Suvarnabhumi Airport
Yesterday, on the first day of the resumption of the Test & Go program, more than 2.500 foreign passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on 46 flights.
According to Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of the airport, the planes mainly came from nearby countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, but also from Europe. It concerned passengers who were already in possession of the Thailand Pass.
The 'Test & Go' program will be available again for new registrations from 1 February. The rules are pretty much the same as before, only a second PCR test has been added during the 5th day of your stay.
Saksit Mungkarn, chairman of the Tourism Council of Trat, said Koh Chang is ready to welcome tourists under all programs, including the seven-day sandbox and Test & Go program. About 45 hotels on Koh Chang offer 4.000 rooms that meet Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus standards, he said. Some rooms will serve as a quarantine facility for infected tourists who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
“Koh Chang is now fully prepared. We are just waiting for tourists. Before the pandemic, visitors flocked to Koh Chang during Chinese New Year in droves. But this year it was very quiet,” he said
There is also a plan to reopen Koh Kood, a blue zone, with an improved medical system.
Source: Bangkok Post
Yesterday, February 1 at 09.00:7, the Test & go application was opened again. The first arrivals of this test & go can only arrive for a few days. Formally, there must be 2 days between the application and the trip. In practice that could also be faster, but certainly not the first XNUMX days.
Test before departure, test after arrival.. Test again after 5 days? deal breaker. In my opinion, the average holidaymaker does not feel like counting down the first 5 days of his holiday with fear and trembling until he can take his second (well, third in 1 week) test.
This virus spreads so easily and then there is still a decent chance of a "false positive" so you run the risk of mandatory quarantine which will lead to stress for many and if not then you are still (how many are there? 10? lost days of your vacation.
The tables have now turned: Thailand can now see how the Philippines fares. I wouldn't be surprised if in a month's time Thailand only requires a negative PCR test upon departure, drops the entire quarantine circus and only allows vaccinated travelers. I'm not saying this is logical (pricked = still tested positive + transmitting virus) but nothing has made sense since the beginning of 2020.
Do I hope that a vaccination in combination with a negative test BEFORE departure is sufficient? Yes.
Would, who then sit with fear and trembling throughout his / her holiday.
Because if he wants to return after his / her holiday and is still tested positive, he is not allowed to fly back either.
Currently, traveling is always a risk you take or you don't.
But how did those people get a Thailand Pass for the new scheme? Because you can only apply for a Test&Go Thailand Pass that falls under the new scheme since February 1.
Not. These are people who have applied for the 'old' Thailand Pass. In the near future, people will still arrive with an “old” Thailand Pass.
The headline above the article (taken from Bangkok Post) is therefore very suggestive. As if it were 2500 people who applied for the new T&G, but if you read carefully you will see that it is not the case. It's 2 facts put together in 1 suggestive headline; That February 1 is the start date of the new T&G and that 2500 people arrived in Thailand yesterday. But both have nothing to do with each other.
That's not many. On average only 54 people per plane.
The Bangkok Post “forgets” to add that one also has to book a hotel for the 5th day and stay there. I wonder how many real tourists there were out of those 2500.
For “Real” tourists, a hotel booking is not such a big problem. They have to spend the night somewhere. That is much more of a problem for long-term residents, people who own their property or stay with acquaintances (family or girlfriend) in Thailand.
But with all those rules I think "Real tourists" are rare in Thailand at the moment.
The 2.500 arrivals on the first day have nothing to do with the Test & Go Version 2. I wonder how many people will go for the version 2; after your first (negative) covid test, you have 3 days to do and go where you want, and then hope that you don't get infected, or do you want to avoid this and stay in the hotel room as much as possible between the first and the second test…
Well, I advise people to read this article before they decide to go to Thailand, unless you have enough pecunia.
https://scandasia.com/warning-against-traveling-to-thailand/
Yes, but there is also a warning about that. It is best to take out Thai insurance because it covers almost all costs. See here: https://www.thailandblog.nl/reizen/inreisvoorwaarden-covid-19/naar-thailand-met-uw-eigen-nederlandse-of-belgische-reisverzekering/