No Quarantine, but still…

[Jonas-BusinessInSiam]

As announced, Thailand will from November 1st let people from selected countries entry the kingdom without quarantine, but still they require you to book a quarantine hotel and stay there for 24 hours to wait in the test result from the entry PCR Test. What a joke. Why is it so difficult to make anything simple in this country.  First, these people are both fully vaccinated and also PCR tested before they boarded, double safe already so to say.  Next if they think that is not good enough, why not using an antigen test at the airport, then you could get the test result within 20 minutes.  
And then the paper work on top of this, let’s see how easy the Thailand pass will be to process, the CoE process was pretty tricky and people allergic to paper work and administration will be scared away. 
My suggestion for simple but safe process should be to let the airport staff at the check in counter verify that passenger has Vaccine certificate, Negative PCR Test result and Covid insurance.  Check, then you fly, and on arrival no need for anything more.  How difficult can it be.  

[Chaimai]

I don't think you will find many people disagreeing with you.

 

 

 

If I was a betting man I would say that they will adopt your recommendation around 1st January 2022. They may surprise me and go for 1st December.

[TiT]

They'll change it, just give it a month, max.

[Rookiescot]

What I always wonder about is the time stipulation on the PCR test before flying.

It says no more than 72 hours. Now does that mean no more than 72 hours from when you arrive in Bangkok? Or 72 hours from getting onto your Bangkok flight? Or 72 hours from when you started travelling? 

[KaptainRob]

6 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

72 hours from when you started travelling? 

NO.  Within 72hrs of commencement of travel.

[farang]

this is a total screwed up mess!!think ill wait till insurance and all are dropped!go back to how it was 2 years ago and get with it!

[Chaimai]

1 minute ago, farang said:

this is a total screwed up mess!!think ill wait till insurance and all are dropped!go back to how it was 2 years ago and get with it!

 

 

I see nothing wrong with a requirement for visitors to have (at least) travel insurance.

 

It matters not because no one is going to bother checking all 40,000,000 arrivals at Suvarnabhumi.

[farang]

chaimai. yes i can agree to that to a point.but''''''if you are over 70 you cant buy it from a thai company.and i already have insurance from my home country that the visa section wont accept.and ive used it 3 times in thai before over the last 18 years.so,insurance required that you cant buy,and one i have is not now accepted!!i even called the embassy in usa,thai embassy and got a blank nothing answere.im 75 and cant buy the thai insurance.so yes,it makes it a total screw up.

[HolyCowCm]

I was already writing this and then went back and read the first post from JBS which has some of what I touched on. If they were really serious then they would do the PCR 72 hours before and then have to do a portable antigen pre-flight pre-boarding and then one more before landing. That stands to reason that none of this is intelligently well thought out as it should be.

[Faz]

4 hours ago, Jonas-BusinessInSiam said:

First, these people are both fully vaccinated and also PCR tested before they boarded, double safe already so to say.

They could have been tested several days before boarding, only the test result required to be within 72 hours of boarding your flight. You may also transit in flight through other International airports crossing paths with other travellers going to various destinations, who have not received a PCR test to travel and may be an  asymptomatic carrier.

4 hours ago, Jonas-BusinessInSiam said:

Next if they think that is not good enough, why not using an antigen test at the airport, then you could get the test result within 20 minutes.  

Antigen tests are not as reliable. They take a PCR test at the airport before being allowed to travel to your hotel. The results are returned in 8 hours.

4 hours ago, Jonas-BusinessInSiam said:

And then the paper work on top of this, let’s see how easy the Thailand pass will be to process, the CoE process was pretty tricky and people allergic to paper work and administration will be scared away. 

Can't argue with the paperwork, but then if you stay in Thailand you know how Thailand loves it's paperwork.

4 hours ago, Jonas-BusinessInSiam said:

My suggestion for simple but safe process should be to let the airport staff at the check in counter verify that passenger has Vaccine certificate, Negative PCR Test result and Covid insurance.  Check, then you fly, and on arrival no need for anything more.  How difficult can it be.

They do that anyway, about 5 times. So if your short of a document the airlines expected to return you to your origin of departure. That's exactly the purpose of the COE and the Thailand Pass, to ensure you have the correct documents before trying to board.

From a friend who arrived in Phuket Thursday 21st, he described the entry at Phuket airport as resembling 'Fred Carno's' circus. That was a single flight, god help if there were two.
Took him two hours to get out of the airport from arrival. Some passengers hadn't downloaded the necessary Apps, or knew how to, it was taking 5 Thai members of staff to assist one passenger.
One or two turned up without a mobile to download it to ..... the staff had to go out and obtain a mobile and SIM card for the passengers.
The PCR test taken outside the airport terminal took less than 5 minutes.

Another friend who returned to the UK from the Sandbox also reported a lot of passengers were refused boarding at Phuket because they didn't realise they needed a further PCR test result within 72 of boarding for return to their own Country.

[Thomazz59]

This is somewhat related to this topic.. Will domestic travel (Air & Bus) in Thailand to neighboring Provinces be modified? Anyone have insight?  IAW to booking a domestic flight on NOK Air, one must provide the following documents (1) Permission to Travel. (2) MOR CHANA installed on your phone with vaccine information (3) A "negative" PCR-PT test.   OK.. but what is this P.O.T document.. 

[KaptainRob]

51 minutes ago, Thomazz59 said:

OK.. but what is this P.O.T document.. 

Can you provide a screenshot or link the source of this please?

[Thomazz59]

[Thomazz59]

Left column and lower right hand corner...

 

 

[AussieBob]

When bureaucrats implement rules and regulations, they are as reluctant as a pit bull to let them go. But the bigger problem is that they make absolutely no plan or thought for how/when to let them go, before they implement them.  It will take a while before the whole world returns to some level of sanity in regards to the rules and regulations about international travel.  In Thailand I predict that it will be more disorganised and screwed up than most other places, but then (and suddenly) they will drop everything and open back up again. 

Phuket airport has been a disaster of disorganised chaos with only 1-2 planes arriving at a time - imagine what is going to happen at Swampy if/when there are lots of flights all arriving at the same time. When Thailand drops all this madness, they will probably mandate compulsory medical/travel insurance (they have been trying to do that for years), and they might also try to keep the MorChana tracking app - but IMO all the other bureaucratic rubbish will be dropped.  That is when we will be planning for our next trip back to Thailand.  

[mickkotlarski]

On 10/23/2021 at 10:54 AM, Rookiescot said:

What I always wonder about is the time stipulation on the PCR test before flying.

It says no more than 72 hours. Now does that mean no more than 72 hours from when you arrive in Bangkok? Or 72 hours from getting onto your Bangkok flight? Or 72 hours from when you started travelling? 

Good point. I imagined that 72 hours before arrival at destination but KaptainRob came to our emotional rescues.

[PBS]

Can someone please clarify the requirement of minimum one day stay at an ASQ hotel? Is one confined to your room for 24 hours or can move around around the hotel e.g. go to swimming pool etc, restaurant meals?

I have noticed the ASQ hotels are charging double, if a couple, the usual rate i.e. rate based on per person, not cost per room.

Edited October 31, 2021 by PBS

[Faz]

On 10/27/2021 at 8:30 AM, mickkotlarski said:

Good point. I imagined that 72 hours before arrival at destination but KaptainRob came to our emotional rescues.

It's test results within 72 hours from departure.

[Faz]

17 minutes ago, PBS said:

Can someone please clarify the requirement of minimum one day stay at an ASQ hotel? Is one confined to your room for 24 hours or can move around around the hotel e.g. go to swimming pool etc, restaurant meals?

You must remain in your room until you receive a negative test result.
The hotel can arrange or order food on your behalf if required.

[mickkotlarski]

33 minutes ago, Faz said:

It's test results within 72 hours from departure.

Thanks Faz. Sometimes these settle differences can make a difference.  One of our folk mentioned Canada adhering to a 72 hour limit while the US is 3 days which can work out over half day extra.

[Faz]

1 hour ago, mickkotlarski said:

Thanks Faz. Sometimes these settle differences can make a difference.  One of our folk mentioned Canada adhering to a 72 hour limit while the US is 3 days which can work out over half day extra.

- Certificate of COVID-19 Free (issued no more than 72 hours before travelling

Measures to be complied with when travelling into Thailand 030963 (caat.or.th)