Thailand to resume registration for quarantine-free ‘Test and Go’ program on Feb 1

[JCP108]

7 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

You may indeed have an overstay under those conditions, but that would be long after your Test and Go entry is over. 

Right. But, I will have to do a test before getting on my flight to go back to the states. If that one is positive, I'll get captured into the hospital scheme and possibly have to overstay. 

[kimamey]

2 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

I agree 100% and I'm hardly looking forward to arrival in Feb for 5 months with things as they stand.

 

Howeve, in Asia at least, the picture is hardly better. I planned to travel in the region and, as of now, can't even get into Malaysia or Vietnam. Philippines is 5 day quarantine I believe. Singapore does have quarantine free entry but several tests post-arrival. So the Asia picture isn't great. Perhaps South America etc. are better destinations for those who are flexible.

 

FWIW, I just spent Christmas and New Year in the US and the atmosphere was very normal. I took one antigen test 24 hours before departing UK and that was it. A recommendation to do an antigen on day 3-5 and I was given a kit when arriving in Chicago. No obligation though and it would be home isolation on your own account. The UK and US figures are high but hospitalisation/death rates have not climbed in a corresponding manner and they will be the first out of this Omicron wave. Shutting up shop simply is a waste of time here and the sooner we learn to live with this virus, the better. 

 

I think the UK at least is a bit ahead of Thailand with Omicron so I can see the need for testing when you arrive but after that it seems a bit pointless and a hotel stay for a night to wait for a result after travelling around for a few days makes no sense at all. It shouldn't be that long before the situation improves even more.

 

I would say with the latest rules for the UK that the dropping of the requirement for masks in indoor locations other then when eating or drinking makes no sense. Wearing a mask to allow business to continue seems a small price to pay. Then again that's just a political decision to keep a few right wingers happy.

[kimamey]

2 hours ago, bullseye66 said:

I've been saying the same for months. You need to be desperate or stupid to travel to Thailand at present.

Well I live there so I've told my wife I need to come back soon as I'm desperate to see the dogs.  ????

[Polar Bear]

3 hours ago, pattaya1234was said:

A friend arrived  a week ago. Stayed in hotel in Bangkok and then travelled  to his apartment in Pattaya. On day5/6 he had his second pCR test in a hospital in Pattaya. He has not been 'detained' anywhere.

They stopped accepting new applications for that option weeks ago. Only people who already had a pass issued can still do it.

[Cabradelmar]

Not quarantine free. Just saying. Day 1 and day 5 you need to be in a SHA+ hotel (with fingers crossed you don't test positive)... So the "test-and-fly-in, test-and-go, test-and-go-again, and test-and-fly-out program" (that's 4 test - sounds relaxing) is probably not going to be that popular. Particularly risky if you plan to socialize during days 2, 3 and 4, increasing you odds of testing positive on day 5 ????

[NanLaew]

On 1/20/2022 at 4:28 PM, Cake Monster said:

It has not worked so far in Phuket, with Tourists being allowed to wander all over the island at will, after leaving their Accommodation.

That's allowed. That's why it is called a 'sandbox', not a hotel box.

[NanLaew]

22 hours ago, worrab said:

This is more than crazy!! I am going to UK in June and returning end of July and live in Bang Saphan Noi. So unless this changes, again, I will have to stay in Bangkok for the duration???

Test and Go I do not think so. Another complete and utter farce from them that do not have a clue!!!

It's only January. Stop panicking.

[NanLaew]

After they've talked to the AQ hoteliers, SHA+ licensing authorities and all the other partners, all these wrinkles will be ironed out. There's no need to comment on the new rules until they appear in the Royal Gazette (or Richard Barrow gets it for us from a horses mouth).

[KhaoYai]

43 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

It's only January. Stop panicking.

Agreed. These measures won't produce anything like the numbers they are hoping for so they'll have to rethink it.  They probably haven't realised that the relatively high numbers that visited during November/December were largely those that have been waiting to get back to their families etc. and Christmas tourists.  Christmas is over and those that visited their families have now done so - returned home and having waited nearly 2 years in some cases, will be prepared to wait again, until these measures are reduced.

[Canuckluck]

We've resigned to having show proof of a vaccine document for entry,am leary about the reliability of current tests for covid will not accept paying for hospital stay or hotel stay if i feel fine which btw goes without saying i wouldn't travel in the first place if i wasn't.So that leaves this silly sand-box idea..very few people would be ok with that imo.  Signed your average everyday sun seeker.

[tomyami]

Just today a very cautious ireland has decided on medical advice there no further grounds for restrictions based on the omicron variant replacing delta

So the gates are to be thrown open

Thailand will do the same maybe mid year until then enjoy your peace and quite

[mjakob007]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The 'Test & Go, come back, Test & Go again' scheme !!!

Get infected during the stay, get hospitelised, and fined before departure...

 

'Test & Go, come back, Test & Go again, infected, hospitelised, fined'

[garyk]

Uggggg, will have to wait a little longer. 

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

After they've talked to the AQ hoteliers, SHA+ licensing authorities and all the other partners, all these wrinkles will be ironed out. There's no need to comment on the new rules until they appear in the Royal Gazette (or Richard Barrow gets it for us from a horses mouth).

Let's hope so.

I would imagine it's the hoteliers that are behind the hotel stay for the second test as I can't see any clinical reasoning behind it and in fact the second test itself might mean more chance of spreading it.

[Danderman123]

6 hours ago, tomyami said:

Cambodia vaxed and 72 hour preflight and go no test on arrival

Can you remind me how you obtained your visa to enter Cambodia?

[bangon04]

On 1/20/2022 at 12:03 PM, RichardColeman said:

I'll stick with my 7 days hotel AQ. Chances of catching covid between 1st and 2nd test in AQ hotel is pretty remote compared to mixing with the 142th per million ranked untested thais. Don't mind sacrificing a few days as  I should be in country for minimum 14 months

But you know they don't want you they want "quality" tourists.....

[cncltd1973]

On 1/20/2022 at 5:47 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Thailand is now allowing home quarantine/ isolation for those (with a home) who test positive for Covid-19. 
 

Will they allow those who test positive on day 5 the same tolerance ? 
 

as you mentioned anyone who tests positive on day 5 may well have caught Covid in country… 

 

The day 5 test protects no one - it’s utterly senseless unless arrival quarantine itself is 6 days. 

I'm beginning to think the day 5 test isn't about protecting people, but to get a 2nd chance at incarcerating visitors against their will and at their expense. I think this gov't enjoys that kind of power over farangs, they really don't want farangs coming and they'd rather keep Thailand for Thai people.

[MarcelV]

This isn't gonna end well. Mark my words: before March T&G will be abolished again and Thailand will be LOCKED DOWN.

[tomyami]

Ireland ends most restrictions masks will go next month workers start back next week nightclubs tomorrow if they want.

Chief med officer cites no longer a medical reason for restrictions due to covid

 

omicron has ended the pandemic in Ireland

 

thailand will have to normalise soon so shove ur T&G where the sun dont shine in about a month.

 

[NHPT]

This is not an incentive.....Omicron far more likely to test positive on 1st, 5th, or before going home.

10 days "vacation" in hospital at your expense $$$$

 

Not a good time to travel

[RichardColeman]

So 'test and go', has been changed to 'test and go and come back and test and go' ? 

[mbenson]

14 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The test and go system is not to benefit visitors or to encourage people to come, it is to demonstrate how well they are doing in controlling the spread of the virus in Thailand and to inconvenience foreign visitors because, in true Thai fashion, they don't really want loads of us here at the moment but just can't come out and openly say so.

It's all political. But of course they want the visitor's money without the visitors.

[mbenson]

How about expats and others with homes in Thailand who use Test and Go to reenter? I get the first hotel stay and test - to prevent the spread of imported cases. But then they can go home, only to need to gop out and rent another SHA+ hotel room for the second test? I would find that just a bit annoying.

 

And it does seem like the purpose of that second test is not to detect imported cases, but to do something else. Let's say you were exposed before arriving, but viral load is too low to be detected with the first test. Plenty of time to become contagious while wandering around Thailand during the days between the first and second tests. There is little value in sequestering in a hotel at this point because there have been many opportunities to spread the virus up that point, so what is a few hours in the hotel going to do? However, the hotel may be a good way to prevent people from disappearing if the test positive. Turns hotel personnel into prison guards, but that might be what the intent is.

[Will B Good]

21 hours ago, zoza said:

i have got my Thailand pass  and have booked my flight, hotel, plus taxi plus PCR tests

plus Insurance/and provided receipts for everything bar my pre-72hour flight; PCR test 

i presume as they have still reinstated all previously granted Thailand passes? 

as i was granted my Pass before they had the stop-go-stop ? are they accepting these?

and can i still fly on the 6th of Febuary ,   

Snap, fly Feb 3

[Will B Good]

19 hours ago, eight said:

Dont think so. I just saw a old fat geezer giver her a fist full of $$$$$.

 

SOH ? 

Thank god for that......saving me a fortune

[Will B Good]

19 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Or you could stay in the big smoke and party bewteen days 1 and 5 - lol.

On it.....555

[Will B Good]

11 hours ago, Jimjim1 said:

What? You mean he’s good at it! 555

Maybe she was running away,,,,555

[bangon04]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

*Travellers can book 2 different hotels for the accommodation on Day 1 and Day 5. However, on both Day 1 and Day 5, they must stay within the room for the RT-PCR test result.

 

This is crazy. 

 

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/01/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/

It makes perfect sense - they have you shut in a hotel room when your test is returned. They can choose to detain you and march you off to a quarantine hospitel at great expense even if you are asymptomatic and you picked up the virus during the previous 3 days.

It is a tempting option to give you a "positive" result and screw you over....

[tomyami]

42 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

It makes perfect sense - they have you shut in a hotel room when your test is returned. They can choose to detain you and march you off to a quarantine hospitel at great expense even if you are asymptomatic and you picked up the virus during the previous 3 days.

It is a tempting option to give you a "positive" result and screw you over....

good, that will keep our peace and quite for abit longer ra ra prayut

copied this from a country today that has officially ended its restrictions.

Omicron has ended the pandemic.

Not vaccines, not mitigations, not masks.

Remember this.

[daejung]

On 1/20/2022 at 10:09 AM, snoop1130 said:

“Test and Go”

For me it still will be "Stop and Stop"