News Forum - Tourists turn their backs on Rayong over 330-baht antigen testing requirement

[Thaiger]

Tourists have hit back at the eastern province of Rayong after officials imposed a mandatory antigen testing requirement on all visitors. According to a Nation Thailand report, all arrivals in the province must have a negative antigen test result, certified by a doctor, no more than 72 hours before arrival. Tourists have expressed their anger on social media, with most saying they were unaware of the requirement prior to arrival. Once in Rayong, visitors are being ordered to pay 330 baht at a local hospital in order to be tested. This has led to most cancelling their trips and turning […]

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[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

23 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

Tourists have hit back at the eastern province of Rayong after officials imposed a mandatory antigen testing requirement on all visitors. According to a Nation Thailand report, all arrivals in the province must have a negative antigen test result, certified by a doctor, no more than 72 hours before arrival. Tourists have expressed their anger on social media, with most saying they were unaware of the requirement prior to arrival. Once in Rayong, visitors are being ordered to pay 330 baht at a local hospital in order to be tested. This has led to most cancelling their trips and turning […]

The story Tourists turn their backs on Rayong over 330-baht antigen testing requirement as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

The best way to accelerate the ending of this "safety theater" is to stop paying into it.

[Donald]

The new business model. Nothing to do with a health emergency. Just trying to squeeze some more money out of people while "normal" businesses are languishing or have already closed down. The new "normal" ?

[ERIKN]

We have changed our plans. Now we are enjoying us in Hua Hin.

After a stressful entry with 3 Pcr tests after 3 Moderna shots, one day lockdown in a way too expensive test and go scam hotel, we are done with more restrictions. 

This is not the way to go.

[AAS]

When are these obviously retarded  bureaucrats going to stop shooting themselves in the foot ? Or is it just another non-official scam !

[Marc26]

They drove 500kms

 

And changed their plans over $10usd

 

The cheapness of some Thai expats and toursists will never cease to amaze me

[danpeter]

25 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

They drove 500kms

And changed their plans over $10usd

The cheapness of some Thai expats and toursists will never cease to amaze me

"Cheapness" or principal? Bon pour vous if you are happy & prepared to splash the cash for a clear scam when its totally unnecessary. These tourists are vaxxed, 3 PCR tests in... How much more BS do you expect of cash cows. I would totally do the same  

Edited January 26, 2022 by danpeter

[palooka]

So if you pay 300 baht , test negative, and stay Rayong and get Covid will they pay for your medical bills?

I could understand the requirement if Rayong was Covid free.

[Cabra]

So every local government in THA is now in business for themselves and making their own rules around covid public health policy, it's chaos! People (domestic tourist alike) will just stop going to these places. It's that simple. Not to mention 330 baht for a 100 test... that's one way to fill depleted coffers... and if you test positive they drag up off to hospital. No thanks. Any tourist in their right mind will revolt against such blatantly shortsighted policies. THA has lost the plot, and if national leadership does start taking smarter steps to learn to live with covid (like the rest of the world has begun doing), then they have no one to blame but themselves. THA will continue to be the creators of their own demise.

[Cabra]

31 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

They drove 500kms

And changed their plans over $10usd

The cheapness of some Thai expats and toursists will never cease to amaze me

They where traveling as a group... Why risk ruining everyones holiday on some random roadside ATK test? One positive (false positive) and they are all likely screwed. Plus, they probably just went throught a gauntlet of 4 PCR test just to get that far... They should not have to be taking test at every turn. Just go somewhere else where you are welcome.

[Jason]

Yes....it's only 300 Baht for the test. Think of how much income was lost from just those ten tourists alone. Think of the damage that 300 Baht fee has now done, to Rayong's reputation. It's been publicised widely now....and it's negative publicity.

[Cabra]

51 minutes ago, AAS said:

When are these obviously retarded  bureaucrats going to stop shooting themselves in the foot ? Or is it just another non-official scam !

Both!

[stuhan]

This is Thailand people, when it comes to making money they will do,get used to it it will never change.

 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

They drove 500kms

And changed their plans over $10usd

The cheapness of some Thai expats and toursists will never cease to amaze me

In the case of the tour group, I doubt it was either 'cheapness' or principle, but expect it was pragmatism.

Given the accuracy (or rather inaccuracy) of ATK tests, in a tour group of even that number the probability is that at least one would be a false positive.

If that happened, and there's a better than even chance that it would, the whole tour group would be quarantined until the results of a PCR test came back.

A single tourist may be happy to take the risk, but with a tour group of ten there's ten times the risk - they'd have been stupid to take that risk.

[Stonker]

5 minutes ago, stuhan said:

This is Thailand people, when it comes to making money they will do,get used to it it will never change.

The only thing I've got used to is the tedious mantra that it's all about money.

It's not - what's wrong with good, old-fashioned stupidity?

[riclag]

So that makes 3 . Two from Test and Go revenue schemes and 1 from Rayong !

Whats disturbing to me is before the 5th day  requirement  ! Your allowed to mix and mingle while possibly carrying the poison! That seems counter productive! 
Trying to stop and spread the virus at the same time!

Stop with the revenue rape ! Make it free or stop testing!

[oldschooler]

1 hour ago, danpeter said:

"Cheapness" or principal? Bon pour vous if you are happy & prepared to splash the cash for a clear scam when its totally unnecessary. These tourists are vaxxed, 3 PCR tests in... How much more BS do you expect of cash cows. I would totally do the same  

Yet another reason for me not to move from Phuket since March 2020 until ALL this is Over.

Life was sufficiently complicated before Covid…. and then all this continuing nonsense on top, if traveling even beyond your province. 

Omicron is, or will be soon, simply Everywhere. Govts. to accept Everyone Exposed , Spread Unstoppable, Vaxxed will Not Die and Testing / Quarantine/ Daily Reporting has Zero Constructive Purpose. 

[Storm]

But what do the powers that be expect? Before you start enjoying your holiday you already have to get 3 PCR tests - one justified before you fly, one acceptable on arrival and one cash generating on day 5 or 6 or 7. Do you think anyone in their right mind would choose to have another one, with all the risks associated with it, to visit Samet? Or any other place for that matter? Every extra rule and hoop will obviously alienate potential tourists - this is not the way to go!!  Either you want more tourists, or not. 

[Saltire]

For every 100 people suffering from the pandemic, I'd bet there is 1 who who has benefitted from an absolute bonanza and don't want it to stop.

I feel sorry for the smaller businesses who have taken the brunt of this, while watching the opportunists making shedloads of money off the back of Covid.

 

 

[LoongFred]

17 minutes ago, Storm said:

But what do the powers that be expect? Before you start enjoying your holiday you already have to get 3 PCR tests - one justified before you fly, one acceptable on arrival and one cash generating on day 5 or 6 or 7. Do you think anyone in their right mind would choose to have another one, with all the risks associated with it, to visit Samet? Or any other place for that matter? Every extra rule and hoop will obviously alienate potential tourists - this is not the way to go!!  Either you want more tourists, or not. 

Since Thailand's covid rates are low compared to the UK, Europe and the USA,  they must be doing something right or just plain lucky. Complaining about anti covid programs is making you look foolish. If the testing is too great then you should go somewhere more risky and enjoy acquiring natural immunity.  I would only fault Thailand if they didn't do enough and were careless.  It's in the country’s economic interest to do less but they want to do the best for the population. 

[Fundok]

Well, well, well, here we go. What a perfect example of what happens when one overstretches the testing requirements w/o any tangible gain in combatting the spreading of the virus. 10 tourists that would have spent quite some money in Rayon turned their backs, and not because of the huge financial impact of those 330 THB (in fact, these costs for the test are peanuts). But the hassle and the senselessness of this requireme are fending people off. Thai authorities should therefore - in my view - reconsider especially the 2nd PCR-testing requirement on day 5. Otherwise traveller might decide for another destination where the rules are less cumbersome.

[LoongFred]

Typical of cheapscates who don't want to pay the freight. Whine and moan about everything. Next it will be that the dirt wasn't clean enough for them. Or the water was too cold to bath, etc. We're still in a pandemic so precautions are important. Of course tourist should be be expected to pay since they aren't free to do. Sorry if you were impacted for 300 baht and discomfort of the test. 

[Leeshard]

So glad I read about this. My wife and I were planning a few days on Ko Samet next week. We’ll give it a miss now and go somewhere else. And we’re domestic tourists who live in Thailand whom (I thought) the government are desperate to encourage. There is, of course, no information about this on hotel booking sites so I guess most people learn about it when it’s too late. 

[Fundok]

3 hours ago, Marc26 said:

They drove 500kms

And changed their plans over $10usd

The cheapness of some Thai expats and toursists will never cease to amaze me

It's not about the money, I am certain. It's about feeling to be ripped off by the authorities under the pretense of Covid prevention (which it is of course not).

I'd do the same and not because I am greedy.

[Fundok]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Yes....it's only 300 Baht for the test. Think of how much income was lost from just those ten tourists alone. Think of the damage that 300 Baht fee has now done, to Rayong's reputation. It's been publicised widely now....and it's negative publicity.

One would wish that those authorities had a more holistic approach but is seems they are just after the short term gain rather than seeing the bigger picture. What Rayong is doing locally is done with this Test&Go & Sandbox programs on an international level.