Thailand’s Minister of Public Health officially proposes to Covid-Center to postpone resuming “Test and Go” until at least the end of January

[Sheryl]

The continued suspension was to be expected.

 

But having annnounced that previously approved T&G passes would be honored, to suddenly reverse on that giving people less than a week's notice is seriously bad faith. Let's hope the committee either omits this or at least makes it a more reasonable time period e.g. a month's notice.

[aussiexpat]

1 minute ago, JustAnotherHun said:

do you have a source for that? AFAIK the grandfathering of the before Dec21(?) approved T&Gs is still valid.

It's in the aseannow news post above

 

"After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox."

[stigar]

2 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

I have always travel fast! Like nothing plan if i go i go! Normaly when decide i flight next day! Now not possible. Im bist to all kind request's, never before has travel country's where i have to apply entrance forward!

I had plan to go earlier.My lady told me to wait,so i did.And she was rigth.I been with her 2,5 months allready last year.Took 15 days quarantene.Wasted money.The hotel cost me more then we use for a month in korat.

[Michel PUISSANT]

13 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Approved 1 day Test & Go in Bangkok all paid for, was arriving 13 Jan...if I was willing to do 7 days ASQ I would have done it ages ago....Thailand is a disaster with every tourist reccomended to go anywhere but there...

Same here mate.
Was supposed to arrive January 13, Test & Go as well...
I'm still sleepy so my brain cannot quite process the news...
I'll probably have to cancel everything, I don't want to quarantine

The wife can wait another 3 months right...

[JustAnotherHun]

4 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

It's in the aseannow news post above

 

"After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox."

So all the 90k approved T&G travellers can cancel their bookings. Great promotion for Thailand's tourism.

TAT will come up with a "new strategy" soon.

[Sheryl]

6 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

It's in the aseannow news post above

 

"After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox."

This a proposal. Not yet reviewed by the CCSA.

[stigar]

19 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

I come back March if some kind entrance is possible then. Today going to get my third jab (Pfizer), seems like dosent matter that either for anything else than maybe im not get really sick myself.

People get 3 jabs / year and still close border's, when going to end this sht!? Cant stay home forever and isolate hole world. Here in Finland had over 11000 infection last friday (waiting weekends number), i just visit shop whitout mask coz forget one. I just dont care anymore! F IT!

I have booked a ticket late march.Here in norway about 3000 new cases today.I live near the finland border.Just need a valid pcr-test for entering ur country.I will get my booster 7th january(phizer)

[JackGats]

Everything booked to arrive on January 14th. A disgrace if I have to cancel everything. I tell myself consequences will have to follow regarding my country of retirement. Cannot go on like this.

 

This charade can still go on and on for years. I need to reside in a country I can enter by default, not a coutry I am prohibited from entering by default. If I did not have substantial money in Thailand I would be out already.

[morocco]

43 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox.

 

So how can I enter via Phuket Sandbox when my flight arrives in Bangkok 12 Jan with hotel, taxi and PCR Tests already paid for Bangkok...

 

Exactly!!!  

[aussiexpat]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

This a proposal. Not yet reviewed by the CCSA.

He's the health minister and deputy PM...more than just a proposal just like his last announcement that test & go would be suspended turned out to be rubber stamped

[ThailandRyan]

15 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

It's in the aseannow news post above

 

"After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox."

That was a posted tweet and nothing is yet set in stone. We will just have to sit on pins and needles for a few hours or so.

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

So all the 90k approved T&G travellers can cancel their bookings. Great promotion for Thailand's tourism.

TAT will come up with a "new strategy" soon.

TAT = Tourism Already Tanked

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, Screaming said:

This is a good idea. There are many foreigners that are entering Thailand with the new brand of Covid. I would like to see a fourteen day quarantine also reinstated for new entries. The January 15 opening of bars should also be moved up until the middle of next year on the new fears of covid.

Its to late, the terrorist spreaders have arrived, soon the whole world will have had omicron and got over it, anyhow its certainly looking that way.

[DLock]

This was completely expected. It should not be a surprise to anyone.

 

Thailand has yet to go through the Omicron phase, and whilst this Thai Pass extension may delay people arriving, it will not stop Omicron...

[James105]

It's great that Thailand is doing its best to keep Omicron (AKA sniffles) from entering Thailand.  Rational thinkers would probably suggest that it's a bit pointless as it is already here but as we all know by now, it is not really about preventing or controlling the virus (as this is impossible), it is to look like something is being done no matter how little benefit it has compared to how much it costs.  

 

Well done to all involved in this momentously pointless bit of decision making.  I personally am looking forward to seeing what comes out of the covid decision making hat next.   We haven't had walking backwards around supermarkets yet so hopefully this will be picked soon as I feel it is long overdue.  

[RichardColeman]

A lot of people should be very worried now. Many people were booked to go on the test and go after 10th January. These people will now be cancelling flights like mad, and in all probability the airlines will now start cancelling flights due to mass cancellations - you may book you phuket sandbox, but you may not be able to get there potentially !

[Paul Henry]

If Thailand has a majority of people vaccinated they are swimming agains the tide. Many other countries that have high vax rates are doing away with testing and quarantine and letting the Omicron virus spread to unvaccinated populace to build up their immune system. By end of January we will see our friends change the rules again.

[Soyboy]

Who is still scared of catching covid and absolutely nothing happening to you except you feel like you have the baby flu? 

[RichardColeman]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

TAT = Tourism Already Tanked

Shame they are not called the TAF

[thailand49]

Does that means he conceeds " the virus is no match for the Thai medical system "???? what a jackass!

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, James105 said:

It's great that Thailand is doing its best to keep Omicron (AKA sniffles) from entering Thailand.  Rational thinkers would probably suggest that it's a bit pointless as it is already here but as we all know by now, it is not really about preventing or controlling the virus (as this is impossible), it is to look like something is being done no matter how little benefit it has compared to how much it costs.  

 

Well done to all involved in this momentously pointless bit of decision making.  I personally am looking forward to seeing what comes out of the covid decision making hat next.   We haven't had walking backwards around supermarkets yet so hopefully this will be picked soon as I feel it is long overdue.  

If ALL thais were tested every 5 days then I'd agree with you, but as it stands, twice pcr tested vaccinated tourists coming in are probably less 'infected' per head count than the same number of untested Thais ! Which makes the argument of stopping incoming people a bit of a mute point in my opinion

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

Does that means he conceeds " the virus is no match for the Thai medical system "???? what a jackass!

He speaks in tongues apparently and can not remember what he said just yesterday as he changes his view daily, weekly, and monthly.

[PEE TEE]

No worries he has Covid under control 

[Cherrytreeview]

48 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

I’ll second that!! Or possibly part of the ‘I’m alright Jack’ brigade?

 

Omicron has been seeded in Thailand weeks ago. It's everywhere. It's blown through Pattaya already.

It will rip through the rest of Thailand as sure as night follows day and bringing in token, headline grabbing and virtue signaling quarantines for a handful of tourists won't make a jot of difference.

It will however keep up the xenophobic narrative of keep the filthy farangs out.

As usual, i would think the "i'm alright jack brigade" are a bunch of old geezers mucking out buffalo sheds in Nakon Nowhere on a UK frozen state pension.

Meanwhile, their Thai neighbours fall further and further into debt.

Of course, this is of no concern to them or the Hi So Thai's who are happy to keep Thailand as SE Asia's leader in wealth inequality.

 

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, TooMuchTime said:

Good.  Safety first and masks up!

Absolutely.  Spot the foreigner and masks up at once!  ????

[JackGats]

4 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

If ALL thais were tested every 5 days then I'd agree with you, but as it stands, twice pcr tested vaccinated tourists coming in are probably less 'infected' per head count than the same number of untested Thais ! Which makes the argument of stopping incoming people a bit of a mute point in my opinion

Exactly. Alas polititians want to look good to their constituency. "Preventing foreigners from bringing in Omicron" looks good, even if medically nonsensical.

[johnbarpic]

We’re doomed ????????‍♂️????????‍♂️The end is nigh.. People will be dying of starvation with lack of job’s lack of income and business closures. Covid is here to stay in what ever variant comes next need to get vaccinated and get the world going again before it’s to late for many to recover other than the fat cats who have loads stashed and think this is a good time to increase prices to recover their  losses which adds to the misery of the many and not the few..

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

After January 10, anyone who enters Thailand would only be able to do so via the Phuket Sandbox.

 

So how can I enter via Phuket Sandbox when my flight arrives in Bangkok 12 Jan with hotel, taxi and PCR Tests already paid for Bangkok...

 

 

57 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

That's a good question

And here's the actual answer, which you both already know. Thailand doesn't give a flip. Those in charge don't care who they jerk around. They're ignoramuses making silly snap decisions without capability of forethought nor afterthought. Then knee jerk changes on whim with total disregard for those they are screwing over...including their very own people. 

[aussiexpat]

17 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

A lot of people should be very worried now. Many people were booked to go on the test and go after 10th January. These people will now be cancelling flights like mad, and in all probability the airlines will now start cancelling flights due to mass cancellations - you may book you phuket sandbox, but you may not be able to get there potentially !

I have a flight to Bsngkok 13 Jan. While I can change this booking for free, I can't just change it to arrive in Phuket in order to do sandbox. I would need a brand new ticket with my current one wasted.

 

How can Thailand insist on you pre-Paying for flights, hotel, taxi and PCR Tests, approve you to come, and then say nope, your double vaxed, PCR negative tested <deleted> is no longer welcome....TAT thanks you for your wasted baht though ????

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by aussiexpat

[Tracyb]

Who would have guessed?