CCSA to Consider Proposal to Suspend Test & Go and Thailand Pass

[CANSIAM]

What ta do what ta do..... I'm arriving June 10 BBK, only flight booked, will return with a 90day Non O (O-A   killed). Will choose 'test and go' and now thinking of changing to late May arrival, hearing test and go PCR test may change to ATK, now possibly ThaiPass tossed !  Hang tough and keep reading updates ??? cheers

[hotandsticky]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

International tourism will have no effect on local transmissions, in fact the reverse is more likely

If they have been inoculated and enter Thailand negative, then holiday at their own risk of being infected by locals.

 

 

In a nutshell.

 

 

.....and exactly the reason why Test & Go should now be scrapped.

[gerrytraveller]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 Anyone arriving in Thailand presents an equal risk to people in Thailand as the people in Thailand. 

 

 

Correct.... but do the numbers... how many foreign tourists are coming in against how many people in Thailand... 

Do the numbers

[Canadian Snowbird]

Nothing to get excited about here folks. They will no doubt be able to flip flop on this decision for at least the next couple of months. ????

[jesimps]

13 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

I'm fine with further normalization but I'd wait until May 15 or June 1, just until we see what happens in the two - three weeks AFTER Songkran.

 

Lifting it too soon, and then potentially reinstating policies will just lead to further confusion.

 

 

 

 

Most of the increase after Songkran will be from inter-province travel by the locals.

[cncltd1973]

Someone in the government is finally saying it. Good for you Piphat.

There's no other option but for Thailand to normalize their entry process to what westerns are accustomed to, or we will go elsewhere and they are seeing it now! Make the process as easy we do. Do you think we like paperwork and scams that much?!

[Pedrogaz]

Finally the numpties understood something.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, CANSIAM said:

What ta do what ta do..... I'm arriving June 10 BBK, only flight booked, will return with a 90day Non O (O-A   killed). Will choose 'test and go' and now thinking of changing to late May arrival, hearing test and go PCR test may change to ATK, now possibly ThaiPass tossed !  Hang tough and keep reading updates ??? cheers

I am also due back on 10th June and I would suggest you leave it the same.

Changes are normally brought in on the 1st of the month but not made official till just days before, causing chaos at the changeover.

When I came back last October the changes for 1st Oct didn't become effective till 30th Sept, all COE applications were suspended from about 20th Sept till the 30th.

I will be waiting till late May before doing anything, having a re entry permit the visa is not an issue.

[Danderman123]

14 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

I'm fine with further normalization but I'd wait until May 15 or June 1, just until we see what happens in the two - three weeks AFTER Songkran.

 

Lifting it too soon, and then potentially reinstating policies will just lead to further confusion.

 

 

 

 

What does increased domestic infections have to do with reducing restrictions on foreigners entering the country?

[DLock]

I had to leave Thailand for a week of business.

 

The Thai Pass is very straight forward, but really not necessary - it was pretty much a check on vaccination status only. So, you are transcribing your vaccine documentation. Little value.

 

The thing that concerned me most was that Thailand has dropped all testing requirements prior to flying to Thailand. So I was sitting on a plane of people that are vaccinated, but none of them have been tested in the last 3 days. I was actually surprised the airline did not insist on testing, for crew safety.

 

I was concerned that I may get infected flying and end up in a Hospitel for longer than my trip away, but I tested negative.

 

Given all the rigmarole around flying both directions, and the risks of ending up in quarantine, I would not fly again until everything was back to normal.

[globalspark]

If they want tourist number to increase rapidly they need to scrap these stupid rules.I booked some weeks ago and  after reading the requirements I cancelled the following day.

The requirements were not  very hard but are time consuming and waste of money with transfers and staying in certain hotels only to move next day to your preferred hotel.I have a black earth card  which is currently useless  as we still need a separate policy for Covid.

[Scouse123]

The proposal to ' fly in without notice ' If you read the headline and story carefully, to me it actually reads like the tourism and sports minister is only proposing to eliminate the  need for the Test and Go application and use the vaccine passport in its place.

 

It isn't stating clearly that visitors will be allowed to cancel the hotels, PCR or ATK (whatever it will be in May!)

 it's merely suggesting taking out the week waiting for the Test and Go to come through.

 

It would be very easy for them to then say OK, but bring your vaccination certificates and Covid insurance documents for inspection on arrival. So, in reality you are showing said documents at airport anyway and just not applying online in advance.

 

It seems a ' play on words ' and that they should be focusing more on cleaning up the embarrassing bottleneck that is the arrival hall for hotels and transport, (which is a huge Covid risk,) I think they aren't actually changing course on their ' staged ' opening.

 

I honestly believe these people think there is going to be a ' stampede ' of desperate-to- get- into- Thailand at any cost tourists, and I also fully believe they are in for a very rude awakening. Other countries, including Cambodia and Singapore can testify that tourism has not rebounded anywhere near anticipated levels.

 

I know at least 10-15 regulars to Thailand in my small group who haven't given it a second thought and just booked elsewhere.

 

These clowns in government can throw out to the public any ' waffle ' they want.

 

Next, it will be they are ' mulling ' proposals to open Casinos or foreigners to own land or cancelling visa charges or extending covid extensions. It's all to give the appearance they care or are doing something for the tourist industry, when in reality.........zilch!

 

 

 

 

[gunner1]

Consider? they have been "considering" for the past two years and have not gotten to the "do" thing.

 

[Scouse123]

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Just DON'T do.it!

 

Test & Go and Thailand Pass

Confused by your post Jingthing and judging by the emojis, so are many others!

[Jingthing]

Just now, Scouse123 said:

Confused by your post Jingthing and judging by the emojis, so are many others!

I agree that Test & Go and Thailand Pass need to be canceled.

 

[shackleton]

It's a step in the right direction  getting rid of all the steps would  be better

Then the Chinese and Indian tourists will return in greater numbers 

Happy days are here again. in  Pattaya and Phuket

Bars hotels. Restaurants  will be over the moon ????

[ikke1959]

Dear Minister, not only scrap the test and go but also all other restrictions. Let tourists enter the country with the vaccination pass and maybe an ATK test ( free) at arrival. Besides that open all entertainment venues again so that tourists can enoy their holiday and also lift the ban on alcohol.... Let vendors only sell alcohol at people if they show their id card if there is a doubt if they are old enough.  Eveybody will be much happier

[Stargeezr]

Yes a move toward no restrictions is good. Vaccinated international travelers should

be able to travel like they did in the past. Get vaccinated and travel the world.

  Sort of like an old VISA commercial, or American Express.

[WEBBYB808]

14 hours ago, Anton9 said:

99% of world's countries have no such a thing as this "Thailand Pass".

It makes no sense and it's not following any science

Money put into focal points, certain hotels, taxis, and high price test.  One should understand Ever since its been in place, and depending on the number of days one had to stay, there was an average  of 6k thb per person or tourist entering the country.  Why would one do away with to soon when that silent neccessary  (tax) on arrival generates instant income.   Its been a steady drip, and thats how you fill a bucket  when the water is running dry.

[mikecha]

16 hours ago, internationalism said:

suspension of all restrictions suppose to be from 1st July.

It's a small chance it would happen from 1.5.

So far only replacement of entry pcr with atk is seriously planned, and still might be delayed to end of May.

As much as everybody wants restrictions lifted, it would take several months

Be a little Possitive  maybe  test and go does dissapear   lets hope makes life a lot easier  for all  

 

things in this land are never normal  do a wonder again in Amaising Thailand 

[Spilornis]

Sounds positive.

Singapore has said it will consider removing all testing for the vaccinated in the next few weeks and has already removed insurance requirements and outside masks.

Malaysia is removing quarantine for close contacts who are asymptomatic and is considering removing check in apps

After a long time the region is slowly re-opening.

May could be a big month in this regard

[Flink]

At least Piphat had the foresight to say "May be dropped". He knows just how the governemnt flip flop system works. And especially with the likelihood of an election in the offing, every minister will be doing what he can to scupper any possible rivals who might be about to do something that would make them look good in the public's eyes.

[biggles45]

It's all about convincing Thais that they are protecting them from the dirty foreigner! When you have spent 2 years on this narrative it's difficult to make a new one in an election year,

[rocksniffer]

Thailand is losing tourists to  other countries that have made arriving just like before. "Singapore and Philippines bookings were at 72 percent and 65 percent of 2019 levels, respectively, while Thailand was at just 24 percent.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2022/04/13/southeast-asias-tourism-industry-begins-uneven-recovery.html.

[Al BB]

2 hours ago, gunner1 said:

Consider? they have been "considering" for the past two years and have not gotten to the "do" thing.

 

Spot on !  (Procrastination is the thief of time.)

[Oracle2022]

Most of the rest of the world is now fully open........ Philippines fully opened over a month ago.......everything is fine.

 

Its time to end this nonsense in Thailand.

 

1st of May - fully open.

[Burma Bill]

18 hours ago, internationalism said:

As much as everybody wants restrictions lifted, it would take several months

With respect, Cambodia did it within a few days after its Immigration Service was able to issue visas on arrival again.

[Cake Monster]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that the proposal will be presented at the CCSA meeting on April 22. If approved, the changes will most likely be effective on May 1. With the lifting of these restrictions, tourists will be able to enter the country using vaccine passports rather than having to wait for days for their documents to be approved.

The Devil will be in the small print for sure.

For sure, there will be some somewhere.

[thisisrascal]

I don’t see this happening any time soon, July 1 would be my guess. It’s a little silly because as has been pointed out already a farang is more likely to be infected in Thailand. 

[HappyExpat57]

"Suspend Test & Go and Thailand Pass"