Thailand to consider cutting second COVID-19 tests on international arrivals

[heybuz]

If they scrap the second test i may consider returning,im over 70 had three jabs and been exposed to omicron through my immediate family i caught nothing, whereas the whole family of 5 was sick for about 3 days,im convinced omicron is no worse than a heavy cold and if it doesn't morph is managable.

 

[KhaoYai]

I doubt the second test is of any use in preventing the rise of the Omicron variant in Thailand but the main problem for me is not the test, its having to check back in to a hotel again.  I just can't get my head around the point of that.

Edited February 19, 2022 by KhaoYai

[Millcx]

14 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

Yeah and the Hotel con is on the 2nd so that will stay 5555

[FarFlungFalang]

People only get covid if they test.If you don't test you get a cold or flu.I never tested so I didn't get covid but I did get a cold or flu.If people want to stop the spread of covid then stop testing for it.

[mar zarych]

A day late and a dollar short as we say In Philadelphia 

[Crok]

Do I turn up for my second test tomorrow? Thailand needs to be consistent in kits requirements for international visitors.

[Gentleman Roy]

14 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

You keep hiding under your bed and away from the glorified flu Karen.

[goatfarmer]

14 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

What a joke! Testing international travellers for Omicron at all when it is already endemic.  

[Sydebolle]

Keep on whipping the dead horse; it will take MUCH MUCH more than just do away with erratic laws, rules and regulations. 
The loyal Thailand visitor had two years of being forced to visit other destinations ....... and did so. By the feedback within my circle of acquaintances and friends all of them, without exception, said that they found alternatives. Some cheaper, some nicer, all of the friendlier, all of them easier to enter (visa and funny reportings) etc. 
The semi-divine clowns at the helm of this country have to teach their people to treat tourists with welcoming and friendly respect; they are not free roaming game to be caught with lies, two-tier policies and cheatings starting at the airport already. 

But, as the saying goes, Thailand belongs to the Thais and it is upto them to clean up the self-invoked mess; for once they cannot stick that on the back of the dirty farang, alien, jeck, khaek and whatever derogative names they have for literally all non-Thai groups! 

[Dukeleto]

I see the worry nanny’s are still out in force. The test on the 5th day is completely pointless and is not there to protect anyone just the illusion of such. I think it was more just to net foreigners into the highly lucrative imprisonment - hospital - insurance scam. The CEO of Air Asia is simply calling it what it is. If you are negative prior to departure and negative on arrival and positive on day 5 the likelihood of you having caught covid in Thailand is way and beyond higher than you having it before you left.

[goatfarmer]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Infections caught on the second test are, pretty much by definition, not infections brought in from abroad but rather acquired after arrival in Thailand. Omicron incubation is only about 3 days.

 

There is no public health rationale for testing people on day 5.

 

 

 

 

The rationale for testing overseas arrivals at all is equally questionable. Omicron is endemic. It's not like they might be bringing in something that isn't already here. The testing requirement does more harm to the tourist industry than benefit to public health.

[Chongalulu]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There’s no ‘obvious’ Thai Snare (trap) or whatever paranoid conclusion you wish to draw. 

 

Decisions such as this are simply borne out of clumsiness and a lack of critical thought from those attempting to hash-out policy and attempt to achieve a solution.

 

I imagine no one in the room at the time thought....  hang-on a minute, but can’t new arrivals catch Covid-19 on day 1, 2, 3, or 4 ???? ....   and I’m glad no one did ask this question, otherwise to counter this they may very well have come up with 5 days quarantine. 

 

Baby-steps for for the juvenile minds of those in positions of decision making power - the removal of the day 5 test is a natural progression and simply a matter of time.

 

 

 

Hanlon’s Razor indeed. I jokingly invented the "Thai Thick Gene" to explain much of this,but it increasingly seems a reality! ???? 

Compounding this is the prevalence within officials of the Dunning- Kruger effect.

[HappyExpat57]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, who suggested measures to improve the “Test & Go” scheme, specifically the removal of the second test requirement.

Of course IGNORE any real health officials and listen only to someone whose profits depend on such decisions (unless some brown envelopes are passed, then it's perfectly fine).

[Peterw42]

40 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

People only get covid if they test.If you don't test you get a cold or flu.I never tested so I didn't get covid but I did get a cold or flu.If people want to stop the spread of covid then stop testing for it.

Does the same logic work for pregnancy tests ? You only have a baby if you do a test, otherwise no test then you are not pregnant ?

[onekoolguy]

14 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

Yes, but most of the positives on the second test may well be caused by contracting the virus between the 1st and 5th day! Why would anyone, especially with a family come here with the possibility of one member testing positive on the 5th day and ruining the vacation for all? Join the rest of the world and drop the useless restrictions!

[spidermike007]

With the current arrivals likely down to 900 a day, we knew this was inevitable. So, why didn't they? Are they truly that clueless? 

 

Has tourism here been permanently sabotaged? I certainly think so. 

[Chongalulu]

51 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

I doubt the second test is of any use in preventing the rise of the Omicron variant in Thailand but the main problem for me is not the test, its having to check back in to a hotel again.  I just can't get my head around the point of that.

The main problem,and a much bigger one, would be were your second test to be positive. 

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I still agree with the pre-flight PCR test... this is to protect others on the flight - Thailand can do away with the rest.

That test should also have some benefit wrt protecting the people within Thailand. 

[multatuli]

15 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

Says who?

[wensiensheng]

15 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

 Ecause tourists catch it during their first 5 days in Thailand? And if they brought it with them, they have had 5 days to spread it anyway. 
 

can you really explain any real. benefit wrt the second test?

Edited February 19, 2022 by wensiensheng

[johnarth]

15 hours ago, thaiman said:

Indeed.  Maybe 100k/daily new local infections and they're overly concerned with a few travelers coming into the country.  If they really were concerned, why not rapid test everyone who rides the BTS/MRT before everyday.  Then throw those infected in isolation?  It's all a joke at this point!

LOL it has always been this the trains and buses did not stop

[Bkktodd]

15 hours ago, racyrick said:

What a joke. A CEO with a vested interest in trying to improve his business at the expense of the people's health.

 

Most infections are caught on the second test!!!!

The joke is not knowing that airlines and all related businesses that support a large scale operation  are essential for a thriving country. 

[IamNoone88]

The problem is not test and go. The problem is getting back into the major countries around Thailand - Hong Kong is still quarantine, Singapore slow to open, China closed, Japan closed, Korea ... closed? Getting here is easy. Getting back is the issue.

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, Paul Henry said:

Only the unvaccinated should have to go to manditory Covid testing on arrival. They should also be isolated on the aircraft bringing them into the country. Maybe better still 'NO JABS NO ENTRY".

Problem with that - even though I agree somewhat - is what is unvaccinated  ? You could claim that 2 or 3 jabs is not vaccinated enough 

[FarFlungFalang]

50 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Does the same logic work for pregnancy tests ? You only have a baby if you do a test, otherwise no test then you are not pregnant ?

Does the same logic work for pregnancy tests ?If you can't answer that then you might consider claiming a refund on your education expenses because they seemed to have had little to no promising results.

[thisisrascal]

15 hours ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

Well done Air Asia!   Omicron is just a cold - learn to live with it.. 

 

Indeed. My elderly mother (66 YO) and longtime sufferer of MS caught omicron and easily survived, saying it just felt like a severe cold. 

[Homburg]

I have friends in LOS that I have not been able to see for some time now, but I am not tempted to try to visit.  For my winter sun break I chose Cambodia instead, and arrived there this week from UK.  I flew in on Thai Airways via BKK.  On arrival in BKK I was shocked to see the treatment of those passengers who were waiting to enter Thailand.  Seated in two rows of plastic chairs on the concourse at Swampy, waiting to be attended to by Thais in spacesuits. (Well I assumed they were Thai - they could have been Martians underneath all that kit.)

 

As a transit passenger I was able to bypass this and the rows of Thaipass checking desks, which I guess was the next stage in the process.  All very sensible if there was no Covid in Thailand, but there is. This, plus the day one and day five scams is why I am in Cambodia rather than the Land Of Scams. 

 

Contrast Thailand with my arrival in Phnom Penh: No insurance needed, a FREE OF CHARGE (are you reading this, Thailand?) test on arrival, they checked my vax status, checked my pre-flight PCR, I got my negative result in about 15 minutes and was OUTSIDE IN THE SUNSHINE.???? ???? ???? ???? ????

 

One final point of insanity (or perhaps just profiteering), I did not need to buy Covid insurance for Cambodia, but had to have $50,000 coverage for Thailand - just to transit through Swampy!!!

 

It's almost as if the Thai government had a braistorming session on how to pretend to open the country but really intending to deter as many tourists as possible.

[Bkk Brian]

8 minutes ago, thisisrascal said:

 

Indeed. My elderly mother (66 YO) and longtime sufferer of MS caught omicron and easily survived, saying it just felt like a severe cold. 

Was she vaccinated?

[thisisrascal]

5 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Was she vaccinated?

Triple. 

[Bkk Brian]

Just now, thisisrascal said:

Triple. 

Great to hear it obviously worked well for her then.