Repatriation flights - Thai's do not have to get tested?

[AndrewMciver]

These repatriation flights are looking increasingly dangerous, most of the new cases coming from these flights.

 

Speaking with a few colleagues, showing me a video clip of a Thai guy coughing throughout a repatriation flight to Thailand from Singapore. On arriving in Bangkok he confirms positive for Covid. How on earth was he allowed on the flight?

 

Then i'm told Thai's do not have to get tested to board these repatriation flights, even if they are from Covid hot spots.

 

If true, what type of nonsense is this? Not only is it bizarre for the point of view Thailand is trying to remain covid free, but you are potentially risking many foreigners looking to get to Thailand on these repatriation flights. Mixing those who have been tesed 72 hours beforehand (which is pretty safe, assuming it would take at least a week to develop symptoms to the point you could be very contageous) with those not tested is horrific. 

 

No excuse everyone boarding should be tested. Let's be honest, if you are a Thai living in the USA, UK, or rest of Europe you can afford a test. 

 

 

[bkk6060]

You are correct from my understanding the Thais are not tested prior to the flights.

 

But, are foreigners also on these flights?  Not sure I have seen confirmation of that information.

Edited July 29, 2020 by bkk6060

[Max69xl]

7 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

You are correct from my understanding the Thais are not tested prior to the flights.

 

But, are foreigners also on these flights?  Not sure I have seen confirmation of that information.

Of course they mix foreigners and Thai on same flights. Why wouldn't they? 

[KhaoNiaw]

That's why Thais all have to go into state quarantine. They won't come out if they're not clear. I get your point about the danger to foreigners who've had to prove they're not infected. But it's not new. There have been a few cases pretty much daily from returning Thais the whole time there's been no domestic transmissions. They want to catch them on the way in and prevent them spreading once they're here.

[ezzra]

Apparently not and this is the reason why many of them have arrived with full blown covid with them, what are the rationale behind such practice is reserved to those who plays with people's lives...

[AndrewMciver]

12 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Apparently not and this is the reason why many of them have arrived with full blown covid with them, what are the rationale behind such practice is reserved to those who plays with people's lives...

 

Definately playing with non thai folk on these flights who have gone through a testing process. 

 

Whilst a test 72 hours doesn't eliminate the risk, is does minimise the risk for fellow passengers. Going on that plane, especially from a hot spot country and not carrying out any test even a few days before, is quite frankly dangerous. 

 

No wonder covid cases in Thailand keep coming from these flights. 

 

It's a nonsense that needs to be stopped. 

 

If you are on one of these flights, it's obvious better you stay away from sitting next to any Thai's. 

Edited July 29, 2020 by AndrewMciver

[kno77]

Just a fit to fly certificate while if a Thai travels with his/her farang partner he or she does need a covid test combined with a fit to fly certificate. In the Netherlands a fit to fly certificate will cost you 60 euro. A covid test 240 euro. Only available at a specialist clinic for seafarers. 

[thequietman]

51 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

You are correct from my understanding the Thais are not tested prior to the flights.

Seems that this is not the case. 

Passengers were checked and those who had it, were not fit to fly.

 

 

[AndrewMciver]

1 minute ago, kno77 said:

Just a fit to fly certificate while if a Thai travels with his/her farang partner he or she does need a covid test combined with a fit to fly certificate. In the Netherlands a fit to fly certificate will cost you 60 euro. A covid test 240 euro. Only available at a specialist clinic for seafarers. 

 

If you live in the Netherlands you can afford 240 Euros. No excuse. 

 

The safety of all on board is paramount. It's also a needless risk to spreading it to others, which in turn will only place more pressure on health services in Thailand if you get a few cases. 

 

Whilst the policy also has a whiff of xenophobia about it, it's not only foreigners that could be exposed, but they could also expose fellow Thais on that flight. 

 

Imagine doing a repatriation flight from the USA / India are not bothering with any testing for a select group of passengers. Crazy. 

 

Once again, that Thai man, coughing all the way through the flight, would have been picked up on a covid test a few days before. How many could he have exposed?

 

 

[bkk6060]

6 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Seems that this is not the case. 

Passengers were checked and those who had it, were not fit to fly.

 

 

Ok good to know.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, AndrewMciver said:

No excuse everyone boarding should be tested. Let's be honest, if you are a Thai living in the USA, UK, or rest of Europe you can afford a test. 

I have sympathy with what you are saying, but it is not so easy to have a Covid-19 test (at least, a reliable PCR test) in much of the US and have the result within 48 hours or so. In some states, results are taking as much as a week on average.

 

Another, somewhat different, issue is that people can become infectious before they develop symptoms. Generally, this is four to five days after initial exposure, but can be as little as two days. Also, even the best tests properly processed are not 100% accurate. It is more likely than not that there will be Covid-19 positive people (who may or may not be infectious) on any flight from a Covid-19 hotspot, even if reasonable precautions are taken.

 

The above needs to be understood by those who think the rapid Covid-19 tests (which are only about 90% accurate) at the airport on arrival would be sufficient protection without quarantine.

[ThailandRyan]

It begs the question of whether those Thais who have traveled back here and were found infected on quarantine day 6-10 during a covid test were exposed to one of the Thais who was taken to the hospital immediately upon arrival because they showed symptoms.  If that is the case then basically you could theorize that all onboard had been exposed and would either be asymptomatic or infected sometime during the quarantine.

[thequietman]

Well yes, if someone is found to have covid after the planes arrives, then all passengers would be contacted and told to isolate in their homes. Not sure, if they could be trusted to do so.

[ubonjoe]

43 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Well yes, if someone is found to have covid after the planes arrives, then all passengers would be contacted and told to isolate in their homes. Not sure, if they could be trusted to do so.

Not going to happen at this time. Everybody has to go into a supervised 14 day quarantine now.

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, thequietman said:

Seems that this is not the case. 

Passengers were checked and those who had it, were not fit to fly.

 

 

According to several articles online, they just need a fit-to-fly certificate which is not based on a negative Covid-19 test. They are not showing any symptoms, that's all. 

I read a post here at TV about putting foreigners in business class and Thai in economy to separate them during the flight. 

[IraqRon]

2 hours ago, AndrewMciver said:

 

If you live in the Netherlands you can afford 240 Euros. No excuse. 

 

The safety of all on board is paramount. It's also a needless risk to spreading it to others, which in turn will only place more pressure on health services in Thailand if you get a few cases. 

 

Whilst the policy also has a whiff of xenophobia about it, it's not only foreigners that could be exposed, but they could also expose fellow Thais on that flight. 

 

Imagine doing a repatriation flight from the USA / India are not bothering with any testing for a select group of passengers. Crazy. 

 

Once again, that Thai man, coughing all the way through the flight, would have been picked up on a covid test a few days before. How many could he have exposed?

 

 

and these are the planes that the Thai govt. expect many of us to fly back "home" in after infected people are on them for hours and hours.   I can't believe that the cabins will be adequately sanitized before a turn around to its origin.  On top of that, are those flights non-stop or have stops in one or more airports along the way?  Yes, I really want to fly to USA and get off in LA or Houston or Chicago, etc. to catch a flight to another city.  Death sentence in my view.

[kno77]

4 hours ago, AndrewMciver said:

 

If you live in the Netherlands you can afford 240 Euros. No excuse. 

 

The safety of all on board is paramount. It's also a needless risk to spreading it to others, which in turn will only place more pressure on health services in Thailand if you get a few cases. 

 

Whilst the policy also has a whiff of xenophobia about it, it's not only foreigners that could be exposed, but they could also expose fellow Thais on that flight. 

 

Imagine doing a repatriation flight from the USA / India are not bothering with any testing for a select group of passengers. Crazy. 

 

Once again, that Thai man, coughing all the way through the flight, would have been picked up on a covid test a few days before. How many could he have exposed?

 

 

You're right. Nobody understands this policy. A Thai citizen that stays 3 months in a high risk area or transits from that area  can skip the covid test whilst any foreigner must check 72 hours before arrival. There 's no guarantee at all. During the flight or the transit any contamination from those untested persons is possible. So indeed it doesn't make sense. Test them all before flying or forget about safety. 

[treetops]

4 hours ago, thequietman said:

Seems that this is not the case. 

Passengers were checked and those who had it, were not fit to fly.

 

 

Egypt look to be an exception and are working outside the guidelines supplied which indicate no Covid tests are required for Thais.

 

4 hours ago, kno77 said:

Just a fit to fly certificate while if a Thai travels with his/her farang partner he or she does need a covid test combined with a fit to fly certificate. In the Netherlands a fit to fly certificate will cost you 60 euro. A covid test 240 euro. Only available at a specialist clinic for seafarers. 

The Netherlands have multiple screening clinics.  There are 7 on this list alone.  Are they not acceptable to Thai Airways?

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Max69xl said:

According to several articles online, they just need a fit-to-fly certificate which is not based on a negative Covid-19 test. They are not showing any symptoms, that's all. 

I read a post here at TV about putting foreigners in business class and Thai in economy to separate them during the flight. 

This wasn’t specifically to separate us. Priority was given to Thais for the repatriation seats, naturally economy class filled up first and the business class by wealthy Thai’s - the remaining seats were offered to Westerners. 

 

Three Repatriation flights from London to Thailand in August are offering 50 seats to Non-Thai’s - I imagine the seating will be mixed. 

[richard_smith237]

I would like to know if this Policy is fact and not just comments and rumour being taken as fact on this Forum. 

 

For Thai’s repatriating on flights in April there was no pre-flight Covid-19 test requirement due to the lack of availability of Covid-19 test facilities offered - hence the requirement for a Fit to Fly certificate (stating no Covid-19 symptoms). 

 

The rumour that no Covid-19 tests are required for returning Thai’s may have spread from that time. 

 

 

It would be interesting to know for sure, rather than read comments from those repeating the assumptions of hearsay they have heard or read on other threads. 

 

 

Thus: Does anyone know first hand, any Thai’s (i.e. your Wife / close friend) who have returned on repatriation flights in JULY ? Was a pre-flight Covid-19 test a requirement before flight ??????

 

I think an accurate answer to that question will either confirm or disconfirm this rumour. 

[treetops]

29 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I would like to know if this Policy is fact and not just comments and rumour being taken as fact on this Forum. 

Can't guarantee it as fact, but I think it's more than just comments or rumour.  This pic is part of an infographic from CAAT which supports it.

 

 

The rest of it can be seen here.  Don't press the English button but scroll down instead for the English version.

 

https://www.caat.or.th/th/moicovid

 

[unheard]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

I have sympathy with what you are saying, but it is not so easy to have a Covid-19 test (at least, a reliable PCR test) in much of the US and have the result within 48 hours or so. In some states, results are taking as much as a week on average.

Where's this information coming from?

Are you talking about free tests?

You can go to many clinics and to some labs and get next day results or even sooner, If you pay for the test.

btw, what's unreliable PCR test?

Edited July 29, 2020 by unheard

[unheard]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thus: Does anyone know first hand, any Thai’s (i.e. your Wife / close friend) who have returned on repatriation flights in JULY ? Was a pre-flight Covid-19 test a requirement before flight ??????

The test is not required for Thai nationals.

You can find the requirements here:

 

https://thaiembdc.org/th/infoforthaisflyinghome/

[AndrewMciver]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

 

Another, somewhat different, issue is that people can become infectious before they develop symptoms. Generally, this is four to five days after initial exposure, but can be as little as two days. Also, even the best tests properly processed are not 100% accurate. It is more likely than not that there will be Covid-19 positive people (who may or may not be infectious) on any flight from a Covid-19 hotspot, even if reasonable precautions are taken.

 

 

I say this so many times - it's NOT about eliminating the risk, but minimising the risk. If you take a test 72 hours beforehand you don't eliminate the risk, but you will catch a few people with the virus, hence you reduce the risk. 

 

It's akin to wearing masks, etc. It's not 100% fool proof, but does it minimise risk? You bet. 

 

If you then take up a lot of these measures, be it testing, social distancing, masks, hand gel, etc you minimise the risks. 

[AndrewMciver]

Reading up on these repatriation flights, a helluva lot are coming from 'less developed' nations, where Thai's are out working in labour. For example, Uzbekistan, Sudan, certain other African regions. These nations won't really have access to a quick test, nor would the working population most likely pay for a test. In those instances i can understand why they would just board them on a plane and get them treated, tested in Thailand. 

 

However, this one size rule fits all needs to be looked at again. Especially when you cross mix passengers on flights. 

[somtumwrong]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Thus: Does anyone know first hand, any Thai’s (i.e. your Wife / close friend) who have returned on repatriation flights in JULY ? Was a pre-flight Covid-19 test a requirement before flight ??????

 

I think an accurate answer to that question will either confirm or disconfirm this rumour. 

My wife traveled back to Thailand via Germany two weeks ago. I was with her and our child at the doctor in my country in the Nordics. They only need the fit to fly certificate. Practically the doctor was shaking her head mumbling 'what a nonsense' and did not even examine them (this at an expensive private doctor), just wrote them the Fit To Fly certificates. No Covid tests.

 

I just got my COE but of course I will have to have both the FTF + COVID test.

[richard_smith237]

52 minutes ago, somtumwrong said:

My wife traveled back to Thailand via Germany two weeks ago. I was with her and our child at the doctor in my country in the Nordics. They only need the fit to fly certificate. Practically the doctor was shaking her head mumbling 'what a nonsense' and did not even examine them (this at an expensive private doctor), just wrote them the Fit To Fly certificates. No Covid tests.

 

I just got my COE but of course I will have to have both the FTF + COVID test.

 

Thank you...   This of course validates the Op and turns the whole ‘requirement for foreigners to take a preflight Covid-19 test’ into a total farce.

 

The issue is relatively moot, because we all have to quarantine for 15 days anyway. 

 

However, for some, it is extremely difficult to secure the results of a pre-flight Covid-19 test within 72hrs prior to flight and is potentially prevents their return. 

 

 

The double standards here are clearly wrong. Ultimately they may as well get rid of the preflight Covid-19 tests and fit to fly requirement and just quarantine everyone on arrival, removing all the pre-flight hassle - although I do kind of prefer the idea that a Doctor has checked for Covid-19 symptoms before flight.

 

 

[unheard]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

However, for some, it is extremely difficult to secure the results of a pre-flight Covid-19 test within 72hrs prior to flight and is potentially prevents their return.

Not only they require a test result, but also a specific PCR test which is more expensive and takes longer to process than the available in some countries  antigen test, which is cheaper and quicker to perform.

[Willy333]

From the embassy in the US about the fit-to-fly certificate:

*หมำยเหตุ: ๑. โปรดยืนยันกับแพทย์ว่ำ มิใช่กำรตรวจเชื้อ Coronavirus หรือ COVID-19 แต่เป็นกำรตรวจว่ำ
 มีสุขภำพโดยรวมแข็งแรงเพียงพอที่จะเดินทำงโดยเครื่องบินหรือไม่ เพื่อแจ้งต่อสำยกำรบิน

* Note: 1. Confirm with the doctor that It is not a Coronavirus or COVID-19 test, but a test that
  Is the overall health healthy enough to travel by plane? To inform the airlines

https://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/คำแนะนำในการขอใบรับรองแพทย์ที่ยืนยันว่ามีสุขภาพเหมาะสมต่อการเดินทาง.pdf

 

They don't require a separate test either for Thais. I think this has to do with that they can't refuse their citizens entry. 

Edited July 29, 2020 by Willy333

[DrPhibes]

8 hours ago, unheard said:

Not only they require a test result, but also a specific PCR test which is more expensive and takes longer to process than the available in some countries  antigen test, which is cheaper and quicker to perform.

Have flight reservation from LAX to BKK on Korean Aug 30th.  The RT-PCR test within 48hrs (72 is not realistic when having to get to airport early etc...) is impossible right now in Central CA down through Southern CA.  The labs are backlogged.  Even for people in ICU it is taking 48hr minimum from what I'm being told.  I am just hoping by the time it gets closer to 8/30, the delay will have gone down.