Thailand drops pre-departure RT-PCR tests for overseas arrivals, allows Songkran celebrations

[daveAustin]

One step at a time. It’s something, though I agree a bit fishy regards the guaranteed higher number of positives on entry. More chance in being sat next to one of them. 

[Onerak]

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

Insurance might (or might not) cover the cost. But insurance won't stop your long awaited holiday from being ruined by forced quarantine.

Unless you like being banged up in a hospital for most of your holiday...

Who ever is coming to Thailand takes that risk. Also, I don't want wandering around if I'm infected with covid, even if no symptoms . It is a mute point. If I buy insurance, they must cover it. There is no iffs and butts. Glad that one more hurdle of pre-flight test is gone. 

[Saddic]

Disappointing and highly expected outcome (inaction) of the CCSA rubberstamp meeting... 

 

By comparison, Vietnam open immediately...  Cambodia, and Phills opening too...  Same other asian countries, India, Singapore, Malayasia, etc

 

Thailand will be at the back of the bus for Tourists when/if they finally get around to taking any action (or lack thereof)...

 

Only exception is the China block where they are still going with zero covid "strategy"... and are closing down entire blocks/sectors... good luck with that...  No opening for them anytime this year...

 

The dropping of pre-departure test is just smoke and mirrors folks...  Face saving to cover their ineptness and lack of any plan or actions...  Their 'talk' of (we'll see in July) making it endemic in July is just laughable (if it wasn't so sad... doubt anything will happen)...

 

You better be checking with your destination and airline requirements, which are likely to require some form of test...  YMMV...

Edited March 18, 2022 by Saddic

[BayArea]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It seems that Thailand does not want foreigners to come anymore, with all restriction, rules, entrance fee, and alcohol bans, Thailand Pass, the new super elite visa and many more... It becomes more and more unattractive to visit.. It looks that they are doing everything to get the tourists back, but the act the opposite

My Thai wife would agree with your sentiments

[freedomnow]

First thought was then the 1-day quarantine etc must be being removed as well...nope..bonkers.

The stupid stick seems to hit those hardest that make the key decisions in Thailand...intellect does not seem to well to the top..only people who have bought their position through corrupt means...it will have the opposite effect with foreigners...probably people will take some kind of test pre-departure to avoid being banged up....doooh !

 

[wadsy]

7 hours ago, Onerak said:

I like it. I get the Thailand pass and now I can board the plane. No more stupid RT-PCR test before flights. Hopefully they will resort to only Antigen test by the time I go in July. At least a step in the right direction. 

There was a media report a couple of days ago outlining the gradual removal of all restrictions and by July it was suggested it was to be back to normal, no test and go, no PCR/RAT on arrival or on day five. Hopefully that will be the case.

[mike1967]

6 hours ago, garyk said:

RIP Thai tourism. It was fun. Thanks for the memories.

Exactly how I feel.

[TTSIssues]

And of course, we land on March 29th

 

B*gger ! Haha
 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by TTSIssues

[mike1967]

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It seems that Thailand does not want foreigners to come anymore, with all restriction, rules, entrance fee, and alcohol bans, Thailand Pass, the new super elite visa and many more... It becomes more and more unattractive to visit.. It looks that they are doing everything to get the tourists back, but the act the opposite

I had 12 good years in Thailand but I think it's for the next generation now. They'll only know it as it now. For me, it doesn't sound like a holiday. Put myself through the wringer for what?

[Straight8]

7 hours ago, Onerak said:

I like it. I get the Thailand pass and now I can board the plane. No more stupid RT-PCR test before flights. Hopefully they will resort to only Antigen test by the time I go in July. At least a step in the right direction. 

You'll like it even better when they test you in Thailand, declare you are Covid positive, then haul your a55 off to the nearest hospital, and sting you with a hefty bill.

[jerrymahoney]

7 hours ago, grego49 said:

The test and go scam continues,Bali,Vietnam and the Phillipines are all open and enjoying the dollars that used to be spent in Thailand,

NB official Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia tourism page travel to Bali scroll down to 2. Arrival protocols

 

https://www.indonesia.travel/th/en/news/latest-travel-regulations-to-enter-bali

[NHPT]

Thailand and Vietnam are my two favourite places in SE Asia.

Any testing on arrival still makes it a no go.

I think I know where in going 

 

 

[alex8912]

8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Well, its good news if you want to come here next month, assuming of course that you don't book and pay for a flight and hotel, only for the rules to change again just before you are due to board. That couldn't happen here though right?

 

 

Well you are being a little generous there. The rules can change while you are actually in flight as well. My flight last week from JFK to Singapore to BKK took 22 hours. I think there have been flip flops in far shorter time periods ????

[joecoolfrog]

8 hours ago, DezLez said:

This is back to front. 

Keep the pre departure test so you know you are fit to travel and scrap the arrival test so you are not concerned with a false positive ruining everything.

Makes perfect sense except that there is no money in it for the Thais.

That my friends is the disgusting truth of the matter.

[joecoolfrog]

8 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

It's astounding how stupid and backwards these people are. 

You forgot to add , greedy and incredibly short sighted.

[Phil1975]

Utter Morons, or maybe it is planned to scam all the fashion flu +ve tourists on arrival with $$$$$$$$ quarantine. In the end the bad press will spread instantly and further degrade an already pretty much dead tourism industry.....T.I.T 

[SooKee]

The problem here IMO is that the clowns running the circus think that most of their populace don't have the brains to see through what they are doing.  Sadly they are probably right!

Constant, bloody CONSTANT talk of easing restrictions and 'learning to live with Covid' but hit the panic button as soon as somebody sneezes and keep up with a raft of restrictions that would make life an absolute misery here for your average tourist. I wonder how many that do come here do any research about the state of Thailand currently and what can happen if their Test and Lock Up policy catches them, or do they just think it'll be the same Thailand they visited 3-4 years ago?  Added to the misery is the increased opportunity they have to lock people up in Covid Concentration Camps when they test positive here; the money these tourists would spend outside is chicken feed to what they can be ripped off for through covid measures.  This lot make the Taxi Mafia look downright amateurish by comparison.  Even more sickening given that the Clowns try to make it look like they're doing the plebs a favour by trying to get more tourists here.

Why on earth anyone other than workers or returnees would come to the Land of Dismal at this time I've no idea.  Walk around the malls in masks, go for a beer in a restaurant (until 9, 11 if you're lucky), get scammed every which way, get beaten up or murdered; so much appeal!

 

Watch this space for the announcements of other methods to extract money from foreigners coming soon to a neighbourhood near you ????

Edited March 18, 2022 by SooKee

[Greg O]

One way ticket , one way ticket...

[jerrymahoney]

Then there is always this:

 

The Plane Is Boarding, Where Are Your Test Results?
International travelers in search of Covid-19 tests are scrambling to find sites that can get them results before their flights take off — and sometimes failing.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/31/travel/covid-test-chaos.html

 

 

But for international travelers who need tests to enter their destinations, getting tested in time is easier said than done. Finding a test has become increasingly difficult — appointments are booked and walk-in sites often have hourslong waits. And even if you can get a test, it is far from guaranteed that your results will come back in time for you to board.

 

[bristolgeoff]

From what i understand about it  no PCR test to fly too thailand.once there u still need 1 day hotel  and test i believe.Maybe show your nhs app and jabs up to date.People are still needing a thailand pass,but may change april 1st.So i will wait a  bit longer before i push the button again and book.

[madmitch]

Typical. I arrive on March 31st!!!

[Gilligan In Drag]

Well, to add some probably pointless commentary, lets just hope they'll start to feel embarrassed and left in the dust for doing things differently from the rest of Asia. Though I worry the government just does what not only the WHO and the globalists demands but China. The obliviousness to how all this affects Tailand suggests -sort of- that its other parties with no business or interest in things like the tourism industry or the health of the general economy, or that ruining it is the main point so they can vulture in and buy the whole place. But then again maybe its just sheer Thainess rearing its stubborn arbitrary confused confusing head.

[SooKee]

5 hours ago, Onerak said:

Who ever is coming to Thailand takes that risk. Also, I don't want wandering around if I'm infected with covid, even if no symptoms . It is a mute point. If I buy insurance, they must cover it. There is no iffs and butts. Glad that one more hurdle of pre-flight test is gone. 

The problem with that theory is that most insurance with medical coverage will contain a clause about admission to a HOSPITAL being medically necessary.  As a lot of people here found out the hard way, that is the get out clause for the insurance company.  First and foremost the incarceration here for those with no or mild symptoms is NOT medically necessary (it's just a public health policy), secondly many of the facilities (hospitels and 'field hospitals') are not recognised hospitals.  On that basis it would be advisable for anyone to check the specifics of any policy they have or consider buying rather than assume 'they must cover it' or they might find there's a lot of 'iffs and buts'.

Edited March 18, 2022 by SooKee

[sead]

So no vax requests anymore?

[dsj]

I just read that starting April 1st, Canada no longer requires any pre-departure tests. You might get randomly selected on arrival though.

[mania]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The CCSA has decided to do away with the requirement for all travellers to Thailand, under the “Test and Go” program, to take an RT-PCR test in the 72 hours before their departure, by land, air, or sea. They still have to take the test upon arrival and self-administer and antigen test on the 5th day of their stay in the country.

 

Exactly opposite of what they should require if anything at all.

As others have said, require after flying all that way to Thailand & risk $$$ quarantine?

No Thanks

Will wait till sanity is forced on them due to economic collapse, civil war etc

Which by that time I guess none will want to visit either????

[Fat is a type of crazy]

8 hours ago, grego49 said:

The test and go scam continues,Bali,Vietnam and the Phillipines are all open and enjoying the tourist dollars that used to be spent in Thailand,

Bali has fairly strong testing and rules for tourists too. In fact they seem worse than Thailand. 

[Trip Hop]

8 hours ago, Onerak said:

Why it won't cover. And if not covered why I would buy the insurance. I will simply refuse to pay telling them I have insurance, approved by the government, and I don't have money.

Good luck with that? They’ll take your passport, tell you to get your relatives to pay and lock you up until you do! Do you honestly think that you’ll be the first one to try that? ????????????????

[dogfish180]

1st April ???? The clue is in the date???????? 

[Paul Henry]

I don't think your insurance will cover costs associated with a false positive test. The reason is you are not sick and were not sick when tested. Just the test was not accurate.

They will hang on to the "Test and Go" for as long as possible. They are only interested in the money they can rake off once the tourist has arrived. The cost of the pre flight PCR test is paid in the home country so has no financial benefit to Thailand and its leaches.