Thailand entry rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated tourists

[alyx]

5 hours ago, The Cipher said:

Update on this for those who are curious.

 

I was able to find a hotel that would let me check out by 12pm as long as I arrived before 2am on the same day. Checking in after 2am would require an additional night. If arriving with more than one person, the Test & Go fee is applicable to each individual even if staying in the same room.

 

Normally I would have no fear of making it to the hotel before 2am with a midnight landing time, but I do wonder what the setup at the airport is like now. Hopefully it's faster than usual rather than slower.

That is great but, if I were you, I would insist and ask them to be more flexible.

They know what time the plane is landing and the rest is up to the immigration really.

They surely do understand that you are not going to make a stop over to spend the rest of the night clubbing.

This being said, they would have to plan for the PCR and I am not sure what happens in the case of such late arrivals.

In any case you would be on the safe side as the test would be performed, at the latest, in the morning and you would definitely get the result before you check out the following day 

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Would anyone really describe this as no quarantine? 

 

 

Answers the question of what to do with the ATK test after one gets home.

[Usual Suspect]

I read the airport entry-report by Richard Barrow this morning..(thank you Richard btw)  He arrived at his hotel, and had his PCR done by 7.30am, but was then told the result should be back to him by noon the NEXT DAY..!

  Does this mean the guy (& many others) may have to be paying for 2 nights at the hotel..?  My flight lands at 12.25 (just after midday), & my ideal plan was to be able to leave mid/late morning the next day... Now, after reading Richard's account, then I have my doubts..?

[The Cipher]

4 hours ago, alyx said:

That is great but, if I were you, I would insist and ask them to be more flexible.

This being said, they would have to plan for the PCR and I am not sure what happens in the case of such late arrivals.

For my hotel at least, they said the tests for each day are submitted to the lab at 2am and they generally get results back by the next morning. That was their justification for why the cutoff time for check-in was 2am. I guess that makes sense to me(?)

[alyx]

1 minute ago, The Cipher said:

For my hotel at least, they said the tests for each day are submitted to the lab at 2am and they generally get results back by the next morning. That was their justification for why the cutoff time for check-in was 2am. I guess that makes sense to me(?)

Understood but kind of strange that they submit the test at that time but what about the person arriving at 6 AM ? They should spend two days in quarantine ?

[MarkyM3]

13 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Thats what the insurance will be for, and will be used when they transport you to either an ASQ Hospitel, where they will treat you if just asymptomatic.  If showing symptoms they will take you to a facility for treatment, and your 2 week vacation will evaporate into a hospital stay until you test negative.                                       

Thanks for info. I'm fully vaccinated and should receive 3rd dose before arriving 3rd Feb from the UK. I'm not on a 2 week vacation thankfully otherwise wouldn't bother with the hassle!!

 

I'm coming over to have a short career break and see my gf. Just turned 50 and would like to stay for 5 months. I've used the SETV visa before but that's only good for 60 days + 30 day extension. Any idea on what I could do to extend another couple of months i.e. are there longer stay options I can arrange from the UK before departing? Otherwise, seems I'd have to leave after 90 days and get another SETV or something?

 

Cheers

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

are there longer stay options I can arrange from the UK before departing?

STV, pretty <deleted> visa IMO but would work in your situation, if you can handle the requirements your good to go for 9 months.

[DoctorB]

On 10/29/2021 at 3:56 AM, internationalism said:

just covid insurance.

from 1.5 to 2.5k per month (depending of departure country). For the whole stay in thailand or end of visa/extension

You'll be lucky. I did a trial run on the official Thai site - 77 year old for 3 months, from UK, only one quote came up, at 12,500 baht. That was on the original 100,000 covid cover site. On the other hand a basic travel policy issued in the UK with full 2 million GBP medical cover,  including covid and repatriation came in at around £370, with a rather better cover policy (cancellation, lost baggage etc. at around £450. 

 

[DoctorB]

On 10/31/2021 at 2:18 AM, bkk_mike said:

An 88 year old from the UK can get travel insurance that covers health problems, but this seems to be specifically requiring Covid coverage. I honestly expect to have to buy separate insurance as I think my general travel insurance (which does cover normal medical stuff) specifically doesn't cover Covid.

i.e. I'd expect the embassy to have a Thai company willing to sell you Covid cover for the time you're here. After all, vaccinated people who've tested negative within the last few days should be a fairly low risk for an insurance company if they're only covering them for Covid.

I checked online for UK travel cover yesterday and even the cheapest policy offered covid medical cover as standard. For slightly more this could be enhanced for cancellation due to covid related issues. As far as I could see no company offered a policy that excludes covid. The problem in the past seems to have been the Thai requirement for a particular wording. I would guess that from an actuarial point of view the covid risk is fairly trivial for insurance companies. The Thai Embassy site also made it clear that a policy bought in UK or Ireland is  acceptable.

 

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

I refuse to return to Bangkok until all these pointless measures are lifted,

Well yes, fine, your decision. As per your opinion on the measures Thailand undertakes to (hopefully) get International tourists back into the country. Got to start somewhere. Then it can ramp up and ease back requirements. What makes you think your decision not to return is of any concern to them as you seem to think it is? 

[skorp13]

On 11/2/2021 at 7:58 AM, Salerno said:

Still lost me. I assume your talking about 72 hours for the CPR results - you don't submit that anywhere, you show it at the airport.

Thank you for clearing that up, i thought you had to submit for Thai pass approval

[skorp13]

On 11/2/2021 at 8:12 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

1. The current Covid vaccines are broadly effective against the various different strains of COVID.  If you are infected and recover from COVID absent a vaccination, the only natural immunity you'll have will be for the one particular strain that was your infection, not the various others.

 

2. Natural immunity is NOT far greater than any vax -- a claim you notably provided no source to support.

 

Rather, just the opposite, with the vaccines coming out on top:

 

CDC finds immunity from vaccines is more consistent than from infection, but both last at least six months

---

"It’s a question that scientists have been trying to answer since the start of the pandemic, one that is central to the rancorous political debates over coronavirus vaccine policies: How much immunity does someone have after recovering from a coronavirus infection, and how does it compare with immunity provided by vaccination?

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has weighed in for the first time in a detailed science report released with little fanfare Friday evening. Reviewing scores of research studies and its own unpublished data, the agency found that both infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity are durable for at least six months — but that vaccines are more consistent in their protection and offer a huge boost in antibodies for people previously infected.

 

In comparing the two types of immunity, scientists said research shows vaccination provides a “higher, more robust, and more consistent level of immunity to protect people from COVID-19 than infection alone.”

 

(more)

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-finds-immunity-from-vaccines-is-more-consistent-than-from-infection-but-both-last-at-least-six-months/

 

You still hold the CDC credible LOL

[Salerno]

1 minute ago, skorp13 said:

Thank you for clearing that up, i thought you had to submit for Thai pass approval

That would make things ... interesting 555

[tamvine]

What about a PR holder in Thailand? If one fully vaccinated in Thailand travels to say Dubai for few days and comes back? Which category he/she falls in? The person is not staying 21 days in Dubai so what happens when he/she comes back?

[Salerno]

9 minutes ago, tamvine said:

Which category he/she falls in?

Test and go:

• For returning Thais and foreign residents, it is not necessary to be in an approved country/territory for 21 days or more, as long as they are travelling from Thailand to the approved country/territory and return within the last 21 days.

[GrandPapillon]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well yes, fine, your decision. As per your opinion on the measures Thailand undertakes to (hopefully) get International tourists back into the country. Got to start somewhere. Then it can ramp up and ease back requirements. What makes you think your decision not to return is of any concern to them as you seem to think it is? 

I don't think I am alone with that opinion,

 

it's absolutely stupid to return to Thailand under these conditions, they are not ready. To make things worse, there is a new surge of covid cases all over Europe, like Germany that just got 30,000+ cases yesterday.

 

why take the risks of being infected in Thailand and being locked up there with their silly quarantine

[jacko45k]

49 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

I don't think I am alone with that opinion,

 

it's absolutely stupid to return to Thailand under these conditions, they are not ready. To make things worse, there is a new surge of covid cases all over Europe, like Germany that just got 30,000+ cases yesterday.

 

why take the risks of being infected in Thailand and being locked up there with their silly quarantine

We are having music festivals in Pattaya tonight and tomorrow..... I feel that is a bit too soon. We were just getting the numbers down in Banglamung.

Edited November 5, 2021 by jacko45k

[GrandPapillon]

They are getting desperate, and to show they are not desperate, they are putting in place all those stupid measures that will stop real tourists from coming

 

and of course, there is the political agenda to strangle Pattaya to make it a new family place, how ridiculous of them

[johng]

On 11/2/2021 at 8:12 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-finds-immunity-from-vaccines-is-more-consistent-than-from-infection-but-both-last-at-least-six-months/

Link does not work.

[Salerno]

6 minutes ago, johng said:

Link does not work.

Googling it brings up the original article https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/11/01/what-works-better-vaccines-or-natural-immunity/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 minutes ago, johng said:

Link does not work.

Ya, MSN sometimes changes their links after a period of time. Here's link direct to the CDC study on that topic:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0806-vaccination-protection.html

 

New CDC Study: Vaccination Offers Higher Protection than Previous COVID-19 Infection

[candide]

Obviously, demand for flights is increasing. After the announcement of the one night quarantine, I quickly bought a (modifiable) roundtrip direct flight ticket at 616 euros for mid December, and the same ticket now costs 1119 euros.

[ThailandRyan]

24 minutes ago, candide said:

Obviously, demand for flights is increasing. After the announcement of the one night quarantine, I quickly bought a (modifiable) roundtrip direct flight ticket at 616 euros for mid December, and the same ticket now costs 1119 euros.

Either the demand is increasing, and they want to make a profit, or they have increased the prices to offset the lost revenue for flying a half full bird.

[zzaa09]

19 hours ago, Usual Suspect said:

I read the airport entry-report by Richard Barrow this morning..(thank you Richard btw)  He arrived at his hotel, and had his PCR done by 7.30am, but was then told the result should be back to him by noon the NEXT DAY..!

  Does this mean the guy (& many others) may have to be paying for 2 nights at the hotel..?  My flight lands at 12.25 (just after midday), & my ideal plan was to be able to leave mid/late morning the next day... Now, after reading Richard's account, then I have my doubts..?

I'm suspecting that the promoted "24 hr testing wait" will be closer to 36-48 hrs. Meaning that one will be asked to pay for two nights accommodations. I believe that all of this is greatly dependent on what time your testing is done, which naturally corresponds with arrival time and the official check out time of the respected hotel - if your results are received at noon-2pm, technically one is probably charged for that extra day. Just a guess. 

 

Naturally, they're gonna attempt to squeeze as much deceived profit as possible with the initial confusion of the original intent. 

 

What they could've done to make all of this arrival testing nonsense much more streamlined might be to organise and conduct COVID rapid test right right there at the airport.......have an area where the test subjects can wait for their allotted 5-10 minutes for results - finished. Off ya go. Of course, this practice makes too much sense and less convoluted for the arriving individuals. And......it's not profitable for the system in place.