News Forum - Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test

[Tim_Melb]

2 hours ago, JJJ said:

What I saw was that some theorized that since it was for new TP applications after the 1st  the earliest would be the 7th.  Not sure if that’s the actual rule as it hasn’t been published and won’t be for sometime.

It has been published and those dates are correct. 

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/

[samiam123]

12 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

This is wrong. It's for new applications submitted on or after the 1st of March and arriving on or after the 7th of March. 

I didn't know about the 7th of March thing, so my bad.

Edited February 23, 2022 by samiam123

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

It would be interesting to see if SHA++ hotels simply double the price for the day one stay.

[Marc26]

22 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

It would be interesting to see if SHA++ hotels simply double the price for the day one stay.

They haven't doubled the price but they have raised prices up around 500 baht or so, from what I can recall from previous Day 1 when Day 5 was also required

[PJK]

That 500 baht hopefully won’t impact you too badly. I will say a prayer for you.

[Somchai]

12 hours ago, Thaiger said:

From the start of March, the requirement for the 2nd pre-paid PCR test on Day 5 after your arrival in Thailand will be dropped. But it will instead be replaced with a rapid antigen test you can take yourself. In addition, the required insurance will be reduced from $50,000 to $20,000. Hotel reservations will be required for the 1st day only in order to wait for the results of you PCR test. Travellers won’t need to book for a second hotel night on the 5th day after their arrival. So, it’s back to the same requirements when Test & Go was […]

The story Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test as seen on Thaiger News.

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The major problem is that you must speak fluent English to do all this paperwork, otherwise its impossible to complete the insurance, pcr test booking, sha hotel booking with airport transfer and then the Thailand Pass.

 

As only 10% of the global population speaks some English, it reduces the number of potential visitors quite dramatically.

 

[JamesR]

7 minutes ago, Somchai said:

The major problem is that you must speak fluent English to do all this paperwork, otherwise its impossible to complete the insurance, pcr test booking, sha hotel booking with airport transfer and then the Thailand Pass.

As only 10% of the global population speaks some English, it reduces the number of potential visitors quite dramatically.

The other 90% who can't speak English are probably too poor to go to Thailand anyway. 

[Gerryman]

Thank you Thailand  you are handling this very well  just need to do away with the cumbersome paperwork and the first test as well. Other countries very close to you are and will be stealing your tourists. You can do it, no more testing and acknowledge this is an endemic and get all those tourist and there dollars back!!

[ChrisLa91]

2 hours ago, Tim_Melb said:

This is wrong. It's for new applications submitted on or after the 1st of March and arriving on or after the 7th of March. 

Let’s make this clear for everyone:

E.g. you got your TP and enter Thailand before the 7th March, you have the day 1 and 5 test.

If you arrive after the 7th March (no matter when you have applied for TP) you only have the day 1 PCR.

[tomrx7]

1 hour ago, ChrisLa91 said:

Let’s make this clear for everyone:

E.g. you got your TP and enter Thailand before the 7th March, you have the day 1 and 5 test.

If you arrive after the 7th March (no matter when you have applied for TP) you only have the day 1 PCR.

 

1 hour ago, ChrisLa91 said:

Let’s make this clear for everyone:

E.g. you got your TP and enter Thailand before the 7th March, you have the day 1 and 5 test.

If you arrive after the 7th March (no matter when you have applied for TP) you only have the day 1 PCR.

so my wife and I have our Tp and paid for the 2 tests but we arrive on the 7th March does this mean we can ask for a refund for the 2nd test 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

2 hours ago, Somchai said:

The major problem is that you must speak fluent English to do all this paperwork, otherwise its impossible to complete the insurance, pcr test booking, sha hotel booking with airport transfer and then the Thailand Pass.

As only 10% of the global population speaks some English, it reduces the number of potential visitors quite dramatically.

However, a small majority of the global population has the financial resources to travel. And those that do are likely higher educated and speak some English. Or at a minimum have access to the internet and Google translate. 

[fpschubert]

8 hours ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

He had a lucid interval, but very brief....

"There will be no need for the tests because infections are spreading mostly among locals, while imported infections are relatively low, he said."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2268351/govt-to-reassess-test-go-measures

That's what I am saying in my previous posts. Hopefully, he has a long term lucid interval 

[Politenessman]

The devil is in the detail - the 5 day self administered test - How is that handled, I test myself and report negative/positive to whom? or I am just expected to report a positive? (if asymptomatic I can't imagine many positives will self report).

This looks to have been written up as a policy on the back of a coaster.

[Mazz11]

11 hours ago, fpschubert said:

Hoping that the first day PCR test and 1 day hotel booking should be scrapped soon like in PH.. Hopefully before my Bangkok travel this April. 

I am planning to arrive in April and also have the same hopes.

[Soidog]

5 hours ago, Somchai said:

The major problem is that you must speak fluent English to do all this paperwork, otherwise its impossible to complete the insurance, pcr test booking, sha hotel booking with airport transfer and then the Thailand Pass.

As only 10% of the global population speaks some English, it reduces the number of potential visitors quite dramatically.

Yes, it’s because the Thais think that what we call the English language is in fact the “Farang Language”. It’s spoken by everyone who is a “Farang”. They can’t help being ignorant of the world. It’s how they are educated and brought up. 

[Soidog]

26 minutes ago, Mazz11 said:

I am planning to arrive in April and also have the same hopes.

I wish you luck and being Thailand, anything could happen. Only thing I would say is that the recent dropping of the Day 5 test announced yesterday, only applies to new applicants from March 1st for arrival March 7th. If they were to drop the day 1 PCR then the announcement would likely need to happen by mid-March (3 weeks away) for it to help anyone arriving early/mid April. As they may keep the Thailand pass in order to check vaccination and insurance status, perhaps you should hold off applying until closer to your travel date Fingers crossed  

[Soidog]

8 hours ago, SirPixAlot said:

When I visited TH in last december I got an ATK for free, provided from the hotel. I booked a bundle incl. room, transfer from airport, PCR-Test and ATK. Since the MorChana app didn't work back then I just sent a pic of the result by Line to my hotel contact.
BTW I never used the app and no one ever asked me about that.

I had a similar experience. I arrived mid-Jan and had my PCR test at the SHA+ hotel. Results came back later that night and on check out I was given a document with the results. I knew I had to have a day 5 test (no hotel stay requirement at that time) but asked the hotel what happens next. Do I need any further tests?  No was the answer. Nothing more you can travel anywhere now. On page 2 of the document I was handed was a line anyone could miss saying I was “instructed by the health authority to undergo a PCR test free of charge on day 5”. I don’t blame the hotel for getting it wrong as the rules change so often. But it would have been easy to miss the requirement, especially if English isn’t your first language. I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t taken the day 5 test….

[Dancbmac]

LOL!  Just in time for me as today is my Day 5 and I have to check in again for quarantine around 2:00 pm since the latest rule does not take affect immediately.  (NOT!!!!!).  The hotel did tell me that I can leave after a negative result comes back, but don’t know when that will be.  Have to have my Thai wife call before we go and find out if they have an estimated time when results come back.  The funny thing is she can check in with me, no PCR-test for her, on day 5 quarantine for an extra 1000 baht if we are legally married.  If I was a tourist I wouldn’t come back to Thailand until this crap is over, but living here with some of these crazy rules we have endure.

[Manu]

9 hours ago, SirPixAlot said:

When I visited TH in last december I got an ATK for free, provided from the hotel. I booked a bundle incl. room, transfer from airport, PCR-Test and ATK. Since the MorChana app didn't work back then I just sent a pic of the result by Line to my hotel contact.
BTW I never used the app and no one ever asked me about that.

Yes things have changed so many times that people forgot (I did) it was actually the same only recently. My friend reminded me that yesterday as she also arrived in December. On day 5, day she was supposed to do the ATK test, she could not find the one provided when she arrived, she lost it so instead she sent a picture of an ATK test she did...months before in Switzerland. All went fine. It only takes a little imagination to figure out how to get around the possibility of sending a positive test on day 5.

This ATK test on Day 5 while cheaper is just as useless and counterproductive than the PCR test on day 5. This is one little added thing that will put off many tourists to come to Thailand. Considering how easy it will be to cheat with that one for the few that will come anyway, what is the point???

[fpschubert]

Do you think shortening the 72-hr RT PCR test before arrival to 48-hrs and then just requiring an Antigen Test Kit at the airport and removing the Day 1 RT-PCR/Hotel Booking would be more tempting to tourists? 

[JJJ]

9 hours ago, Tim_Melb said:

It has been published and those dates are correct. 

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go/

By published, I mean in the Royal Gazette. According to my hotel it hasn’t been published yet. There’s other who follow it more closely so if it has let us know!

I’m not saying that won’t be the rule. But we’ve seen many times dates float up out of different ministries only to have the Royal Gazette say something different (like the entry cutoff from first round). If the past is a guide, it probably won’t be published until the 28th. That doesn’t give anyone comfort.

For sure if you’re a long distance traveler I would look at the 7th! I was planing to return to Thailand on the 27th now from Singapore and obviously waiting until the 7th is much different than say the 4th. 

Of course all this ambiguity does is delay bookings more and more. 

[Tim_Melb]

3 hours ago, Politenessman said:

The devil is in the detail - the 5 day self administered test - How is that handled, I test myself and report negative/positive to whom? or I am just expected to report a positive? (if asymptomatic I can't imagine many positives will self report).

This looks to have been written up as a policy on the back of a coaster.

Rubbish the result of the second test is reported online through the app or by phone to the number provided. This is not new it's a reversion to the previous system. 

[Jordash]

8 hours ago, ChrisLa91 said:

Let’s make this clear for everyone:

E.g. you got your TP and enter Thailand before the 7th March, you have the day 1 and 5 test.

If you arrive after the 7th March (no matter when you have applied for TP) you only have the day 1 PCR.

Where did you get this information? Everywhere else I've read is saying those of us that already have a TP will need to apply again on March 1st. 

[Sgtsabai]

Starting at the stupid Thailand pass application all the way to re-entry what happens if one does not have a "smart" phone? Maybe just an Nokia, I just happen to have one right here. I'm just going across the bridge to see my family after a much too long separation because of stupid governments.

Btw I've been on this earth long enough to remember when only Nazis and commies, yes I was born before WWII ended, tried to track their people. Times change, but I don't. 

[Cabra]

You still have to be crazy or brave to want to come to Thailand, or and other destination, with these kinds of idiotic rules and scams (e.g., forced covid insurance for fully vaccinated travellers). And most tourist are not.

Ruin my vacation before I board a flight (hopefully having all fully refundable and changeable bookings, or having bought travel insurance), and I can reset and try again later at little additional cost.

Ruin my vacation after I already arrived, and force me into 10 quarantine, now I'm out of pocket for everything with no recourse, and no R&R. No thanks!