News Forum - Plans to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 test requirement still needs confirmation

[Thaiger]

It might soon get a little easier to travel to Thailand. The government plans to scrap the pre-departure Covid-19 test requirements for vaccinated travellers entering the country under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. A spokesperson says they are waiting for confirmation. Under the planned revisions, just a PCR Covid-19 test is needed on arrival and a self-administered rapid antigen test on the fifth day of their stay in Thailand under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the CCSA briefing in English. Plans to scrap the […]

The story Plans to scrap pre-depature Covid-19 test requirement still needs confirmation as seen on Thaiger News.

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[MilesBrisbane]

This would be a welcome first step in the reduction of the myriad tests and legislation to follow for my upcoming September BKK trip!

[Rob666666]

The threat of quarantine is still there. This will not help

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

27 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The pre-departure PCR test, taken at least 72 hours before takeoff, has been seen as a deterrent to travel as many say it is not only inconvenient, but expensive, especially for those travelling with children.

The PCR on arrival is very inconvenient and expensive.

[Graham]

They still don't get it, it is the test on arrival that is the issue alongside the test on day 5 which is pointless (that only tells you, you got Covid in Thailand), can someone explain this to the clowns please.

[Politenessman]

Frankly they should be starting at the other end, lose the Day 5 test first and work their way back - in a country where Covid is essentially endemic, that is the one most likely to get you.

[Ramanathan.P]

Looks like a mouse trap. It is better to delay the travel until all the restrictions are removed.....

 

[Politenessman]

So, the scrapping needs confirmation - who does the confirming that he refers to?

[Chaimai]

16 minutes ago, Politenessman said:

Frankly they should be starting at the other end, lose the Day 5 test first and work their way back - in a country where Covid is essentially endemic, that is the one most likely to get you.

 

 

+1

[Guest1]

49 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The government plans to scrap the pre-departure Covid-19 test requirements for vaccinated travellers entering the country under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes.

The one test that makes the most sense? Why they wanna get more people in the country, who may get testet positive  on arrival?

 

[Guest1]

31 minutes ago, Rob666666 said:

The threat of quarantine is still there. This will not help

Oh, right. You are on holiday, you dont wanna know, if you have, get or spread, right?

One question: In case you would get tested positive in your country, you wouldn't have to self quarantine?

[longwood50]

50 minutes ago, Graham said:

They still don't get it, it is the test on arrival that is the issue alongside the test on day 5 which is pointless (that only tells you, you got Covid in Thailand), can someone explain this to the clowns please.

Thomas Paine must have been referring to government officials worldwide when he stated this:

[MilesBrisbane]

6 hours ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

The PCR on arrival is very inconvenient and expensive.

The PCR on arrival is included in my SHA Extra Plus reservation (BNH transfers & cost), but the inconvenience is the 24-hr quarantine, and a nervous wait, repeated again 4 days later with RAT test. Scrapping of Pre-departure (72-hr) drive-thru free PCA not of great benefit 

[riclag]

17 minutes ago, MilesBrisbane said:

The PCR on arrival is included in my SHA Extra Plus reservation (BNH transfers & cost), but the inconvenience is the 24-hr quarantine, and a nervous wait, repeated again 4 days later with RAT test. Scrapping of Pre-departure (72-hr) drive-thru free PCA not of great benefit 

It ”all” has to be scrapped! Covid is in country and being spread very nicely !

[King Cotton]

35 minutes ago, MilesBrisbane said:

The PCR on arrival is included in my SHA Extra Plus reservation (BNH transfers & cost), but the inconvenience is the 24-hr quarantine, and a nervous wait, repeated again 4 days later with RAT test. Scrapping of Pre-departure (72-hr) drive-thru free PCA not of great benefit 

Scrapping of Pre-departure (72-hr) drive-thru free PCA "not of great benefit"?  "Of less than zero logical sense", I'd be moved to comment.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

6 hours ago, Graham said:

They still don't get it, it is the test on arrival that is the issue alongside the test on day 5 which is pointless (that only tells you, you got Covid in Thailand),

Which you have a good chance with 50,000 testing positive (PCR & RAT) every day now. With four days out and about in a high contagion zone your odds could be good of donating a fair bit of baht to Thailand you were hoping not to.

[Fundok]

7 hours ago, Guest1 said:

The one test that makes the most sense? Why they wanna get more people in the country, who may get testet positive  on arrival?

I have a suspicion: No money to be made in Thailand with the PCR-test to be taken abroad?

[SSimpson]

I just see this having the opposite effect, i.e. fewer arrivals. You may get a minority of people who will be willing to travel without first passing a PCR test and accepting the risk of testing positive on arrival and having to quarantine, hence ruining their holiday (at considerable expense). However, the majority of people who were willing to take a PCR test prior to their trip will probably continue to do so, but will then be reluctant to share their journey with passengers who have not tested and are potential spreaders. So you may attract a small number of risk takers but you've deterred a far larger number of prudent travellers. 

[ace035]

Does not matter, the airlines will ask for the PCR results within 48-72 hours before boarding their flight and also to where ever the transit country you're going to. Mind as well to be ready and if you still positive for COVID upon arrival in Thailand, you'll be the unluckiest one.

[Fundok]

Seems that the confirmation remains pending... not a very promising sign!

[Marc26]

11 minutes ago, Fundok said:

Seems that the confirmation remains pending... not a very promising sign!

Bangkok Post has it as ending April 1

Which is earlier than thought the last couple of days

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2281403/pre-travel-covid-tests-for-arrivals-lifted-from-april-1

[CharlesW]

Testing now is pointless but if you must, test before departure not on arrival (SSimpson made a good point) More people could end up testing “positive” on arrival, extra money for quarantine facilities, backhanders etc. If this is intended by the authorities, then it’s par for the course in Thailand. If not, it just shows how incredibly thick the Thais are to get it the wrong way round. People, including myself, are just too scared to travel with the possibility of expensive quarantine hanging over them ... the holiday should start at the departure gate.

 

[Marc26]

11 minutes ago, CharlesW said:

Testing now is pointless but if you must, test before departure not on arrival (SSimpson made a good point) More people could end up testing “positive” on arrival, extra money for quarantine facilities, backhanders etc. If this is intended by the authorities, then it’s par for the course in Thailand. If not, it just shows how incredibly thick the Thais are to get it the wrong way round. People, including myself, are just too scared to travel with the possibility of expensive quarantine hanging over them ... the holiday should start at the departure gate.

I don't know if anything sinister(but possibly)

 

But many countries are just now dropping the pre-arrival testing, so Thailand is in-line with many country's timeline

 

And honestly, as much as my stepson has to test at University, making tourists test on arrival falls in line with a lot of their domestic polcies

 

But if it's just a holiday, I'd hold off

 

I am going for 6 weeks to see my stepson and MIL

But it does kind of suck, I have to basically do nothing for 5 days, and I am not booking anything for after 5 days in case I test positive

 

Again, to see family and I have 6 weeks, not a huge deal, but for a regular tourist, no way

[Thaidup]

25 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Bangkok Post has it as ending April 1

I don't like that date, tell me why.

[Dave121]

It's the process when people arrive that's putting everyone off. I don't mind taking a test before I leave my home country, but I don't want to lose my holiday time stuck in a hotel room until my first pcr result. It's just another way of bleeding tourists through overpriced sha+ hotels and transport, then testing them again for something that they were already tested for 12 hours ago before they took a flight with other people who had also just been tested. Madness.