Thailand set to ease entry requirements

[webfact]

File photo: REUTERS

 

Thailand's health minister Anutin Charnvirakul and key Covid-19 figure Dr Opas Kankavinpong made positive noises yesterday for Thailand's continued reopening after meetings and ahead of today's CCSA main committee meeting.

 

Dr Opas said that the CCSA could decide to change the controversial RT-PCR tests on arrival for foreign tourists just to be an ATK swab test.

 

But he cautioned that the change would not be overnight as proper systems need to be in place and decisions made as to who would perform the swab tests. 

 

The Test and Go program since November 1st had shown only 0.08% of foreign arrivals were tested positive for Covid, within parameters decided earlier.

 

Dr Opas said that the CCSA would consider opening sea and land borders - not all, just some as a pilot, ones that were deemed safe to do so.

 

He also stressed that only fully vaxxed visitors would be allowed and those who had been tested negative within 72 hours prior to arrival with an RT-PCR test and had all the documentation.

 

Regarding more countries being added to the current 63 allowed to enter Thailand he said that this would be decided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

 

He echoed other statements in the Thai media from Anutin that the second stage of the reopening of Thailand would commence December 1st, the middle of next week.

 

In other news Anutin has decided to scrap the 50 baht charge for the E-Vaccine Passport now available at several places in Bangkok and a total of 120 places nationwide. 

 

He also mentioned that he is securing the use of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid (a Pfizer drug) in the fight against Covid with 50,000 doses of each. 

 

Visa-compliant insurance plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m

 

 

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[Geoffggi]

Open the country from the inside first, open air bars and allow restaurants to sell alcohol together with selective nighttime entertainment venues then people (genuine tourists in particular) will not be disappointed and give bad reviews of the country as a whole

[meechai]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr Opas said that the CCSA could decide to change the controversial RT-PCR tests on arrival for foreign tourists just to be an ATK swab test.

Getting closer ???? 

Get to the next step where like other countries all that is required is proof/negative test within 72 hours of departing to Thailand

[gt162]

Antigen test on arrival at the airport should take 5-10 minutes. Eliminating the 1 night expensive quarantine hotel for test results should improve the tourism.

[darksidedog]

Faint sparks of understanding of reality and common sense starting to poke their way towards the surface it seems.

[inactiveposter]

An interesting article from Bloomberg covering 53 countries and their resilience in dealing with Covid, (Thailand is #51.)

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/

[sanuk711]

34 minutes ago, inactiveposter said:

An interesting article from Bloomberg covering 53 countries and their resilience in dealing with Covid, (Thailand is #51.)

Seems interesting -----why not cut and paste it inavtiveposter---as no one will be able to read it unless they pay Bloomberg some money..........

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

and had all the documentation.

So the hotel quarantine, transport charges, and insurance still remain in place, with all of it going through the Thailand Pass. The only thing different is the test, I guess, which has been changed, not dropped.  

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

Open the country from the inside first, open air bars and allow restaurants to sell alcohol together with selective nighttime entertainment venues then people (genuine tourists in particular) will not be disappointed and give bad reviews of the country as a whole

Not going to happen, see the other thread for Anutin's comments blaming alcohol for the rise in covid cases.

 

They are so deluded they think tourists will come back regardless. 

 

Let's see if they are correct, so far it isn't looking good. 

[aussiexpat]

If only an ATK is required that at least gets rid of the mandatory taxi and Hotel... now just the insurance scam to go

[ozfarang]

20 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

Seems interesting -----why not cut and paste it inavtiveposter---as no one will be able to read it unless they pay Bloomberg some money..........

You can read it without subscribing. 

Just read it, very inter interesting article, updated monthly

[samtam]

1 hour ago, gt162 said:

Antigen test on arrival at the airport should take 5-10 minutes. Eliminating the 1 night expensive quarantine hotel for test results should improve the tourism.

Unfortunately no mention of removing the 1 night quarantine, however.

 

 

16 minutes ago, John Drake said:

So the hotel quarantine, transport charges, and insurance still remain in place, with all of it going through the Thailand Pass. The only thing different is the test, I guess, which has been changed, not dropped.  

Exactly. No mention of removing the 1 night quarantine, even though the ATK will be available within 30 minutes maximum.

 

 

5 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

If only an ATK is required that at least gets rid of the mandatory taxi and Hotel... now just the insurance scam to go

Apparently not, according to the announcement that ATK has been approved.

 

But perhaps as usual, the news will come out in dribs and drabs over the coming days.

[aussiexpat]

20 minutes ago, samtam said:

Apparently not, according to the announcement that ATK has been approved.

 

But perhaps as usual, the news will come out in dribs and drabs over the coming days.

That makes no sense as if it moves to an ATK test you definitely don't need a taxi and hotel. In fact you shouldn't need a Thai Pass because all that's left is the insurance to check

 

If they keep the taxi and hotel however, then that is even more proof it was only ever a money making scam

 

[zzzzz]

2 hours ago, gt162 said:

Antigen test on arrival at the airport should take 5-10 minutes. Eliminating the 1 night expensive quarantine hotel for test results should improve the tourism.

thats what Cambodia currently uses for entry

NO mention about the insurance requirement thou

[Farangus]

I really hope that the list will be expanded to all countries of the world.  Because my country is not important for Thailand and it can only be in the general list of "all countries"

[RafPinto]

Those 3 older farangs  on the photo come certainly to play some golf.

[asiasurfer]

RegularTourists will not come like this. Only once all barriers are removed, we can think again. Looking at some of the deserted tourist areas, I just wonder what any tourist will do here. 

 

Been to some island's beaches recently. Unless, you enjoy total loneliness, you will get bored here very quickly. In the end it's just water, some sand and plenty of sandfly!

[samtam]

2 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

That makes no sense as if it moves to an ATK test you definitely don't need a taxi and hotel. In fact you shouldn't need a Thai Pass because all that's left is the insurance to check

 

If they keep the taxi and hotel however, then that is even more proof it was only ever a money making scam

 

Don't think it was ever meant to make sense!

[metisdead]

A post with a headline from some news article without a supporting link has been removed:

 

14) You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Please only post a link, the headline and the first three sentences.

 

[RafPinto]

Yes, time to ease now.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10229159/South-Africa-new-red-travel-list-early-TOMORROW-fears-mutant-strain.html

[bokningar]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Dr Opas said that the CCSA could decide to change the controversial RT-PCR tests on arrival for foreign tourists just to be an ATK swab test

I would say that "could" is the important word here.

If and when we still don't know.

[thaiflyer1]

3 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

Seems interesting -----why not cut and paste it inavtiveposter---as no one will be able to read it unless they pay Bloomberg some money..........

If your stuck on this or any other subscription article try putting the url in here.................

 

https://archive.fo/

[drenddy]

This summer the region of Andalusia offered free Covid health care to tourists, provided they booked an established hotel&BB.

I mean, no SHA or AQ, you just needed not to stay at a private place, such as Airbnb.

 

You won't see this kind of thinking in Thailand.

[TheFishman1]

Get rid of the Thai Pass

[daveAustin]

You have to offer incentives if you want people. Throwing up barriers and making them pay innocuous ‘insurances’ is not the way normal governments operate. Of course, we all know you’re not normal and don’t really want people visiting. 

[RichardColeman]

So a swab test on entry 'could' be acceptable. Rather a shame we do not do away with all the company financial boom pcr tests and do swaps at the airport before boarding too. 

[Paul Henry]

Gradually the authorities in Thailand are working hard to facilitate tourists entering the country with the least amount of hassle and bureaucratic red tape. In true Thai fashion it will need a number of changes  and modifications all be slow to save face. At least I think the reality has hit home that the current system is a hinderance to attracting tourists and needs radical re-think. I hope they keep up the good work and attract tourists early next year. Including me and mine! 

[RichardColeman]

11 minutes ago, Paul Henry said:

In true Thai fashion it will need a number of changes  and modifications all be slow to save face. At least I think the reality has hit home that the current system is a hinderance to attracting tourists and needs radical re-think.

Let us hope it does not involve yet another 20 year plan !

[HappyExpat57]

GOOD GAWD they are a bunch of slow learners. They're usually superior at "monkey see, monkey do," and you'd think they would look at countries with decent tourism and copy their programs.

[Tracyb]

5 hours ago, gt162 said:

Antigen test on arrival at the airport should take 5-10 minutes. Eliminating the 1 night expensive quarantine hotel for test results should improve the tourism.

I wonder how long the lines will be for those waiting for the ATK test….  And where will they wait for the results?  …and what happens if they test positive?   So many question…..so few answers.  Maybe they’ll just fly by the seats of their pants……. Oh wait!  That’s what they’re doing now!