New flight rules cause confusion among Thais overseas wanting to fly home

[snoop1130]

New flight rules cause confusion among Thais overseas wanting to fly home

 

A health official checks the forms of incoming passengers during a health assessment at a checkpoint for people flying in from a list of countries and territories that include China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Iran and Italy, as a precautionary measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on March 9, 2020. (Photo by VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

 

The new anti-virus restrictions, just announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), requiring airlines to demand “fit to fly” health certificates from passengers before boarding a flight to Thailand, have thrown many Thai citizens overseas, who want to fly home, into confusion.

 

One Facebook poster, Sirada K. Ning, said that the Embassy he visited was crammed with Thai citizens asking how and where they can get health certificates at affordable prices.

They complained that the sudden implementation of the new restriction caught them off-guard and has caused confusion among ordinary Thais and embassy officials alike.

 

A compromise solution, agreed between the CAAT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is that the health certificates can be issued by Thai doctors, said Sarada, adding, however, that the certificates are not proof that the person, for whom the certificate is issued, is clear of COVID-19.

The CAAT’s new restriction is due to come into force on March 22nd (GMT +7).

 

Meanwhile, the Disease Control Department today disclosed a map showing the progress of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand, up to yesterday (Thursday). It reveals that the contagion has now spread to 23 provinces, with most cases in Bangkok.

 

• Bangkok 213 cases in 15 districts
• Samut Prakan 12 cases in 4 districts
• Chiang Mai 7 cases in 2 districts
• Pattani 6 cases in 2 districts
• Chon Buri 5 cases in 2 districts
• Phuket 5 cases in 1 district
• Yala 3 cases in 2 districts
• Nakhon Ratchasima 2 cases in 1 district
• Narathiwat 2 cases in 1 district
• Pathum Thani 2 cases in 1 district
• Prachuap Khiri Khan 2 cases in 1 district
• One case each in Phetchabun, Krabi, Kalasin, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nonthaburi, Roi-et, Saraburi, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri and Surat Thani.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/new-flight-rules-cause-confusion-among-thais-overseas-wanting-to-fly-home/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-03-20

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[YetAnother]

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

A compromise solution, agreed between the CAAT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is that the health certificates can be issued by Thai doctors,

i see, so incoming flights from overseas are suggesting see a thai doctor, overseas; great plan; typical thai

[flyingtlger]

8 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The new anti-virus restrictions, just announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), requiring airlines to demand “fit to fly” health certificates from passengers before boarding a flight to Thailand, have thrown many Thai citizens overseas, who want to fly home, into confusion.

This has thrown "All and anyone" that had plans to travel to Thailand.

 

The only silver lining here is hopefully the Thai Baht will tank...

[Enoon]

 

Cambridge University asked its students, on the 18th, to return home.

 

Birmingham University schools closing this weekend.

 

Over 6,000 Thai HE students in the UK.

 

Many of whom would probably quite like to go back to Thailand for a while.

 

Due to the governments failure to implement restrictions much earlier (notably against the Chinese deluge) the latest regulations are hopelessly late and probably a waste of time and effort:

 

"WHO evidence provides some support for short-term measures that might interfere with international traffic at the early containment phase of an outbreak. However, longer-term restrictions are normally not effective once appropriate containment measures are in place."

https://www.icao.int/Security/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by Enoon

[DrTuner]

By the looks of it the only way you could fly in soon would be with your own plane. A bit of a moot point.

[CGW]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

The only silver lining here is hopefully the Thai Baht will tank...

555, desperation setting in? Tank against which currency - there are no strong ones at this time!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

i see, so incoming flights from overseas are suggesting see a thai doctor, overseas; great plan; typical thai

 

What the heck good does it do to tell a Thai citizen overseas who's trying to board a flight headed back home that they can get their certificate (before boarding?) from a Thai doctor.... Huh???

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, Enoon said:

"WHO evidence provides some support for short-term measures that might interfere with international traffic at the early containment phase of an outbreak. However, longer-term restrictions are normally not effective once appropriate containment measures are in place."

https://www.icao.int/Security/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx

 

The WHO from the very beginning of all this was publicly on record against any kinds of international travel/flight restrictions. And as such, we have the WHO to thank for helping spread this thing more quickly into an international pandemic.

 

All the original cases in Thailand were either from Chinese tourists or Thais returning from travel to China, Japan, etc....  Thailand could have significantly deterred or at least delayed the impact here of CV if they had cut off the incoming flow of travelers from impacted countries at the very beginning... But they didn't want to offend China, and so, here we are!

 

 

[Gweiloman]

5 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

What the heck good does it do to tell a Thai citizen overseas who's trying to board a flight headed back home that they can get their certificate (before boarding?) from a Thai doctor.... Huh???

Thai logic. An oxymoron as usual. 

[Gweiloman]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The WHO from the very beginning of all this was publicly on record against any kinds of international travel/flight restrictions. And as such, we have the WHO to thank for helping spread this thing more quickly into an international pandemic.

 

All the original cases in Thailand were either from Chinese tourists or Thais returning from travel to China, Japan, etc....  Thailand could have significantly deterred or at least delayed the impact here of CV if they had cut off the incoming flow of travelers from impacted countries at the very beginning... But they didn't want to offend China, and so, here we are!

 

 

Logically you are right. But the Donald is so proud to boast that he stopped flights from China so so early. Yet, with over 13,000 cases and 150 deaths now, how effective was that really?

[Gweiloman]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

This has thrown "All and anyone" that had plans to travel to Thailand.

 

The only silver lining here is hopefully the Thai Baht will tank...

You have said this in multiple threads. How selfish of you. There are many more millions of people who hope that the baht will remain strong. If you can’t afford to live here, consider another country, please. 

[DrTuner]

32 minutes ago, CGW said:

555, desperation setting in? Tank against which currency - there are no strong ones at this time!

Ding ding!

 

Ok it's btc that's just about as volatile as liquid oxygen in a firestorm but still, it's swimming against the current.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Logically you are right. But the Donald is so proud to boast that he stopped flights from China so so early. Yet, with over 13,000 cases and 150 deaths now, how effective was that really?

 

Trump's ban on foreign nationals entering from China took effect on Feb. 2, AFAIK.

 

I think the camel already had its nose in the tent at that point. Plus, his order only applied to foreign nationals coming from China, and didn't apply to U.S. citizens or perm residents coming from China. And I don't think the U.S. was imposing any mandatory quarantine on those arrivals at that point in the process, except for those coming just from Wuhan.

 

Quote

 

“There have been gaps in the way the U.S. has approached its response, which has not been comprehensive enough to contain the virus at the early stages of the epidemic,” said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington.

 

That was evident from the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. On Jan. 15, a 35-year-old man returned home to Washington state through the Seattle airport after traveling to Wuhan, China, where the virus was already spreading. He would become the nation’s first known case. Shortly before, on Jan. 13, a woman in her 60s arrived home through the Chicago airport after traveling to Wuhan. She would be Chicago’s first known case.

 

Both of those travelers came to U.S. days before the federal government began screenings for passengers who traveled through Wuhan at three U.S. international airports, New York’s Kennedy, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/15/trumps-latest-travel-ban-highlights-gaps-in-containment-net.html

 

[Arkady]

Entry by foreigners should have been curbed early on but placing this nearly impossible restriction on Thais is rather tough. I would think that most Thai tourists travelling overseas are back home by now. So these people must be mainly workers and students whose jobs and schools are being shut down. It is also unconstitutional as the constitution gives all Thai citizens an absolute right to enter the Kingdom without exception. It may be better to test them as soon as they touch down and drag the positive ones off into isolation.

 

[jackdd]

36 minutes ago, Arkady said:

Entry by foreigners should have been curbed early on

Imho this would not have changed much long term. I guess the pandemic will go on for some more months.

How long can a country like Thailand where people have hardly any savings and with millions relying on tourists close it's borders?

Even rich countries can't shut down their country forever, the people will run out of money and the government can't feed millions.

In 2 months there could be hundred thousands of infected, but the countries will be forced to open the borders.

 

36 minutes ago, Arkady said:

It is also unconstitutional as the constitution gives all Thai citizens an absolute right to enter the Kingdom without exception.

They aren't denying them entry, they are just doing it the Thai way: They don't let them board an airplane, which isn't against the constitution. Thais who can afford a private plane can still enter, because once at the entry point they can't be denied.

Edited March 20, 2020 by jackdd

[christophe75]

"Confusion" ? Really ?

 

I always thought that it was more easy for a Thai to understand... the thai way of thinking...

 

Well they could always send an email to general Prayuth to explain to him their feelings...

 

Meanwhile, a little thought too for the thousands of non-thais... who are just as baffled by the sheer stupidity of those new regulations...

 

[rooster59]

Chaos over new Thai entry restrictions on coronavirus

Panu Wongcha-um, Chayut Setboonsarng
 

A woman wears a protective face mask due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as she waits for costumers in central Bangkok, Thailand March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Confusion over Thailand’s new coronavirus curbs left travellers scrambling on Friday as Thai citizens queued at embassies abroad to get special travel papers and foreigners faced the challenge of producing a negative test for the disease.

 

Testing kits are limited in most countries, especially to people who appear healthy - meaning the Thai rules amount to a de facto ban on all foreigners.

 

The regulations, which take effect Sunday, were announced on Thursday, but a clarifying document from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) later that night set off a flurry of confusion for both Thai and foreign nationals.

 

The official pronouncement said Thai citizens needed a medical certificate saying they were “fit to fly” but also a letter from a Thai embassy certifying they were citizens if they planned to return from abroad.

 

That sent hundreds to crowd outside the Thai Embassy in London and legations in other cities, according to witnesses and social media posts.

 

“Oh God, it’s a nightmare. Things are very unclear,” said a Thai medical student who was struggling to obtain papers for his Thai girlfriend in London. The student asked not to be named for fear of repercussions.

 

Meanwhile, a translation discrepancy left it unclear for most of Friday whether foreigners seeking entry to Thailand would require a negative test for the COVID-19 virus that has swept the world since January, killing more than 10,000 people and infecting nearly 250,000.

 

The Thai version of the CAAT order said foreign passengers needed a certificate showing “a test confirming they did not have the COVID-19” while the English version said the document need only say passengers “pose no risk of being infected”.

 

By Friday afternoon, both the aviation authority and the health ministry had confirmed that a negative test was needed for foreign travellers.

 

“A medical certificate must include results of a COVID-19 test with negative results. The testing method will vary from country to country,” a Public Health Ministry spokeswoman said.

 

American traveller Lilly de Jong, who has been in Asia for a month with her husband, said she spent all of Friday trying to find out if she could board a flight from Indonesia to Bangkok in order to catch their connecting flight home.

 

“There is no clarity, and the rapid changes confuse everyone,” she said. “No healthy person can get a COVID-19 test. If the intent is to close the borders, they should man up and do it, instead of confusing already desperate travellers.”

 

On Friday, Thailand reported 50 new infections, taking its tally to 322. The Southeast Asian country has reported one death from the respiratory pandemic.

 

Additional reporting and writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Mark Heinrich

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

 

[YetAnother]

3 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

meaning the Thai rules amount to a de facto ban on all foreigners.

a pointed example on thai leadership; thoughtless; o wait, i sense i flip flop, then another back again; ahh i will just wait for anutin

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

American traveller Lilly de Jong, who has been in Asia for a month with her husband, said she spent all of Friday trying to find out if she could board a flight from Indonesia to Bangkok in order to catch their connecting flight home.

Should have run for the airport like I did.

Air Asia wouldn't sell me a ticket, but mentioned if I got to the airport for the 10pm flight REP-DMK I'd probably be OK.

So I went to Siem Reap airport, and the Check-in guy changed my flight to that night, at no extra charge.

Arrived at DMK 11:15pm, passed through with no problems, just a TM 8 health survey to fill out and a nurse taking my temperature.

Edited March 21, 2020 by BritManToo

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

38 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The Thai version of the CAAT order said foreign passengers needed a certificate showing “a test confirming they did not have the COVID-19” while the English version said the document need only say passengers “pose no risk of being infected”.

 

By Friday afternoon, both the aviation authority and the health ministry had confirmed that a negative test was needed for foreign travellers.

 

Great, just great!!!  Really professional work on the part of these Thai govt agencies....  

 

They can't produce a competent TH-EN translator among their staffs if their lives depended on it.

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[JimHuaHin]

This is out of date - as of Thursday there were 3 people staying at different resorts in Pak Num Pran under quarantine.

 

[bluesofa]

31 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Great, just great!!!  Really professional work on the part of these Thai govt agencies....  

They can't produce a competent TH-EN translator among their staffs if their lives depended on it.

TallGuy, their lives (and others) DO depend on it, but they can't get it write right.

[krystian]

And the 100,000us$ insurance coverage? Specifically needs to cover COVID19..

Was the a misttanslation too? 

[Chazar]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They complained that the sudden implementation of the new restriction caught them off-guard and has caused confusion among ordinary Thais and embassy officials alike.

oh  dear now see how  many flangs  feel  on occasions with immigration

[Chazar]

15 hours ago, Enoon said:

Birmingham University schools closing this weekend

they would  have closed  sooner BUT  they dont  want to refund foreign students.............money first eh......source friend work in finance dept  there, they  will  all be sent  home  with laptops to work from home

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

said Thai citizens needed also a letter from a Thai embassy certifying they were citizens if they planned to return from abroad

Let's presume that a Thai citizen abroad has a Thai passport. Let's also presume that a Thai passport is proof of citizenship.

Now, let's make a rule that requires Thais to crowd into their embassies abroad in order to get another document that certifies their citizenship. I'm assuming they will have to show their Thai passport as proof of citizenship (and some money) to get the document that will proof their citizenship...

[Chazar]

11 hours ago, DrTuner said:

just about as volatile as liquid oxygen in a firestorm

???? love it!

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A compromise solution, agreed between the CAAT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is that the health certificates can be issued by Thai doctors, said Sarada, adding, however, that the certificates are not proof that the person, for whom the certificate is issued, is clear of COVID-19.

????

[Chazar]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The student asked not to be named for fear of repercussions.

says  it all

[Chazar]

20 minutes ago, krystian said:

And the 100,000us$ insurance coverage? Specifically needs to cover COVID19..

Was the a misttanslation too? 

yes , I  believe the word  to be  used  should be "winkers"