International arrivals in Thailand increase after restriction easing

[webfact]

 

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport saw a large increase in international arrivals yesterday (Sunday), as those travelling to the country no longer need a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test before their departure.

 

The airport was filled with international arrivals on a Sunday afternoon, a bustling atmosphere which has not been seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, with many airport officials and hotel representatives greeting them for RT-PCR tests upon arrival.

 

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Since the cancellation of the pre-arrival RT-PCR test requirement, the number of arrivals has nearly doubled to 11,000-12,000 passengers per day. At the same time, the number of inbound flights has also increased.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/international-arrivals-in-thailand-increase-after-restriction-easing/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-04

 

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[Onerak]

This will encourage the authority to at least stick to their original plan further relaxation and work towards increasing boosters to reduce death. In the month of March, the infected arrival percentage was 0.56. THey have to also monitor the infection rate that must be normalized to each country's infection rate per millions as we can see deaths are increasing all over Europe, specially UK, France, and Germany. USA is still holding steady with only 30% boosters and far less vaccination rate. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Onerak

[Willy Wombat]

So a lot of people decided to go to Thailand all of a sudden just because they didn't need a pcr before leaving ?

 

I call <deleted>.

Edited April 5, 2022 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[RafPinto]

The photographer had to buy a special camera to zoom in on all those arrivals.

[ikke1959]

Was it because of the not needed PCR test at departure or is it because people are coming for coming Songkran holidays??? I guess it is the last one...

[khunjeff]

"If the tests are positive they will have to be treated."

 

This sounds kind of like a threat. Isn't normal medical practice to treat people who have symptoms, rather than everyone with a positive test result?

[RandiRona]

Good as you see that people doesnt like unnecessary restrictions...now remove the forced quarantine test and Thai pass disaster and you will see more tourists showing up. Give Thais a chance to earn and improve their lives.

[Danderman123]

When I arrived on April 1, the airport was very quiet.

[Karma80]

Easter holidays and Songkran. What a shock, travel is up. I mean, who would have guessed?

 

Clearly it's all because a PCR test before you get on a plane is gone. Everyone enjoys the enhanced (no longer Russian) roulette of a PCR test on arrival....????

[Sheryl]

On 4/4/2022 at 9:38 AM, Willy Wombat said:

So a lot of people decided to go to Thailand all of a sudden just because they didn't need a pcr before leaving ?

 

I call <deleted>.

 

 

I think what happened is simply that, knowing that pre-departure test would cease to be needed from 1 April, many people who would otherwise have travelled in late March delayed their trips.

 

Causing a temporary blip in numbers. Same thing happened when they re-instated T&G and again when they dropped the day 5 hotel requirement. In all these instances it then levelled off and it will again.

 

to really have a sustained rise in numbers they will need to drop T&G/Thailand Pass altogether.

[86Tiger]

19 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

 

I think what happened is simply that, knowing that pre-departure test would cease to be needed from 1 April, many people who would otherwise have travelled in late March delayed their trips.

 

Causing a temporary blip in numbers. Same thing happened when they re-instated T&G and again when they dropped the day 5 hotel requirement. In all these instances it then levelled off and it will again.

 

to really have a sustained rise in numbers they will need to drop T&G/Thailand Pass altogether.

Ding, ding ding.  We have a winner.

 

Any thinking person knowing there is soon to be a change in requirements will postpone couple or even few weeks to arrive under the new "scheme."  It is only prudent.

[internationalism]

I think influx was already from Friday 1st of april. 
it is possible to change arrival date up to 72h forward for thailand pass. Changing hotel booking is also easy and free. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by internationalism

[PJ71]

2 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

When I arrived on April 1, the airport was very quiet.

When i left 28th March departure hall was the busiest i'd seen it for 2 years and i travel every month.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

Hmmm. 

 

Seems like we've seen this again and again. Something changes for a few days, and somebody announces a new trend has begun. Problem is, 2 or 3 days does not a "trend" make! 

 

Seems like only about two weeks ago, new covid cases leveled out around 22k-24k per day for just a couple of days, and someone was announcing "the crisis has plateau'd!" 

 

Then, here we are, a week or ten days later, and new cases are 20-40% higher than that! Some "plateau," eh?!  555

 

CLUE: A couple of days of results do not make a "trend!"

 

Sure, it's okay to express encouragement........... But don't let that small encouraging sign transition into silly overstated optimism! 555

 

Aren't people in positions of responsibility supposed to be smarter than that? 

 

I

Think

So! 

 

Cheers! 

[John Drake]

Quote

Thai PBS reporters spoke to one of the airport’s staff, who said that the RT-PCR test results are now available in 3-4 hours. This means many arrivals may not have to stay overnight at a hotel to wait for the results, which may encourage more people to travel into Thailand.

I don't follow all these changes that closely. But don't you still need the Thai Pass, and doesn't that require reserving a hotel room overnight? I guess you can pass the hotel. But the money is still gone, right?

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, 86Tiger said:

Ding, ding ding.  We have a winner.

 

Any thinking person knowing there is soon to be a change in requirements will postpone couple or even few weeks to arrive under the new "scheme."  It is only prudent.

 

 

I don't think that the 'benefit' of not having to do a pre-departure PCR test is great as to warrant flight changes.

 

 

Scrapping PCR tests on arrival is a different kettle of bplah.

[hotandsticky]

3 hours ago, khunjeff said:

"If the tests are positive they will have to be treated."

 

This sounds kind of like a threat. Isn't normal medical practice to treat people who have symptoms, rather than everyone with a positive test result?

 

 

Not for arrivals to Thailand.

[Dialemco]

Very unlikely International arrivals have increased owing pre-depature  PCR test no longer required. Main obstacal remains Thailand Pass until this is cancelled  there will be no significant increase in arrivals unless they are in transit to other Asian Countries 

[Guderian]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the number of arrivals has nearly doubled to 11,000-12,000 passengers per day

Whoopee! What's that, almost 10% of the average daily arrivals in 2019? It's better than nothing, but far from being great news. Now if you REALLY want to see an increase in arrivals, just get rid of the PCR test on arrival as well as the stupid Thai Pass nonsense. If you really must be bureaucratic, then insist on a PCR test within 72 hours before departure, so travellers don't have to fear being clobbered for tens of thousands of Baht and having their holiday ruined by a positive test on arrival. Simples.

[vandeventer]

4 hours ago, RafPinto said:

The photographer had to buy a special camera to zoom in on all those arrivals.

The picture may be a little old [like a few years] did anyone see a calendar on the wall?

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, PJ71 said:

When i left 28th March departure hall was the busiest i'd seen it for 2 years and i travel every month.

Er....those are escapees not arrivals......????

[SheikYabodyline]

I can feel a TAT announcement coming on, along the lines, 'tourists numbers have jumped incrementally and are now on target to exceed those of 2019 by next month'.

[San Fran Dan]

2 hours ago, PJ71 said:

When i left 28th March departure hall was the busiest i'd seen it for 2 years and i travel every month.

March23 it was empty at 11:30 

Edited April 4, 2022 by San Fran Dan

[Jimbo2014]

up to about 12% pre-pandemic numbers.... ways to go yet.

[fransb]

We landed at Suvarnabhumi last night at 7 PM. It was not busy at all. Maybe a few hundred people arriving on 3-4 flights and yet the organization of getting everyone to their respective hotels was a mess. There are only 5 desks for hundreds of SHA+ hotels. This is the biggest bottleneck. I don’t want to imagine it getting any busier with this system. You can’t have thousands of tourists standing around waiting in the already too small arrivals area.

[StayinThailand2much]

All these people in the picture with those check lists, but no bags - are they arriving tourists? ????????

Edited April 4, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[ftpjtm]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

I don't follow all these changes that closely. But don't you still need the Thai Pass, and doesn't that require reserving a hotel room overnight? I guess you can pass the hotel. But the money is still gone, right?

When we arrived at 9am on Thai Pass we were taken to the test site prior to hotel. Our results were in early enough that we were able to go home to spend the night. 

 

But yes, we needed to book and pay for the room we used for only a "short time" quarantine, and were required to stay in the room until the results were in.

[richard_smith237]

Last week the Airport was the busiest I’ve seen it in two years....  at departures (on the 5 occasions I’ve exited)....  So.. does that mean every one is suddenly leaving ????

 

Of course - its a normal increase in activity as Covid restrictions ease world wide, as the fear of covid drops and as company travel increases, as tourism increases - general activity. 

 

 

The pre-flight PCR thing... that may have made some delay their flight by a week or so and re-book, otherwise I do not see how the removal of a pre-flight PCR test has or will make any difference. 

 

Once the very thin veneer of these announcements is scratched the only real improvement in ’tourist’ arrivals will only be noticed once any Thailand Pass requirements are totally abolished. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

When we arrived at 9am on Thai Pass we were taken to the test site prior to hotel. Our results were in early enough that we were able to go home to spend the night. 

 

But yes, we needed to book and pay for the room we used for only a "short time" quarantine, and were required to stay in the room until the results were in.

Same here...   

November arrival - 9am - test results by afternoon... we left the hotel early evening.

March Arrival - 1pm - test results next morning when I woke up. 

 

Some hotels offer a ‘fast track rate’ its about 3000 baht for a 3 hr test. 

 

So... Pay an additional 3000 baht so you don’t have to spend the night in a hotel you have already paid 5000 baht for !!!!

 

Obviously - the concern the promise of ‘fast track’ (at a premium of 3000 baht) and the result is not fast tracked !! (refund ? - yeah, right !)

 

 

 

[Gjk7777]

Nothing has changed in that photo. Maybe less people wearing Bio hazard suits, much the same when I arrived in  November last year even with the Pre flight PCR..