News Forum - Thailand officials plan to propose Test & Go cancellation in upcoming meeting

[Thaiger]

Tourism officials plan to present a proposal to cancel Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, will present the proposal at a meeting with the CCSA on April 22. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday that if the changes are approved, starting May 1, tourists will be able to enter Thailand using vaccine passports. They would no longer have to to wait three to five days for their documents to be approved, as Thailand Pass requires. In the proposed plan, RT-PCR tests on arrival for […]

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[Michael0510]

I don’t think, that higher numbers of travelers can be tested with ATK at the airport on arrival in a reasonable time.

[Soidog]

Replacing the PCR with an Antigen test on arrival will do little to increase tourism numbers. They continue to deliberately miss the point. I say deliberately, as the alternative is that they still haven’t worked out why people aren’t coming. For that to be true, you’d have to be a total imbecile.  

[mediagator]

With no hotel and PCR, the cost will be much lower on arrival however still risking the positive ATK could be dangerous. Although now the money saved can be rolled into the hospitels haha.

[Politenessman]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

Replacing the PCR with an Antigen test on arrival will do little to increase tourism numbers. They continue to deliberately miss the point. I say deliberately, as the alternative is that they still haven’t worked out why people aren’t coming. For that to be true, you’d have to be a total imbecile.  

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence.

[Politenessman]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The story Thailand officials plan to propose Test & Go cancellation in upcoming meeting as seen on Thaiger News.

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They are still missing the point, Thailand has covid, a trivial number of tourists are bringing covid in (but potentially they could bring in a lot of economic stimulus) - the barrier to tourists coming is the test (any flavour) that can incarcerate you, and that Brit travel writer who had their child test negative before the flight, positive in Thailand, then negative when they got home is bound to write a horror story about corruption (perceived or otherwise) in the Thai testing system which is not going to motivate tourists to take the risk.

Until they get rid of that, they will only get a fraction of the tourists they could have.

[longwood50]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

For that to be true, you’d have to be a total imbecile.  

Yes but then being a total imbecile qualifies them for that government position. 

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

antigen tests on arrival at the airport.

Glad I won't be traveling in May, it'll be a huge mess!

[Grumpish]

3 minutes ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

Glad I won't be traveling in May, it'll be a huge mess!

If my experience in Phnom Penh back in February is anything to go by - best part of two hours to process the passengers of one Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok (a very full A320, so about 160 people) - then "a huge mess" would be very much an understatement. 

[Poolie]

2 minutes ago, Grumpish said:

If my experience in Phnom Penh back in February is anything to go by - best part of two hours to process the passengers of one Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok (a very full A320, so about 160 people) - then "a huge mess" would be very much an understatement. 

Under 2 hours for 160 people? I'd say thats pretty impressive.

[riclag]

Just talk, noting significant from the covid requirements are gonna be relinquished. They found new revenue streams during the crisis  for the chosen few Thai oligarchy!

Never let a crisis go to waste!

Fingers crossed endemic will be meaningful next year! No insurance and alike!

[Ramanathan.P]

It is still a plan.....there will be repackaging of the "Test & Go" process. Same dish different package with different name. They still will not scrap it completely

[Michael0510]

Thailand wants both: As many tourists as possible and almost no infected falang entering the kingdom.

Easy to see, that there is no solution to get both.

As long as there is the risk, that tourists have to go to quarantine after arrival, the number of tourists won’t be as much as expected, hoped and needed.

The fact is, that the number of infections from abroad are very low. It doesn’t mater if there are 100%, 200% or 300% more as even 300% more would nit be many compared with the number of domestic infections.

[Politenessman]

7 minutes ago, Michael0510 said:

The fact is, that the number of infections from abroad are very low. It doesn’t mater if there are 100%, 200% or 300% more as even 300% more would nit be many compared with the number of domestic infections.

Thailand has porous land borders, testing tourists who come by air allows them to be seen to be doing something and to pretend that what they are doing is not ineffectual.

[NorskTiger]

Is it still the intent to scrap all measures by July 1st, including "vaccine pass"?

   

[PapayaBokBok]

same same but different.....yawn

[Fundok]

7 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Tourism officials plan to present a proposal to cancel Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, will present the proposal at a meeting with the CCSA on April 22. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday that if the changes are approved, starting May 1, tourists will be able to enter Thailand using vaccine passports. They would no longer have to to wait three to five days for their documents to be approved, as Thailand Pass requires. In the proposed plan, RT-PCR tests on arrival for […]

The story Thailand officials plan to propose Test & Go cancellation in upcoming meeting as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Well, that's only the tourism industry asking for the abolishment of the T&G regime so far. Hard to believe that the stubborn approach that was taken so far will change quickly.

[Janneman]

Still testing on arrival? Good luck with the 10 million tourists. They will come, but not to Thailand 

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

6 hours ago, NorskTiger said:

Is it still the intent to scrap all measures by July 1st, including "vaccine pass"?

Yes, according to the last information I've seen. But of course it might change.

[EdwardV]

No test plenty of tourists, any test not so much - it’s not hard to figure out. 
 

Hopefully by August they will have dropped the last and final test. 

[Thaidup]

4 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

No test plenty of tourists, any test not so much - it’s not hard to figure out. 
 

Hopefully by August they will have dropped the last and final test. 

It may be about time that the government figure out people are not scared of Covid anymore, and the people that are can stay at home or wear the mask or do whatever they want, Just let everyone else do what they want.

[Mazz11]

Fingers crossed that they eventually work out why the bulk tourists that they keep predicting aren't coming and the power of the dollar finally hits home.

It's strange that everyone keeps talking about the money that is being made for the privileged few with the Test and Go scheme but surely there is more money to be skimmed if the millions of tourists predicted actually decide to come. 

Lose all of the restrictions and Thailand can get back to business as usual.

[Mehimherwhy]

No matter what any one does it won't stop you lot from the norm off ripping other people's country to bits at every given opportunity will it.

I have never come across so many old washer women on one site before. Better than any stand up comic shows

[Paulw]

Personally I have seen enough overwhelming evidence that this entire Covid scenario is a fast and $$$$ motivated but none the less it is here in every country across the planet. 

If Thailand is serious about getting tourism back on track they should impose only 2 entry rules whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. A Negative PCR test prior to departure and medical insurance, a normal temperature check on arrival and they are free to go, enjoy their holiday and spend their money!! 

 

[Soidog]

1 minute ago, Paulw said:

Personally I have seen enough overwhelming evidence that this entire Covid scenario is a fast and $$$$ motivated but none the less it is here in every country across the planet. 

If Thailand is serious about getting tourism back on track they should impose only 2 entry rules whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. A Negative PCR test prior to departure and medical insurance, a normal temperature check on arrival and they are free to go, enjoy their holiday and spend their money!! 

Spot on!