Thailand Test & Go & Bangkok in Feb 2022

[BensAdventures]

I'm sitting in the lounge at Marriot Marquis in Sukhumvit Soi 22, eleven hours after arriving in Bangkok for the first time in almost 2 years and I wanted to give you all my first hand experience of Thailand's Test & Go Quarantine Program.

So I flew to Thailand with SQ, and the transit requirements were the same in Singapore, as Thailand arrivals, so no problem there. I'd applied successfully for the Thai Pass over a week ago, and that's really all SQ needed after viewing my PCR test and vaccination certificate.

The Thai Pass was easy enough to apply for and I took up their AXA insurance, even though I had a comprehensive coverage already, it was just easier.

So, when I landed in Bangkok, I was stopped mid way to immigration for a document check. I had completed on the plane a health declaration, and had my other paperwork ready. Quick check, a stamp and off to immigration. Bangkok immigration used to be famous for queues, so my APEC card used to be VERY valuable. This time, straight up, no queue and out to baggage.

I'd chosen Marriott Marquis as my SHA+ hotel. So for the 1st night you have to buy a package including the room, PCR test and airport transfer. I found the representative and I was in the car in 2-3 mins. From getting off the plane to being in the car, it would have been no more than 20 mins, and I spent ten minutes waiting for bags.

Marriott Marquis don't test onsite, so I was taken to a drive through test at a Central Bangkok hospital. Just dropped the window, swab taken, and off we went to the hotel.

I've read stories of hotels taking guests to their rooms and not giving them keys and told to come out when they get a negative result to get room keys etc. Not at Marriott Marquis. Check in as normal. Given keys, and sent to my room. No meals were included, so after a short nap, I called room service for lunch, which arrived an hour later (apparently very busy with quarantining guests).

By 3pm, I was on a work zoom call and the phone rung telling me I was negative and hence free to roam. 6 hours after arriving in the hotel, I was clear.

Whilst personally any quarantine is frustrating now, this was simple enough, but I wouldn't want to have to do it for too much longer. Hopefully it's gone by mid this year, let's see.

Another side note...Bangkok is a far cry from the city I loved visiting up until March 2020. I would be in Bangkok 6-8 times a year in the past, so I know it well. Just in the small block I walked today, so many of my preferred restaurants, shops, bars were gone... not just temporarily closed, they were vacant or boarded up. Hopefully tourists return in numbers soon, but it will take so many years to start to recovery.

 

[JackMiles]

Thanks for this Ben. Just yesterday I was considering a trip to Bangkok. There's some very good prices on hotels available, even for later in the year when one might guess demand has lifted considerably. Must say, though, your last para has cooled my interest quite a bit.
Do you have to get another test and re-isolate on day 5 or 6? I read somewhere that was the new protocol.

 

[drron]

We have just booked for early May.Using the SGS as our favourite hotel. Do hope some of our preferred restaurants are still open. Like a few in EmQuartier close to the Marquis.

 

[Ansett]

Thanks for the report I am off to coughet For Easter hopefully it will be easy.

 

[Hvr]

Thanks for the report I am off to coughet For Easter hopefully it will be easy.

I'm heading there on 17 March. I'm planning hard.

 

[lonewolf]

Hey guys, I am looking to fly SQ to Pattaya from Sydney (via Singapore / BKK ). I am still confused on what all the rules and restrictions are. Basically there seems to be 3 different areas where rules are being created / exist. The departure country, the arrival country and the airlines.

The parts i am worried about the most is what happens if i get covid while i am in thailand? Especially within 48 hours of the return to sydney. I need to rebook my flights and my accommodation? Do I get put into a quarantine hotel? How easy is it to rebook flights and rooms 48hours before my return? As well as how long do i then have to wait before returning. Plus How can you even know the new dates for flights or even how long to rebook the room if you dont know when you will test negative again?

Plus i presume special covid Insurance is required on top of normal travel insurance?

 

[Guvner]

We have just booked for early May.Using the SGS as our favourite hotel. Do hope some of our preferred restaurants are still open. Like a few in EmQuartier close to the Marquis.

SGS? is that Sheraton?

 

[drron]

Yes Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hey guys, I am looking to fly SQ to Pattaya from Sydney (via Singapore / BKK ). I am still confused on what all the rules and restrictions are. Basically there seems to be 3 different areas where rules are being created / exist. The departure country, the arrival country and the airlines.

The parts i am worried about the most is what happens if i get covid while i am in thailand? Especially within 48 hours of the return to sydney. I need to rebook my flights and my accommodation? Do I get put into a quarantine hotel? How easy is it to rebook flights and rooms 48hours before my return? As well as how long do i then have to wait before returning. Plus How can you even know the new dates for flights or even how long to rebook the room if you dont know when you will test negative again?

Plus i presume special covid Insurance is required on top of normal travel insurance?

Dunno about quarantine in Thailand or how they handle that... but for re-entry to Australia you may need a negative test or evidence of recovery. While you wait for this you'll either be paying for a quarantine hotel (if that's what they do in Thailand) or a non-quarantine hotel, at your expense. You'll also have to change your flights, that will be up to the airline's policy for any change fees and fare difference (if any).

Good insurance should cover all of the above.

 

[lonewolf]

Dunno about quarantine in Thailand or how they handle that... but for re-entry to Australia you may need a negative test or evidence of recovery. While you wait for this you'll either be paying for a quarantine hotel (if that's what they do in Thailand) or a non-quarantine hotel, at your expense. You'll also have to change your flights, that will be up to the airline's policy for any change fees and fare difference (if any).

Good insurance should cover all of the above.

When the reason i go to thailand is for cheap spa treatments every day and tasty street food. Both of which involve walking around and contact with other people. i sort of get the feeling if i go there for 3 weeks, decent chance i will be exposed or get covid... . Freaks me out what will happen if i get it while i am over there.

 

[Hvr]

I've just submitted my application for the Thailand pass. I am doing the coughet sandbox entry.
Check and select carefully your entry type.

Thailand Pass | How to Apply

The Thailand Pass system is a web-based system designed to make the documentation process of travelers entering Thailand more efficient than the Certificate of Entry application.

www.thaiembassy.com

I am amazed just how poorly set out it is, lots of duplicate information sought and needed to be reentered.

You'll need your dates of travel, flight numbers and times of arrival and departure. Name of hotel

The biggest frustration; that copies of documents are in a picture format i.e. JPG, PNG etc.
I ended up taking screen shots and using them.

You'll need to upload a picture of:
1) Your passport information page,
2) Hotel reservation,
3) COVID 19 certificate (actually have to upload it against each vaccination as you enter the dates), I used the same photo which listed all three vaccinations.
4) Your insurance policy.
5) The swab payment receipt.

While it says you can upload PDFs later, it will not let you proceed unless you upload a photo.
Also, you can only upload three PDFs. I did my insurance policy, and the PDS.
But, tick the obscure 'upload another document' mark. Otherwise the whole system will be stuffed and you'll have to start again.

If something isn't filled out correctly at each stage it just won't let you proceed. Scroll up the page and the fault will be revealed.

It can take an hour to get through the application.

It is a real T.I.T. experience. To prepare you for what it's like there.

Because I am using the coughet sandbox entry scheme I had to book a swab test on arrival and five days later. At the relevant part of the application there is a link to book the tests. One on arrival at HKT AP and one five days later and a location you select from a drop down menu. You'll need to select a time. Check that the location isn't too far from your hotel.

The cost is 4,200 THB ($182 AUD) and must be paid as part of the application.

I sent it off this morning and the email says it can take 3-7 days. Since I'm not departing until 17 March I have time to redo it if necessary. I'd suggest not leaving it until the last minute.

I'll update when informed of the outcome.

 

[BensAdventures]

Thanks for this Ben. Just yesterday I was considering a trip to Bangkok. There's some very good prices on hotels available, even for later in the year when one might guess demand has lifted considerably. Must say, though, your last para has cooled my interest quite a bit.
Do you have to get another test and re-isolate on day 5 or 6? I read somewhere that was the new protocol.

Yes, stupidly you have to test and isolate again on day 5... I was supposed to leave on Day 4, but had a test timing bungle (my mistake) and got stuck here for an extra night. Hoping today I fly to Manila.

Don't let the last paragraph worry you too much, there is still plenty open, but it's much much quieter.

 

[BensAdventures]

We have just booked for early May.Using the SGS as our favourite hotel. Do hope some of our preferred restaurants are still open. Like a few in EmQuartier close to the Marquis.

Love the SGS too. I should have stayed there this time. I chose Marriot Marquis (very lovely too), but I wanted the benefits of the lounge. The lounge was not anything like I remembered. No buffet (their covid management plans), and made the queue for 5-10 mins for food unappealing at night and when you were given something it was tiny portions.

When I walked past EmQuartier last night it was still busy enough around, but again nothing like 2 years ago. I noted 4-5 restaurants closed on Soi 11 too, normally the buzzing eating area. But still 20+ other options exist. Just not a couple of my preferred options.

 

[JackMiles]

Yes, stupidly you have to test and isolate again on day 5... I was supposed to leave on Day 4, but had a test timing bungle (my mistake) and got stuck here for an extra night. Hoping today I fly to Manila.

Don't let the last paragraph worry you too much, there is still plenty open, but it's much much quieter.

Thanks for your reply. I'm keen to hear your impressions of Manila/Philippines at this time too. Another option I am considering...

 

[BudgetFly]

I'm baulking at the Bangkok Sha+ Hotel bookings being non-refundable including at the Hilton (even for a Gold member).

 

[Unuuusual]

Currently a lot of pressure on the Thai Govt to ditch the 5th day test. Hope this happens as we are heading to coughet for 2 weeks in mid April with adult children (our shout). Costs of all the PCR tests under the current regulations, and the thought of dealing with quarantine if one or some of us tests positive in Thailand, is making me very hesitant about going. I don't mind jumping through some hoops but holidays are meant to be stress free aren't they, or are those days gone?

 

[Guvner]

Currently a lot of pressure on the Thai Govt to ditch the 5th day test. Hope this happens as we are heading to coughet for 2 weeks in mid April with adult children (our shout). Costs of all the PCR tests under the current regulations, and the thought of dealing with quarantine if one or some of us tests positive in Thailand, is making me very hesitant about going. I don't mind jumping through some hoops but holidays are meant to be stress free aren't they, or are those days gone?

Sorry, bit OT. Where do you stay in coughet? I'm looking at options. Never been there before.

Currently have a booking at Le Méridien in an Ocean View, 1-Bedroom Suite, mid May.
Seems like a nice place.

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for this Ben. Just yesterday I was considering a trip to Bangkok. There's some very good prices on hotels available, even for later in the year when one might guess demand has lifted considerably. Must say, though, your last para has cooled my interest quite a bit.
Do you have to get another test and re-isolate on day 5 or 6? I read somewhere that was the new protocol.

Yep, PCRs on Day 1 and Day 5. Plus another on the way out if your departure window is longer.

 

[Drummer]

Hey @BensAdventures - Thanks for the report. Really useful as I'm off on what sounds like a very similar trip (incl. APEC card) on Saturday (26 Feb). Have spent a solid block of time (8-ish hours) on compliance. Worth it to be thorough though!

 

[Drummer]

I'm sitting in the lounge at Marriot Marquis in Sukhumvit Soi 22, eleven hours after arriving in Bangkok for the first time in almost 2 years and I wanted to give you all my first hand experience of Thailand's Test & Go Quarantine Program.

So I flew to Thailand with SQ, and the transit requirements were the same in Singapore, as Thailand arrivals, so no problem there. I'd applied successfully for the Thai Pass over a week ago, and that's really all SQ needed after viewing my PCR test and vaccination certificate.

The Thai Pass was easy enough to apply for and I took up their AXA insurance, even though I had a comprehensive coverage already, it was just easier.

So, when I landed in Bangkok, I was stopped mid way to immigration for a document check. I had completed on the plane a health declaration, and had my other paperwork ready. Quick check, a stamp and off to immigration. Bangkok immigration used to be famous for queues, so my APEC card used to be VERY valuable. This time, straight up, no queue and out to baggage.

I'd chosen Marriott Marquis as my SHA+ hotel. So for the 1st night you have to buy a package including the room, PCR test and airport transfer. I found the representative and I was in the car in 2-3 mins. From getting off the plane to being in the car, it would have been no more than 20 mins, and I spent ten minutes waiting for bags.

Marriott Marquis don't test onsite, so I was taken to a drive through test at a Central Bangkok hospital. Just dropped the window, swab taken, and off we went to the hotel.

I've read stories of hotels taking guests to their rooms and not giving them keys and told to come out when they get a negative result to get room keys etc. Not at Marriott Marquis. Check in as normal. Given keys, and sent to my room. No meals were included, so after a short nap, I called room service for lunch, which arrived an hour later (apparently very busy with quarantining guests).

By 3pm, I was on a work zoom call and the phone rung telling me I was negative and hence free to roam. 6 hours after arriving in the hotel, I was clear.

Whilst personally any quarantine is frustrating now, this was simple enough, but I wouldn't want to have to do it for too much longer. Hopefully it's gone by mid this year, let's see.

Another side note...Bangkok is a far cry from the city I loved visiting up until March 2020. I would be in Bangkok 6-8 times a year in the past, so I know it well. Just in the small block I walked today, so many of my preferred restaurants, shops, bars were gone... not just temporarily closed, they were vacant or boarded up. Hopefully tourists return in numbers soon, but it will take so many years to start to recovery.

Hey again @BensAdventures How long did your Thai Travel Pass take to come through?