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

[Paulw]

Thailand really has the new suggestion back to front, why dont they see this? or is there an underlying reason that means more $$$ for Thailand doing tests arrival! Rapid Antigen on arrival, PCR prior to flying a much safe strategy. 

An infected person boards a plane in Europe, infects many others on the plane and 25% test positive on arrival!! ok off to the quarantine for X number of days $$$$ and a bunch of unhappy people. The alternative test prior to departure and supposedly no one on the flight has Covid, Rapid antigen on arrival and every one enjoys their holiday in LOS , doesnt this make a lot more sense???

[Cabra]

CCSA plans, tourist scurry away

[Manu]

21 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), can someone explain this to the clowns please.

I would now rather say: "I don't get it". I do not get that non-sense. It has been A LOT of it the past ... whatever (can't even remember anymore), but this has to be in the top 3 of the non-sense decisions. I am definitely giving up trying to "get it".

[longwood50]

22 hours 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.

I just talked to my neighbor.  Though Thailand may not reqire it, some of the airlines are still making it mandatory.  

I guess its ok if I get on a plane with Bubonic Plague so long as I am Covid Free. Granted far more rare but this picking and choosing of which disease to be frightened of is just plain stupid.  You are either worried that travelers will bring unwanted diseases into the country or you are not.  

How common is tuberculosis in Thailand?

With a population of almost 67 million, there are roughly 93,000 new cases each of tuberculosis in Thailand each year and an estimated TB occurrence of nearly 130,000 cases, including 16 percent who are also HIV positive. Complicating these figures further is the rising threat of drug-resistant TB. But I guess contracting TB from incoming passengers is less onerous than catching covid. DUH

 

[Fundok]

11 hours ago, Marc26 said:

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

Right. So at least a tip-toe move in the right direction.

[Fundok]

2 hours ago, Paulw said:

Thailand really has the new suggestion back to front, why dont they see this? or is there an underlying reason that means more $$$ for Thailand doing tests arrival! Rapid Antigen on arrival, PCR prior to flying a much safe strategy. 

An infected person boards a plane in Europe, infects many others on the plane and 25% test positive on arrival!! ok off to the quarantine for X number of days $$$$ and a bunch of unhappy people. The alternative test prior to departure and supposedly no one on the flight has Covid, Rapid antigen on arrival and every one enjoys their holiday in LOS , doesnt this make a lot more sense???

Still need to be vaccinated and obliged to wear a mask in the plane. Slim chance that incoming plane passengers will get infected in large numbers on the plane. And of course, since the pre-departure test had to be taken up to three days in advance it provided no certainty that the person didn't get infected between taking the test and boarding the plane. The test on arrival makes a little bit more sense, the additional test on day 5 is utter nonsense. With Omikron being in Thailand, to single out only tourists for testing is in my eyes discriminatory. But of course Thailand is free to do what they deem appropriate as much as tourists can decide if they want to subject themselves to this sort of regime or rather spend their tourist $$$ elsewhere. And I suspect that the "flow" of incoming tourists will prove me right: Thailand will lose out on tourism bigly as long as they upkeep their paranoic stance. High infection rates with Omikron are nothing much to worry about as long as the health system isn't in danget to collapse (and currently there are no indicators that this is happening in Thailand).

[BBY]

I repeat 

 

Way too little to have any large impact on tourism and the Thai 

Tourism is hanging on by a thread, as are those people that own businesses or are employed in the industry. Those very same people are now to be faced with huge increases in energy costs, along with thousands of Thai citizen’s that had jobs related to the industry and are waiting to return to them.

IMO. If Thailand does not follow the example of most of their competitors very quickly, they will be heading for the perfect storm.

Covid is here to stay. Deal with the spikes as they happen (just like flu spikes) or economically die trying to manage it.

 

[Manu]

1 hour ago, longwood50 said:

I just talked to my neighbor.  Though Thailand may not reqire it, some of the airlines are still making it mandatory.  

I guess its ok if I get on a plane with Bubonic Plague so long as I am Covid Free. Granted far more rare but this picking and choosing of which disease to be frightened of is just plain stupid.  You are either worried that travelers will bring unwanted diseases into the country or you are not.  

How common is tuberculosis in Thailand?

With a population of almost 67 million, there are roughly 93,000 new cases each of tuberculosis in Thailand each year and an estimated TB occurrence of nearly 130,000 cases, including 16 percent who are also HIV positive. Complicating these figures further is the rising threat of drug-resistant TB. But I guess contracting TB from incoming passengers is less onerous than catching covid. DUH

 

Excellent comment. But it is all about covid we tell you, do not get out of the main and only narrative there. In 2020, 1,5 million deaths of TB vs 1.8 for covid - see, covid always wins. Nobody cares about the extremely contagious TB or any others. I know, I am being cynical but I am only trying to fit in this wonderful "new normal" world, that's all.

Joke apart, considering the very mild Omicron variant, surely TB should be now at least more a priority than covid. But I guess it does not fit financial and political interests of "some".

[Marc26]

6 hours ago, Manu said:

Excellent comment. But it is all about covid we tell you, do not get out of the main and only narrative there. In 2020, 1,5 million deaths of TB vs 1.8 for covid - see, covid always wins. Nobody cares about the extremely contagious TB or any others. I know, I am being cynical but I am only trying to fit in this wonderful "new normal" world, that's all.

Joke apart, considering the very mild Omicron variant, surely TB should be now at least more a priority than covid. But I guess it does not fit financial and political interests of "some".

That's just false

But I guess you heard it on Fox News, so you must repeat it

 

TB isn't "extremely contagious "

You need to be in contact with someone for a prolonged period of time to contract it

 

And sure, a disease that has been around for decades but is still only really prevalent in certain parts of the world is the same as a disease that spreads globally in a matter of weeks

 

But it's a right wing talking point now......

 

Why do you guys that come up with these straw arguments never actually have the facts straight 

[Alavan]

22 hours ago, ace035 said:

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.

Negative. Airlines just ask a test if it is requested in the countries they fly to (or transit through).
3 days ago I flew Thailand-Europe and no test required.

Mail from Thai Airways:

"

Thank you for your email. Regarding to your enquiry, please be advised for the domestic flight with Thai Airways or Thaismile, Phuket to Bangkok fully vacinated passenger, covid test not required please present proof to board the aircraft. For International travel from Bangkok to Brussels, Thai Airways will follow the travel restriction of the destination country you may recheck the updated requirement directly to the Brussels Embassy. If you do qualify as fully vaccinated, you do not need to take a test before boarding THAI's flight.This information refered from the destination rules dated 16th of December,2021. However, due to the uncertianty of situation, the regulations may change daily under the pandemic for the entry rules at any destination countries please update with the Embassy before departure again. All passengers are kindly asked to be responsible for required documents, THAI remains at your service to welcome you onboard in a near future. For additional travel information please log on https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php Please stay safe & well during the COVID-19 outbreak. Yours sincerely, Ratchada K."

 

[John1]

I read this article as a sideways step, not the progressive forwards move we had been promised! But I read the last paragraph with interest.

"Travellers entering Thailand, with the exception of Thai citizens and returning expats, need health insurance covering US$20,000"

anyone have any suggestions on what quantifies and qualifies you as a........."RETURNING EXPAT

[Manu]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

That's just false

But I guess you heard it on Fox News, so you must repeat it

TB isn't "extremely contagious "

You need to be in contact with someone for a prolonged period of time to contract it

And sure, a disease that has been around for decades but is still only really prevalent in certain parts of the world is the same as a disease that spreads globally in a matter of weeks

But it's a right wing talking point now......

Why do you guys that come up with these straw arguments never actually have the facts straight 

If you start again with that "fox news" (???????) crap, it is not worth reading the rest of your comment. I actually told you before (but I guess you only listen to your own subjectivity), apart from the name, I have no idea what fox news is all about, and I never read/watch ANY US media (but I guess that's where you from (??) and you think that it is the center of the world for everyone...well it is not, sorry!).

But what you say about my comment actually applies to you, you read something and repeat it.

The thing is, instead of reading and repeat it, you should use your brain occasionally. So your brain is saying that a virus killing 1.8 million people in one year is highly contagious, but another one that kills 1.5 million people that same year is not. Well use your brain for once.

Finally: "right wing"? You can judge that just by reading my previous comment? Stop judging sir, you have obviously NO ability to do so (if it was even possible on an online forum!!??), you are simply very bad at it. You would understand if you knew me just a little but then your reaction (accusation??) is typical of people for whom the word "objectivity" has no meaning whatsoever.

Have a good day, sir.

Edited March 20, 2022 by Manu

[Marc26]

50 minutes ago, Manu said:

If you start again with that "fox news" (???????) crap, it is not worth reading the rest of your comment. I actually told you before (but I guess you only listen to your own subjectivity), apart from the name, I have no idea what fox news is all about, and I never read/watch ANY US media (but I guess that's where you from (??) and you think that it is the center of the world for everyone...well it is not, sorry!).

But what you say about my comment actually applies to you, you read something and repeat it.

The thing is, instead of reading and repeat it, you should use your brain occasionally. So your brain is saying that a virus killing 1.8 million people in one year is highly contagious, but another one that kills 1.5 million people that same year is not. Well use your brain for once.

Finally: "right wing"? You can judge that just by reading my previous comment? Stop judging sir, you have obviously NO ability to do so (if it was even possible on an online forum!!??), you are simply very bad at it. You would understand if you knew me just a little but then your reaction (accusation??) is typical of people for whom the word "objectivity" has no meaning whatsoever.

Have a good day, sir.

I guess it's just a coincidence that your non-factual assertions always seem to mirror right wing media talking points

 

So weird how that keeps happening.

You must be clairvoyant 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN25F16X

[Paulw]

On 3/19/2022 at 1:16 PM, Fundok said:

Still need to be vaccinated and obliged to wear a mask in the plane. Slim chance that incoming plane passengers will get infected in large numbers on the plane. And of course, since the pre-departure test had to be taken up to three days in advance it provided no certainty that the person didn't get infected between taking the test and boarding the plane. The test on arrival makes a little bit more sense, the additional test on day 5 is utter nonsense. With Omikron being in Thailand, to single out only tourists for testing is in my eyes discriminatory. But of course Thailand is free to do what they deem appropriate as much as tourists can decide if they want to subject themselves to this sort of regime or rather spend their tourist $$$ elsewhere. And I suspect that the "flow" of incoming tourists will prove me right: Thailand will lose out on tourism bigly as long as they upkeep their paranoic stance. High infection rates with Omikron are nothing much to worry about as long as the health system isn't in danget to collapse (and currently there are no indicators that this is happening in Thailand).

Why is there a slim chance of catching covid in an aeroplane???? I would say quite the opposite. 

[Manu]

9 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I guess it's just a coincidence that your non-factual assertions always seem to mirror right wing media talking points

So weird how that keeps happening.

You must be clairvoyant 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN25F16X

Yes it must be. It is. Do not understand your constant agressevity , calm down, in the process you forget my point you feel you have to react so much again in the first place . You can’t talk with me or anyone else that’s not in your brain. You are not capable of. I like to talk to everyone, that’s the difference between you and me. So therefore, if you really do not want to talk, why are you talking then? You know you can just ignore me???

[Marc26]

47 minutes ago, Manu said:

Yes it must be. It is. Do not understand your constant agressevity , calm down, in the process you forget my point you feel you have to react so much again in the first place . You can’t talk with me or anyone else that’s not in your brain. You are not capable of. I like to talk to everyone, that’s the difference between you and me. So therefore, if you really do not want to talk, why are you talking then? You know you can just ignore me???

How is calling you out of a fake analogy aggressive?

 

You parroted a right wing Facebook/meme talking point and I called you out on it

 

Sorry if that hurts your feelings

 

Comparing a global pandemic that you can contract in a matter of minutes exposure to a fairly regionally isolated disease that's  much harder to contract(yes around 70% of TB cases are in 2 regions of the world and has been for decades) is just not sensible, no matter where you saw the talking point.

 

As I said to Longwood, I agree with him and you about getting on with life with covid

I certain have and probably have traveled more than most people 

 

I just don't make specious arguments and comparisons to do so.....

[ace035]

On 3/18/2022 at 11:16 PM, Fundok said:

Still need to be vaccinated and obliged to wear a mask in the plane. Slim chance that incoming plane passengers will get infected in large numbers on the plane. And of course, since the pre-departure test had to be taken up to three days in advance it provided no certainty that the person didn't get infected between taking the test and boarding the plane. The test on arrival makes a little bit more sense, the additional test on day 5 is utter nonsense. With Omikron being in Thailand, to single out only tourists for testing is in my eyes discriminatory. But of course Thailand is free to do what they deem appropriate as much as tourists can decide if they want to subject themselves to this sort of regime or rather spend their tourist $$$ elsewhere. And I suspect that the "flow" of incoming tourists will prove me right: Thailand will lose out on tourism bigly as long as they upkeep their paranoic stance. High infection rates with Omikron are nothing much to worry about as long as the health system isn't in danget to collapse (and currently there are no indicators that this is happening in Thailand).

Too many panic mode in this forum about getting positive for COVID on Day 1 T & G after April 1st, which means less tourists will come and that's the opportunity to go to LOS as long as have PCR test within 24 hours, I am sure that the airlines will have 50% capacity. If they want to wait after May 1st, they're proposing that ATK test upon arrival, stay tuned.

[Marc26]

17 minutes ago, ace035 said:

Too many panic mode in this forum about getting positive for COVID on Day 1 T & G after April 1st, which means less tourists will come and that's the opportunity to go to LOS as long as have PCR test within 24 hours, I am sure that the airlines will have 50% capacity. If they want to wait after May 1st, they're proposing that ATK test upon arrival, stay tuned.

I will take a test the day before my flight

 

Unfortunately I land on April 28th and tried to push back my flight a week to land after May 1 but too expensive 

 

It's going to suck having to do all the T&G while it may be scrapped 2 days later   

[ace035]

8 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I will take a test the day before my flight

Unfortunately I land on April 28th and tried to push back my flight a week to land after May 1 but too expensive 

It's going to suck having to do all the T&G while it may be scrapped 2 days later   

I am planning to go the last week of May but I haven't book anything yet, I'll be on 60 days tourist visa so it can give me some leeway just in case of a false positive also gotta make sure that I need to apply for that credit card with a cash rewards on it.

[Dodgey]

9 hours ago, Paulw said:

Why is there a slim chance of catching covid in an aeroplane???? I would say quite the opposite. 

 

  

9 hours ago, Paulw said:

Why is there a slim chance of catching covid in an aeroplane???? I would say quite the opposite. 

Because, currently, every single person on that plane has had to take a pre departure PCR test. You are sitting on a plane with the odds that almost every single person is Covid free, in a HEPA air filtered cabin. It's far less "risky" than sitting in a bar with randoms.

I've flown all over the place for the last 2 years (year 1 being the exception), maskless. Miracle of miracles, neither myelf nor my partner have ever had covid, that we know of, and we've been tested on arrival, sometimes twice.

 

[Dodgey]

On 3/18/2022 at 7:49 AM, Guest1 said:

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?

In the UK - no, you don't have to. We've accepted it as endemic and are moving on with life.

[Dodgey]

On 3/18/2022 at 4:40 PM, SSimpson said:

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. 

You make perfect sense. We WERE booked to fly over last December, and one of the comforts was knowing at least the risk was reduced of being fleeced into quarantine on arrival due to being on a fully tested flight. 

I've moved the flights to this Dec (5/12 to 31/1 - two months) but the madness is that I'm making contingency plans to use the flights (that I now have to pay to move again after several free changes - so I don't want to) as stepping stones to anywhere but Thailand if they don not remove the threat of state quarantine by then. i.e. transit over to Vietnam etc.

I am clinging to the hope that the LOS will return to what I love about it by then.

[Guest1]

6 hours ago, Dodgey said:

In the UK - no, you don't have to. We've accepted it as endemic and are moving on with life.

So holiday in GB, then. Problem solved

[Faz]

22 hours ago, John1 said:

anyone have any suggestions on what quantifies and qualifies you as a........."RETURNING EXPAT

A foreigner with permanent residency status is regarded as an expat.

[Faz]

9 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I will take a test the day before my flight

No need to take a pre flight PCR test from April 1st to enter Thailand Marc.