News Forum - Thailand to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 tests in April

[Thaiger]

The CCSA has announced that starting April 1, travellers arriving in Thailand from abroad won’t have to take pre-departure Covid-19 tests (before they travel to Thailand). The scrap of pre-departure tests will also apply to Hat Yai airport, in addition to the current Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai and U-tapao airports. A CCSA spokesman said the CCSA hopes to expand it to all airports, depending on their readiness. Visitors must still take RT-PCR tests once they arrive in Thailand. Under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, visitors must also still take antigen self-tests (ATK) five days […]

The story Thailand to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 tests in April as seen on Thaiger News.

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[EdwardV]

What is the purpose  of dropping the pre flight test and keeping the tests upon arrival? I mean other than to let in even more people who will test positive upon arrival and get sent to an expensive 10 day quarantine. Oh wait, never mind. 
 

 

[Graham]

So the money making scam continues. 555

[JJJ]

3 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

What is the purpose  of dropping the pre flight test and keeping the tests upon arrival? I mean other than to let in even more people who will test positive upon arrival and get sent to an expensive 10 day quarantine. Oh wait, never mind. 
 

I would hate to ascribe any logic to the rules—but one problem with the predeparture test is it’s getting very difficult in Europe and USA to get tests and they’re getting more expensive because it’s only for travel at this point. 
 

On the entry test, Singapore moved to antigen arrival test about a month ago. For whatever minimal benefit the test has there’s little difference in what’s detected by an antigen and pcr test for an active infection. The problem is the pcr errs towards false positives or old infections. Thailand is too slow in updating its procedures. Why wait until May? Also why wait until April to drop the pre departure test? 

[Fanta]

I’d want people tested at their airport before they get on a plane crowded with people. The health insurance will never go away so the 300 baht arrival tax partially slated for tourists medical needs will never be allocated towards it. Perfect! 

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

At first it doesn't make sense, untill you consider the

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

The CCSA has announced that starting April 1, travellers arriving in Thailand from abroad won’t have to take pre-departure Covid-19 tests (before they travel to Thailand). The scrap of pre-departure tests will also apply to Hat Yai airport, in addition to the current Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai and U-tapao airports. A CCSA spokesman said the CCSA hopes to expand it to all airports, depending on their readiness. Visitors must still take RT-PCR tests once they arrive in Thailand. Under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes, visitors must also still take antigen self-tests (ATK) five days […]

The story Thailand to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 tests in April as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

All restrictions will be lifted in time for the Saudi pilgrimage. Assuming they still want to come after the crackdown on underage bar girls.

[Cabra]

You are taking a big risk not to get a preflight PCR test if you are being PCR tested on arrival anyway. I'd rather take some control of my own destiny (giving myself some minimal assurance before I fly), and not leave it all to chance on a PCR test on arrival

[EdwardV]

49 minutes ago, JJJ said:

I would hate to ascribe any logic to the rules—but one problem with the predeparture test is it’s getting very difficult in Europe and USA to get tests and they’re getting more expensive because it’s only for travel at this point. 

Can’t speak for Europe. However, in America I can easily schedule a free PCR test for travel same day. Next at worse. Sunday’s are tougher but the rest of the week is a piece of cake. 
 

if you want to protect Thailand, and make it easy on travelers. You test before travel. If you want to scoop up the most positives, you test at day five. You know after you have been running around a country where the virus is rampant. 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

4 minutes ago, Cabra said:

You are taking a big risk not to get a preflight PCR test if you are being PCR tested on arrival anyway. I'd rather take some control of my own destiny (giving myself some minimal assurance before I fly), and not leave it all to chance on a PCR test on arrival

I can't imagine there would be any measurable increase due to the pre-arrival change. Given the cost of SHA++, it is unlikely the additional pcr test prior to arrival was breaking anyone's budget. The cost of insurance remains pretty much the same regardless of coverage amounts. 

At this point, the "want" to go visitors should just see how the next few months play out.

[Soidog]

54 minutes ago, JJJ said:

I would hate to ascribe any logic to the rules—but one problem with the predeparture test is it’s getting very difficult in Europe and USA to get tests and they’re getting more expensive because it’s only for travel at this point. 

Why do you say they are getting more expensive in the UK? The price is £69 at DAM health and has been for the past year at least and still is  

https://www.dam-health.com

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

The CCSA has announced that starting April 1,

A pinch and a punch on the first of the month ….. No Returns

[JJJ]

1 hour ago, EdwardV said:

Can’t speak for Europe. However, in America I can easily schedule a free PCR test for travel same day. Next at worse. Sunday’s are tougher but the rest of the week is a piece of cake. 
 

if you want to protect Thailand, and make it easy on travelers. You test before travel. If you want to scoop up the most positives, you test at day five. You know after you have been running around a country where the virus is rampant. 

I don’t know what state but this is not my experience. Most free testing would not promise a specific turn around time and I also know others who had difficulty with predeparture pcr tests. 
 

As for the assertion the predeparture test or post arrival testing has had any meaningful result on the case numbers I dont think the figures bear that out. Almost all infection are local. 
 

If a tourist comes to Thailand and gets sick of course they’re going to seek treatment and isolate themselves. 

[JJJ]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

Why do you say they are getting more expensive in the UK? The price is £69 at DAM health and has been for the past year at least and still is  

https://www.dam-health.com

Fair enough — I have heard there’s less availability from some but I think most European countries have required payment for travel tests so the cost may not have changed.
 

In the US free ubiquitous testing is become less common especially for pcr testing with a guaranteed turn around. So the cost is meant as free->paid travel testing. 
 

In Asia free travel testing has never been much of an option. 

[EdwardV]

9 minutes ago, JJJ said:

I don’t know what state but this is not my experience. Most free testing would not promise a specific turn around time and I also know others who had difficulty with predeparture pcr tests. 

Los Angeles. It’s evening now but I went online with CVS and could schedule a travel PCR test for just past noon tomorrow. Of course it’s free as all covid testing is in California. They promise 1-2 day results. I know I can travel to LAX and get a 2 hour PCR test but I have to pay for that. 
 

14 minutes ago, JJJ said:

As for the assertion the predeparture test or post arrival testing has had any meaningful result on the case numbers I dont think the figures bear that out. Almost all infection are local. 

True but then that wasn’t really my point. However the last part was and why testing on day 5 is a huge risk for the average tourist. it’s what’s helping keep the numbers down.
If the testing doesn’t have much effect on the numbers, why do it at all? 

[JJJ]

22 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

Los Angeles. It’s evening now but I went online with CVS and could schedule a travel PCR test for just past noon tomorrow. Of course it’s free as all covid testing is in California. They promise 1-2 day results. I know I can travel to LAX and get a 2 hour PCR test but I have to pay for that. 
 

True but then that wasn’t really my point. However the last part was and why testing on day 5 is a huge risk for the average tourist. it’s what’s helping keep the numbers down.
If the testing doesn’t have much effect on the numbers, why do it at all? 

I understand your point now—I miss read it. Right and of course Cambodia is getting rid of testing.

And to that point, the government keeps saying “oh covid will be endemic by July” implicitly saying that so many people will have been infected already it won’t have as many people to infect. In that case what does arrival testing protect against?

it makes no sense and as usual Thailand is moving so slowly. In the bureaucrats minds, we made the Thai Pass system, why stop it now even though it serves no meaningful purpose anymore?

[JJJ]

38 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

Los Angeles. It’s evening now but I went online with CVS and could schedule a travel PCR test for just past noon tomorrow. Of course it’s free as all covid testing is in California. They promise 1-2 day results. I know I can travel to LAX and get a 2 hour PCR test but I have to pay for that. 
 

True but then that wasn’t really my point. However the last part was and why testing on day 5 is a huge risk for the average tourist. it’s what’s helping keep the numbers down.
If the testing doesn’t have much effect on the numbers, why do it at all? 

Actually you’re right. I was much too generous in my thinking this morning there would be a plausible reason for the change. 

They knew they had to make some change to placate the tourism industry.  Of course Thai hospitals and hotels make money off the post arrival system pcr and day 5 but don’t make money on the pre departure system. So if you get rid of one test, get rid of the the pre departure test  

It’s my fault for assuming any change would be based on logic and improving process. 

[Fundok]

Plan to go to Thailand end of next month. Saves us 2 x 55 € for the PCR-tests in Austria (would almost 3x the amount for the same test to be taken in Switzerland!), but still having to cope with the two on-shore tests in Thailand.

[Fundok]

6 hours ago, EdwardV said:

Los Angeles. It’s evening now but I went online with CVS and could schedule a travel PCR test for just past noon tomorrow. Of course it’s free as all covid testing is in California. They promise 1-2 day results. I know I can travel to LAX and get a 2 hour PCR test but I have to pay for that. 
 

True but then that wasn’t really my point. However the last part was and why testing on day 5 is a huge risk for the average tourist. it’s what’s helping keep the numbers down.
If the testing doesn’t have much effect on the numbers, why do it at all? 

Why is the test on day 5 keeping the numbers down? Because it includes a substantial quarantine risk only for tourists.

Only very few tourists and only 1 or 2% test positive (without those Russians coming in, now probably even less). In the bigger picture these few are negligible in light of Thais which are not tested at all and are free to spread the virus undetected.

So the day 5 test does nothing really to prevent the spreading of the virus.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Fundok
Addition to improve clarity.

[EdwardV]

1 hour ago, Fundok said:

Why is the test on day 5 keeping the numbers down?

Those who don’t wish to put their vacation at risk will and are traveling to other places. The vast majority of travelers to Thailand only come for less than two weeks. Test positive and that’s a 10 day minimum quarantine on a 14 day vacation. The risk might be small, but it’s huge in comparison. 

[Fundok]

2 hours ago, EdwardV said:

Those who don’t wish to put their vacation at risk will and are traveling to other places. The vast majority of travelers to Thailand only come for less than two weeks. Test positive and that’s a 10 day minimum quarantine on a 14 day vacation. The risk might be small, but it’s huge in comparison. 

You are right. I expressed myself not clear enough and have edited my comment accordiny.

[Marc26]

10 hours ago, EdwardV said:

Can’t speak for Europe. However, in America I can easily schedule a free PCR test for travel same day. Next at worse. Sunday’s are tougher but the rest of the week is a piece of cake. 
 

if you want to protect Thailand, and make it easy on travelers. You test before travel. If you want to scoop up the most positives, you test at day five. You know after you have been running around a country where the virus is rampant. 

The turn around is not guaranteed 

 

I took a PCR test at CVS in October in Boston 3 days before my flight back to Canada 

 

Never got the results until I was back in Canada

 

I had to pay $300usd for a rapid PCR test 

 

But usually CVS and Walgreens do a good job

[Marc26]

I suspect they will drop day 5 test sometime this month 

 

[Alavan]

14 hours ago, JJJ said:

I would hate to ascribe any logic to the rules—but one problem with the predeparture test is it’s getting very difficult in Europe and USA to get tests and they’re getting more expensive because it’s only for travel at this point. 

What is safer and cheaper:

-a pre flight PCR-test (or antigen test) in Europe at 50-60 Euro, or

-a PCR-test in Thailand at 2100/2400 Baht plus one day hotel at ... Baht? (and I have a rented house in Phuket).?
 

[Samtrio]

Dropping pre- departure test is a trap for tourists to test them fake positive for covid so they would quarantine them and charge'm 1000s of dollars... b4, some tourists sued the thai goverment due to wrong test results...this way, if a tourist fall for this trap and dont take a test in his own country, where labs are best, he wouldnt have a proof that he was clean of the virus..... i wonder why this goverment plays so many games to rip off western tourists, while indians, huh, of so many unkown viruses, are let free without nothing....they figure it is easy to scam rich europeans.while india is aware of thailand goverment scams, they cannot play games with them.