Thailand to relax rules for international arrivals from March 1 despite COVID surge

[AliG]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:31 AM, KhaoYai said:

I believe it still has to be in the Royal Gazette. I'm optimistic but I won't be calling my hotel to ask for a refund on my Day 5 booking until I see it on the TP website.

My hotel refused refund for my day 5 stay and test, they said the Thailand Pass that I have states day 1 and day 5 and that's what I will have to do.

They did suggest that I re-apply for a new Thailand Pass on the 1 St March for day 1 only and if approved then I could get a refund.  Bureaucratic nonsense, more hoops to jump through

[BusyB]

6 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Good to see that you are ahead of of the Harvard scientists. Award yourself a gold star!

 

"Experts say that nothing is certain regarding Omicron and long COVID, mainly because the variant roared onto the scene so suddenly in December that too little time has passed to detect a strong Omicron signal in the ongoing stream of long COVID cases. Evidence that the variant causes milder illness has prompted some to speculate that Omicron may mean fewer long COVID cases".

Well I've been in touch with doctors who are watching it emerge. And the results of Delta which its still around is abundant. 

No, nothing is certain, and many are still rightly cautious - which is actually what your Harvard doctors are being. But I think it makes sense to play it safe until things are more certain. You obviously don't for whatever reason. And when I follow your reasoning I don't think we'll ever read off the same sheet. OK?

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by BusyB

[Jimbo2014]

On 2/23/2022 at 4:16 PM, snoop1130 said:

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has decided to change the second COVID-19 RT-PCR test, currently required for overseas arrivals on their fifth day in the country, to a self-administered rapid antigen test.

Why bother when you have 40000++ cases each day.  Do a few more arriving on flights really matter?

Edited February 25, 2022 by Jimbo2014

[Bkk Brian]

7 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Why bother when you have 40000++ cases each day.  Do a few more arriving on flights really matter?

Can only be 2 reasons.

 

1. To be seen to be doing something which .makes them very proud.

2. Farrang Omicron is different to Thai community Omicron.

 

Both of which are of course ludicrous

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, AliG said:

My hotel refused refund for my day 5 stay and test, they said the Thailand Pass that I have states day 1 and day 5 and that's what I will have to do.

They did suggest that I re-apply for a new Thailand Pass on the 1 St March for day 1 only and if approved then I could get a refund.  Bureaucratic nonsense, more hoops to jump through

My Wife’s friend works at St. Regis hotel... they are already busy processing refunds. 

 

I think the only thing remaining is for the announcements to be made official policy once they are published in the Royal Gazette. 

 

Here is an excerpt from Richard Barrow’s Twitter... 

 

 

 

 

 

[amexpat]

10 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

prompted some to speculate that Omicron may mean fewer long COVID cases

"speculate"....... "may"......

[hotandsticky]

3 hours ago, amexpat said:

"speculate"....... "may"......

....they are scientists........what do you want - an affidavit? ????

[amexpat]

I mean that long term is likely should not be ignored or minimized by wishful thinking. 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by amexpat

[Sambotte]

Still not good enough.

 

The main no-go is the threat to be forced-send to hospital-prison for 10 days.

No clarification on this ? Special "treatment" for tourists ?...

If not clarified, tourists will not come.

Tests on arrival and test on day 5 (witch is maintened in fact, just changed a little bit) = bad lottery.

 

[Pdavies99]

On 2/24/2022 at 2:52 AM, tomazbodner said:

You're so important, Thailand could not possibly survive without you... Who is "We"?

Duh!! "We"as the general populace, understand now?

[candide]

16 hours ago, AliG said:

My hotel refused refund for my day 5 stay and test, they said the Thailand Pass that I have states day 1 and day 5 and that's what I will have to do.

They did suggest that I re-apply for a new Thailand Pass on the 1 St March for day 1 only and if approved then I could get a refund.  Bureaucratic nonsense, more hoops to jump through

And I guess that in order to get a new Thailand lass for day 1 only, you need to provide a day 1 certificate from the hotel! ????

[vinny41]

UPDATED! TEST & GO rules from 1 March 2022

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/?fbclid=IwAR1233YSp5BiINYJ5q2T2c5Nvo_R51gimmz-VTGjFqRxRlCEyM9W3cGB5Uk

[Regyai]

On 2/25/2022 at 10:40 PM, candide said:

And I guess that in order to get a new Thailand lass for day 1 only, you need to provide a day 1 certificate from the hotel! ????

From 'the horses mouth':

 

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

on the meantime, more fake emails:

 

 

[alex8912]

4 hours ago, vinny41 said:

UPDATED! TEST & GO rules from 1 March 2022

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/?fbclid=IwAR1233YSp5BiINYJ5q2T2c5Nvo_R51gimmz-VTGjFqRxRlCEyM9W3cGB5Uk

I'm confused again.  I thought the PCR test had to be three DAYS before not 72 hours or less before ( this was discussed a lot on here a couple months ago). So if my flight or someone else's flight that leaves my country , transits through another country ( Singapore ) and then goes to BKK leaves at 9:40Pm from USA on a Wednesday a PCR test taken Sunday afternoon  is not accepted? Usually the result will come sometime on Monday or maybe even Tuesday but I have seen the test results from CVS for example that show the date and time of the test and not the date and time of the result. My test is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. This is getting so confusing!!  What is it THREE days before flight to Thailand or 72 hours or less. Can anyone answer this question as of today? Thanks 

Edited February 27, 2022 by alex8912

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

I'm confused again.  I thought the PCR test had to be three DAYS before not 72 hours or less before ( this was discussed a lot on here a couple months ago). So if my flight or someone else's flight that leaves my country , transits through another country ( Singapore ) and then goes to BKK leaves at 9:40Pm from USA on a Wednesday a PCR test taken Sunday afternoon  is not accepted? Usually the result will come sometime on Monday or maybe even Tuesday but I have seen the test results from CVS for example that show the date and time of the test and not the date and time of the result. My test is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. This is getting so confusing!!  What is it THREE days before flight to Thailand or 72 hours or less. Can anyone answer this question as of today? Thanks 

3 x 24 hrs = 72 hrs - thats what is meant by 3 days... all the documentation refers to 72 hrs. 

 

The wording is 'Obtain a negative COVID-19 test result (RT-PCR), issued within 72 hours before travelling'

 

There is some semantic ambiguity regarding the word ‘issued'.. 

Your certificate will have some times printed on it... Time the sample was collected, time it was tested.

 

To air on the side of caution I have always counted the time the ’sample was collected’ as the staring point... flight departure has to be within 72 hrs from that starting point (others will argue its the time the result was issued.

 

IF you are transiting, the time is from the time of test to the time of departure of your first fight in the journey.

 

 

 

 

[vinny41]

48 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

I'm confused again.  I thought the PCR test had to be three DAYS before not 72 hours or less before ( this was discussed a lot on here a couple months ago). So if my flight or someone else's flight that leaves my country , transits through another country ( Singapore ) and then goes to BKK leaves at 9:40Pm from USA on a Wednesday a PCR test taken Sunday afternoon  is not accepted? Usually the result will come sometime on Monday or maybe even Tuesday but I have seen the test results from CVS for example that show the date and time of the test and not the date and time of the result. My test is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. This is getting so confusing!!  What is it THREE days before flight to Thailand or 72 hours or less. Can anyone answer this question as of today? Thanks 

I assume this is the thread that you mentioned

https://aseannow.com/topic/1242970-intl-travel-is-broken-thailand-pass-experience-long/

 

Covid-19 test requirement - A pre-departure test is not required for transit travellers for all flights arriving in Singapore, including VTL flights. 

https://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/Covid-19/transiting-through-airport.html

You  should check to see if your airline requires negative result BEFORE boarding your flight 

 

A Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before time of departure of your USA flight

 

[candide]

7 hours ago, Regyai said:

From 'the horses mouth':

 

I was just being nasty! ????

[alex8912]

4 hours ago, vinny41 said:

I assume this is the thread that you mentioned

https://aseannow.com/topic/1242970-intl-travel-is-broken-thailand-pass-experience-long/

 

Covid-19 test requirement - A pre-departure test is not required for transit travellers for all flights arriving in Singapore, including VTL flights. 

https://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/Covid-19/transiting-through-airport.html

You  should check to see if your airline requires negative result BEFORE boarding your flight 

 

A Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected issued no more than 72 hours before time of departure of your USA flight

 

Yes. I KNow Singapore dropped test for transit but my final destination is Thailand. I prefer to take test Sunday afternoon for a Weds flight to Thailand but may have to cancel Sun and do Mon morning. I hope there is not a blizzard lol. 

[Puccini]

9 hours ago, Regyai said:

From 'the horses mouth':

 

You gave a link to a page on the website of thaiembassy.org, which is run by a Thai law firm. I wouldn't call this website the horse's mouth, not even the stableboy's mouth.

[Puccini]

Correction: The web page to which you gave a link is thaiembassy.com, not thaiembassy.org

 

Incidentally, that web page incorporates a logo, with some colour variations, which is used by the Thailand Pass subdomain tp.consular.go.th, which is a subdomain of mfa.go.th, the website operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This may be a violation of intellectual property rights and does not seem to reflect well on the integrity of the operators of the website thaiembassy.com

[Regyai]

16 hours ago, Puccini said:

Correction: The web page to which you gave a link is thaiembassy.com, not thaiembassy.org

 

Incidentally, that web page incorporates a logo, with some colour variations, which is used by the Thailand Pass subdomain tp.consular.go.th, which is a subdomain of mfa.go.th, the website operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This may be a violation of intellectual property rights and does not seem to reflect well on the integrity of the operators of the website thaiembassy.com

Yes they successfully deluded me into giving false credibility - mea culpa

 

The info thankfully isn't incorrect and is born out here at a more bona fide site:

 

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/

[tomyami]

They need to relax the mask rule especially outside very hard for travelers from many countries who no longer require them.

Our mask mandate ended today in Ireland. the sense of freedom when shopping and not having to bring masks in the car or on ur person they so unnatural and uncomfortable

Thank you omicrom

[stigar]

I can take a RT-PCR test at airport and get the result after maximum 12 hour.So for me no problem at all.I will take the test the day before my fligth.

[tomyami]

Another problem is availability of 72hr PCR tests unless you live in a big city might require a hotel the night before this will be harder as more labs stop doing them.

[michel7752]

15 hours ago, tomyami said:

Another problem is availability of 72hr PCR tests unless you live in a big city might require a hotel the night before this will be harder as more labs stop doing them.

Correct. I live in a medium Swiss with excellent infrastructure. I just visited 2 hospitals and 3 pharmacies until I was able to secure a PCR test possibility for next Friday afternoon after 3 p.m. (my flight leaves the next Monday at 2 p.m., hence within 71 hours).

On Saturdays and on Sundays almost nobody does PCR tests.

 

This testing nonsense has to stop.

[michel7752]

On March 1st I applied for the Thailand Pass in their system.

In less than 24 hours I received the O.K. confirmation with QR code.

[WEBBYB808]

Today is March 3rd, laughable  how its reported past tense.  I'm the ghost of Christmas  present,  I mean past, or is it future,   March 1rst indeed....