PCR Test Dropped from 1st April?

[Polar Bear]

2 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

I'm afraid that is not correct. There are some airlines that require you to take a PCR test before flying. This is normally for passengers that are not vaccinated but not exclusively. Here is an extract from Etihad airways.

 

 You need to take a PCR test 48 hours before your flight if you're not vaccinated

From the Ethiad website

"You will only require a PCR test to fly from the UAE if your final destination requires one."

[aussiexpat]

Thailand Pass finally updated to say departure PCR not required from 1 April. That should be enough proof for any airline that didn't get the message

 

[RedReding]

Thaipass updated yes, but only for the ones arriving by air travel. Any reason why the thaipass stipulating that you don't need a PCR test before departure isn't updated for the ones who arrive by land?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, RedReding said:

isn't updated for the ones who arrive by land?

Which land border? 

[RedReding]

Nong Khai.

[aussiexpat]

1 hour ago, RedReding said:

Thaipass updated yes, but only for the ones arriving by air travel. Any reason why the thaipass stipulating that you don't need a PCR test before departure isn't updated for the ones who arrive by land?

It appears whoever runs the Land arrival section of Thai Pass just hasn't been efficient as the Air section. TAT news site definitely says it applies to both and list the following Land borders from 1 April

• By land – Via border checkpoints in Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Songkhla, and Satun (new).

[RedReding]

Quote

It appears whoever runs the Land arrival section of Thai Pass just hasn't been efficient as the Air section. TAT news site definitely says it applies to both and list the following Land borders from 1 April

• By land – Via border checkpoints in Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Songkhla, and Satun (new).

This is what I thought as well. Typical lack of professionalism. I'm going on Tuesday the 5th of April and no PCR-Test via land border is excellent news.

[KannikaP]

On 3/30/2022 at 2:21 PM, BritTim said:

he most practical pre departure test to use is a rapid antigen test taken just before leaving home for the airport.

And if it shows positive..............?

[BritTim]

21 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

And if it shows positive..............?

If it shows positive, do not travel. If you have the right travel insurance, you should be covered for the cancellation due to sudden illness. It is not ideal, but what is better? Do you prefer to find out you are positive on arrival in Bangkok? If so, do not waste time on a test at all.

[Agusts]

I think removing pre-flight PCR test is very stupid , specially when we have on-arrival test and one night quarantine..., it basically says in case you have Covid we don't care, come here and we make good money from you either way - hotel quarantine for asymptomatic (out if your own pocket) or hospital quarantine with symptoms (hopefully insurance would cough up, or not !? )...

 

Those who say pre-flight PCR is not effective/reliable are picking on special cases, in general it helps, imagine half UK is basically now have Covid or catching it, all these go on a plane without any test - how many people they infect, even if it does not show on on-arrival test it's terrible for later on and show on 5th day antigen test. Also you forget one thing, if you sit next to a positive case or one row before or after, you are buggered..., straight to quarantine even if negative on-arrival .... !!!? 

 

To me it probably is worse to remove the pre-flight test than on-arrival test, as usual Thailand does it the other way around - but look carefully and see the monetary advantage. They want to also make money from positive cases...! Why not bring them in...?

 

If it was me, I would say do a pre-flight test, then on-arrival an antigen tests, wait for your result - test 20min, long queue, who cares , if negative free to go anywhere you like, no one night in hotel etc. .. (maybe that's 1 May plan..!)

[RedReding]

I can confirm that the pre-departure PCR test while crossing the Nong-Khai border isn't mandatory anymore as of today as a friend of mine just crossed the border without issues. Cheers.

[DrJack54]

21 minutes ago, RedReding said:

I can confirm that the pre-departure PCR test while crossing the Nong-Khai border isn't mandatory anymore as of today as a friend of mine just crossed the border without issues. Cheers.

Was he with a tour group.

Where was hotel for the TP..

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Agusts said:

I think removing pre-flight PCR test is very stupid ,

You are entitled to your opinion. Have you noticed that countries are beginning to reduce the time you must quarantine after a positive test to five days? There is a reason for this. Your infectious period is usually just before you become positive on a test and for about five days after. If you rarely have Covid tests, but take one (testing positive) two days before boarding a flight, in the majority of cases, you have probably had Covid (maybe even already recovered) for some time, and are no longer infectious. Even if infectious at the time of the test, you will often be over the infectious stage when boarding the aircraft. Meanwhile, you may have just become infected at the time of a negative test two days earlier, meaning that you are usually entering the most infectious period on arrival at the airport..

 

There is a breathalyser type test for Covid-19 that is about as effective as the best ATKs and gives results in two minutes. Testing each person costs around US$3.00. There is a significant up front capital cost for the equipment, and people operating the machines need training. However, I consider it totally stupid that airports do not install these machines, using them to test everyone entering the terminal. 

[ThaIrish Sean]

On 3/30/2022 at 7:52 PM, Polar Bear said:

From the Ethiad website

"You will only require a PCR test to fly from the UAE if your final destination requires one."

Not sure this URL will show but the Thaiger today said you may need a PCR test to fly with certain airlines.

 

 

[Polar Bear]

1 minute ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Not sure this URL will show but the Thaiger today said you may need a PCR test to fly with certain airlines.

 

 

Lots of people are saying you 'may' need a test for 'certain' airlines. Maybe you do, but as of yet, no-one has been able to name one. Is the Thaiger specifying which airlines they are referring to?

[samahan]

KLM didnt require anything on my flight to Amsterdam.  

[Richard3456]

Spoke to my Thai mate who arrived today, was asked by his airline for PCR test before flying. (His flight was departing early morning on 1st April and arriving Thailand earlier this afternoon even though on their website it said that PCR not needed from 1st April of which he showed).

Perhaps this new rule make take time to take effect / realisation with the checkin staff with the airlines…

Luckily he had time to take PCR test at airport. 
 

 

[Hummin]

21 minutes ago, samahan said:

KLM didnt require anything on my flight to Amsterdam.  

Finnair same but guess depends where your final destination is

Edited April 1, 2022 by Hummin

[Agusts]

3 hours ago, Richard3456 said:

Spoke to my Thai mate who arrived today, was asked by his airline for PCR test before flying. (His flight was departing early morning on 1st April and arriving Thailand earlier this afternoon even though on their website it said that PCR not needed from 1st April of which he showed).

Perhaps this new rule make take time to take effect / realisation with the checkin staff with the airlines…

Luckily he had time to take PCR test at airport. 
 

 

He took a PCR test at the airport and had time to get the negative result and board his flight...! When did he go to the airport,  the day before...?

[Agusts]

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

You are entitled to your opinion. Have you noticed that countries are beginning to reduce the time you must quarantine after a positive test to five days? There is a reason for this. Your infectious period is usually just before you become positive on a test and for about five days after. If you rarely have Covid tests, but take one (testing positive) two days before boarding a flight, in the majority of cases, you have probably had Covid (maybe even already recovered) for some time, and are no longer infectious. Even if infectious at the time of the test, you will often be over the infectious stage when boarding the aircraft. Meanwhile, you may have just become infected at the time of a negative test two days earlier, meaning that you are usually entering the most infectious period on arrival at the airport..

 

There is a breathalyser type test for Covid-19 that is about as effective as the best ATKs and gives results in two minutes. Testing each person costs around US$3.00. There is a significant up front capital cost for the equipment, and people operating the machines need training. However, I consider it totally stupid that airports do not install these machines, using them to test everyone entering the terminal. 

I understand what scenarios you are mentioning..., but let's look at it on average, how many people who test positive on a pre-flight PCR test could be infectious on the plane, and also be positive on the on-arrival PCR test ...? As oppose to show negative and do the same..., I think on average it's good to do the test...

 

By the way, I am not worried at all about catching Covid myself (after 3 vaccines) , I'm particularly worried about being positive on the on-arrival test "OR"  being next to a on-arrival positive person on the plane - because both means a quarantine and hell of a situation for me in the hands of greedy Thais.... ! ????

 

Also I don't think what they did was stupid from their perspective, that is;  they say why we stop people coming here by this pre-flight test, let them come, even with Covid, we make more money off them here - straight to hospitals or expensive hotel quarantine...!!! ...????

Edited April 1, 2022 by Agusts

[Hummin]

45 minutes ago, Agusts said:

He took a PCR test at the airport and had time to get the negative result and board his flight...! When did he go to the airport,  the day before...?

Might  been an antigen test only, and not a approved PCR test!

 

3 hours for a drop in at Oslo Airport PCR test, money back if no result in 5 hours

 

https://drdropin.no/en/oslcovidtest

Edited April 1, 2022 by Hummin

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, Agusts said:

I understand what scenarios you are mentioning..., but let's look at it on average, how many people who test positive on a pre-flight PCR test could be infectious on the plane, and also be positive on the on-arrival PCR test ...? As oppose to show negative and do the same..., I think on average it's good to do the test...

I think we need to understand the purported objective of pre departure tests, and the degree to which those objectives are met.

 

It is true that most people who test positive on PCR tests taken two days before departure will also test positive on arrival. However, that does not mean pre departure tests are preventing many infections in those travelling. We know that many people who have negative PCR tests pre departure test positive on arrival (currently one in every 200 arrivals, but a much higher proportion during some of the Omicron peaks in countries like the UK). Those individuals will usually be infectious while travelling. We are also pretty sure that the majority of those who are positive on pre departure tests are not infectious while travelling. Those who test negative may be more likely to infect others than those who test positive pre departure.

 

It is prudent, I think, for people to test themselves pre departure, as close as possible to their arrival at the airport. This is for their own protection against the consequences of a positive test on arrival.  However, the pre departure tests (especially PCR tests done days in advance) do little to protect against people being infected in transit.

 

2 hours ago, Agusts said:

By the way, I am not worried at all about catching Covid myself (after 3 vaccines) ,

I am also fairly sure that contracting Covid-19 will not be immediately fatal in my case (as you, I am fully vaccinated and boosted). However, the full risks are greater now than they were during the initial outbreak in early 2020. You are much more likely to be infected and, while immediate serious illness is not probable, there appears to be somewhere between a 15% and 30% chance of dangerous after effects. These fall into two main categories.

 

One is life span shortening organ damage. Did you know that about one in eight people hospitalised with Covid, who subsequently recover and are released from hospital are dead within a year? People who are not hospitalised still often suffer damage to heart, lung, liver, and/or other organs.

 

The other main category, and even worse, is long haul Covid (otherwise known as PACS: post acute Covid syndrome). By some estimates this interferes with normal activities in about a third of those infected for a year or more. The impact is most often fairly minor, but many are affected so badly that they cannot work and suffer severe fatigue alongside many other serious symptoms. There are currently no effective treatments for PACS. I am in my seventies, and long Covid might well mean the end of a good quality of life.

 

At the current time, I am fanatical about avoiding exposure to Covid-19.

Edited April 1, 2022 by BritTim

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Agusts said:

He took a PCR test at the airport and had time to get the negative result and board his flight...! When did he go to the airport,  the day before...?

While expensive, if the right equipment is available, it is possible to get the results of a PCR test in less than two hours.

[Agusts]

@BritTim I totally agree with most of what you say, and also your concerns with catching Covid. That's why I'm surprised you like the idea of removing pre-flight PCR test, even if not very effective or useful surely it catches some cases getting through... ! 

 

I forgot to also mention your comment about breathe tests or even antigen test at the airport, that's a great idea , a quick test before flight and after arrival and that could be filtering out majority of cases... (even if that takes time to do for all) , but never happens as they say money talks and the rest you know...! 

[Richard3456]

15 hours ago, Agusts said:

He took a PCR test at the airport and had time to get the negative result and board his flight...! When did he go to the airport,  the day before...?

No, it was full PCR test. Some airports give results in less than 2-3 hours. I know this as Ive done several myself. 

[Agusts]

Anyone knows how quickly the result of PCR test that they take on arrival at Phuket Airport are sent to passengers/hotels...?

 

Can I get out right away if it comes before the night, or must stay the night and leave in the morning...?

 

[RedReding]

Quote

Was he with a tour group.

Where was hotel for the TP..

Not a tour group, just by himself. It was totally painless according to him, no questions ask and definitely no pre-departure PCR test needed.

 

His hotel is : Nongkhai Tavilla Hotel and Convention Center

 

 

[Jack1988]

I would not travel, too many stupid requirements

[DrJack54]

On 4/1/2022 at 10:58 PM, samahan said:

KLM didnt require anything on my flight to Amsterdam.  

The thread is about flying INTO THAILAND.

[10years]

Just got a phone call from JAL to inform me of boarding procedures. Really nice of them cause I was worried about potential problems at the airport.

 

Neither Thailand nor the carrier require a PCR Covid-19 test. All I have to show at check-in, besides my passport, is the Thailand Pass. Asked if I have to print it out and she said preparing a hardcopy was much better. No need to show a hotel reservation. 

 

Getting the T&G hotel reservation was easy.

Getting the TP was surprisingly easy.

Now it looks like flying to Thailand will be a breeze.