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

[scotsdude]

1 hour ago, Archie501 said:

This is very strange. And I feel for anyone who this affects. Luckily I'm already in the country myself. However after reading this article I spoke to my girlfriend about this "new" information that has been released today, about the approved passes having to enter by January 10th. And her response was that "this isn't new information". And that she had read that this was going to be the case in a couple of weeks ago. She then proceeded to show me an article written in Thai, dated 21st of December 2021 that seems to back up her claim that this information was not new. And that they mentioned a cut-off date of January 10th weeks ago. I don't know how many of you read Thai but maybe you can have a look at this article yourselves, I'll include a screenshot. I wonder if this was reported weeks ago and yet for some reason wasn't included when being translated for the foreign news sources. Or maybe the gf is confused, could be either, lol.

 

Here's the URL: https://www.prachachat.net/politics/news-826105

Yes this was mentioned in a popular group on FB when they officially suspended the test & go... But everybody said this was rubbish..... 

[scotsdude]

56 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I could accept a 5 day - if they had a pattaya option, but having to go to Phuket for 10-14 days is currently madness

7 Day AQ will still be available in BKK or Pattaya tho..... 10 if not fully vaccinated...

[Zack61]

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I am supposed(at I hope so) to return in mid February.  I am already planning on a 7 or 10 day ASQ experience in BKK.  Cannot fault the Thai Government if Quarantine is brought back.  

As if a few extra cases is going to make a difference. Test and go wasn’t perfect but it would have captured most cases. All this decision has done is murdered the Thai economy and thrown it into another nosedive. It’s here and we have to learn to live with it and not spend the rest of our lives cringing in fear. If the government is not going lock everyone up and weld their doors shut for the next 2 years and shoot anyone who ventures outside then this whole exercise is useless. 

[Mavideol]

last Friday they posted something about the Trusted Destination campaign and I said to wait until Monday or Tuesday to get the contradiction..... was I right or was I right, never disapointed with these clowns  555

[roo860]

3 hours 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.

Oh shut up!

[ThailandRyan]

Looks like Israel is now reporting it's first case of someone with the Flu and Covid. not that it has not happened already in the US, but now we enter the truly "We need to learn to live with it" stage and stop this merry go round.  Are we now going to test everyone for the Flu and close the borders because of it as well.  Time to move onward and put two years of wasted time behind us. Vaccinate those that need to be vaccinated like we have for all other illnesses and viruses and set up annual boosters or such like we already do for the Flu, Hepatitis, Tetanus etc....

[superal]

1 hour 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

True and it is well documented that triple vaccinated adults are 80% less likely to catch , spread or be hospitalised by the virus .  If this proposal is made official , the Thai goverment will lose credibility for reneging on its promise to honour all processed & approved T&G applications , especially when it mentioned the word HONOUR in the promised statement . I guess they will say something like " we will honour all approved T&G applications but there will be a delay .  At the very least they should be offering compensation to cover all applicants lost monies . This is probably the final nail in the coffin for Thai tourism for some time to come . 

It is time for the world to re-open to fully vaccinated tourists or what is the point of vaccinations   

[ThailandRyan]

20 minutes ago, scotsdude said:

Do 7 days AQ in BKK if this proposal goes through... use the same ticket

I would be amenable to that if they would allow that as an option.  The cash layout would be about the same as a flight to Phuket and the added hotel expenses.  The Suite at the Banyan Tree is large and has a relaxed atmosphere along with a view.  I can just fill up the jacuzzi tub and lounge in it.....

[ChrisKC]

3 hours 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...

 

It looks like your circumstances are not within the plans of Mr Anutin.

Good luck to you all those who are trying their best under very trying conditions!

[ChrisKC]

I don't know about "Test and Go". it's more like Come and Go and Come and Go again, from the yo-yoing of these proclamations that are only possibles, no guarantees. How can anyone organise a trip to Thailand, whoever they are, and be reasonably assured they made a good plan! I am glad it isn't me needing to travel to Thailand (I am already here) and I certainly don't wish it on anyone else.

[katatonic]

3 hours ago, Michel PUISSANT said:

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...

Maybe both of you could bring your flights forward to the 10th? Thailand Pass is still valid for 72 hours either way.

[katatonic]

2 hours 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 can imagine flights on and before the 10th might now be a bit busier..

[thisisrascal]

The world needs to get its head examined and stop cowering in fear of something that isn’t dangerous to the vast majority of its population. 
 

Feel so sorry for the people who work in the tourist industry having to deal with all of this <deleted>.

Edited January 3, 2022 by thisisrascal

[robblok]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

To keep Omicron to a minimum he has no other choice.

History has proven Test & Go does not pick up every case, [Kalasin a case in point]

It might not please every one but he has more to think about than peoples holidays.

As for tourism related businesses they've had 18 months to think about things.

Normally id agree with you but the horse has already left the barn. Omicron is here and spreading so no real point anymore to all of this. People tested a few times are far less likely to have it then the population in Thailand.  I am not 100% because the test numbers here are so low we just dont know nobody wants to be tested and locked up.

 

But if it is already spreading like so many say what is the point then ? Ok maybe to prevent even more covid carriers inside Thailand but not to stop Omicron.

[JackGats]

29 minutes ago, scotsdude said:

7 Day AQ will still be available in BKK or Pattaya tho..... 10 if not fully vaccinated...

Will it? I read about a suspension of everything apart from the Pukhet Sandbox, and even that only maybe. Plus, how do you go now from a Thailand Pass QR to a full ASQ quarantine?

[aussiexpat]

2 minutes ago, katatonic said:

Maybe both of you could bring your flights forward to the 10th? Thailand Pass is still valid for 72 hours either way.

Flight would then leave 2300 on 10th and arrive 11th....so close ????

 

Obviously arriving on the 11th means I have bubonic plague and being fully vaxed plus PCR test 72 hours before flight and PCR test on arrival can't be trusted...

 

thailand sucks

[Trip Hop]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

Apparently he has a degree in Engineering - sod all to do with people's health!  But he also has lots of money - 'nuff said? 

Nothing wrong with a degree in engineering, I have 2.  It conditions a true engineer not to take anything at face value, to question everything and deal only in logic and science. So if you told me it was raining outside, I’d most probably have to go and check myself. Your average falang engineering degree also has a maths course content of about 90%, so statistics et al are a walk in the park. How do you think the experts model their predictions, with mathematical formulae of course?

 

Not that I’m defending the guy at all, his actions and statements go against everything I would expect of a true engineer, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he got his degree from that university at Khaosan Road, if he has one at all?

[ChrisKC]

29 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

last Friday they posted something about the Trusted Destination campaign and I said to wait until Monday or Tuesday to get the contradiction..... was I right or was I right, never disapointed with these clowns  555

Not sure whether you were right or whether you were right but it seems something has gone wrong - a case of two rights making a wrong?

[drenddy]

16 minutes ago, superal said:

True and it is well documented that triple vaccinated adults are 80% less likely to catch , spread or be hospitalised by the virus .  If this proposal is made official , the Thai goverment will lose credibility for reneging on its promise to honour all processed & approved T&G applications , especially when it mentioned the word HONOUR in the promised statement . I guess they will say something like " we will honour all approved T&G applications but there will be a delay .  At the very least they should be offering compensation to cover all applicants lost monies . This is probably the final nail in the coffin for Thai tourism for some time to come . 

It is time for the world to re-open to fully vaccinated tourists or what is the point of vaccinations   

Nobody cares about Thailand and its Covid policy.

Besides people directly affected.

 

World community does nothing regarding the junta, Thailands extreme drug penalties, not to mention lese-majeste.

On the world stage nobody gives a <deleted> about Thailand, especially during these times, therefore is no need for Thai Government to preserve credibility.

On national front, they couldn't care less.

[katatonic]

1 hour ago, Bvor said:

i don't know only seen forum reference somewhere, have no official link  

hence my maybe, apparently, ? 

perhaps others can provide the answer.

 

- Yes. However, flight changes are permitted within 72 hours after the original flight time registered in the Thailand Pass without the need to apply for a new Thailand Pass QR Code, provided that all other required documents remain valid.

 

[drenddy]

6 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Will it? I read about a suspension of everything apart from the Pukhet Sandbox, and even that only maybe. Plus, how do you go now from a Thailand Pass QR to a full ASQ quarantine?

Thais still need to travel home.

I hope they are not that dumb, cynical and careless to send everybody to Phuket.

[davidkas]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

My approval is for late February, but then if needed I can just do the sandbox unless they kill that off as well.

I'm due to arrive on the morning of 12th Jan ????????????

 

Not sure if I will have time to amend everything and get a new pass or whatever is now going to be required

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, drenddy said:

Nobody cares about Thailand and its Covid policy.

Besides people directly affected.

 

World community does nothing regarding the junta, Thailands extreme drug penalties, not to mention lese-majeste.

On the world stage nobody gives a <deleted> about Thailand, especially during these times, therefore is no need for Thai Government to preserve credibility.

On national front, they couldn't care less.

I would agree.

 

In the overall scheme of things, whilst 'we' watch all things Thai very closely, 99% of the world could give a ...........

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

 

thailand sucks

Next few days will clarify the situation.

If it means more quarantine (7 days?) Then so be it.

Correct me if I'm wrong but recall in many of your threads and posts that your planning to obtain non O etc.

If that's the case this is minor issue.

As for those on short 1 to 2 month break it's not nice however imo were very foolish to travel to Thailand (unless had family here).

Many including myself were saying that even prior to Omicron

[aussiexpat]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Next few days will clarify the situation.

If it means more quarantine (7 days?) Then so be it.

Correct me if I'm wrong but recall in many of your threads and posts that your planning to obtain non O etc.

If that's the case this is minor issue.

As for those on short 1 to 2 month break it's not nice however imo were very foolish to travel to Thailand (unless had family here).

Many including myself were saying that even prior to Omicron

How is this a minor issue? I've waited 2 years to come back to my home without having to do solitary confinement in a hotel first, I've paid 26,000 baht to arrive under the rules at the time and one week before my flight Thailand decides to block fully vaxxed arrivals from countries that have better covid records than them...

[scotsdude]

15 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Will it? I read about a suspension of everything apart from the Pukhet Sandbox, and even that only maybe. Plus, how do you go now from a Thailand Pass QR to a full ASQ quarantine?

Just wait for official announcement .... still offering AQ packages in Pattaya and BKK... Also read Phuket Sandbox AND AQ after the 10th... 

[thailand49]

Correct!  I do give him some credit?  he does come from the school " Art of the War "  a A-plus student of it. He will look you right in the eye, camera say it with a straight face mean and believe it 100% you can present him with his past quotes and it would make no difference he could take a lie detector test and pass with flying colors because he believes the B.S. he is selling. ???? You can show him a photo of him naked and he will tell you No!  that isn't me my penis is much larger than that.????

[thailand49]

Correct!  I do give him some credit?  he does come from the school " Art of the War "  a A-plus student of it. He will look you right in the eye, camera say it with a straight face mean and believe it 100% you can present him with his past quotes and it would make no difference he could take a lie detector test and pass with flying colors because he believes the B.S. he is selling. ???? You can show him a photo of him naked and he will tell you No!  that isn't me my penis is much larger than that.????

[Greenwich Boy]

2 hours ago, Bvor said:

is it at all possible for you to change bookings, etc and bring forward your bangkok arrival date to fit in with the A Nut proposed 10 jan cut-off.

maybe can utilise the 72 hour thailand pass date flexibility that apparently exists ?

i understand it would be a pain in the <deleted>............but maybe could work out.

wait and see announcement tomorrow maybe still have time to organise things if need be.   

TP can be used for delays of up to 72 hrs. Bring your flight forward, new TP 

[JustAnotherHun]

44 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Looks like Israel is now reporting it's first case of someone with the Flu and Covid. 

Ahh, the next "big thing"....  Fluvid ????