Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[DoktorEn]

I arrived Phuket today and have to say it was a quite smooth experience. Well organized and a fast process. Out in the cab to my hotel within less than an hour and that includes waiting for the luggage.

During the PCR test at airport they handed over some kind of rapid test to bring. Though, they forgot to explain when to use it and what to do with it when used?

Ask your hotel. Mine said I should take it on the sixth day, take a photo of the result and send it to the hotel. I had never tried a self test before this, so I just watched a YouTube video explaining how to do it.

[Mr Scand]

I arrived Phuket today and have to say it was a quite smooth experience. Well organized and a fast process. Out in the cab to my hotel within less than an hour and that includes waiting for the luggage.

During the PCR test at airport they handed over some kind of rapid test to bring. Though, they forgot to explain when to use it and what to do with it when used?

[Banana Boi]

Those of you who haven't gone through the process of completing an eVisa and Thailand Pass are in for a treat. It's nothing tricky but just bothersome and it takes time as well as timing. Give yourself AT LEAST 2 weeks to complete this process. There are no instructions on what they are asking for so it's all guesswork unless you do hours of research on a site like AN. You have to take a selfie with you holding your passport in the exact pose they want you to be in and showing exactly what they want to see on your passport, knowing to take a photo of a blank page on your passport if you haven't travelled internationally in the past 12 months, converting every single pdf attachment to a jpg, bank statement, proof of income, having to book AQ hotels directly with the AQ hotel where there is lost in translation, people having problems paying because they are using Chrome or not using a gmail account, etc. Yes, you can book through Agoda but make damn sure you are paying for a true Test and Go package. Many hotels are selling hotel nights without the Test and Go package. A true Test and Go package will cost at least 4000 baht for 1 night but most are in the 6000-7000 baht range. If you have booked a regular hotel and not a Test and Go you will be denied at the Thai border and will have to purchase the NEXT flight out of Thailand back to where you came from no matter what the cost.

[LittleBigMan]

I heard the antigen test is scrapped and it's back to mandatory RT-PCR test and I assume 1 night hotel quarantine on arrival.

Yep, you got that right! Personally, the way the leaders have been and will continue going about handling this pandemic unless Thailand is an anchor to you I would stay away than being put through this be. S. This would be the last place I would visit I not being a world traveler coming from California if I needed pussy that bad would rather head south and let the Mexicans screw me over!

[Banana Boi]

I heard the antigen test is scrapped and it's back to mandatory RT-PCR test and I assume 1 night hotel quarantine on arrival.

[PedroMorales]

. Why is there more importance placed on having the vaccine than actually having the disease or not?

Control Control Control.

[Mr Enternational]

This has always been a silly rule. You might spend 17 hours on a flight from Chicago to Hong Kong surrounded by sick people and Thailand will never know. But, you spend 2.5 hours from Hong Kong to BKK with one sick person 2 rows away on the other side of the airplane and you get quarantined for 2 weeks.

No sillier than the rule some places of a person being able to enter an establishment solely based on the fact that they have a vaccine card when they could just as well have the disease and a person not being able to enter without the card when they could just as well not have the disease. Why is there more importance placed on having the vaccine than actually having the disease?

[HorseTrader]

If you can book your seats in the first row or the last row of each section on the plane to decrease the number of rows that may affect you. That is, don't sit in the middle of the plane! If I book business class on a lay flat seat I should be exempt from this 2 row rule, shouldn't I?

Good point! I just changed my seat to use your concept for my flight leg that arrives in BKK.

This has always been a silly rule. You might spend 17 hours on a flight from Chicago to Hong Kong surrounded by sick people and Thailand will never know. But, you spend 2.5 hours from Hong Kong to BKK with one sick person 2 rows away on the other side of the airplane and you get quarantined for 2 weeks.

[Banana Boi]

If you can book your seats in the first row or the last row of each section on the plane to decrease the number of rows that may affect you. That is, don't sit in the middle of the plane! If I book business class on a lay flat seat I should be exempt from this 2 row rule, shouldn't I?

Now is not the time for Thailand to be relaxing flight rules and quarantine.

[Crocodilexp]

That is consistent with rumors, but have you seen it printed by a trustworthy source?

That is my #1 concern with the whole entry system. One person tests positive and about 45 people get locked up.

Article from Nov 12:

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tour...place-pcr-test

The key bit: "CCSA will also review the rule that currently requires travellers who sat 2 rows behind or in front of an infected passenger to be moved to quarantine facilities. ".

So, that rule is currently in force, but they might eventually relax it.

[HorseTrader]

I postponed my trip.

That is a strong possibility with me too. I paid about 15% extra to book fully refundable airline tickets and my hotel bookings will also be refundable or pay at hotel.

Nothing is certain.

[Banana Boi]

I postponed my trip.

[Johnie]

Thank you, this is important information. Moments ago I purchased my January tickets and I'm worried about getting locked up upon arrival. I bought just one night in a Test and Go hotel, hope that I don't need more than that.

This is a good place for people to post Thai COVID travel information, especially links to formally published information.

Hi Horse,

I am in a similar boat. I booked a flight to BKK from Australia earlier this week and was prepared for one night quarantine and was further encouraged by a recent post by that pest Explorer (he appears more recently to have moderated his posts however) but with Omicron now apparent I fear having to go inside for the whole 14 days as before.

Changes everything! Johnie.

[HorseTrader]

They definitely used to do this when entering the Phuket sandbox. There was a well german lady that appeared on various news outlets that this happened to. She appeared on the Thaiger as a video interview while in her isolation hotel.

However, I don't believe they still do this since dropping the quarantine requirement.

Thank you, this is important information. Moments ago I purchased my January tickets and I'm worried about getting locked up upon arrival. I bought just one night in a Test and Go hotel, hope that I don't need more than that.

This is a good place for people to post Thai COVID travel information, especially links to formally published information.

[Downandup]

The one night quarantine for vaccinated arrivals will end on December 15. There will be an ATK test on arrival, rather than a PCR test.

I expect that to be postponed any time soon due to the new omicron variant, they will need to discover how bad it really is before restrictions are relaxed any further.