anything extra required to transit briefly through Suvarnabhumi?

[World Traveller2]

Does a fully-Pfizer vaccinated (X2 plus booster) citizen of Switzerland coming from Cambodia require anything special (PCR test, medical insurance etc) to transit 4+- hours through BKK airport enroute to Switzerland? Traveller already has his ticket, arriving on Thai smile from PNH, then onward with Swiss Air to ZRH. Travel date is mid-February this year, i.e. in less than ten days hence.

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by World Traveller2

[ubonjoe]

This from the FAQs' for entering the country.

 

Source: https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/thailand-pass-faqs-2

[treetops]

Your luggage must be checked through to your final destination, and in addition to the info ubonjoe has supplied from the MFA, IATA and the CAAT say that being fully vaccinated is acceptable as an alternative to the PCR Test.

 

IATA:

 

CAAT:

[BritTim]

Some of the published information by the Thai authorities is contradictory. Thai Smile should be 100% familiar with what is actually being enforced (it is their responsibility to verify the conditions are met at check in). Check with them.

 

As others have indicated, you must be able to check through your baggage to your final destination, which implies you will have your boarding pass already, when departing Phnom Penh for the Bangkok to Switzerland leg. Again, check carefully with Thai Smile that this is going to happen.

[World Traveller2]

Thank yous to all three of you: UbonJoe, Treetops and BritTim. I will recommend that he read all three of your posts *plus* do the logical thing - check with the gatekeepers, his airline(s).

 

I am a bit confused by the punctuation in the CAAT statement of policy. Still not sure about the 'and', 'or' and comma. Medical insurance required for transit or not?  I will study the resources you have recommended. One has to virtually be a lawyer to travel!

[Shocked farang]

12 hours ago, BritTim said:

Some of the published information by the Thai authorities is contradictory. Thai Smile should be 100% familiar with what is actually being enforced (it is their responsibility to verify the conditions are met at check in). Check with them.

 

As others have indicated, you must be able to check through your baggage to your final destination, which implies you will have your boarding pass already, when departing Phnom Penh for the Bangkok to Switzerland leg. Again, check carefully with Thai Smile that this is going to happen.

I don't want to be negative, but we need to look at the facts. Thai Smile is a low cost airline, in my experience with low cost airlines, there's no way that Thai Smile will be able to issue a boarding pass plus transfer the bags to Swiss Airways. So, better prepare to pass through immigration, collect your luggage and then check in again with Swiss. But check with Thai Smile anyway.

[cardinalblue]

So that means you are stuck to buy a 30 day insurance policy even though you are only 4 hours or less or whatever in the airport….just absolute craziness zero common sense….thank God other countries aren’t creating ridiculous transit policies….

[mtls2005]

Seeing more and more reports of people on int'l-int'l connections transiting SBIA/BKK.

 

16 hours ago, World Traveller2 said:

Traveller already has his ticket, arriving on Thai smile from PNH, then onward with Swiss Air to ZRH.

Is this one single ticket? Issued by? Or separate tickets?

 

In theory - I think TG's interline agreement extends from WE (Thai Smile) to LX (Swiss Air), so WE reps at PNH should be able to check bags through to ZRH (even if separate tickets).

 

TG has this, but it is "old-ish":

 

2. Requirements to Transit/Transfer Passenger to other international destination.

For passengers Transfer/Transit to another country via Thailand, the following documents must be prepared and presented before boarding the aircraft for Transfer/Transit in Thailand.

 

      - RT-PCR laboratory result that COVID-19 is not detected( issued  no more than 72 hours before travelling)

      - Fit to Fly health certificate 

      - A health insurance policy (Including COVID-19 with minimum coverage USD 100,000)

      - The time period of each Transit/Transfer operation shall not exceed 12 hours

      - International flight with Transit/Transfer shall be permitted only at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

      - Please check necessary documents through website of the country's embassy to enter the country of destination after Transit/Transfer

[mtls2005]

16 hours ago, World Traveller2 said:

Traveller already has his ticket, arriving on Thai smile from PNH, then onward with Swiss Air to ZRH.

Can you share the itinerary?

 

I looked at one routing (WE/LX, ticket issued by TG), and it had a 12:50 connection at BKK.

 

There has been mention of a Twelve Hour limit on connections at BKK. But if TG issued the ticket it should, in theory be acceptable?

 

Probably better to fly PNH-SIN-ZRH?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

There has been mention of a Twelve Hour limit on connections at BKK. But if TG issued the ticket it should, in theory be acceptable?

 

That has been changed to 24 hours. 
Read the info from the MFA I posted yesterday.

[Alan7272]

From this is ascertain that for me flying form HCMC to CNX on thai smile all in a single day - 1 booking ticket with internal transfer through BKK.
I will have no problems transit through to CNX ?

 

 

[mtls2005]

31 minutes ago, Alan7272 said:

I will have no problems transit through to CNX ?

 

 

That's different from an intl-intl connection.

 

Your situation is subject to the Test&Go/ThaiPass "rules".

 

 

[ubonjoe]

41 minutes ago, Alan7272 said:

From this is ascertain that for me flying form HCMC to CNX on thai smile all in a single day - 1 booking ticket with internal transfer through BKK.
I will have no problems transit through to CNX ?

Is it a flight that only stops in BKK for passengers to disembark and then goes to CNX.

You need to confirm with Thai Smile that is is a classified as a international flight all the way to CNX. 

[Alan7272]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Is it a flight that only stops in BKK for passengers to disembark and then goes to CNX.

You need to confirm with Thai Smile that is is a classified as a international flight all the way to CNX. 

I got this reply from Thai Smile

You must quarantine 1 night at the last destination it shows on the ticket and the ticket must be a through ticket

[Homburg]

On 2/8/2022 at 12:52 AM, Shocked farang said:

I don't want to be negative, but we need to look at the facts. Thai Smile is a low cost airline, in my experience with low cost airlines, there's no way that Thai Smile will be able to issue a boarding pass plus transfer the bags to Swiss Airways. So, better prepare to pass through immigration, collect your luggage and then check in again with Swiss. But check with Thai Smile anyway.

I have previously travelled from PNH-BKK-LRH on Thai Smile & TG and been ticketed through (albeit pre-Covid), no need to pass through immigration and collect baggage in BKK and I have a ticket next week LRH-BKK-PNH where I expect the same process. For the OP I would say to make sure that you arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before your flight and have two copies of all your paperwork PRINTED (Cambodia loves paper) to show to check-in.  Last time I left PNH (in December, via SIN to LHR) it took the guy at PNH check-in 40 full minutes to check my paperwork.  Check-in took so long I truly thought I was going to be denied boarding.  Good luck with your journey.

[BritTim]

13 hours ago, Alan7272 said:

I got this reply from Thai Smile

You must quarantine 1 night at the last destination it shows on the ticket and the ticket must be a through ticket

Did you list your flights in your enquiry, and ask specifically about that routing?

 

To me, it seems quite unlikely that you can switch from a Swiss Air to a domestic Thai Smile flight without passing through immigration in Bangkok., but I do not know for sure.

[Alan7272]

On 2/11/2022 at 7:03 AM, BritTim said:

Did you list your flights in your enquiry, and ask specifically about that routing?

 

To me, it seems quite unlikely that you can switch from a Swiss Air to a domestic Thai Smile flight without passing through immigration in Bangkok., but I do not know for sure.

In my original post i did state the route and the operator. nothing to do with Swiss air for me.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Alan7272 said:

In my original post i did state the route and the operator. nothing to do with Swiss air for me.

I am sorry. I mixed up this thread with another involving Thai Smile. Since this is an international to international connection, this will probably be fine.

[mtls2005]

On 2/10/2022 at 5:58 PM, Alan7272 said:

I got this reply from Thai Smile

You must quarantine 1 night at the last destination it shows on the ticket and the ticket must be a through ticket

 

Yeah, this is an interesting response, not what I would have expected. A bit like the old CIQ process?

 

I guess they'll mix locals and intl arrivals on the BKK-CNX segment, then filter intl pax through the Test&Go process at CNX.

 

I don't follow the Test&Go iterations closely. 

 

I guess it makes sense.