Experiences providing covid test results at airport.

[canuckamuck]

I am hoping to hear from people who have experienced providing covid tests results at the airport.

My problem is the 72-hour window.  My two choices are to show up at the airport with a test result that is 74 - 78 hours old, or 50 - 54 hours old.

The doctor is concerned the shorter time frame is not enough time to get a result (risky). And of course, my concern is the older test results will be refused as they are not in the window.

I want to hear from people who have been through the experience. Do they allow some leeway since planes leave at all times of the day, and labs label the test from the time they process it? making it  unlikely to have the full 72 hours.

My airline is All Nippon Air, I cannot get through their customer service to speak to actual person. So, any input will help me decide what to do. Consulate does not know either.

Edited August 15, 2020 by canuckamuck

[Wars]

My covid 19 test had the collected time and the lab result time. The Korean air staff at JFK didn't check deeply into it they just looked at the "not detected" I didn't really see them count out the days or look at the time specifically it was a quick glance. At Bangkok it was an even quicker glance. What country are you located in? I got my test results the next day for covid 19, is there any quicker clinic that offers it near you?. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Wars

[canuckamuck]

5 minutes ago, Wars said:

My covid 19 test had the collected time and the lab result time. The Korean air staff at JFK didn't check deeply into it they just looked at the "not detected" I didn't really see them count out the days or look at the time specifically it was a quick glance. At Bangkok it was an even quicker glance. What country are you located in? I got my test results the next day for covid 19, is there any quicker clinic that offers it near you?. 

Was your test within the 72 hours though?

 

I am in Canada, everything goes through provincial labs. I got my first result back in 66 hours which wouldn't work if I went the shorter option.

[unheard]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

I am in Canada, everything goes through provincial labs. I got my first result back in 66 hours which wouldn't work if I went the shorter option.

I suggest looking deeper into it.

When I was calling around different doctor offices around here (U.S.) the universal response was that all testing is being done through the centralized labs.

Then on the local news sites I hit a few articles mentioning quick self-paid private lab testing.

What was puzzling is that so many in the field are not even aware of that option.

Edited August 15, 2020 by unheard

[ubonjoe]

I would say the Thai embassy in Ottawa or the official consulate in Vancouver are the only ones that can help you. They are the ones that need proof of your test 72 hours before your repatriation flight and the fit fly certificate.

[Dan O]

Considering the various requirements of documentation to get approved to return to Thailand I don't know that I would expect the airline to accept anything outside the required guideline of 72 hours. To get turned down for boarding because you take a chance and exceed the timeline isn't worth the risk in my mind. It was my understanding the 72 hours before departure is for testing date, not results. I may be wrong on that and I'm sure more knowledgeable people will chime in.

[farmerjo]

I flew in from the Philippines yesterday.

I think as long as result is within 72 hours its ok.

A lady at my hotel was that,result 72 hours before.When we got to hotel she was ordered to have another test at her expense 6000 baht.

I paid a lot for my test to be done within 48 hours and did not require the extra test.

 

[canuckamuck]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I would say the Thai embassy in Ottawa or the official consulate in Vancouver are the only ones that can help you. They are the ones that need proof of your test 72 hours before your repatriation flight and the fit fly certificate.

I did talk to the consulate, she said they weren't looking at the forms at departure, it was the airline. She couldn't answer my question about being a few hours over the 72.

[unheard]

18 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

my airline is All Nippon Air

is that a repat flight?

The only known repatriation flight departing Toronto is on August 18th

[rimmae2]

Where I was the Embassy stated issued 72 hours before travelling. The certificate was not checked in any detail on departure, but was checked in more detail at Don Mueang, maybe as I travelled on the first flight to land there with non- Thai citizens on it.

 

All checks and Immigration took less than 5 minutes. This took place in a temporary facility which had been hurriedly set up and staffed.

 

At least one poster stated that he/she was required to have another test on arrival at hotel after Certificate was checked at SVB.

[CanadaSam]

I don't understand the problem, you have stated you have the option to get a test that is 50 something hours old, well within the 72 hours timeframe that the Thai government wants, so what exactly is your problem?

[Sumarianson]

Nice little earner all these unnecessary tests! How much do they cost and what exactly do they detect? 

[mjakob007]

6 hours ago, farmerjo said:

I flew in from the Philippines yesterday.

I think as long as result is within 72 hours its ok.

A lady at my hotel was that,result 72 hours before.When we got to hotel she was ordered to have another test at her expense 6000 baht.

I paid a lot for my test to be done within 48 hours and did not require the extra test.

 

Thank you for sharing.

I have read about others who were ordered to get a test as their original test was 72 hours +

 

The result sheet for Covid does not show the time of testing, but the date.

so how do they determine if the 72 hours window has elapsed?

[farmerjo]

10 minutes ago, mjakob007 said:

Thank you for sharing.

I have read about others who were ordered to get a test as their original test was 72 hours +

 

The result sheet for Covid does not show the time of testing, but the date.

so how do they determine if the 72 hours window has elapsed?

Here was my test sheet.

[NotYourBusiness]

19 hours ago, Wars said:

My covid 19 test had the collected time and the lab result time. The Korean air staff at JFK didn't check deeply into it they just looked at the "not detected" I didn't really see them count out the days or look at the time specifically it was a quick glance. At Bangkok it was an even quicker glance. What country are you located in? I got my test results the next day for covid 19, is there any quicker clinic that offers it near you?. 

OK but look at it from their perspective. They do this day in and day out. As the day goes by, the cutoff time slowly changes. Only a simple glance is required to see if your time stamp is before or after the cutoff. In other words, it means we really don't know anything about how strict they are unless someone has had a case where it was specifically past the cutoff and by how much.

[natsume]

I’m in a different situation. I’m flying from Bangkok TO Shanghai. I was given a list of the ONLY hospitals/clinics/labs in the Central Thailand area they’ll accept (actually quite extensive). Luckily I can go to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, which is good because I’ve been hunkered down in Jomtien since February, and didn’t want to go Bangkok for the test, I’m fine and safe where I am. China wants the test done within 120 hours before the flight, because the Embassy needs to give the document that I’ll need to get on the plane, hence the time extension. They will probably look VERY closely at all the time stamps.

Edited August 16, 2020 by natsume

[canuckamuck]

12 hours ago, unheard said:

is that a repat flight?

The only known repatriation flight departing Toronto is on August 18th

Vancouver

[canuckamuck]

6 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

I don't understand the problem, you have stated you have the option to get a test that is 50 something hours old, well within the 72 hours timeframe that the Thai government wants, so what exactly is your problem?

Because I already had a test to get the fit to fly, and that one took 66 hours to see the result.

[unheard]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Because I already had a test to get the fit to fly, and that one took 66 hours to see the result.

The fit-to-fly doesn't require the Covid test.

[unheard]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Vancouver

How many repat flights out of Vancover this month?

[mjakob007]

10 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Here was my test sheet.

Thank you for sharing.

 

the ones we get has a date but no time

[Willy333]

5 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Because I already had a test to get the fit to fly, and that one took 66 hours to see the result.

You did the fit-to-fly in advance? That’s also required to be within 72h of departure.

[canuckamuck]

2 hours ago, unheard said:

How many repat flights out of Vancover this month?

They said one.

[unheard]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

They said one.

Do you have the date?

Edited August 16, 2020 by unheard

[canuckamuck]

1 hour ago, Willy333 said:

You did the fit-to-fly in advance? That’s also required to be within 72h of departure.

Thank you for catching that, I guess I will need to get another filled out, When I get the next covid test.

Another 30 bucks out the window.

[canuckamuck]

1 minute ago, unheard said:

Do you have the date?

Aug 21

[canuckamuck]

2 hours ago, unheard said:

The fit-to-fly doesn't require the Covid test.

The form I have labeled "medical certificate for general passenger" specifically states covid-19 and nothing else is mentioned.

Have you seen different form, I downloaded this one from the consulate website?

[unheard]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

The form I have labeled "medical certificate for general passenger" specifically states covid-19 and nothing else is mentioned.

Have you seen different form, I downloaded this one from the consulate website?

I've seen that form.

But you don't have to use that specific one.

Here's the one you can use that doesn't mention covid:

sample-health-cert-air-travel.pdf

[farmerjo]

There will be a separate website for dealing with repats.

For example i tried using the email address provided on embassy website and was getting nowhere.

Wasnt till i rang the consular part and they put me through to the visa section then all of a sudden the new email address they have worked.

Philippines was rtemnl@thaidependent

 

Sorry wrong thread.

Edited August 16, 2020 by farmerjo

[canuckamuck]

3 hours ago, unheard said:

I've seen that form.

But you don't have to use that specific one.

Here's the one you can use that doesn't mention covid:

sample-health-cert-air-travel.pdf 58.81 kB · 7 downloads

I am just trying to go by the book, the one I got it is the one from the Consulate.

 

I see the advantage of this one not mentioning Covid, so you don't have to wait for a covid result before getting it signed. But what if they are looking for the specific form they had on their site?