TAT to propose just one Covid-19 test for foreign visitors to Thailand

[webfact]

Picture: Tourism Authority of Thailand

 

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has told the Thai media that he plans to ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to consider letting foreign visitors to Thailand take just one RT-PCR test.

 

At the moment the costs can be as high as 15,000 baht for three tests though in reports elsewhere on ASEAN NOW it has been said that this will be reduced to 8,000 baht to reduce the financial burden.

 

Yutthsak Suphasorn wants the CCSA to mandate just one test for all the reopening schemes from the Phuket Sandbox to others in places like Samui, and upcoming areas from October 1st namely Bangkok, Pattaya, Cha-Am, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai. 

 

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[keith101]

Desperation abounds at TAT they really are are joke .

[2 is 1]

TAT has bail out hole Thailand! Tourist save 8000 bth, hallelujah now everybody book flight and run in! YES FINALY!

[Metapod]

should be no tests

[RichardColeman]

All these tests for the fully vaccinated is just nuts. Flash you vaccine card, get in the plane, end of. Anything more is just a barrier for a holiday now.

[Geoffggi]

They still do not get it

 

[bkk_bwana]

 "plans" to "ask" the CCSA "to consider". Right.

[RJRS1301]

14 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

All these tests for the fully vaccinated is just nuts. Flash you vaccine card, get in the plane, end of. Anything more is just a barrier for a holiday now.

Being fully vaccinated does not equate to not being infected or infectious to others, especially the unvaccinated. Less likely if vaccinated to require hospitalisation

[brucegoniners]

Oh that's brilliant.

 

I was in quarantine for 15 days and I live here. I am fully vaccinated and had to get 3 tests.

 

I assume they'll also drop quarantine now if they're going to just let anyone in who's vaccinated right?

[JustAnotherHun]

Did the ASQ hotels and their related hospitals not provide enough brown envelops?

[kotsak]

56 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

They still do not get it

 

Difficult to see far with those glasses..

 

[madmitch]

At last, something vaguely sensible! It's quite possible to pick up the virus between the pre-flight test and arrival at the destination, even for vaccinated travellers so this would be a fair compromise.

[Paul Henry]

If TAT/Govt are serious about attracting tourist and they want them to have a Covid test on arrival the Govt should make the test free. This will attract tourist and the Govt will make up any costs by way of the tourist being attracted and spending money. I  know this is foreign thinking to the Thais they still want every tourist ripped off from the minute they pass through immigration. TAT definitely needs some good marketing people to run the place.

[damascase]

Bringing the number of tests back to only one, on arrival, isn’t going to make a significant impact on the number of tourists, Just drop the CoE and the insurance requirements, so that vaccinated people can travel to Thailand at will.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has told the Thai media that he plans to ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to consider letting foreign visitors to Thailand take just one RT-PCR test

If you want people to visit drop every ridiculous test, insist on proof of double vaccination and leave it at that.

The one thing you should insist on is a minimum of vaccination or tests for locals.

[smedly]

just apply the same requirements as UK Green - simple

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, bkk_bwana said:

 "plans" to "ask" the CCSA "to consider". Right.

Whatever happened to 'mulling'.

 

It seems to have stopped.

 

At one time everything had to be mulled over.

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, keith101 said:

Desperation abounds at TAT they really are are joke .

It worries me a tad, that desperation such as this can become dangerous.

[unblocktheplanet]

Sandbox tells us some fully-vaxxed foreigners tested Covid+ on second & third tests. Do we want to be safe or sorry?

[Jeffr2]

3 hours ago, Metapod said:

should be no tests

Many countries require tests. Even if fully vaccinated. Makes sense.

 

Some countries are also offering the tests for free.

[CartagenaWarlock]

Take one test before boarding the plane and then multiple tests before release from the prison (quarantine or sandbox hotel). Not for me.

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Being fully vaccinated does not equate to not being infected or infectious to others, especially the unvaccinated. Less likely if vaccinated to require hospitalisation

Yes, 100% agree, but the flaw of your argument is that you and everybody on the plane have been fully vaccinated (with NOT chinese vaccine) , has just paid silly money and gone through even more sillier hoops are about to mix with a population that is probably 85% NOT vaccinated and you are more at risk of them - not them of you.

 

IF Thailand was 100% vaccinated, and IF Thailand was in the single digits of infection, then the precautions would be valid, otherwise its just continual madness.

 

YOu have to open fully at some point, This closure is now half the length nearly of WW1 !

[RJRS1301]

21 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Yes, 100% agree, but the flaw of your argument is that you and everybody on the plane have been fully vaccinated (with NOT chinese vaccine) , has just paid silly money and gone through even more sillier hoops are about to mix with a population that is probably 85% NOT vaccinated and you are more at risk of them - not them of you.

 

IF Thailand was 100% vaccinated, and IF Thailand was in the single digits of infection, then the precautions would be valid, otherwise its just continual madness.

 

YOu have to open fully at some point, This closure is now half the length nearly of WW1 !

The second paragraph makes no sense to me at all, I have read it several times and remains incomprehensible 

 

, 

 

[CygnusX1]

24 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

The second paragraph makes no sense to me at all,

Seems to me that in the 2nd para he’s saying that if everyone in Thailand were double vaccinated (as is the case for everyone on the arriving flight), and if the number of infections in Thailand was very low, then there might be a case for PCR tests of the passengers, but otherwise not. Only possible objection I can see to this logic is that you might argue that there’s a small risk of an arriving passenger introducing a new strain of virus to Thailand.

[Caldera]

Meanwhile you can travel to many other countries with just a pre-flight test. So even "only" one test hardly qualifies as revolutionary or bold at this point. Considering that it's fully vaccinated travelers they're talking about.

[cheapcanuck]

Don't get your panties in a bunch over this. It's just a proposal. It may never come to be. If it happens,  roll with it buttercups.

[Jeffr2]

4 minutes ago, cheapcanuck said:

Don't get your panties in a bunch over this. It's just a proposal. It may never come to be. If it happens,  roll with it buttercups.

Lots of reports about this from many different agencies. Things are looking up!  Hopefully....LOL

[zzaa09]

5 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

Oh that's brilliant.

 

I was in quarantine for 15 days and I live here. I am fully vaccinated and had to get 3 tests.

 

I assume they'll also drop quarantine now if they're going to just let anyone in who's vaccinated right?

You're underestimating the proverbial ThaiThink.

[riclag]

6 hours ago, Metapod said:

should be no tests

At best ,Thailand should pay for them

[internationalism]

just money grabbing opportunity

15 000b divided by 3 tests = 5k per test

Now for the same test they want 8k, so 3k can be pocketed.

 

The standard price for 3 tests is 8k. So even now somebody is making over 7k profit on them.