Thailand News - Corona - By Ola J. - Palmtree

This is a special dispatch about the latest news about Thailand Pass. Test & Go was re-launched only one month ago on 1st February, and they have already made the first adjustments to ease entry restrictions. This first step starts today, Tuesday 1st March. We are expecting another review at the end of this month with a possibility of more easing of entry rules in April or May.

After a few false starts, the Test & Go scheme is now back on course. Starting from today, Tuesday 1st March, we are back to a proper test and go system. The 2nd RT-PCR test on Day 5 has been dropped as well as the controversial need for a second stay in a SHA++ hotel. 

The Day 5 test is back to the ATK test that you can do at your own convenience and upload the results to the Mor Chana app. Though, if it is anything like it was when I arrived in November last year, that won't be easy. I didn't upload it in the end and there were no consequences. Your Day 1 hotel should give you the ATK test kit and answer any of your questions. 

The other big change was that insurance was revised down from a minimum of $50,000 to $20,000. If you work here in Thailand and pay into social security, you can still use that. All of this is for people arriving on the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes.

✅ Updated Test & Go rules from 1 March https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-exemption-from-quarantine-test-go

✅ Updated Sandbox entry rules from 1 March https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-reopening-living-in-the-blue-zone-17-sandbox-destinations

✅ Updated Frequently Asked Questions https://www.tatnews.org/entry-thailand-frequently-asked-questions

The number one question that I got since the announcement about the relaxation of entry rules is what happens to the people who already got their Thailand Pass approved but arrive during March or April. Do they have to stay in a SHA++ hotel on Day 5 and also do the 2nd RT-PCR test? The answer to that is very clear. People who already got approval for Thailand Pass and arrive from 1st March onwards will be exempt. I know some hotels have already contacted their guests to offer them a full refund for the stay on the 5th day. Unfortunately, they are not obliged to do this. The government cannot tell the private sector what they must do. But at the very least, they should offer you a voucher. Good luck!

There is always going to be people who are going to take advantage of others during times of crisis. We are seeing that with the Thailand Pass too. Be careful of emails that you may receive that say they are official. They are coming from many different domains, but none of them are government domains. For example, support@passinformationthailand.com.

The latest email scam doesn't contain a link or something to download which makes it look safe. What it says is that there is a problem with your application, and they ask you to reply with some information. They are not interested about the information you send back. You will get an automated reply with an attachment which they say is your updated information for you to download and check. Don't! It contains a malware.

Wherever possible, it best to get your information from official sources. Unfortunately, as you have seen from above, there are people out there who just want to make money out of you. There are some websites pretending to be official sites for Thailand Pass and SHA++ hotel booking. They were basically created to make money every time you make a booking. However, in this present situation when dates need to be changed or money refunded, it is best to book directly with the hotels instead of a third party.

The following are two official sites that you should bookmark:

THAILAND PASS (https://tp.consular.go.th) - This is run by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Note the .go.thin the address that shows it is a government website. This is where you apply for a pass. They also have a useful FAQ section. To apply for the pass is free.

TAT NEWSROOM (https://www.tatnews.org) - This is the official news site for the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This is where they post their latest press releases for the media. They also translate the information released by the government and new laws published in the Royal Gazette. 

The official Thailand Pass website also has links to places to buy insurance and to browse SHA++ hotels and AQ hotels. Obviously, there are other options available like contacting these places direct.

We are expecting them to again make some changes to entry rules as early as April. This is because the Thai government have already started to treat Covid-19 as endemic rather than pandemic. Starting from today, people who test positive, and have no or mild symptoms, can choose to isolate at home for seven plus three days. The first seven days is strict and then the last three days you are allowed more freedom but must try and avoid crowds. Of course, this is just for people who live here and it doesn't include international arrivals. The rules are still that even if you have your own home, you need to quarantine in a hotel or hospitel for ten days.

The big question, of course is what will the next changes be? The pre-departure test has long been touted as something that should be dropped first. The TAT has already noted that some countries don't have these kinds of tests available any more and so it will limit the potential number of arrivals. If they don't drop that in the next round, they might at least change the RT-PCR test on arrival to the quicker ATK test. This would mean it will literally be test and go and no need to book a SHA++ hotel. 

Of all the things that they will ease or drop, I think the Thailand Pass will be the last thing to go. But hopefully we will see Thailand fully reopen to tourists and returning Thais and expatriates within four months. Let's see.

Before I sign off, can I please make a request? I cannot answer personal emails with long and complicated questions. I have a fulltime day job at the school and there aren't enough hours in a day for me. Everything I know I always pass it along on my social media accounts which I will link to below. There are also some good Facebook groups that you can join that help you with answers. If you are on Twitter, I have also recently launched a Thailand Pass Community and I am making sure that all questions received there are answered quickly.

Thanks again for subscribing to the Letters from Thailand newsletter. I should be back to the regular weekly newsletter schedule starting from Sunday. I am now travelling again and I have a lot of things to share with you. I hope to see you soon!