News Forum - Full details on the 3 ways to travel to Thailand from November 1

[Thaiger]

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has released a summary of the new plans to reopen Thailand to allow international tourists to travel on November 1. Thailand will reopen without quarantine for fully vaccinated people travelling from 46 approved countries, who will only have to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and wait in an approved hotel for the results. Those who want to come to Thailand but didn’t make the list of approved countries will now be able to enter with Thailand’s new and improved Sandbox program, with a week of soft quarantine in one of 17 approved provinces. And […]

The story Full details on the 3 ways to travel to Thailand from November 1 as seen on Thaiger News.

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[satpete]

but are there still visas on arrival, or for 30 , 60 and 90 days as before  ?

Thai embassies in many countries will not handle it fast,
nearly impossible to fly in November

[JamesR]

For fully vaccinated travellers one of the requirements is:

"Medical Certificate with a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travelling."

The word 'within' is confusing,  if we get on the plane and fly for 12 hours we can land and then get a medical certificate as above as long as it is within 72 hours?

The word 'within' in this context can mean before or after you fly.

So is it before you fly or before or after you fly?

Or do they really mean get a certificate before you fly and then make sure you land in Thailand before the 72 hours are up?

I like Thailand for many reasons but they don't seem to be able to explain simple things clearly.

[markhub]

My understanding if the 72 hours, is that the test is done less than 72 hours before your scheduled departure time, not arrival in Bangkok.

[markhub]

Can anyone tell me the names of any SHA+ hotels in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport, and also when you book the SHA+ hotel for 1 night, should it include the cost if the PCR covid test on arrival? 

[JamesR]

5 minutes ago, markhub said:

My understanding if the 72 hours, is that the test is done less than 72 hours before your scheduled departure time, not arrival in Bangkok.

That is a bit dodgy, what if you get all the paperwork, get the visa, book and pay for the flight and the hotel and your virus test does not arrive on time, you can then not fly?

That sounds a bit risky to me, I will leave it for a while longer before going just to see how it all pans out as the rules are bound to change in a week or two, for the better or worse we will find out. 

[Benroon]

16 minutes ago, JamesR said:

I like Thailand for many reasons but they don't seem to be able to explain simple things clearly.

By a million miles the biggest understatement of the century ! This must be the worlds first No Quarantine Quarantine arrangement !

However onto your question, it almost certainly means before you fly but I doubt anyone would check - a friend of mine flew 3 days after getting his second jab (rules state must be 14 days) and he sailed through - no-one picked up on it at all.

What I'm confused about is it was previously stated everything had to be uploaded to 'Thailand Pass' ? - that seems to have quietly come off the radar now. The list they are after now could simply be a few sheets of paper when you land at immigration ? So still uploading or not ?

[Freeduhdumb]

37 minutes ago, JamesR said:

For fully vaccinated travellers one of the requirements is:

"Medical Certificate with a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travelling."

The word 'within' is confusing,  if we get on the plane and fly for 12 hours we can land and then get a medical certificate as above as long as it is within 72 hours?

The word 'within' in this context can mean before or after you fly.

So is it before you fly or before or after you fly?

Or do they really mean get a certificate before you fly and then make sure you land in Thailand before the 72 hours are up?

I like Thailand for many reasons but they don't seem to be able to explain simple things clearly.

You need to arrive at the departure for your flight no more than 72 hours after you receive your test document showing a date and timed test result. A result, not when the test was conducted. You have 72 hours to get on the plane after the test result.

[Alavan]

Problem is, if you fly Singapore airlines, for transit in Singapore it is 48 hours

 

[vlad]

At last its sinking in someone must have seen the comments from disgruntled Tourists and sat back and thought Mmmmm there probably right. Make it simple no more stupid rules and see what happens, start playing around and you will see all your plans go down the pan.

[satpete]

does anyone knows if included health insurance at Emirates Airlines flights
will be sufficant for CoE or Thailand pass or visa ?

[JamesR]

3 minutes ago, Alavan said:

Problem is, if you fly Singapore airlines, for transit in Singapore it is 48 hours

I was looking at the Singapore airline web site directly a couple of weeks ago and there were several connection flights from London available in Singapore to take you to Phuket within two hours.

I did not check London/Singapore/Bangkok though. 

[EdwardV]

29 minutes ago, JamesR said:

That is a bit dodgy, what if you get all the paperwork, get the visa, book and pay for the flight and the hotel and your virus test does not arrive on time, you can then not fly?

That sounds a bit risky to me, I will leave it for a while longer before going just to see how it all pans out as the rules are bound to change in a week or two, for the better or worse we will find out.

Yes that's correct, you would not be able to fly.

While it is a risk and a worry, but it's not a large one. How long is the turn around time where you live? Here in the US it's normal to get your test results in 1 - 2 days. However there are some who will guarantee to do it in under 6 hours of course for an extra fee. I've flown twice where I needed to get tested in that 72 hour window. It's never been an issue, but it's always been a worry.  

[JamesR]

2 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

Yes that's correct, you would not be able to fly.

While it is a risk and a worry, but it's not a large one. How long is the turn around time where you live? Here in the US it's normal to get your test results in 1 - 2 days. However there are some who will guarantee to do it in under 6 hours of course for an extra fee. I've flown twice where I needed to get tested in that 72 hour window. It's never been an issue, but it's always been a worry.  

"How long is the turn around time where you live? Here in the US it's normal to get your test results in 1 - 2 days. "

Maybe someone else can answer this question in the UK as I have only had a test last year at the government test site and that took two days to get the result via a text message, I do not know how long it takes for a private test result and a certificate.

Is the certificate a piece of paper or is it a message on an electronic device?

[RobMuir]

55 minutes ago, JamesR said:

like Thailand for many reasons but they don't seem to be able to explain simple things clearly.

It seems pretty simple to me. Get a test within 72 hours of your plane leaving. 

[Trakzter]

But they use the expression "Chartered Flights" in the pressrelease for the non-quarantine option.

What does this mean. Is it the Scheduled Airlines like Thai , SIngapore Air , AF , KLM etc ?

 

[EdwardV]

1 minute ago, JamesR said:

Is the certificate a piece of paper or is it a message on an electronic device?

Here in the US they send a link to their site so you can download it directly to your phone. Best to always print a copy and take it with you just in case. 

[Alavan]

16 minutes ago, JamesR said:

I was looking at the Singapore airline web site directly a couple of weeks ago and there were several connection flights from London available in Singapore to take you to Phuket within two hours.

I did not check London/Singapore/Bangkok though. 

I am flying via Singapore to Phuket. 1hour 40 minutes in transit

 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has released a summary of the new plans to reopen Thailand to allow international tourists to travel on November 1. Thailand will reopen without quarantine for fully vaccinated people travelling from 46 approved countries, who will only have to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and wait in an approved hotel for the results. Those who want to come to Thailand but didn’t make the list of approved countries will now be able to enter with Thailand’s new and improved Sandbox program, with a week of soft quarantine in one of 17 approved provinces. And […]

The story Full details on the 3 ways to travel to Thailand from November 1 as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Future Headlines: "Backlog of PCR Tests Causing Tourists To Spend Multiple Nights In Hotels With No Answers"

[Guest1]

35 minutes ago, satpete said:

does anyone knows if included health insurance at Emirates Airlines flights
will be sufficant for CoE or Thailand pass or visa ?

Ask emirates about it.

Before, they wanted a Domestic insurance police, but now "you can bring what you get in your country", if I got that right. So Emirates insurance should qualify, but you need to ask 'em, I think!

[Faz]

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

That is a bit dodgy, what if you get all the paperwork, get the visa, book and pay for the flight and the hotel and your virus test does not arrive on time, you can then not fly?

Takes between 8 to 24 hours from the test to get the results dependant on the time of day you take the test.

If your flight was on a Friday, arrange the test Wednesday, guaranteed to have the results Thursday at the latest.

[Faz]

1 hour ago, satpete said:

does anyone knows if included health insurance at Emirates Airlines flights
will be sufficant for CoE or Thailand pass or visa ?

Acceptable for all.

[Faz]

35 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Before, they wanted a Domestic insurance police, but now "you can bring what you get in your country", if I got that right. So Emirates insurance should qualify, but you need to ask 'em, I think!

Never requested a Thai policy for the Covid Insurance, always been able to purchase it anywhere.

[Alavan]

39 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Ask emirates about it.

Before, they wanted a Domestic insurance police, but now "you can bring what you get in your country", if I got that right. So Emirates insurance should qualify, but you need to ask 'em, I think!

A friend used that last summer. They first asked for another insurrance but in the end they accepted the one from Emirates. He used "Siam Legal" to help him with his CoE as the Embassy in Brussels was very slow in answering. Cost him 100€

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, RobMuir said:

It seems pretty simple to me. Get a test within 72 hours of your plane leaving. 

"Medical Certificate with a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travelling."

Without the words 'before' or 'after' then the word 'travelling' can mean both 'before' or 'after'.

Eg. Take a tablet within 72 hours of eating, that could mean before or after as you are still within 72 hours of eating.