Thailand Test & Go

[YC]

Any recent experiences with Thailand Test & Go programme? Is the day 1 testing done at the airport and are you confined to your room until results are out? Also, what happens if you stay there for less than 5 days?

[Dwadda]

Testing is not done at airport. You have to book a night at specific hotels, which have specific arrangements with a testing facility. You must remain at the hotel until you get a negative result. Same goes for day 5. Beware:

https://scandasia.com/warning-against-traveling-to-thailand/

[Rhys]

I’ll be doing this in two weeks.

If you’re in Thailand for less than 5 days you don’t have to do the Day 5 test. You can do your Day 5 test/quarantine at a completely different hotel.

[strickers]

Not specifically T&G but was quite impressed with Thailand Pass turnaround time. 3 hours for me and 22 for the boss, website says 3-7 days.

[Gavin454]

It’s a really unattractive proposition for tourists.

Apart from the hassle and expense of sorting out the Thailand Pass and booking day 1 and 5 quarantine and testing packages, Thailand has some of the most strict treatment and isolation rules of any country currently “open for tourism” if you’re unfortunate enough to test positive as a tourist or be identified as a close contact.

There’s 2 opportunities to be forced into a hospital/hospitel (quarantine hotel with treatment facilities) for 10 days. The stress of not knowing what’s going on and being totally out of control over what happens to you, having unnecessary treatments pushed on you, being confined to your room for 10 days. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the first 5 days of my holiday because I’d essentially be self-isolating to reduce the chance of a positive day 5 test. Not to mention the national policy of having to wear a mask everywhere indoors and outdoors, which must be quite unpleasant in hot and humid Thailand.

Meanwhile, for vaccinated travellers, Cambodia simply requires a rapid test to be done on landing. The Philippines only requires a test before you depart for the country, nothing on arrival.

[YC]

Thanks – yes the transfer to a hospital (if you test positive) is definitely not appealing. Rhys – Great if you can feedback how your trip and testing goes and if everything is smooth

[trader363]

I’ve recently come back from Thailand (entered from Singapore to Phuket) via the Phuket Sandbox and spent 7 nights there before moving on.

Fortunately we were ok – all negative tests. PCR on Landing was very efficient. Had to do a day 5 test aswell which were done at various hubs on the island (setup in a parking lot).

Not much to go by as we were negative, but here’s a top tip: check how far your hotel is from the testing centre – we booked Melia Mai Khao and were miles from any civilisation!

[strickers]

trader363 wrote:

I’ve recently come back from Thailand (entered from Singapore to Phuket) via the Phuket Sandbox and spent 7 nights there before moving on.

Fortunately we were ok – all negative tests. PCR on Landing was very efficient. Had to do a day 5 test aswell which were done at various hubs on the island (setup in a parking lot).

Not much to go by as we were negative, but here’s a top tip: check how far your hotel is from the testing centre – we booked Melia Mai Khao and were miles from any civilisation!

We will be doing the same thing next week hopefully, I saw the various day 5 locations and managed to pick one within walking distance of the hotel. Took a bit of research though.

[The real Swiss Tony]

Last month, The Times ran an article on someone who was deposited into a Thai Hospitel – a recommissioned, 3* beach resort. She hadn’t even tested positive but was a close contact. As she said, she was testing negative on arrival, but that didn’t last long, with the place being a non-stop party, front desk staff arranging beer deliveries etc.

(paywalled article, but if you have access…

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/where-kafka-meets-hotel-california-just-a-positive-test-away-for-tourists-in-thailand-jpxmklklp

I mean, if you’re a trustafarian on your gap-yah it’s just another story to bore your fellow first year students with when you get to Exeter or Bath in September, but it doesn’t look very appealing if you’re trying to get a couple of weeks in the sun with the wife & kids…

[Gavin454]

Here’s an archive link for the above article:

https://archive.is/3nY6B

Sounds awful!

[YC]

Hi Rhys – Any feedback on how the Thailand testing process went? I’m reading that pre-departure PCR may be dropped but tourist still exposed to testing on arrival. Although, it sounds like home/hotel quarantine is possible if mild symptoms (trying to confirm with hotels if this is allowed).

[strickers]

YC wrote:

Hi Rhys – Any feedback on how the Thailand testing process went? I’m reading that pre-departure PCR may be dropped but tourist still exposed to testing on arrival. Although, it sounds like home/hotel quarantine is possible if mild symptoms (trying to confirm with hotels if this is allowed).

Have a look on FB at ‘Richard Barrow in Thailand’, I found him to post very up-to-date information.

[Rhys]

YC wrote:

Hi Rhys – Any feedback on how the Thailand testing process went? I’m reading that pre-departure PCR may be dropped but tourist still exposed to testing on arrival. Although, it sounds like home/hotel quarantine is possible if mild symptoms (trying to confirm with hotels if this is allowed).

Was very easy. Arrived on the 1st March, so also qualified for the Day 5 antigen rather than PCR which gave us an extra day. Thai authorities are currently processing a refund of the PCR test which I thought was very good of them!

Can’t recommend travel to Thailand highly enough right now – you’ll never see it as devoid of tourists as it is right now. On the flipside, a lot of restaurants and bars still closed or very empty, which is very sad for the locals.

[YC]

How did the day 5 antigen test work? Is it a simple case of doing any antigen test (potentially a uk one) in front of a hotel staff?

[Rhys]

YC wrote:

How did the day 5 antigen test work? Is it a simple case of doing any antigen test (potentially a uk one) in front of a hotel staff?

You do it yourself and then you’re supposed to report it to the Morchana app. Except, the app has no way to report test results…

So we did the test, took a photo of it as a record and then got on with our lives. Nobody cared.

The only thing you DO have to be careful about is keeping the little blue ticket that the immigration staff put in your passport. They will want this back when you leave the country (and whilst you can do a new one if you’ve lost it it’s easier if you don’t have to!)

[strickers]

The Morchana app is useless, I got a message to upload the day 5 test but the status in the app never changed. Nobody even looked at it while we were in Thailand.

[Rhys]

strickers wrote:

The Morchana app is useless, I got a message to upload the day 5 test but the status in the app never changed. Nobody even looked at it while we were in Thailand.

I got that message too. Unfortunately there wasn’t a way to do so!