Direct Flights to UK (and Amber listed conecting countries)

[theoldgit]

On 7/8/2021 at 6:28 AM, Whale said:

Does anyone have a link or more info on this "5 day release after test"

https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/ending-self-isolation-early-through-test-to-release

[theoldgit]

14 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thanks , I am just waiting to see whether Thailand goes into Red zone , then I would have to go into state quarantine anyway and wouldnt need tests or track and trace 

You still need to pay for tests if you're travelling from, or via, a Red Zone, even if you're required to quarantine hotel

 

Before travel to England

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test
• book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
• complete a passenger locator form

[jojothai]

3 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thanks , I am just waiting to see whether Thailand goes into Red zone , then I would have to go into state quarantine anyway and wouldnt need tests or track and trace 

Understood. If you have to go into Hotel quarantine then the telephone may not be essential.

[Lokie]

My mate flew back to UK (MAN, England) two weeks ago from Phuky - he went HKT-BKK- Then KLM via Amsterdam to MAN, 10 day self Quarentine at his parents

 

The 5 day release after Test in UK is clearly explained on UK Govt site;

You can pay an extra test fee and if clear result then you released from Quarantine (this test can only be done on 5th day though)

 

My pal is a tight arr $e so he just done the 10 day self Q, two weeks ago that was the cheapest most cost effective route for him Phuket to Manchester, as mentioned UAE, Qatar & Bharain, all on UK Redlist so forget Emirates/Etihad/Qatar at moment unless you want to pay for Govt Hotel Q

[SunsetT]

22 hours ago, jojothai said:

 

As far as I am aware you can go out to post the test. I had to do that. Did 2 and 8 day postal.
You need to use a priority post box. You can check nearest on the post office website.
You can travel to a clinic for tests. However you have to look at any that are near and costs. It can take a lot of effort searching and checking. Many cheap -no availability. Many at distance. Half did not respond to queries promptly or not at all.
In theory you may have to use a taxi to go to clinic - $$$. So post may work out the cheapest
If you are seriously concerned about getting out of self isolation as quickly as possible then add the 5 day test to release and do at a clinic that gives results the next day. Or results the same day (with test taken by about 10.00am) but costs more. 
You must declare on the passenger locator form if you are going to do the 5 day. I understand that if not and you change your mind then you will have to do a new locator form.
Also get somebody to get you a pack of the lateral flow tests from a pharmacy as soon as you can. Best get on day 1 if you can. They are free.
Learn how to do the self test as soon as you can. The first I nearly messed up. Second I got the hang of it.
Some people cannot readily do it for themselves.
Doing some self testing regularly will also give you better confidence of likely pass.

I used an ordinary post box just around the corner but the test results did take 4 days.

[Steps]

On 7/7/2021 at 5:36 PM, sapson said:

On the uk gov website there is a list or providers of the two tests in every region some as low as 50 quid for both tests.

My 6 year old daughter will be traveling with me. Will she also need to do the COVID tests here in Thailand and in the UK?

[sapson]

7 minutes ago, Steps said:

My 6 year old daughter will be traveling with me. Will she also need to do the COVID tests here in Thailand and in the UK?

I dont honestly know the answer to that one, try the British gov website. return to UK.

 

search returning to Uk with a child regulations in google, should land you at the right section.

 

Good luck

[Surelynot]

10 minutes ago, Steps said:

My 6 year old daughter will be traveling with me. Will she also need to do the COVID tests here in Thailand and in the UK?

Have a sneaky suspicion the answer is yes.......based on an interview I saw with Grant Shapps (or Sebastian Fox or whatever name he is using these days)....he stated children from amber and red zones as they would not have been vaccinated.

[Steps]

On 7/8/2021 at 9:17 PM, sampson said:

If you look on https://www.covid19-testing.org/providers?type=test_to_release|arrival_tests&facility=Home Test&sort=best_match&from_questions=1 you can do a price comparison on the tests.

 

some of these firms appear to be cheaper going via the price comparison website than any other link.

 

£84 seems to be the cheapest for 2 tests, plus a further £75 for test and release if you wish to do that.  Btw, unlike last year where no or few checks were done, they have been doing a lot of checks on arrivals lately.   One of my friends at someone at the door at 8am when they got back from Portugal in the early hours of the morning.

 

I am looking at Lufthansa or KLM for my GF, subject to her getting the visa shortly and Thailand not going to red list.  Thailand going red list is a big worry at the moment, seems to be a few rumours about that and one MP in particular has been pushing hard for it.  I would get back ASAP if you need to come home as you just don't know what will happen

Well if Thailand goes on a red list then i will stay for another year. I am not willing to pay for quarantine in a s@#tty hotel and to be quite frank, i am not willing to comply.

[Tim16]

 

If you are travelling to Wales or Scotland, they have their own rules.

The COVID Test Kits have to be booked via - CTM booking portal. At a cost of £170 This applies even if you are flying to England and then travelling to Wales or Scotland.

[sandyf]

On 7/8/2021 at 9:15 AM, Havenstreet1940 said:

The next review by UK of the traffic light coutries MAY see Qatar promoted to the amber list I am told because they have been successful in keeping their rate of new infections reasonbly low.

Not long to wait now for the answer

Cannot fault the logic but unfortunately that doesn't always pan out.

I saw in interview that Qatar and Dubai were red because they were huge international hubs, should find out Thursday

 

[sandyf]

On 7/9/2021 at 8:55 AM, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thanks , I am just waiting to see whether Thailand goes into Red zone , then I would have to go into state quarantine anyway and wouldnt need tests or track and trace 

I fully expect Thailand to be put on the red list on Thursday so have been looking into options as I am certainly not going to pay £1750 to be locked up for nearly 14 days and fed airline food. I know it's 10 days but delays in final testing have been delaying people getting released by a couple of days.

What I am looking to do is do the time in another country without restrictions, you do not have to do the quarantine in the UK if you leave within 24 hours. It explains on the gov website how to fill in the PLF for exemption. Options are places like Cyprus, Greece or Croatia, 10 days there can be less than half the price of the government quarantine and you can move about quite freely. Depending on where you go you may be faced with the amber requirements on re-entry, hoping for some expansion on the green list.

[Mac Mickmanus]

50 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I fully expect Thailand to be put on the red list on Thursday so have been looking into options as I am certainly not going to pay £1750 to be locked up for nearly 14 days and fed airline food. I know it's 10 days but delays in final testing have been delaying people getting released by a couple of days.

What I am looking to do is do the time in another country without restrictions, you do not have to do the quarantine in the UK if you leave within 24 hours. It explains on the gov website how to fill in the PLF for exemption. Options are places like Cyprus, Greece or Croatia, 10 days there can be less than half the price of the government quarantine and you can move about quite freely. Depending on where you go you may be faced with the amber requirements on re-entry, hoping for some expansion on the green list.

Great idea .

I suppose it would be an idea to keep an eye on Greece and Croatia and watch how they are handling the situation and hope they dont go into Red zone as well 

[Roger That]

Would anyone who has recently flied from BKK > Europe be so kind as to comment on how full the flight has been? Particularly interested in KLM.

[Joinaman]

On 7/6/2021 at 6:03 PM, vinny41 said:

Transit stops in amber or red list countries

When you arrive in England you need to follow the rules for the highest risk country or territory that you have been in or passed through in the previous 10 days. That can include transit stops.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england#transit-stops-in-amber-or-red-list-countries

 

Red country yes  UK quarantine

what happens if you say you don't have 1,700 pounds?  ( expat brit )

[Joinaman]

On 7/7/2021 at 3:18 PM, theoldgit said:

The fourteen days quarantine in a Government hotel, guarded by G4S or the like, is for Brits who’ve travelled from, passed through, or been in a red zone ten days previously.

 

For those traveling from an Amber zone they must self isolate for ten days at their own home, with friends or at a privately booked hotel. As previously advised you can test and release after five days, but you still need to do the two and eight day tests

if at friends, what stops you using your covid free friends ( or family) to submit the test ? 

Are they the same tests required prior to flying  ?

[Joinaman]

On 7/7/2021 at 3:30 PM, Upnotover said:

It's just fine, gov.uk has it all covered in their advice;

 

If you’re staying in a hotel or guest house, you must stay away from others who did not travel with you. You must not use shared areas such as bars, restaurants, health clubs and sports facilities.

Stay 2 metres apart from other people staying there at all times.

 

 

But if staying at friends or family, you are allowed to travel on public transport to your final destination ?

Sounds like Thailand . We flew in, had no testing, and then were allowed to travel from Bangkok to Isaan, and then go shopping before going home to self isolate . Wonder how many we could possibly infect on that journey 

[vinny41]

2 hours ago, Joinaman said:

what happens if you say you don't have 1,700 pounds?  ( expat brit )

For those facing significant financial hardship as a result of this charge, there will be an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking. You will be required to pay back your debt to the government in 12 monthly instalments.

If you have not arranged a quarantine package prior to your arrival in England, you face a penalty of up to £4,000 and will still have to pay for your quarantine package on arrival.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/booking-and-staying-in-a-quarantine-hotel-when-you-arrive-in-england

 

I assume you wouldn't be allowed to leave the UK again until you have paid

[theoldgit]

3 hours ago, Joinaman said:

if at friends, what stops you using your covid free friends ( or family) to submit the test ? 

Are they the same tests required prior to flying  ?

No idea, what do you think?
 

Those doing so would be committing a criminal offence, as would those aiding and abetting, and if caught would, at the very least, face a hefty fine.

[theoldgit]

47 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

I assume you wouldn't be allowed to leave the UK again until you have paid

For loans like this the Government retain your passport, many government departments also use debt collectors to collect debts, so you could ultimately be subject to a County Court Judgement.

[theoldgit]

3 hours ago, Joinaman said:

But if staying at friends or family, you are allowed to travel on public transport to your final destination ?

Sounds like Thailand . We flew in, had no testing, and then were allowed to travel from Bangkok to Isaan, and then go shopping before going home to self isolate . Wonder how many we could possibly infect on that journey 

How to travel to the place where you’re quarantining

When you arrive in England, go straight to the place you’re staying to quarantine. Only use public transport if you have no other option, and make sure you follow safer travel guidance for passengers.

[vinny41]

Four travellers are fined £10,000 each after failing to declare they had arrived in the UK from 'red-list' country so they could avoid £1,750 hotel quarantine

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9266349/Travellers-fined-10-000-failing-declare-arrived-UK-red-list-country.html

[vinny41]

4 hours ago, Joinaman said:

if at friends, what stops you using your covid free friends ( or family) to submit the test ? 

Are they the same tests required prior to flying  ?

There is no such thing as covid free friends or family even if they have been vaccinated, I suspect their offer of  welcoming

you to stay at their home might be revoked if you were to ask them to take and submit a test on your behalf ( bit like wearing a t-shirt I think I have got Covid)

And of course you could take the test and its comes back negative and your"covid free friends and family" take a test on your behalf and it could come back positive

[Mac Mickmanus]

19 hours ago, Joinaman said:

if at friends, what stops you using your covid free friends ( or family) to submit the test ? 

Are they the same tests required prior to flying  ?

They are giving 10 000 Pound fines for people giving false information , also , your friend could be infected and you could be covid free 

[Mac Mickmanus]

22 hours ago, sandyf said:

Options are places like Cyprus, Greece or Croatia, 10 days there can be less than half the price of the government quarantine and you can move about quite freely. Depending on where you go you may be faced with the amber requirements on re-entry, hoping for some expansion on the green list.

I have just been reading that when returning from Greece to the U.K (Greece which is Amber the same as Thailand)

, you would only be exempt from 14 day self quarantining (in the U.K) if you have been full vaccinated .

   If you havent have the two vaccinations , it would be the same as arriving from Thailand , same conditions 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/greece-holiday-entry-requirements-testing-21033467

Edited July 13, 2021 by Mac Mickmanus

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

, you would only be exempt from 14 day self quarantining (in the U.K) if you have been full vaccinated .

That only applies to UK Residents returning from travel to and from those amber listed countries.

[Havenstreet1940]

Will Thailand be the moved to the UK Red List?   Being optimistic I think there is a good chance the answer is No!

 

Let's look at the situation in UK and Thailand.   UK is currently reporting in the region of 30,000 daily cases, mainly of the Delta variant, whilst Thailand is currently reporting 8,000 plus daily.  So ipsofacto Delta is already in UK and is now dominant in nearly every local authority across England.

 

Covid in Thailand on the other hand is concentrated mainly on Bangkok and surrounding Provinces plus the Southern Provinces.  Central, North and North East Thailand are not a major concern currently.

The Delta variant, whilst gaining momentum, is not the main variant of concern at this time.

 

Rhetorical question;  Why would UK place another country on the Red LIst?    To mitigate the possibility of a new variant entering the country and infecting the general public, thereby putting pressure on the NHS and causing damage to the UK economy.   Delta is already in UK in a big way, so I would say 'what's the point of Red Listing Thailand?

 

But what do I know?

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

I have just been reading that when returning from Greece to the U.K (Greece which is Amber the same as Thailand)

, you would only be exempt from 14 day self quarantining (in the U.K) if you have been full vaccinated .

   If you havent have the two vaccinations , it would be the same as arriving from Thailand , same conditions 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/greece-holiday-entry-requirements-testing-21033467

You are perfectly correct, other than if you did have 2 jabs from Thailand it wouldn't count for anything.

 

You obviously missed the fact that my point was based on arriving from a red country to avoid the "government quarantine" that you had mentioned, as a result of a transit through the ME or the highly likely scenario of Thailand being added to the red list.

I said this in the post you responded to "Depending on where you go you may be faced with the amber requirements on re-entry,"

We should see what changes are to be made on Thursday.

 

My ticket is with Emirates for the 15th August and as entry is extremely limited from a red country I had expected that flight to be cancelled. Yesterday I had an email from the airline advising that from 20th July Emirates would be moving from terminal 2 to terminal 3. As terminal 4 was designated as the red list terminal, I wonder if UAE is about to move to the amber list.

[sandyf]

1 minute ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

Rhetorical question;  Why would UK place another country on the Red LIst?    To mitigate the possibility of a new variant entering the country and infecting the general public, thereby putting pressure on the NHS and causing damage to the UK economy.   Delta is already in UK in a big way, so I would say 'what's the point of Red Listing Thailand?

Good question, but why in the last announcement did they put Tunisia on red when it had lower numbers than Thailand has now.

As far as Thailand is concerned there is also a political aspect. Last year when the border controls were introduced and numbers here very low but on amber list. I saw the question of why put to the minister, the suggestion being it was to do with Hong Kong and Thailand's relationship with China. The minister declined to answer.

I for one will be extremely surprised if Thailand is not moved to the red list.

[Mac Mickmanus]

38 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are perfectly correct, other than if you did have 2 jabs from Thailand it wouldn't count for anything.

 

You obviously missed the fact that my point was based on arriving from a red country to avoid the "government quarantine" that you had mentioned, as a result of a transit through the ME or the highly likely scenario of Thailand being added to the red list.

I said this in the post you responded to "Depending on where you go you may be faced with the amber requirements on re-entry,"

We should see what changes are to be made on Thursday.

 

My ticket is with Emirates for the 15th August and as entry is extremely limited from a red country I had expected that flight to be cancelled. Yesterday I had an email from the airline advising that from 20th July Emirates would be moving from terminal 2 to terminal 3. As terminal 4 was designated as the red list terminal, I wonder if UAE is about to move to the amber list.

I wasn't attempting to refute your post , I was just looking at the situation from my perspective .

  I need to get back to the UK and I dont have a flight ticket yet and I am looking at options available .

  You may be better off buying a new one way ticket that avoids red countries  ?