News Forum - Possible amendments to Test & Go for Thailand Pass

[yasar]

 

Let's delay it, when we're going to spend time.

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by Faz
edited size.

[Bangkok_Gary]

Omicron is another wild card. It is exploding in the USA, Canada and Europe. If it explodes the same way in Thailand it probably won't be any fun to be on holiday there.

[ERIKN]

My Travel date was set on 11th of January.

At the faq on the Thai Pass website is written that we can change the flight post-approval if only the fflight time is within 72 hours of the original flight time registered with Thailand Pass.

So...I could take an earlier glight anx arrive January 9th?

I doubt this. Other government websites contradict this.

Does anybody know? Tim???

 

[ERIKN]

 

canceling the test and go sheme is not wel overthought. Do they realy think that tourist, with a day time job, can easily change there holidays?

Besides that  most of the go to Thailand during the cold wintermoths at home. During summer and rainseason in Thailand we sure will opt for a holiday destination near to home.

So, we will not spend our holiday budget in Thailand, but elsewhere.

Just a big loss for Thailand!

 

[lewisfricker]

27 minutes ago, ERIKN said:

My Travel date was set on 11th of January.

At the faq on the Thai Pass website is written that we can change the flight post-approval if only the fflight time is within 72 hours of the original flight time registered with Thailand Pass.

So...I could take an earlier glight anx arrive January 9th?

I doubt this. Other government websites contradict this.

Does anybody know? Tim???

I’m in the same boat as you. My arrival date is the 12th but I could change that to the 9th.

Unfortunately trying to get through to an embassy is impossible at the minute. I think they reopen here in the UK tomorrow, so I’ve got to wait until then.

they also claim to have a 24 hour hotline, however it’s never answered. Same with emails!

If you get a definitive response can you quote this post please

[ERIKN]

1 hour ago, lewisfricker said:

Unfortunately trying to get through to an embassy is impossible at the minute. I think they reopen here in the UK tomorrow, so I’ve got to wait until then.

they also claim to have a 24 hour hotline, however it’s never answered. Same with emails!

@lewisfricker

In the same boat indeed. Are you (intent) flying KLM also? ;)

I have the same trouble in The Netherlands.

You can NOT reach the Thai embassy and the Thai Pass 24/7 hot line is also NOT available!. We have tried calling and emailing a solid 8 hours today. Very frustrating. 

The Thai government is sticking their heads in the sand.

@Tim news topic!

[lewisfricker]

6 minutes ago, ERIKN said:

@lewisfricker

In the same boat indeed. Are you (intent) flying KLM also? ;)

I have the same trouble in The Netherlands.

You can NOT reach the Thai embassy and the Thai Pass 24/7 hot line is also NOT available!. We have tried calling and emailing a solid 8 hours today. Very frustrating. 

The Thai government is sticking their heads in the sand.

@Tim news topic!

I’m meant to be flying with Finnair. However if I need to move my flights I will just book another airline. My only concern in that I now have to re-arrange my hotel and re-book another pcr test.

In regards to getting in contact with the so called ‘24 hour’ hotline. It’s impossible! My friend in Thailand tried calling for me too and they had no luck.

Really hope they clarify things tomorrow, as this is becoming a mess very fast!

[ace035]

 

This is another option besides the Sandbox in Phuket. I am sure that they will not reinstate the Test and Go requirements for awhile due to the Omicron cases.

 

 

Alternative Quarantine

Conditions

Travellers from any country / territory. Stay in quarantine for 7/10/14 days and will be able to travel in Thailand thereafter

Full vaccination is not required under this scheme

Booking for 7/10/14 days on approved AQ hotel

Approved List:

AQ Hotel

Documents

Passport

Thai Visa (if required)

Paid AQ hotel reservation confirmation (fully paid or deposit at least 15,000 THB / 500 USD) (including the fee for two RT-PCR tests)

Insurance with minimum coverage of 50,000 USD

 

[Ernies_journeys]

I would dearly wish to return to Bangkok for our already booked and once amended holiday. Swiss Airlines flights booked and paid for, Conrad Bangkok and Millennium Hilton hotel's booked. Have taken both vaccinations and Booster jab and regularly take mitigating measures against Covid-19. So, I've done EVERYTHING asked of me. Why oh why then does the Thailand government continually move the goal posts and not allow the sensible visitors to visit your truly beautiful country and people to support the leisure industries that are on there knees throughout a pandemic that will be here forever in all it's forms. I have insurance, I'm willing to take any risks and I want to support the Thailand community. Do I think my already moved holiday will be possible arriving on 23rd January 2022, let's see?

[ace035]

13 minutes ago, Ernies_journeys said:

I would dearly wish to return to Bangkok for our already booked and once amended holiday. Swiss Airlines flights booked and paid for, Conrad Bangkok and Millennium Hilton hotel's booked. Have taken both vaccinations and Booster jab and regularly take mitigating measures against Covid-19. So, I've done EVERYTHING asked of me. Why oh why then does the Thailand government continually move the goal posts and not allow the sensible visitors to visit your truly beautiful country and people to support the leisure industries that are on there knees throughout a pandemic that will be here forever in all it's forms. I have insurance, I'm willing to take any risks and I want to support the Thailand community. Do I think my already moved holiday will be possible arriving on 23rd January 2022, let's see?

Because of that chicken little piece of s*** Anutin in a panic mode, every time he proposed something always happen. I've been planning for over a year now & during those time, my prediction to come to Thailand between Feb 2022 -May 2022 and still the same, will find out more later on this week. Seems, the Thai government has no clue in mitigating the virus instead of panicking, just gonna live with & fight through it.

[rockitos]

I was planning to flight to Thailand on 24 January, everything book and pay already. 

I have SHA hotel booked and pay, insurence, flight ticket.

Why they give me Thai Pass, if after a bit, they didn’t let me to enter.

I travel to Kenya and Brazil during Covid on 2020, and something like that not happen. 

I was wanted to go Brazil again, but i prefer Thailand and i think i will lose mostly of the money use for reservations, insurence and ticket.

Nice job Thailand, i am very happy.

[srosato]

Same boat. I depart from Canada on January 11th to arrive on January 13th in Bangkok with approved Thailand Pass. It is really astonishing how they make last second changes like that.

From what I understand it is still possible to do 7 days quarantine in Bangkok? Maybe I could extend my already booked 1 day quarantine to 7 days.

Truly living on a day to day basis whether we can or not go see loved ones.

[SkylineGTR82]

9 hours ago, Bawheid said:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/thailand/

What do you think from which sources the official statistics come from? Then you also know who can take "Influence" on them ...

At the moment I have no confidence in these people. In addition, I don't understand why they want to kick the shins of the few thousand remaining tourists with an approved Thai Pass (Test & Go) who want to travel responsibly to Thailand.

The tourists who have been offended in this way will think very carefully about whether to book again, because it is simply implausible what Thailand publishs every few days.

[Lowseasonlover]

Get ready for another round of cancellations, things were going ok here in Phuket

[Scotty]

Honestly, how long are the people going to stand for this on going stupidity?  This is a serious question.

The SCIENCE and many other Countries now are saying LIVE WITH IT. Open the borders and get on with it.  10's of thousands of people have died on the road sin Thailand compared to this virus.  The lack of logic is astounding.

And, to ask travellers who they already approved to change their plans and arrive early. WTF!!! Thailand 'The Country that Continually Bites the Hand that Feed It"

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

17 hours ago, LoongFred said:

If he's like Borus and Trump it a great endorsement,  but I dont know if that's the case. Borus and Trump got things done

It could be said that Hitler "got things done". I guess it's just a matter of if you approved of what "got done".

[spw888]

Another case of "TIT"?

I have lived in Thailand over 21 years. Married to a Thai, have kids together, own a business here and employ several staff. I have my visa, work permit, and residence permit all in order since arrival and we all pay our taxes and social security.  I am going to visit my kids and grandkids, haven't seen them for 2 years. First visit to meet my grandson who is almost 18 months! Departing Thailand 11th January, returning 23rd January. I got my Thailand pass approved on that basis. I booked flights, hotels, meetings, transport in Australia and on return to Bangkok all based around my approved trip.

If this proposed change is approved, I'm done - that will really be the final straw. 

[BBY]

if this happens and it’s quite likely it will.

Is it really any wonder that Bangkok has lost over 2000 flight slots.

British Airways have now cancelled all flights to Bangkok indefinitely. Other airlines will soon start to follow suit. They cannot afford to operate empty aircraft. Especially when they are emptied practically overnight.

we see reports almost daily on how Thailand wants to attract investors, wants the wealthy to retire there and also wishes to attract high end tourists. Behaving like this!  Not a chance? How do you think these people made their money. 

certainly NOT by investing in unreliability and inability. 
 

 

 

 

 

[Canadianonthego]

 I'm set to leave Canada Jan 10 arriving at midnight Jan 12 because of the time difference . I am set to stay a month and have multiple expensive non refundable hotels booked and multiple flights to different parts of thailand to visit and if this decision is made with regards to Jan 10 I will lose all my money ... thats a big hit . 

  Am I allowed to change my quarantine hotel with the Thai pass ? This hotel was fully booked and not sure I can stay there 7 days now . Its a hard pill to swallow losing the first week of my trip which is already paid for and then have to pay for another hotel ontop of the loss I will already to take

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, spw888 said:

Another case of "TIT"?

I have lived in Thailand over 21 years. Married to a Thai, have kids together, own a business here and employ several staff. I have my visa, work permit, and residence permit all in order since arrival and we all pay our taxes and social security.  I am going to visit my kids and grandkids, haven't seen them for 2 years. First visit to meet my grandson who is almost 18 months! Departing Thailand 11th January, returning 23rd January. I got my Thailand pass approved on that basis. I booked flights, hotels, meetings, transport in Australia and on return to Bangkok all based around my approved trip.

If this proposed change is approved, I'm done - that will really be the final straw. 

I’m sorry to hear of your situation. You raise an interesting point in that it’s not just tourists looking for a bit of sunshine caught up in this mess. It’s people such as yourself wishing to visit family or even some who will wish to return to their own country for other serious issues. It will also affect Thai outbound tourism and will affect inbound foreign and local business travellers. 
 

As I mentioned on another thread. They have announced this suspension of the Thailand Pass is though it were some small administrative issue. What they are doing without saying it, is closing the borders. Yes you can still enter through extended quarantine in Phuket or a Bangkok hotel. But make no mistake. This is closing borders. 

[spw888]

14 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’m sorry to hear of your situation. You raise an interesting point in that it’s not just tourists looking for a bit of sunshine caught up in this mess. It’s people such as yourself wishing to visit family or even some who will wish to return to their own country for other serious issues. It will also affect Thai outbound tourism and will affect inbound foreign and local business travellers. 
 

As I mentioned on another thread. They have announced this suspension of the Thailand Pass is though it were some small administrative issue. What they are doing without saying it, is closing the borders. Yes you can still enter through extended quarantine in Phuket or a Bangkok hotel. But make no mistake. This is closing borders. 

It is. And the reason? "Just in case somebody arrives with a cold"? This really is beyond a joke.

BTW I should have mentioned, against my wishes I allowed myself to be coerced into getting double jabbed with Astra in Thailand just so that I could make this trip. More fool me. It is impossible to make any travel -related decision with one iota of confidence, jabbed, tested, or not!

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, spw888 said:

It is. And the reason? "Just in case somebody arrives with a cold"? This really is beyond a joke.

BTW I should have mentioned, against my wishes I allowed myself to be coerced into getting double jabbed with Astra in Thailand just so that I could make this trip. More fool me. It is impossible to make any travel -related decision with one iota of confidence, jabbed, tested, or not!

These are indeed difficult times for people wishing to travel. I note Thanathorn (Future forward party guy) has returned a positive Covid test on arrival back in to Thailand. No one is safe from the problems this is causing. 

[DesperateOldHand]

On 1/3/2022 at 3:31 AM, GW1 said:

Guess now 14 days quarantine and a couple gran less to spend doesn't look so bad if your desperate to get in if it goes that way.

They might want to just go back to the old program and stick with it. 

 

[King Cotton]

7 hours ago, spw888 said:

Another case of "TIT"?

I have lived in Thailand over 21 years. Married to a Thai, have kids together, own a business here and employ several staff. I have my visa, work permit, and residence permit all in order since arrival and we all pay our taxes and social security.  I am going to visit my kids and grandkids, haven't seen them for 2 years. First visit to meet my grandson who is almost 18 months! Departing Thailand 11th January, returning 23rd January. I got my Thailand pass approved on that basis. I booked flights, hotels, meetings, transport in Australia and on return to Bangkok all based around my approved trip.

If this proposed change is approved, I'm done - that will really be the final straw. 

I'm sure all readers will empathise with these worries, @spw888 . . . a pity that this, your debut post, has to be so dour, but welcome to TT nonetheless. We hope that your further posts may be more uplifting!

[JJJ]

Sadly everyone makes two fatal assumptions in their discussion:

1. That the government applies logic

2. That they care

Just cancel your plans, when you arrive, the lockdowns will come. Spend your money elsewhere where it’s appreciated rather than scorned.