BANGKOK, Oct 28 (TNA) – The “Thailand Pass” system is ready to welcome visitors to the country from Nov 1 onwards, allowing them to “test and go” and avoid paperwork.

 

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the “Thailand Pass” would replace the Certificate of Entry (COE) requirement and offer quick immigration to visitors from Nov 1 onwards. Inbound foreigners and Thais can apply for “Thailand Pass” at  tp.consular.go.th  before their trips and wait 1-3 days for approval which will depend on their vaccination certificates.

 

After receiving the approval, travelers can download the Thailand Pass QR Code right away and present it to their airlines and officials at screening checkpoints together with the results of their COVID-19 tests conducted no longer than 72 hours before their flights, the spokesman said.

 

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Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-811796

 

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About time and a move in the right direction, now that the idea seems to work on paper, let's hope that it also will in practice with very little hiccups and minor adjustments...

I mean, since the country reopens on the 1st, they should have this website up and running today to allow people to have time to get approved and arrive on the 1st...

 

Everything is always approximate here, nobody at the top has the right amount of brain cells it seems.

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

About time and a move in the right direction, now that the idea seems to work on paper, let's hope that it also will in practice with very little hiccups and minor adjustments...

????????

Before vacationers start coming here again, all the billboards have to be replaced: "Thailand, land of smiles" will then be replaced with "Thailand, land of masks".

"Inbound foreigners and Thais can apply for “Thailand Pass” at  tp.consular.go.th  before their trips and wait 1-3 days for approval which will depend on their vaccination certificates"

 

They will probably have Embassy or consulate staff checking the "Thailand Pass" applications, then download a QR code then get tested so it could possibly take the best part of 5 days, much the same as a COE took!

Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

20 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

Ah but as the head of the department of illhealth here in TIT will be thinking think that Thai tests are to be trusted - dirty foreigner (never shower) tests are not. I suppose from some countries he may have a fair point.

30 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

Someone is making a lot of money from the mandated tests.

33 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

It takes days for an infection to progress to the point of being detectable by the test.

 

It's a trade-off between how much testing to require and the inconvenience/cost. To maximize safety they could require another test several days after arrival, which would detect an infection that occurred during travel.. To maximize convenience they could require no testing at all. There's no "correct" answer and this is what they've settled on.

 

 

A stupid pass won't bring extra tourists to Thailand with mass of restrictions remaining. And even if that not 95% booked their holidays for the next months already. 

Minimum to get few tourists come is lifting curfew fully bars and discos open and alcohol served everywhere. 

1 hour ago, Paradise Pete said:

It takes days for an infection to progress to the point of being detectable by the test.

 

It's a trade-off between how much testing to require and the inconvenience/cost. To maximize safety they could require another test several days after arrival, which would detect an infection that occurred during travel.. To maximize convenience they could require no testing at all. There's no "correct" answer and this is what they've settled on.

 

 

SPOT ON !!!

2 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

In Sweden one company got caught not sending the samples to a laboratory for testing.

They just pocketed the money and wrote certificates.

Makes me think of my PCR test before I left, I just spit in a test tube and got my certificate 12h later.

1 hour ago, Paradise Pete said:

It takes days for an infection to progress to the point of being detectable by the test.

 

It's a trade-off between how much testing to require and the inconvenience/cost. To maximize safety they could require another test several days after arrival, which would detect an infection that occurred during travel.. To maximize convenience they could require no testing at all. There's no "correct" answer and this is what they've settled on.

 

 

They could vaccinate the people in Thailand thus reducing the need for such strict testing of fully-vaccinated arrivals.

2 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

Lots of reasons....  How does the Thai government know an overseas test has been carried out correctly.

 

Example: I order a PCR test kid. I pick it up. Self administer the test. Drop it of at a collection point, receive the result the following day..... How do they know I tested myself ? how do they know I swabbed correctly etc ??

 

It makes perfect sense that a Pre-flight test protects others on the flight and an arrival test confirms before release. 

 

The other facet is that someone can contract Covid-19 and not test positive for it for a couple of days: Thus someone could contract Covid-19 2-5 days before their flight but not test positive at the pre-flight PCR test but test positive on the arrival in Thailand (hotel) test. 

 

A Pre-Departure and Post Arrival is always going to provide more assurance. 

I see. Testing abroad is unreliable but testing in Thailand is 100% spot on. Got it

15 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

They could vaccinate the people in Thailand thus reducing the need for such strict testing of fully-vaccinated arrivals.

Thats ultimately where it may end up.. but for now, not many are vaccinated. 

 

I envisage that once the vast proportion of Thailand is vaccinated the Pre-Travel PCR test may be acceptable along with an arrival PCR test taken anywhere, or even just an ATK test. 

 

Ultimately, Thailand has to trust arrivals to travel responsibly and take an Antigen test on arrival and self isolate if positive or they have symptoms. 

 

 

Just now, bang saen guy said:

I see. Testing abroad is unreliable but testing in Thailand is 100% spot on. Got it

No.. you’ve dumbed it down and simplified it to make an immature and sarcastic poke at Thailand. 

 

PCR testing on arrival is the right thing to do because overseas tests cannot be verified, ultimately they are just a piece of paper which can be faked. 

 

While Thailand can be criticised for many things, the requirement for 1 night Quarantine until the results of a PCR test are issued is a very sensible measure.  

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Paradise Pete said:

It takes days for an infection to progress to the point of being detectable by the test.

 

It's a trade-off between how much testing to require and the inconvenience/cost. To maximize safety they could require another test several days after arrival, which would detect an infection that occurred during travel.. To maximize convenience they could require no testing at all. There's no "correct" answer and this is what they've settled on.

 

To which I will answer, even though it does not prevent the communication of the disease, why all this fuss about getting vaccinated, which in some countries has become mandatory. 

"welcome" I guess that a broad definition of this term is applied in this case

I would have used "allow"

LOL. So, the "Thailand Pass" website will 'welcome' the tourists to cyberspace?

 

Even there it is mentioned, twice or thrice, that one should register at least 7 days in advance, meaning that tourists who do this won't arrive in Thailand until the second week of November.

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No.. you’ve dumbed it down and simplified it to make an immature and sarcastic poke at Thailand. 

 

PCR testing on arrival is the right thing to do because overseas tests cannot be verified, ultimately they are just a piece of paper which can be faked. 

 

While Thailand can be criticised for many things, the requirement for 1 night Quarantine until the results of a PCR test are issued is a very sensible measure.  

 

 

 

 

 

Very, true. I have heard cases of people photoshopping results of previous tests.

 

This will keep people honest and at the very least confirm you are negative before you get on a plane and possibly get quarantined on arrival.

Best advice I can think of is WAIT a few weeks to see how good or bad it is. Let the eager beavers iron it out. Most of us - even with family - want to return, but I think we also understand that most of this is complete nonsense and has risks involved until running properly.

 

Uk today took all countries off the red list, which i'm guess just means a test before flight and 2 days after arrival for the double vaccinated, whilst Thailand appears to be mucking about with demands and procedures. And before someone says Thailand does not want to end up with UK figures - you hardly have any argument looking at thailand's 154th rating in world testing !

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No.. you’ve dumbed it down and simplified it to make an immature and sarcastic poke at Thailand. 

 

PCR testing on arrival is the right thing to do because overseas tests cannot be verified, ultimately they are just a piece of paper which can be faked. 

 

While Thailand can be criticised for many things, the requirement for 1 night Quarantine until the results of a PCR test are issued is a very sensible measure.  

 

 

 

 

 

Not everyone thinks Thailand tests are reliable. I left Thailand on Singapore airline last month and my Thailand vaccine certification was ok. But now to return the same airline will no longer accept that same certification and insisted on a certification fron the USA in order to board a plane back to Thailand  so I had to get another vaccine or change airlines.

6 hours ago, geistfunke said:

Before vacationers start coming here again, all the billboards have to be replaced: "Thailand, land of smiles" will then be replaced with "Thailand, land of masks".

Is that what passes for 'funny' in anti-mask circles?

Quote

...together with the results of their COVID-19 tests conducted no longer than 72 hours before their flights, the spokesman said.

So is it 72hr before the flight or 72hr before entering the country?  I've heard the latter from some people. When some itineraries can be more than 24-48hrs, distinctions like that matter. 

 

That could easily be one of those things some low level immigration person could interpret different/wrong and ruin your day.  The only safe bet imo would be to try get it the day before, but then you don't get the results till the day of your flight, which is cutting it close.

if testing overseas tourists 3X is such a good idea then why not do the same for Thai tourists?

5 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

If a passenger tests negative when he gets on the plane, why does he require a test when he gets off? Makes no sense

Makes sense to me.  Seems some are not keeping track of what has been going on over the past 18 months.  People have come after testing negative prior to boarding, then testing positive on arrival.  72 hour window and a flight is a long time you can get infected.   A good policy to test on arrival.

PCR 72 hours prior to departure.

5 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Makes sense to me.  Seems some are not keeping track of what has been going on over the past 18 months.  People have come after testing negative prior to boarding, then testing positive on arrival.  72 hour window and a flight is a long time you can get infected.   A good policy to test on arrival.

The general false positive rate for the PCR tests for Covid is 0.6%. The reports positive rate for people entering the Phuket sandbox scheme is surprisingly 0.17%! Someone could interpret that to mean that most, or all, of those positive results were false. If that were true, then the testing before flight was effective at screening out infected people.