BREAKING: Thailand issues NEW Covid entry requirements effective January 9th.

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

From the article:

"3. Thai Citizens with a Thai passport are exempt from all vaccination and insurance requirements."

 

So Thais do not need to show proof of vaccination? I understand the no insurance requirements!

So whats the point, if any?

Thais are immune, remember at the beginning of the infections, 2019-2020, the "brick layer" health minister said there would be no problems with Covid in Thailand as the heat and sunshine would kill the virus  555

[MarcelV]

And we're all laughing again ????????????

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

India is one.  I've not heard of any others, yet.  Most countries only require people coming from China to be tested.

Lots of Indians stood outside the testing clinic on Klang (near 3rd) this morning.

[rbkk]

Are the requirements at a land border the same? I have seen no info from the different relevant  govt. dept. I'm crossing a land border to Laos on Wednesday and had a booster jab last Friday (Total=5!) Will I need insurance for my return to Thailand the next day? (Non-O marriage visa/ no Thai Social Security.)

Edited January 8, 2023 by rbkk

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

You'd have to cancel the trip.  Unless you have a vaccination exemption letter.  There is currently no option of submitting a negative test result.

That's what it seems like, and possibly lose your money/ticket? As you say there seems to be no other option. Totally absurd state of affairs, but what do expect from Thailand?

[ozimoron]

29 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Give every prospective traveler to Thailand 28-days notice so they can go and get double-jabbed.

Tell the virus that. It will be pleased.

[ozimoron]

19 minutes ago, mania said:

How about these gems?
 

I think if I was an airline I would just say no thanks & cut flights to Thailand same as British Airways did previously

British Airways Defers Bangkok But Goes Double Daily Into Singapore

The airlines were responsible for checking that previously. No reason they can't do it again.

[mania]

8 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

The airlines were responsible for checking that previously. No reason they can't do it again.

Well there is a great reason.....Covid for the most part is in the rear view mirror of most countries

 

Secondly you left this out....

6. Airlines should ask passengers to Thailand to mask during their journey except during meal time or an emergency.

 

So now a multi destination flight....Airlines is supposedly responsible for sorting those going to Thailand & making them alone mask up for duration except when eating or <sic> emergencies 555

Many airlines have dropped masking already

 

But yeah bottom line during worldwide pandemic all chipped in...now post pandemic? Airlines should say its a get it yourself service Thailand ????  Or better yet do as British Airways

 

 

[mania]

14 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Tell the virus that. It will be pleased.

What?? The post your replying to is making ref to the fact many have already booked non refundable tickets & to be told the day before flight you need this & that? What does that have to do with your smug reply?

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, mania said:

Well there is a great reason.....Covid for the most part is in the rear view mirror of most countries

Nothing could be further from the truth

 

1 minute ago, mania said:

 

Secondly you left this out....

6. Airlines should ask passengers to Thailand to mask during their journey except during meal time or an emergency.

 

So now a multi destination flight....Airlines is supposedly responsible for sorting those going to Thailand & making them alone mask up for duration except when eating or <sic> emergencies 555

Many airlines have dropped masking already

 

But yeah bottom line during worldwide pandemic all chipped in...now post pandemic? Airlines should say its a get it yourself service Thailand ????  Or better yet do as British Airways

 

 

 

[ozimoron]

Just now, mania said:

What?? The post your replying to is making ref to the fact many have already booked non refundable tickets & to be told the day before flight you need this & that? What does that have to do with your smug reply?

Did you find it difficult to understand? The Chinese only recently opened it's borders and the extent and speed of the XBB1.5 variant spread is also very recent.

[mania]

3 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Did you find it difficult to understand?

Yes your one line snips are difficult with out a decoder ring ????

Point is you cannot dump these requirements on folks with 0 notice

 

Thailand knew well in advance about China's intentions but as usual kowtow to China & finally came up with this knee jerk

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by mania

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

This rule won't last long, probably change it within the next 48 hours.

Could happen knowing the clowns in Thailand? The check in staff at airports will be real happy, they won't know if they are coming or going?

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

yep here we go again..money must be getting short 

That's what you get when you have unelected soldiers attempting to run the country. Offshore accounts need regular topping up.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Robin said:

Just whenit looked as if Tourism might be recovering, and travel stating again, Thailand has to come up with new restrictions.  Does Thailand want any Tourists in 2023?

As long as the soldiers are not losing out financially, to hell with the rest of us.

[brewsterbudgen]

15 minutes ago, mania said:

Yes your one line snips are difficult with out a decoder ring ????

Point is you cannot dump these requirements on folks with 0 notice

 

Thailand knew well in advance about China's intentions but as usual kowtow to China & finally came up with this knee jerk

 

Agreed.  The most ridiculous aspect of this decision is applying it to everyone rather than just focusing on people travelling out of China.  And why the focus on vaccinations?  Far better would be to insist on a negative Covid test, like most other countries are doing.

[mikeymike100]

3 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Agreed.  The most ridiculous aspect of this decision is applying it to everyone rather than just focusing on people travelling out of China.  And why the focus on vaccinations?  Far better would be to insist on a negative Covid test, like most other countries are doing.

Yes and giving the check in staff , worldwide, less than 2 days notice to change requirements for people traveling to Thailand? I bet the check in staff are real happy having to contend with angry passengers who haven't heard about the requirements. They may have been vaxed, but don't have a document proving it?

[Rimmer]

An off topic post and replies leading to bickering has been removed

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Agreed.  The most ridiculous aspect of this decision is applying it to everyone rather than just focusing on people travelling out of China.  And why the focus on vaccinations?  Far better would be to insist on a negative Covid test, like most other countries are doing.

I’m surprised the announcement did not also include that a negative Covid-19 is required in lieu of proof of vaccination...

 

There is still a massive elephant in the room which is the clumsiness of the timing - more notice needs to be given, people are going to get caught out and it won’t be their fault. 

 

 

According to the requirements - any history of ‘full’ vaccination is acceptable, there is no time frame which is good. The insurance requirement is slightly confusing, but we ’should’ have insurance when travelling to Thailand anyway (a different debate). 

 

Even though its not a requirement, I’ve just edited my insurance certs to fit the ‘expectation’.

i.e. I have full cover (in patient / out patient) but it does not state a date range (i.e. from July-22 to July-23) or specifically state ‘cover for Covid-19’) - so I’ve edited that into my Certificate to keep the ‘jobs worths satisfied’....  ( I was nearly rejected boarding a in Doha in 2021 because the Airline ground staff claimed my insurance certificate was not sufficiently specific (they said it was a letter not a certificate) - thus I also edited ‘Certificate of Cover’ for any future trips). 

 

This situation presents risk of airline ground staff misinterpreting the rules and unfairly preventing boarding - thus, get all ducks in a row, edit PDF’s to be more clear if necessary and carry all documents even if you don’t think they are needed. 

I recall arguing with Airline ground-staff in the ME on another matter after the day 5 Test & Go was cancelled - the ground staff still wanted proof of booking (in the end I just showed them a print out of the day 5th booking I’d already cancelled but luckily still had in my document wallet). 

 

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, ozimoron said:

The vast majority of people are vaccinated. The few who are stopped by this won't be noticed.

Many of those who are vaccinated, but turn up at the airport, not realising that they will be unable to check in because, a few hours previously, Thailand suddenly decided to require proof, will be sufficiently upset never to come to Thailand again. That will have happened to some people who carefully rechecked the requirements 24 hours before leaving for the airport.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Great big T I T. Land of...Confusion, Inconsistency, Clueless, Rules, Ideas and schemes-pulled-out-of-ass then cancelled/changed/not enforced/over enforced. All of the above depending on what day of week or direction of wind. 

The typical mentality of unelected soldiers.

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Many of those who are vaccinated, but turn up at the airport, not realising that they will be unable to check in because, a few hours previously, Thailand suddenly decided to require proof, will be sufficiently upset never to come to Thailand again. That will have happened to some people who carefully rechecked the requirements 24 hours before leaving for the airport.

I don't dispute that. My point is that there won't be enough of them to make a difference, let alone kill the tourist industry as some are claiming. Most international travellers are vaxxed.

[mikeymike100]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’m surprised the announcement did not also include that a negative Covid-19 is required in lieu of proof of vaccination...

 

There is still a massive elephant in the room which is the clumsiness of the timing - more notice needs to be given, people are going to get caught out and it won’t be their fault. 

 

 

According to the requirements - any history of ‘full’ vaccination is acceptable, there is no time frame which is good. The insurance requirement is slightly confusing, but we ’should’ have insurance when travelling to Thailand anyway (a different debate). 

 

Even though its not a requirement, I’ve just edited my insurance certs to fit the ‘expectation’.

i.e. I have full cover (in patient / out patient) but it does not state a date range (i.e. from July-22 to July-23) or specifically state ‘cover for Covid-19’) - so I’ve edited that into my Certificate to keep the ‘jobs worths satisfied’....  ( I was nearly rejected boarding a in Doha in 2021 because the Airline ground staff claimed my insurance certificate was not sufficiently specific (they said it was a letter not a certificate) - thus I also edited ‘Certificate of Cover’ for any future trips). 

 

This situation presents risk of airline ground staff misinterpreting the rules and unfairly preventing boarding - thus, get all ducks in a row, edit PDF’s to be more clear if necessary and carry all documents even if you don’t think they are needed. 

I recall arguing with Airline ground-staff in the ME on another matter after the day 5 Test & Go was cancelled - the ground staff still wanted proof of booking (in the end I just showed them a print out of the day 5th booking I’d already cancelled but luckily still had in my document wallet). 

 

Correct, check in staff have a pretty difficult job to do, dealing with all kinds of people, every day.They are at the 'sharp end of the stick' as it were? The instructions they get clearly can be misinterpreted, by some?

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

I don't dispute that. My point is that there won't be enough of them to make a difference, let alone kill the tourist industry as some are claiming. Most international travellers are vaxxed.

Yes, most are vaccinated. That does not mean they walk around with their medical records when unaware it will be a requirement. Do you walk around with evidence of Yellow Fever vaccination?

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Yes, most are vaccinated. That does not mean they walk around with their medical records when unaware it will be a requirement. Do you walk around with evidence of Yellow Fever vaccination?

I reject that any semi educated person will be unaware of the requirements for entry into any country they travel to. The airlines and travel agencies will be emailing them.

[mikeymike100]

5 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Yes, most are vaccinated. That does not mean they walk around with their medical records when unaware it will be a requirement. Do you walk around with evidence of Yellow Fever vaccination?

Right, it all boils down to giving less than 2 days notice too change requirements to travel to Thailand was a moronic thing to do?Nobody has a chance to communicate the requirements to passengers and or properly explain to the check in staff? You can imagine this message being mis-translated into all the different languages at all the airlines world wide? Tomorrow is not a good day to be a check in person?

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Right, it all boils down to giving less than 2 days notice too change requirements to travel to Thailand was a moronic thing to do?Nobody has a chance to communicate the requirements to passengers and or properly explain to the check in staff? You can imagine this message being mis-translated into all the different languages at all the airlines world wide? Tomorrow is not a good day to be a check in person?

Why don't they? An email takes mere seconds.

[Neeranam]

Can we believe the "Pattaya Post'?

[Salerno]

Just now, Neeranam said:

Can we believe the "Pattaya Post'?

In this case, yes, ignore the "Breaking" in the title. Airlines had already started updating their sites hours before this thread started.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

They can't refuse entry to their own citizens!

Same as any country.