Interval between PCR test and departure flight for Thailand

[placeholder]

As I understand it, Thailand specifies 72 hours between PCR test and boarding. Are they strict about that. It can take 3 days and possibly a bit over 72 hours to get test results.( I know the CDC rule is 3 days with the express reason for that to allow more than 72 hours.} Anybody know if 3 days is okay even if it runs over 72 hours?

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Are they strict about that.

Yes.

  

4 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Anybody know if 3 days is okay even if it runs over 72 hours?

No.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Salerno

[London Lowf]

From the London embassy website....

 

"COVID-19 test result with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure"

 

......so it's 72 hours from the issue of the test result, not from the time of the test.

 

Don't know where you are but I got tested earlier today at a branch of UK Boots the chemist and they quote a maximum of 48 hours but the tester said it should be about 24 hours.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by London Lowf
To make it better.

[placeholder]

14 minutes ago, London Lowf said:

From the London embassy website....

 

"COVID-19 test result with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure"

 

......so it's 72 hours from the issue of the test result, not from the time of the test.

 

Don't know where you are but I got tested earlier today at a branch of UK Boots the chemist and they quote a maximum of 48 hours but the tester said it should be about 24 hours.

 

Thanks.

[scorecard]

For foreigners arriving in Singapore (destination Singapore) and people transiting in Singapore it's a maximum of 48 hrs from time/date on the report to arrival date/time in Singapore.

 

If traveler is departing from Sydney, there's a certified pathology lab (Histopath) inside the airport, on the same level as the check-in counters, departure level.

 

Only 3 or 4 minutes walk between Histopath and the check-in counters. Lab guarantees one hour report by SMS/e.mail/printed. Open from 6:00 am, no need for booking, can walk-in, cost is AUD150-.

[aussiexpat]

42 minutes ago, scorecard said:

If traveler is departing from Sydney, there's a certified pathology lab (Histopath) inside the airport, on the same level as the check-in counters, departure level.

 

Only 3 or 4 minutes walk between Histopath and the check-in counters. Lab guarantees one hour report by SMS/e.mail/printed. Open from 6:00 am, no need for booking, can walk-in, cost is AUD150-.

Brave man waiting until you get to the airport to do the test. I couldn't handle that stress so I'm doing it 3 days before. Not sure where the OP is but Australia has dedicated clinics for the pre-flight PCR test ($150 for guaranteed 24 hour result, $300 for same day result)

 

https://consumer.healius.com.au/?gclid=CjwKCAiAtej9BRAvEiwA0UAWXrpi3gmWiQHCmRGoipTR5ypkYgE8E6knLhQ17dLAgCFGq1vzEac8ZxoCoukQAvD_BwE

Edited September 29, 2021 by aussiexpat

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Brave man waiting until you get to the airport to do the test. I couldn't handle that stress so I'm doing it 3 days before. Not sure where the OP is but Australia has dedicated clinics for the pre-flight PCR test ($150 for guaranteed 24 hour result, $300 for same day result)

 

https://consumer.healius.com.au/?gclid=CjwKCAiAtej9BRAvEiwA0UAWXrpi3gmWiQHCmRGoipTR5ypkYgE8E6knLhQ17dLAgCFGq1vzEac8ZxoCoukQAvD_BwE

Good points. I'm transiting through Singapore which now has a regulation that the time gap between date/time of negative report and date/time of arrival in Singapore cannot be more than 48 hours.

 

I've found very positive reviews about the Histopath lab at Sydney airport: open on time every day at 06:00 am, friendly and helpful, reports always shared within the guaranteed 1 hour. 

 

I'm in a wheelchair so not so mobile (I'm in Australia alone - all family in Chiang Mai, no remaining family at all in Australia) so always need to take my level of mobility into the situation.  

 

I've made a special booking with UBER, their driver will drive me to Sydney airport then help me to get quickly (with my luggage) to the Path lab (which is just 3 or 4 minutes walk to my check-in row, same level).

 

And yes I am keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly. 

 

[aussiexpat]

@scorecard Good luck. Just one point, I'm pretty sure it's PCR test within 48 hours of original departure, not from Singapore?

 

Note: they say you can stay in transit hub in Singapore for a maximum of 48 hours, so they wouldn't allow that unless above was the case

[CartagenaWarlock]

3 hours ago, London Lowf said:

so it's 72 hours from the issue of the test result, not from the time of the test.

That will be meaningless. What is to do with the issuance of test result? Moreover, I think the test time is recorded on the letter. Not sure if the issue time is recorded or not. 

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

That will be meaningless. What is to do with the issuance of test result? Moreover, I think the test time is recorded on the letter. Not sure if the issue time is recorded or not. 

Actually, your comment gave me the idea to go look at a few sample test reports. None of them mentioned time. Only the date the test was taken So if that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, thanks. Possibly you were wrong about the time issue, but without your line of thinking, I wouldn't have thought even to look for a sample. In my case I'm leaving 3 days after the test but more than 72 hours. So I think it will be fine.

[placeholder]

31 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Actually, your comment gave me the idea to go look at a few sample test reports. None of them mentioned time. Only the date the test was taken So if that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, thanks. Possibly you were wrong about the time issue, but without your line of thinking, I wouldn't have thought even to look for a sample. In my case I'm leaving 3 days after the test but more than 72 hours. So I think it will be fine.

I wrote too soon. I did find some reports that note the time the test was administered as well as the date.

[aussiexpat]

25 minutes ago, placeholder said:

I wrote too soon. I did find some reports that note the time the test was administered as well as the date.

Yeah, here's a copy of a report you get in Aus. Top right has date and time collected and date and time reported. Anyone know which date and time they go off for the 72 hours?

[PoorSucker]

Checked mine I took before leaving Sweden. 

Test date and time is recorded on my letter.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Yeah, here's a copy of a report you get in Aus. Top right has date and time collected and date and time reported. Anyone know which date and time they go off for the 72 hours?

For travel to Singapore the regulation is;

 

From the date/time the report was issued to the date/time of arrival at the destination the total time cannot exceed 48 hours.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

@scorecard Good luck. Just one point, I'm pretty sure it's PCR test within 48 hours of original departure, not from Singapore?

 

Note: they say you can stay in transit hub in Singapore for a maximum of 48 hours, so they wouldn't allow that unless above was the case

My itinerary on Singapore Airlines is:

 

9:05  Depart Sydney

14:15 Arrive Singapore

Transfer flight (same day)

15:25 Depart Singapore

17:00 Arrive Suvarnabhumi 

[London Lowf]

This may be bad news for the OP. It seems that the time of the swab may be the defining moment - I've just received my negative result (within 19 hours!) and the "Sample Date" is printed bold and also gives the exact time, i.e. 29/09/2021 13:56. The test date is simply 30/09/2021.

 

In addition, the Australian sample above also has the swab date/time highlighted. I would say that's pretty conclusive.

 

On the plus side it would seem that most international airports do have a last-gasp testing service.

[TorquayFan]

Hello Placeholder,

 

Yes they are strict about the 72 hours . . . .

 

Lowf quotes, ".....so it's 72 hours from the issue of the test result, not from the time of the test."NO ! With respect I disagree with that completely - those words are ambiguous to me and also it would make no sense at all to time it from the highly variable moment of issuance. So IMO BEWARE of that UK Gov. comment.

 

Again, IMO and in my experience, it works like this . . . You must have a test RESULT from a test which took place in the 3 days before you actually fly e.g. if you test on Sunday you can fly on Wednesday up until midnight I suppose !

 

So my comment on this is, do your test on the THIRD day BEFORE that on which you are due to fly  - (that will give you as much time in hand as possible).

 

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE : MAKE SURE YOU GET A LABORATORY REPORT FROM THE HOSPITAL AS WELL AS THE CERTIFICATE FOR THE NEGATIVE TEST - OTHER WISE YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE CHECKING IN, AS THE AIRLINE INSISTED ON THIS IN MY CASE.

 

In Chantaburi, both BKK and Sirivej Hospitals had a 'drive thru' service at B3000 - but you have to push to get the paperwork . . . .

 

 

[TorquayFan]

Hi Lowf - we agree more now. But because of the way this works, it's not the time of the swab but the day of the swab.

 

Further, with respect it would be crazy to rely on this at BKK - "On the plus side it would seem that most international airports do have a last-gasp testing service".

 

IMHO 100% - it's the 3rd day before the day on which you fly

[London Lowf]

When I mentioned airport testing I meant at the departure airport so for me that would have been LHR - although I do see that they test at Exeter so I could stop off on the way for a test!

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by London Lowf
To make it better!

[bbko]

In the US I had 3 covid tests in the past, for 2 of them I was emailed the results in about 2 hours. For the one I took to fly into Thailand I had the results in about 12 hours but the agency did say it could take up to 24 hours.  

[treetops]

1 hour ago, TorquayFan said:

Lowf quotes, ".....so it's 72 hours from the issue of the test result, not from the time of the test."NO ! With respect I disagree with that completely - those words are ambiguous to me and also it would make no sense at all to time it from the highly variable moment of issuance. So IMO BEWARE of that UK Gov. comment.

It might not be the most sensible approach as you say, but that is what Thailand (and many other countries) ask for.  Other insist it's from when the test was taken and others time it from the final flight in your itinerary, not the start of your journey.

 

Reports earlier from quarantine mentioned some hotels insisted on an extra test (at the visitor's expense of course) if the 72 hours was exceeded on arrival, so there's no one size fits all approach.

 

The airlines who are checking on departure and decide if you get on the plane or not use these rules from IATA regarding Thailand which supports London Lowf's earlier post from the Thai Embassy London's website (not a UK gov site as you mention).  Similar wording with the "test result issued" is present.

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by treetops

[placeholder]

47 minutes ago, treetops said:

It might not be the most sensible approach as you say, but that is what Thailand (and many other countries) ask for.  Other insist it's from when the test was taken and others time it from the final flight in your itinerary, not the start of your journey.

 

Reports earlier from quarantine mentioned some hotels insisted on an extra test (at the visitor's expense of course) if the 72 hours was exceeded on arrival, so there's no one size fits all approach.

 

The airlines who are checking on departure and decide if you get on the plane or not use these rules from IATA regarding Thailand which supports London Lowf's earlier post from the Thai Embassy London's website (not a UK gov site as you mention).  Similar wording with the "test result issued" is present.

 

Thanks for the information. Could you please provide a link to that IATA webpage?

If they're correct, then it looks like the hours don't matter

As for hotels requiring testing, it's now the case that you are required to take 3 PCR tests while in Phuket. The first one is done on arrival at the airport.

[treetops]

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Could you please provide a link to that IATA webpage?

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

 

Click on the country you want info on.

[JackGats]

8 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Yeah, here's a copy of a report you get in Aus. Top right has date and time collected and date and time reported. Anyone know which date and time they go off for the 72 hours?

There was at least one hefty discussion on Thaivisa about this before. The meaning (in good English or Thaiglish) of "issued" was controversial. I go for the safest interpretation, ie time of the swab. If you rely on "time of printout" and the airline employee insists on "time of the swab", you're toast.

[EVENKEEL]

In the US you can pay extra and get 2 hr results. Why wait a day for results. Pricey at $300. 

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by EVENKEEL

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, London Lowf said:

When I mentioned airport testing I meant at the departure airport so for me that would have been LHR - although I do see that they test at Exeter so I could stop off on the way for a test!

 

I have just booked a PCR test at Heathrow, cost £76 and result within 3 hours.

[TorquayFan]

Its seems clear to me. At BKK leaving Thailand, because it's 72 hours (3 days) before the DAY of your flight, it's in effect the day of the swab not the hour of the swab that counts.

 

So IMO you can take a test 3 days before the day you fly. All good fun . . .

[JackGats]

11 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

Its seems clear to me. At BKK leaving Thailand, because it's 72 hours (3 days) before the DAY of your flight, it's in effect the day of the swab not the hour of the swab that counts.

 

So IMO you can take a test 3 days before the day you fly. All good fun . . .

That is yet another variant then, ie 72 hours becoming 72 hours + up to 23 hours 59 minutes.

[david555]

as I remarked before ....which time they put on the test ...actual final result time ...or the moment they put that " thing in your nose ,as that could make a 24 hours difference maximum , or time from collecting your test document ? 

 

Also now KLM airline mention 48 hours before departure , and before 72 hours from arrival .

 

They start driving us nuts lately to understand correct their rules 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by david555

[aussiexpat]

Just to add to the confusion, Singapore Airlines says the following which seems to make the 48 hours redundant.

 

Travellers entering or transiting through Singapore, including Singapore citizens and permanent residents, are required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within 48 hours before the scheduled departure date of their flight i.e. passengers departing on 3 September can take the test any time from 1 September onwards. 

 

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/travel-info/covid-19/

 

 

Due to all this confusion I just called my clinic here which specializes in pre-flight PCR tests.

 

My flight leaves on a Friday at 1445 and as it transits through Singapore I need test within 48 hours. She said to be safe just book test at 4pm on the Wednesday (result back on Thursday)