Thai PM demands seamless "Thailand Pass"

[7700]

Seamless in LOFS means getting hosed from one venue to the other without a normal sequence occurring.

This is the first year since 99 that I have not wintered in Thailand.  Gone to Southern Portugal instead and loving it.

[GreasyFingers]

2 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

The Australian media is stating that the Aus - Singapore bubble has result in all planes being fully booked. The fact for this is the seamless requirements for both countries. Double vaccination and negative test 72 hours before departure. Maybe our friends in the Thai Govt may need to take a lesson from their Singapore neighbours.

But you need to check what "double vaccination". Until the AstraZeneca get the name change of the Thai version to their corporate one Vaxzevria you cannot go as at the moment the Thai version is not approved. Even though the the Australian TGA were the authority who gave the approval to WHO.

 

[newnative]

    Stopped reading as soon as I hit 'SHA'.  That always loses me, as it likely does most potential tourists.  The Thailand Pass will never be seamless as there are way too many odd and difficult patches that need to be threaded together, resulting in a big mess nobody wants.  

[RobU]

3 hours ago, mjakob007 said:

To add to the complexity of Thai pass, two are factors that are now discouraging tourists destined for Thailand.

 

1. Fear of being tested positive - could mean being seperated from families, hospitalised during your time off and insurance denying payment. one could be out of pocket by 350,000 baht per infected family member.

 

2. Most tourists like to have a drink or two either with their meal or otherwise. No nightlife, how many tourists would want to spend christmas & new years in misery?

I fully agree there is just too much financial risk, Having a drink doesn't bother me personally but the lack of entertainment and limits on eating out with an effective curfew (i.e. everything is closed at night) is a big barrier to casual (i.e. where shall we go this year) tourists on a budget, who are the majority.

[SmokeandIce]

10 hours ago, RafPinto said:

ChaCha, please have a chat with immigration too.

90days online not working and now, they even don't bother to send anything back by post.

Waiting already 7,5 weeks and nothing.

Same here...online not working.  I mailed all forms by registered mail, shows received Oct 6...but nothing returned 6 weeks later.

[rickudon]

Simplify it easy. Apply to Thai government site, choose hotel, pay same place - includes element of insurance - Done. If you do not have a visa, negative pre-flight Covid test or a Covid pass, your problem, same for many countries. Could even allow visa exemption and extended quarantine for inadequate proof of vaccination  on arrival.

[John Bird]

It will only be seamless once the horrible Thai Pass is scrapped altogether.

[happydreamer]

13 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

"Demands!"

 

What a buffoon. 

I LOL'd when I saw that too.  I was like...oh...well...if he's demanding it then it must be in the works to get it fixed.  

[Dont confuse me]

"One of the PM's ideas was to promote the idea of offering holiday packages, said the media"

 

Wow what an idea 'Package holidays' 

Theres no stopping the great one when he's on a roll, whatever next?

[Billy A]

I found it to be a super easy process.  It was very clear and fast to complete, took me about an hour to call and get both my insurance and hotel, about 30 minutes to upload the documents to the “Thailand Pass” page, and I received the approval QR Code 3 days later.

 

For the Covid insurance I paid $130, and for the one-day quarantine hotel 4600 baht. Getting the insurance was not that big of a deal, since I have always purchased it in the past when I travel to Europe and South America where I go often. Actually, it is not very smart to travel the world without international travel insurance.

 

Nevertheless, the process seemed pretty streamlined and easy to complete.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Billy A
misspelling

[it is what it is]

16 minutes ago, Billy A said:

I found it to be a super easy process.  It was very clear and fast to complete, took me about an hour to call and get both my insurance and hotel, about 30 minutes to upload the documents to the “Thailand Pass” page, and I received the approval QR Code 3 days later.

 

For the Covid insurance I paid $130, and for the one-day quarantine hotel 4600 baht. Getting the insurance was not that big of a deal, since I have always purchased it in the past when I travel to Europe and South America where I go often. Actually, it is not very smart to travel the world without international travel insurance.

 

Nevertheless, the process seemed pretty streamlined and easy to complete.

 

how long was the insurance for? which company?

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, Billy A said:

I found it to be a super easy process.  It was very clear and fast to complete, took me about an hour to call and get both my insurance and hotel, about 30 minutes to upload the documents to the “Thailand Pass” page, and I received the approval QR Code 3 days later.

 

For the Covid insurance I paid $130, and for the one-day quarantine hotel 4600 baht. Getting the insurance was not that big of a deal, since I have always purchased it in the past when I travel to Europe and South America where I go often. Actually, it is not very smart to travel the world without international travel insurance.

 

Nevertheless, the process seemed pretty streamlined and easy to complete.

 

Thats still not really ’seamless’ compared to booking a hotel on agoda and getting on a plane.... its still too much hassle and risk for the average tourist most of whom maybe sitting on the fence between travelling to Thailand and deciding upon other destinations. 

 

For example: I have friends who fancy a holiday and were considering Thailand after finding out that Thailand is open. However, as soon as they found out about the process of booking insurance, a ’Test and Go’ hotel and uploading documents to the Thailand Pass they were completely disinterested....   

 

Times have changed, but tourists haven’t. 

 

 

That said: for those of us more persistent in our attempts to travel and are prepared to take the risk (of catching covid) or consider the risk very small, yes, the Thailand Pass is now more streamlined than the Certificate of Entry process (which was two phase whereas the Thailand pass is a single phase process involving less uploading of documentation), but, seamless is not what I would call it. 

 

 

Paying for a flight, health insurance, hotel, uploading most of it along with Vaccine certificates, cropping out QR codes uploading those to the same site, then waiting three days to see if you are actually approved to travel is very far from seamless.

 

The uncertainty of the wait is horrible. Those three days wondering if you have made a mistake and have to change the booking or re-upload documents, or have to apply again etc is not fun at all - its not an enjoyable process to go through and still to be left wondering if there is any mistake or some part of the requirements that you’ve missed out which could see you turned away at the airport check-in counter. 

 

 

The only sensible option is to do away with ALL the silly Thailand Pass requirement and Test & Go procedure. 

 

1) Airlines check for Vaccination (no vaccination, no travel unless have a CoE0

2) No vaccination (enter under CoE only, Embassy approved with Quarantine booking)

3) PCR test before travel (this is a good thing). 

4) Lateral Flow Test (ATK) on arrival 

 

 

If people wish to protest the vaccination requirement, thats up to them. Simply put, if they do not wish to vaccinate they quarantine. 

 

If someone tests positive for Covid-19 upon arrival - its up to them if they have insurance just like any other illness, motorcycle accident etc - the onus is on the traveller to ensure they are protected. 

 

Positive cases should be to allowed to quarantine at home (apartment / house etc)

 

Those who test positive ATK are required to ASQ for a night and take a confirming PCR test. If positive and they have nowhere private to ’self isolate’ (i.e. genuine tourist) they should be permitted to quarantine in reasonably priced isolation hotels - this is just one of the unfortunate risks of international travel at the moment (people can take out holiday insurance against such events - bad luck is just bad luck, the same as if someone is hit by a car, falls off their motorcycle, contracts a gastrointestinal issue etc and requires 2 weeks of hospitalisation). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by richard_smith237

[Billy A]

23 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

how long was the insurance for? which company?

3 weeks

www.travelexinsurance.com

[jcb2001]

14 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Then get rid of it. How’s that for seamless? Oh, sorry far too logical for Thailand. 

My feelings, exactly.  Thailand Pass is absolutely a disaster.  I'm trying to come back to my home in Ubon and find it is so user unfriendly.  Too many hoops to jump through.  Sure miss the good old days where you just bought your airline ticket and arrived in Thailand with no drama.  

[cncltd1973]

When will reality set in? The choice is clear, do you want tourists or do you want Thai Pass? Westerners are not as dumb and desperate as you think. You can keep renaming the process until there aren't any names left, you aren't fooling anyone except yourselves. I guess that's why you are targeting new arrivals - why would anyone subject themselves to this pointless exercise twice! It's probably too late, but maybe you should listen to a westerner if you want westerners to come, your own people will just tell you what you want to hear.

[rohitsuk]

13 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

An example: For the Phuket Sandbox, people have to book the RT-PCR with ThailandPsas. Then you have to book 7 nights at the SHA Hotel separately. Then upload them to Thailand Pass along with the insurance, vaccination certificate and passport.

 

- Check visa requirements beforehand

- Pay and wait for ThailandPsas dokument.

- Find the "right" insurance. Pay and wait until you get the documents.

- Find an approved hotel, pay in advance, wait for the documents.

- Then convert all documents to jpg.

- If the insurance documents consist of several pages, build 1 jpg from them

- For the vaccination documents, cut out the QR code for both vaccinations. Make only 1 jpg out of it again.

- Make sure that you are working with the correct browsers and email addresses.

- Organize approved transport to the hotel.

-  Print out all documents on paper.

 

Then they get the Thai passport online. Before leaving, they need to get RT PCR, fly to Phuket. When they land, they get an RT-PCR test at the airport, they also get ATKs. You take ATK after arriving at the hotel. Stay there for 7 days and after free to go.

 

- Fill out TM6

- Fill out T8

- Download the Mor Chana App. Try to register.

- Wait for pcr test result

- Make your atk  selftest at day 6-7

- Make Foto from your self test.

- Give or send result from selftest to your hotel. Upload in MorChana is not possible.

- When check out do not forget health letter from hotel.

 

Did I forget something?

The effort for test and go is similar.

 

Question: Does anyone have any idea how to make this even more complicated?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, make the language Ancient Greek or Thai.

[spidermike007]

Cha Cha, you sincerely want more tourists? Trash the pass. Along with the ridiculous, heinous and draconian threats of quarantine if any of the 40 people sitting close by on the plane are found positive.

 

This is Covid. This is not the Bubonic plague. Get real. Man up. Behave yourself. 

 

Otherwise, be content with 50,000 tourists a month, 32% unemployment, broken souls and a future of poverty and decline. This is ALL on you! 

Edited November 22, 2021 by spidermike007

[onekoolguy]

Difficult, Time consuming, Frustrating, Expensive!  Just my experience.

[spidermike007]

29 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

Difficult, Time consuming, Frustrating, Expensive!  Just my experience.

All needless. These goons seem to invite complications, confusion extra work, and expense. 

 

And it is coming back to bite them. Tourists are simply saying no. You are not a big deal, I can live without Thailand and your stupid restrictions, and there are too many alternative nations that are showing far more courage, than you cowards are. 

 

The reality is, Thailand needs tourists 100x more than tourists need Thailand. But, their extreme hubris prevents any clarity or reason. 

 

Woe is Thailand with the goombah leader. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by spidermike007

[WingFat]

"Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said at the weekend that the country's leader is demanding that the Thailand pass system is working seamlessly  senselessly to facilitate  discourage the arrival of foreign travellers and tourists, reported Thai Rath.

 

There, translated the statement...

[Stargeezr]

My old friend who is 82, is letting his son do all the process for him to go to Thailand.

  He is hoping to depart Canada at the end of November. So far with all the questions being asked about proof

of finances, as well as sending all the information about hotel information, and everything to the Thai consulate in Canada,

  my friend is still hopeful that he will be able to leave on time. I wished him luck.

    I also say good luck to the rest of you brave, hardy people who are trying to escape the cold Winter from where you

are.  My friend who has arrived in Hua Hin,  says that he is already tired of all the rain. 555.

 Doing away with the Thailand Pass would be a good start of making a trip to Thailand better.

[freedomnow]

10 hours ago, charmonman said:

The first thing I would scrap is the covid-19 insurance scam, at least for the fully vaccinated. The chance of any of these people having covid-19 or having to be hospitalized for it is minimal.

Yip, no requirement for that in likes of Sri Lanka or pcr on arrival.

 

It's doubled vaxxed plus pcr before stepping on the plane.

 

I think that is the threshold before looking elsewhere for people.

 

[MaiChai]

Had fun filling this in at the weekend. It does not allow you to attach pdf files, so I had to convert loads of files into jpegs, which won't be easy for your average user. Then the vaccine part is really over complicated; why can't you just attach your vaccine doc, rather than having to split up into 1st dose, 2nd dose, booster, and then attaching a QR code for each one. Basically you are doing their admin by them making it complicated so that it fills in all the sections for them!

 

Anyhow mine and wifes got approved within 2 days so I guess I can't complain.

Edited November 22, 2021 by MaiChai

[Mywayboy]

21 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Then get rid of it. How’s that for seamless? Oh, sorry far too logical for Thailand. 

Logic is not in the THAI Vocabulary sadly 

[Chongalulu]

13 hours ago, fusion58 said:

Bingo.

 

First rule of Dunning-Kruger Club: You don't know you're in the club. ????

Ha,I know exactly what that is . Hanlon’s razor frequently applies here too! ???? 

[maump]

43 minutes ago, MaiChai said:

Had fun filling this in at the weekend. It does not allow you to attach pdf files, so I had to convert loads of files into jpegs, which won't be easy for your average user. Then the vaccine part is really over complicated; why can't you just attach your vaccine doc, rather than having to split up into 1st dose, 2nd dose, booster, and then attaching a QR code for each one. Basically you are doing their admin by them making it complicated so that it fills in all the sections for them!

 

Anyhow mine and wifes got approved within 2 days so I guess I can't complain.

I am new to the board looking for info to come to Thailand for a month as a tourist.  I was there in 2016.  my plan was Dubai for new years eve and expo then on to Thailand.  but after reading all this.  i think that it is not possible.

 

Cambodia was on my short list.....

 

sigh

[zzaa09]

11 hours ago, RobU said:

I fully agree there is just too much financial risk, Having a drink doesn't bother me personally but the lack of entertainment and limits on eating out with an effective curfew (i.e. everything is closed at night) is a big barrier to casual (i.e. where shall we go this year) tourists on a budget, who are the majority.

And they have yet to realize that all these restrictive contradictions and policies are gonna come back to bite them on the backside. 

In theory, there's still time to make amends and salvage the complete mess that they've created - in practice, they'll just dig a deeper hole.

[Stoker58]

 Thais just don’t seem to be capable of running things like apps and websites. I think it comes down to the language problem. I was trying to register on a shopping website the other day, just couldn’t get through it. I sent messages to their email and Messenger - nothing. Silence.

[Soondae]

22 hours ago, Karma80 said:

Arrived, had to go to the SHA+ hotel booked for a single night, check out 2 hours later and go home when the negative test came back and a sigh of relief that they they weren't going to be carted off for a 200k stay at a hospital.

 

What a waste of time. Why would any genuine tourist be bothered with this rubbish. 

For myself as a returning resident it was well worth the effort as I am sure it was for your friend a businessman. For tourists I agree it is not accommodating. Yes the airlines are totally confused in what is required of them I believe this is on account of the previous Certificate of Entry system which required tons of paperwork. Singapore Air took 30 minutes per person to process at check in at SFO. Luckily I had printed all my documents and QR code, those that didn't have paper copies were told to email them to the SINAIR office so they can be printed. Then the agent took a photo of each document for their archives and a supervisor had to come and go thru all the documents as well before the agent was cleared to process the individual.

As far as arrival was concerned it was very slick, however the screeners of your documents preferred to see paper copies as well. I went right thru the line because I had paper copies ready, the officer scanned my paper QR code and then I went straight to immigration, bag claim and then my waiting SHA+ hotel representative. The whole process after arrival only took me 30 minutes and I was swabbed and resting comfortably in my hotel room served breakfast and ordered a couple of beers within an hour.

[NanaSomchai]

13 hours ago, 7700 said:

This is the first year since 99 that I have not wintered in Thailand.  Gone to Southern Portugal instead and loving it.

And we're very happy to host you and hope you enjoy your stay with us! ????????

 

Obrigàdo! ????????????????????????