It almost doubled in a week. However, it is not the same as before. Symptoms are milder and vaccination definitely helped prepare for it.

The real problem is with ThailandPass and not Booking.com itself. With the Phuket Sandbox you needed to get a QR code from the hotel AFTER you book the Covid tests. This is sort of a validation that you paid for the required tests. However, with ThailandPass they tried to make it simpler. The only problem is that there is no way to book tests on your own and you need to buy packages. This leads to confusion because nobody told the tourists that and some will book a day on Booking.com without realizing the test is not free. They arrive to Thailand and find that they didn’t pay for the required tests. It is really not the hotel or Booking.com’s fault. ThailandPass should should have validated this before they approved your pass!

We are beyond the point where case count even matters. It is clear that this strain is not as deadly and the only thing that really matters is hospitalization and death.

I haven’t read the whole thread, but I think what expats (that is most of the guys on here) really mean is that the baht has remained stubbornly strong and they are getting less for their money on their fixed income. As a tourist, I only compare the cost of things as they were the previous time I went. Things are certainly cheaper than prepandemic. Foreign goods are slightly more expensive but that is because the cost of a lot of things have gone up around the world.

All vaccines and medications come with inheret risk. Would you avoid life saving surgery if there is a risk you might die?

I don’t understand something. If you deposit or withdraw money from your account, wouldn’t you notice that the your account is not in the system?

I don't understand why this is shocking news. Do people expect free health care? The government administered jabs comes with a built in insurance policy (to build confidence). If you get a jab from a private hospital, expect THEM to take care of you. If they don't want to give you that insurance, well.. that is the risk you take if you still want a private jab.