News Forum - Can we say good-riddance to the Thailand Pass on July 1?

[Tim_Melb]

58 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Think you're confusing EES, which records biometrics on arrival and exit into the Schengen area, and ETIAS which is pretravel.

I wasn't aware of any requirement of vaccination be implemented for ETIAS when it starts. 

Thailand Pass would be similar to ETIAS in that it's related to pre travel authorization, but even then it's only a visa waiver, so many would still need to obtain a Schengen visa. 

Is there a requirement to show vaccination status to obtain a Schengen visa?

No not to obtain a visa but it is required to enter any schengen visa country from outside the zone. The exact requirements vary between countries at the moment but they are trying to standardise them as part of the campaign to reopen Europe at the moment. 

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

I'm not talk to ng about travel within the schengen zone, I'm talking about travelling from outside the zone into a schengen country and the digital requirements are the equivalent of the Thailand Pass but without the after arrival test and risk of quarantine. 

I'm flying into a schengen country from outside the EU next month. 

At the moment I have to show a paper copy of my vaccination certificate and a negative test result within 24 hours when I land. There is no insurance required. 

Oh and I have to show a return flight ticket also. 

It may well change in the future but for now that's all that's required. 

I only have to show that paper work because my country isn't on the safe list. Don't know what you need to show if are on the safe list though. 

 

[Grumpish]

21 hours ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Translation---

Until the Beloved Chinese and their freewheeling spending return then maybe we will end the TP

I really am very dubious about the figures put forward for the Chinese spend, having sat in Suvarnabhumi surrounded by Chinese package tourists packing and repacking their bags - with cheap snacks and sweets. Just what were they spending all that money on? And if you thought that what has happened to Phuket over the last two decades was bad, take a look what the "high-spending high-quality" Chinese tourists have done to Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

[TheDirtyDurian]

46 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

No not to obtain a visa but it is required to enter any schengen visa country from outside the zone. The exact requirements vary between countries at the moment but they are trying to standardise them as part of the campaign to reopen Europe at the moment. 

So is that an at the border check, or pre-departure?

[PapayaBokBok]

3 hours ago, Grumpish said:

I really am very dubious about the figures put forward for the Chinese spend, having sat in Suvarnabhumi surrounded by Chinese package tourists packing and repacking their bags - with cheap snacks and sweets. Just what were they spending all that money on? And if you thought that what has happened to Phuket over the last two decades was bad, take a look what the "high-spending high-quality" Chinese tourists have done to Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

Pre covid up here in CNX the Chinese took over--esp the Nimman area--i called it Chinatown--it was packed with rich chinese--didnt really see the tour groups as much....but id sit outside the tesco and eat an oice cream and just watch the tuk tuk guys and red trucks waiting for the money train

[ace035]

9 hours ago, Soidog said:

Personally Nick, I wouldn’t cancel just because of the Thailand Pass. It’s cumbersome for some people but it’s doable. The real show stopper for a tourist is the testing on arrival and even worse day 5 test. I know three people now who failed their PCR on arrival. Two had a nightmare 10 days and one lasted 12 days. All three had bills ranging from 130,000-220,000 baht and all three are having to pay a proportion of that bill as their insurance companies have large excess in the policies. One poor sod was only planning on being here 16 days. Luckily his company accepted he was sick and many UK employers will credit you for holidays lost to sickness. He was able to extend his stay and spent a nice 14 days in Krabi.
 

When I arrived I passed the day 1 test and then took extra care for the next 4 days. It was only after day 5 test I could finally relax and find a few bars to relax in.  
 

Enjoy your trip

Those 3 people that you mentioned, they didn't take care of themselves prior of arriving in Thailand, yes, because they are working and they are exposed to the crowded places like everyone else, they all have a job to do to take care of themselves so in a long run they can take a vacation where ever they want to go. If I am in a situation with them, I'll be self isolating for at least 10 days and try to avoid the crowd as much as possible but not with the Day 1 PCR bull***t thing, man, mind as well wait after July 1st. Does not matter to me if there's a typhoon, flooding, tornado, hurricane, cyclone, you name it, I am still going.

[Vigo]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:11 AM, TheDirtyDurian said:

One.

Europe won't be doing any of this rubbish. 

Ditto North America.

I'm based in the Gulf; KSA, UAE, Bahrain are pretty much come on in. 

Countries hanging on to this stuff are going to be in the minority pretty soon. 

To paraphrase Prof. Bruce Lee, You  can’t just turn Covid19 off  because you are tired of hearing about it. Restrictions are being lifted because a vocal pushy minority are pushing it. Western countries have approached  Covid as an all or nothing type of response and it won't work at the stage we are now in. Masks and vaccination requirements should have remained for another 2-3 months. Instead, we are seeing a large upswing in the infections. Hospitals are still inundated with the infections and healthcare is disrupted for all, in  large part because of the infected unvaccinated who monopolize health resources.

As the secondary effect of the infections become better documented, especially the brain damage, the management approach will change again. We will soon see many more articles such as this; Published: 07 March 2022  in NATURE,  SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank  Gwenaëlle Douaud, Soojin Lee, et al. It takes some time to see the impact of brain damage appear but I fear that young people will show the  results with cognitive and behavioral disorders as they age. 

 

[Marc26]

11 hours ago, Fundok said:

I think certain issues are getting mixed up and need to be separated.

1. The Thai Pass is not a replacement for the Immigration Card and the health status and the status as a visitor are not synonymous. There are other contagious and lethal diseases around, so just focusing on Covid would not make that much sense. 

Another question is the process. In another post today I described the "Spain Travel Health"-procedure which I just experienced myself. Easy and straight forward, and just needing to upload my vaxx cert which the app was able to validate after uploading it. So it is possible to have a system in place that keeps things easy and effective (at least outside Thailand I dare say).

You may be right in predicting that more pre-travel clearing may be the trend of the future, but presumably the focus will not be restricted to your Corona status.

Thai Pass was pretty damn easy

Took me a total of a few emails to get what I needed from the hotel

The Thai pass application took all of 10mins to complete

 

And then got an email acceptance 4 days later

 

I would hardly call any of that hard or not effective

Some countries may be quicker(US takes about half day to get approved by airline)

 

But complaining about putting in about 20-25mins total to get the Thai pass is just wanting to complain, IMO

 

Edit......not saying it is ideal, buy it wasn't hard 

[Tim_Melb]

4 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

So is that an at the border check, or pre-departure?

It's an at the border check, but the airlines will also check before departure because they don't want to bare the cost of return flights for people that are refused entry. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

34 minutes ago, Vigo said:

To paraphrase Prof. Bruce Lee, You  can’t just turn Covid19 off  because you are tired of hearing about it. Restrictions are being lifted because a vocal pushy minority are pushing it. Western countries have approached  Covid as an all or nothing type of response and it won't work at the stage we are now in. Masks and vaccination requirements should have remained for another 2-3 months. Instead, we are seeing a large upswing in the infections. Hospitals are still inundated with the infections and healthcare is disrupted for all, in  large part because of the infected unvaccinated who monopolize health resources.

As the secondary effect of the infections become better documented, especially the brain damage, the management approach will change again. We will soon see many more articles such as this; Published: 07 March 2022  in NATURE,  SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank  Gwenaëlle Douaud, Soojin Lee, et al. It takes some time to see the impact of brain damage appear but I fear that young people will show the  results with cognitive and behavioral disorders as they age.

The only Bruce Lee I know was in Kung Fu..

You seem to apply your experience to the first of the world. 

My experience differs to yours. 

I'm living in a place where everyone I know is at least double vaccinated, and most are triple vaccinated. 

Infections are less then 500 a day in a population of 35m. Deaths average around 2 a day. 

C19 just isn't a thing for us anymore. I hope you can get there soon. 

Only when you open your mind can you emancipate yourself from mental slavery. 

 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

10 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

It's an at the border check, but the airlines will also check before departure because they don't want to bare the cost of return flights for people that are refused entry. 

So it's nothing like Thailand pass then is it. Just rocking up with a vaccine cert is not the same as preauthorized travel requirements, and the two shouldn't be conflated. 

 

[Tim_Melb]

5 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

So it's nothing like Thailand pass then is it. Just rocking up with a vaccine cert is not the same as preauthorized travel requirements, and the two shouldn't be conflated. 

It's exactly the same thing, the only difference is the Thai requirement for the day one and five tests and associated accommodation which is the only part that requires approval in advance. You are just trying to demonise the Thai pas for being some draconian measure which it is not. The test on arrival and day five is the problem, not the Thai pass. You really need to get a grip. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

14 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

It's exactly the same thing, the only difference is the Thai requirement for the day one and five tests and associated accommodation which is the only part that requires approval in advance. You are just trying to demonise the Thai pas for being some draconian measure which it is not. The test on arrival and day five is the problem, not the Thai pass. You really need to get a grip. 

And your need to understand the difference between doing things before you travel to gain permission to travel...

And simply traveling. 

That is the point. 

I've done the Thai pass. It needs to be obtained IN ADVANCE as a prerequisite for travel. 

To suggest otherwise is just being deliberately disingenuous.

[Ksmui]

On 3/11/2022 at 9:48 PM, Soidog said:

it wasn’t that long ago we were all celebrating the talk of the end of the COE.

The COE was a dream in comparison. I travel to Phuket in November. Couple hiccups however the COE was pretty damn simple. I was going to travel to Thailand next month but I’m not going  deal with this nonsense. I’m heading to the Philippines. 

[Ksmui]

1 hour ago, Tim_Melb said:

You are just trying to demonise the Thai pas for being some draconian measure which it is not.

The Thai Pass is justifiably demonized! It is flawed, people have multiple problems with uploading documents, it has been hacked a number of times, customer service is poor, response times and outcomes are not consistent, either in timeframes or results. It is garbage. If the Thai government truly wanted people to enter the country they should have been smart and invested in a software platform that was efficient and polished with an equally  efficient support system - email, telephone (maybe) - what about chat support??? I think a lot of problems could be simply fixed via a chat platform. Just type in your problem and have the person on the other fix it in real time. Seems pretty clear The government is not very motivated to make it easy for tourists  to enter - at least Western tourists. 

[Ksmui]

15 hours ago, Nick said:

I'm hoping they scrap it by May, otherwise I'll be cancelling my trip.

Smart 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Ksmui said:

The Thai Pass is justifiably demonized! It is flawed, people have multiple problems with uploading documents, it has been hacked a number of times, customer service is poor, response times and outcomes are not consistent, either in timeframes or results. It is garbage. If the Thai government truly wanted people to enter the country they should have been smart and invested in a software platform that was efficient and polished with an equally  efficient support system - email, telephone (maybe) - what about chat support??? I think a lot of problems could be simply fixed via a chat platform. Just type in your problem and have the person on the other fix it in real time. Seems pretty clear The government is not very motivated to make it easy for tourists  to enter - at least Western tourists. 

It's weird that the peope that don't come on here moaning about everything have seemed to be able to apply for Thai Pass with no issues

 

I do agree a chat would be helpful 

 

But it took me about 10-15min to apply for Thai Pass

Got approved in 4 days

 

I'm not calling you stupid but some posts on this forum make me shake my head

 

I've seen many come on saying they booked via Agoda, etc and don't know what to do

 

Why wouldn't they just email the hotel directly 

It blows my mind that wouldn't come to the minds of grown adults 

 

It's baffling to me an adult wouldn't think that the best path is to communicate directly with the hotel you want to book

[Ksmui]

3 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

It's weird that the peope that don't come on here moaning about everything have seemed to be able to apply for Thai Pass with no issues

I do agree a chat would be helpful 

But it took me about 10-15min to apply for Thai Pass

Got approved in 4 days

I'm not calling you stupid but some posts on this forum make me shake my head

I've seen many come on saying they booked via Agoda, etc and don't know what to do

Why wouldn't they just email the hotel directly 

It blows my mind that wouldn't come to the minds of grown adults 

It's baffling to me an adult wouldn't think that the best path is to communicate directly with the hotel you want to book

True, and  I have no hesitancy in my computer competence. I have however read numerous horror stories on a Facebook page from people that are waiting weeks for their pass. Many posting  pleads the same day of their flight.  I’m sure the majority of passes are approved without hiccup. That said, i’ve been vaccinated three times, and have had Covid. I think my risk is pretty damn low. I’m not willing to pay for two PCR tests, and a SHA+ hotel etc.. It’s a cost of probably close to $500 US. Then there is the chance that the government will change the rules before one even travels. There is just too much potential risk for things to go wrong more likely upon arrival more than pre- departure. The loser in the situation is the Thai people - loss of potential revenue. I’m fine, I was in Thailand in November. I’m headed to the Philippines next month. My budget for my trip was $5000 US for two weeks. I’ll be back, as soon as they figure this mess out and make entry more reasonable 

[Sandbar]

Jetstar are now up and running with packed flights to Bali from Australia. The Indonesian government has reopened thier doors with limited restrictions and no quarantine required. The Philippines have also followed as well as other neighbouring Asian countries.....except for Thailand? Hospitality businesses such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs are reopening and enjoying the tourist dollars lining thier pockets once again. 

Travelers are concerned about  holidaying in Thailand with too many restrictions still in place, and the fear they may return a positive test and incur further costs with forced quarantine at a nominated hotel/hospital? 

Good luck to Thailand....they will need it. Once one of the number one Asian tourist destinations to holiday, sadly not anymore. Congratulations to all the  governments of neighbouring Asian countries who have decided that after a two year hiatus of zero tourist's and a struggling ecconomy, it's time to reconnect with the rest of the world once again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fpschubert]

19 minutes ago, Sandbar said:

Jetstar are now up and running with packed flights to Bali from Australia. The Indonesian government has reopened thier doors with limited restrictions and no quarantine required. The Philippines have also followed as well as other neighbouring Asian countries.....except for Thailand? Hospitality businesses such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs are reopening and enjoying the tourist dollars lining thier pockets once again. 

Correction. Philippines opened its borders without quarantine last February 10, 2022. Bali, Indonesia opened its quarantine free travel just last week and limited to specific countries. 

[Bike]

And now due to increasing fuel prives and Poetin's war plane tickets are twice as expensive. Help to end the war in Ukraine. Help to safe the world from dictators and military regimes. Help to prevent the world going into a unseen economic crisis.

[Marc26]

12 minutes ago, Bike said:

And now due to increasing fuel prives and Poetin's war plane tickets are twice as expensive. Help to end the war in Ukraine. Help to safe the world from dictators and military regimes. Help to prevent the world going into a unseen economic crisis.

I am going from Vancouver to Bangkok on Apr 27

I paid 950cad

 

Looking at future tickets 

 

It's cheaper.........

 

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/booking?tfs=CBwQAhpkagwIAhIIL20vMDgwaDISCjIwMjItMDUtMjVyBwgBEgNCS0siHgoDWVZSEgoyMDIyLTA1LTI1GgNOUlQqAkpMMgIxNyIfCgNOUlQSCjIwMjItMDUtMjYaA0JLSyoCSkwyAzcwNxpkagcIARIDQktLEgoyMDIyLTA3LTAzcgwIAhIIL20vMDgwaDIiHwoDQktLEgoyMDIyLTA3LTAzGgNOUlQqAkpMMgM3MDgiHgoDTlJUEgoyMDIyLTA3LTAzGgNZVlIqAkpMMgIxOHABggELCP___________wFAAUgBmAEB&tfu=CnRDalJJT1d4TlVUZ3lYMk4xWkZWQllVUTJXa0ZDUnkwdExTMHRMUzB0TFhCbVpHTXhOVUZCUVVGQlIwbDFiRzVyU1hKbE5FRkJFZ3hLVERjd09IeEtUREU0SXpFYUN3aml2UVVRQWhvRFEwRkVPQnh3bmFjRRIGCAEQABgA&hl=en

 

[francoa]

Bars closing at 11 and no nightlife is another thing that makes zero sense.

 

Those extra 3 hrs have what impact lol.

 

Nightlife banned is how responsible for total turnaround and everyone dying on covid?:D

 

Tourists will hardly start coming when beach is the only thing they can do.

It is so irrational that I think therr is somethint else behind it…that the government does not want to return nightlife to a normal pre covid state

[Soidog]

5 hours ago, Ksmui said:

True, and  I have no hesitancy in my computer competence. I have however read numerous horror stories on a Facebook page from people that are waiting weeks for their pass. Many posting  pleads the same day of their flight.  I’m sure the majority of passes are approved without hiccup. That said, i’ve been vaccinated three times, and have had Covid. I think my risk is pretty damn low. I’m not willing to pay for two PCR tests, and a SHA+ hotel etc.. It’s a cost of probably close to $500 US. Then there is the chance that the government will change the rules before one even travels. There is just too much potential risk for things to go wrong more likely upon arrival more than pre- departure. The loser in the situation is the Thai people - loss of potential revenue. I’m fine, I was in Thailand in November. I’m headed to the Philippines next month. My budget for my trip was $5000 US for two weeks. I’ll be back, as soon as they figure this mess out and make entry more reasonable 

I think the TP is one of these processes that goes well for some, and a nightmare for others. I would place my computer and IT skills as above average and I still encountered the odd problem. I will pick out the problems I found with it.

The inability to upload PDF files: This is a major issue for some. Yes people say just print off your document and take a picture on your smart phone, but in some cases it’s not that simple. Standing over a document and making sure you don’t cast a shadow, framing it properly and getting a sharp image. Obviously all of these can be written off as “Simple” but it’s unnecessary. Then having got the thing on your phone you then need it on your computer or laptop. Not many 70 year olds are familiar with Apple Airplay? So you have to mess about emailing it to yourself etc etc. Just a pain.

Uploading the vaccination certificate QR code:  So you’ve done all of the above and now you have to “crop” out the QR code. I found that simple as I do it on a almost daily basis, but many people wouldn’t know how.  When I uploaded it, I can’t recall the error message, but it wouldn’t accept it. 3 times it took before I got just the right amount of edge around the image. Too much and not happy, too close to the code and not happy.

All in I would say from sitting down at my computer, gathering, printing, photographing, cropping, uploading and sending took me around 30-40 mins  it then took 3 days for it to be approved.

I think if my computer skills weren’t so good, or I had been 10-15 years older, this could have been a massive frustration.  I never needed to call or fix any problems and so can’t comment on support.  I certainly wouldn’t let the TP application put you off. Just do it when you are in the right mood and give yourself time. Do it well before your travel date.

Good luck!  

 

[NCC1701A]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:10 AM, Thaiger said:

The Andromeda Strain (a 1971 sci-fi B-grade movie about a viral pandemic). Travellers arriving in […]

The Andromeda Strain was not a B movie. It  was a very high budget film directed by Robert Wise and written by Michael Crichton. I saw it many times in the theater in 1971.