This is the second of my special dispatches about the reopening of Thailand to vaccinated tourists from countries on the list. On Friday evening, I am flying to London with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to attend the press conference at the World Travel Market (WTM 2021). They will be launching 'Visit Thailand Year 2022 - a New Chapter' and also providing details of Thailand's reopening strategy to the travel media and tourism operators. (Read Issue #7 for more about this.) I will then be flying back to Thailand on Wednesday. As I will be in a good position to not only learn more about what is going on, but also experience firsthand what it is like flying into Bangkok during the first week of reopening, I will be sending out a series of special dispatches over the next week or so. Then I will get back to my regular weekly Letters from Thailand newsletter on Sunday evenings.
The Re-Entry Permit
Samut Prakan Immigration
This newsletter is going to be mainly about the insurance needed for the Certificate of Entry (COE) and the Thailand Pass which will replace it for most people. But first, if I may, I would like to say a few words about the re-entry permit. I had to visit Samut Prakan Immigration the other day to get this stamp in my passport. (Please excuse the Buriram United football shirt in the picture. I didn't know the Chief Inspector would come out to greet me.) For those people who don't know, if you have some form of long stay visa, in my case a Non-B for work, you must get a re-entry permit stamp every time you want to leave the country. Put simply, your extension of stay will be cancelled if you forget to get a re-entry permit before you leave the country.
We've had several of our teachers who forgot to get one when they flew out of the country for a holiday. When they came back, the Immigration official treated them like a tourist and gave them a 30-day stamp. The bigger consequence of losing their Non-B status is that they also lost their work permit. I can tell you, it was quite expensive to start again and get them legal. But I digress. I want to ask, why on earth do we need to get a re-entry permit? We've already paid 1,900 baht for the extension of stay. Why do we then have to pay another 1,000 baht every time we want to leave the country. (For frequent flyers, you can get a multiple entry one for 3,800 baht.) Are there any other countries that do this? To me this is very much like a tax on expats. And next year they want to give us a tourist tax as well. Where will it end? We are already paying taxes from our salary.
Baggage Claim at Suvarnabhumi Airport
These special dispatches will be mainly about my experience as an expatriate in Thailand leaving the country and then coming straight back in less than 21 days. But I will be touching on things that will be for both expats and tourists. Today I want to talk about the problem regarding insurance. First thing I want to point out is that Thais do not need to take out any special insurance for returning to Thailand from 1st November. They will get free treatment in hospital, which I think is right. It is also right that tourists should be asked to get insurance to cover them for Covid-19 treatment. (Incidentally, this has now been reduced from $100,000 to $50,000.) But my issue with this is that the Thai government is treating expatriates as tourists. Many people like myself pay monthly into social security (SSO). We also pay taxes like Thai people. But for some reason, they are refusing to recognise our SSO.
I have brought this up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) several times. They are sympathetic, as after all, our social security allows us unlimited health care at our designated hospital. The same as for Thai people. So, why can't we be treated as Thais? The spokesperson at the MFA has promised me that they will bring it up at the next CCSA meeting this week. Hopefully good news soon. Though, unfortunately it will be too late for me as I will be flying to Thailand in just seven days. But it is a win in my book if I can help others.
The other question that came up is about private insurance that many expatriates have. Several people have told me that they asked their insurance company to issue a letter to say that they will cover for Covid-19 treatment up to the amount needed. The letter also needs to say the policy is renewed annually. Which is great for them. But I rang my private insurance provider and they just laughed when I said I needed them to write a letter that I have Covid-19 coverage up to the value of 1.6 million baht. I know hospitals can be expensive, but not by that much. I also have a basic Covid-19 insurance that the school took out for only 500 baht which is more than enough coverage. But obviously, that coverage is no where near 1.6 million baht.
So, my only option now is to take out an additional insurance policy just for this short trip to the UK and back. But then I hit another big problem. For tourists, they only need an insurance policy the length of their holiday. so, only a week or so. Unfortunately for me, they told me the policy must match the remaining time left on my extension of stay. Sadly, I have about ten months left before my next renewal date which means I need to get an insurance policy for a complete year. The second problem is that none of the insurance brokers have yet reduced the coverage down from $100,000 to $50,000. So, the price I was quoted for the return half of my short trip is almost the same as the cost of the return flight by THAI Airways.
Now, there are a few workarounds. I've had several people tell me that they went for a shorter insurance than their "visa" length and it was accepted. But I have also had people tell me that their insurance was rejected as it didn't match the "visa" length. If you have time, then maybe try the shorter length policy first to see if you have any luck. For myself, I am short of time (I am arriving in Thailand in seven days) and so I might not have any choice on this.
A Quick Q & A by Trunk Travel
My friends at Trunk Travel did a Q & A this morning with an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am going to paste it below for your reference. I just want to add that it is often difficult to get straight answers from any government official. None of them seem to know the full details and sometimes, are unable to answer when I have specific questions for them. So please be patient if we cannot answer all your questions. This is because the people who are in the know cannot always answer them!
Following a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and T.A.T, plus other members of the tourism industry of Thailand, we have the following updates -
1. Can we stay in a combination of the 46 safe countries over the 21-days? yes, you can BUT do not mix with any other off the list
2. Can we transit through a not 'safe' country? Yes, BUT cannot be for more than 12 hours transit and MUST stay inside the airport ONLY
3. Landing in Bangkok, can we transit to Phuket? Currently, the only allowed transfer through Bangkok is to Samui (sealed inbound flight). Can enter Bangkok under Test & Go and fly to Phuket the following day if negative
4. 2nd test in Sandbox , will it be another RT-PCR? This will change to a professional ATK soon. Date to be confirmed
5. AQ hotels in Blue Zone can get the booking from customers? MFA replied that hotels in the Blue Zone must be SHA PLUS only as of now
6. Phuket and other Sandbox can do Test & Go if come from the 'safe' 46 countries?? YES (however, we have spoken to several of the larger hotels this morning and some are offering the Test & Go, some are yet to confirm if they will)
7. Thailand Pass will start running on November 1st, how do travellers wanting to enter on or around the 7th apply for this as they are being denied the COE? The system is mostly electronic, so if the quality of documents uploaded is good, and where applicable shows a QR code, the system will accept relatively quickly. If the documents are not of a good quality, such as hand written vaccination cards, we recommend the traveller to delay their trip by a few days. This will cause a delay of a few days for the Thailand Pass to be issued.
8. When the 2nd test switches to the ATK, where/how does the individual submit the result? Not decided at present.
9. if the 2nd ATK returns a positive, what would happen? The standard quarantine regulations will apply immediately.
10. RT-PCR on day one in Sandbox, where is this done? for Test & Go, it will depend on the individual hotel. For Phuket, it remains at the airport on arrival. Check this with your hotels S.O.P.
11. While waiting for the result, can arrivals use the facilities or do any activities in the hotel? No, stay in room only
12. Thai's that leave Thailand and return, can they do a Test & Go? If travelling to and from a 'safe' country, yes. If not a safe country, the current regulations apply
13. What will be the cost of RT-PCR under the new regulations? Unclear, waffling answering to avoid the facts (politicians!)
14. Can the insurance for entering Thailand be from any country? Yes, as long as it meets the governments requirements
15. Enter as a family, can they stay in the same room? NOT clear at the moment. We hope to know more soon.
16. Flight crews, what rules are applied to them? Sandbox rules.
17. Does the hotel cost include the PCR test on day 0? and if need to refund, how to do so? - waiting for confirmation, but we believe this will be included
18. Does Thailand Pass apply to VoA (Visa on Arrival)? waiting for the answer
Suvarnabhumi Airport and relevant agencies today (27 October) conducted an extensive exercise to test the airport's readiness to support the country's border re-opening policy on 1 November.
The drill was carried out based on the stringent guidelines set forth under the Covid-19 pandemic prevention standards by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).
Mr.Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said the successful exercise has confirmed that the airport has what it takes to serve international passengers arriving at the country's main air hub.
"We have all the Covid-19 protocols and facilities in place for full enforcement to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through our facilities in the re-opening scenario," he stated.
Starting on 1 November, international passengers will be processed through the eastern concourse C and the western side at concourses E, F and G.
Passengers disembarking from the aircraft will be screened by international disease control officers in two streams.
Some passengers will still have to be checked by the Certificate of Entry (COE) system, while the other will be checked by means of scanning a QR Code under the Thailand Pass that is a new platform to facilitate those travelling to Thailand to replace the use of the COE system in the future.
Passengers then follow the specified route, through a temperature screening station, and if the passenger temperature exceeds 37.3 degrees Celsius or meets the Patient under Investigation (PUI) criteria, the disease control checkpoint staff will bring them to MOPH protocol course.
On the other hand, those with temperatures do not exceed 37.3 degrees Celsius, they can proceed through the immigration process.
But if there was no declaration at the Customs station, passengers will be taken to a representative of the hotel, an alternative detention facility which the passengers have pre-booked at the arrival hall on the second floor of the passenger terminal.
Passengers will then board the hotel's vehicle, which has a barrier installed between the driver and the passengers in accordance with the pandemic prevention standards, to proceed to RT-PCR examination as scheduled at the hotel.
For international departure passengers, airline check-in staff will check the documents as required by the destination country before issuing the boarding pass, and then they can proceed to the normal passport inspection process.
Mr.Kittipong said that in terms of domestic departure passengers, Suvarnabhumi Airport has already enforced disease surveillance measures.
When those passengers check-in, they must submit documents as specified by the destination province.
The airline will check documents such as vaccination certificates, papers showing the results of testing for COVID-19 by RT-PCR method or Antigen Test Kit (ATK) before issuing the boarding pass and then following the routine pre-flight screening procedures.
Domestic passengers arriving at Suvarnabhumi will have their temperature checked when entering the terminal, picking up the luggage at the carousel and leaving the airport.
Mr. Kittipong added that before entering the terminal, people need to pass through a thermo-scan station and are required to scan the Thai Chana QR codes at the entrances which are gates 1,3,5,7 and 9.
People whose body temperature exceeds 37.3 degrees Celsius will be denied access to the terminal.
He said the airport's facilities strictly comply with the D-M-H-T-T-A health protocols in accordance with the principles of Covid-Free Setting and Universal Prevention.
By the check-in counters, Common Use Self Service (CUSS) and Common Use Bag Drop (CUBD) systems are in place to reduce contact exposure.
Social distancing rules are observed, the frequency of cleaning of luggage carts, escalators, lifts, restrooms has been increased to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
The airport has ensured the car parking area is sufficient for demand, and shuttle bus services are available to serve key routes within Suvarnabhumi, and between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.
Meanwhile, restaurants and shops closed due to Covid-19 are gradually resuming their services from 1 November onwards.
The airside operation areas including runways, taxiways and aprons have been received regular inspections sand maintenance to ensure a safe working condition.
The airport operates two runways and aprons for 120 aircraft.
In terms of manpower readiness, 34,000 personnel working at the airport have received two Covid jabs during April and June.
They are due to complete taking the third dose by the end of October, to bring the total number of inoculation to 95% of all personnel.
"All in all, Suvarnabhumi is operational ready to be an important mechanism with the government's policy to revitalising the country's economy and tourism going forward," he noted.
Suvarnabhumi Airport expects to see flight numbers operating through its facility ramping up from 320 flights per day now to 480 starting on 1 November while passenger tally rising from 15,000 a day now to 38,000.
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Special Affairs and Public Relations Department, Suvarnabhumi Airport
Phone: 0 2132 9080
Fax: 02 132 9019
Which Asia-Pacific countries are re-opening to foreign visitors?
This file photo taken on Sept 18, 2018 shows the newly opened Sinamale Bridge -- formerly known as the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge after a major funding input from China -- in the Maldives capital Male. (AFP)
Thailand's re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists marks a major easing of border controls for Asia, where governments have been far slower to roll back coronavirus travel curbs than in much of the West.
Here is a look at which countries are opening up across the Asia-Pacific region and those staying sealed off from the world.
- Southeast Asia -
Thailand will allow vaccinated travellers from 46 countries and territories to enter the kingdom without quarantining from Monday, as it seeks to revive its vital tourism industry.
Other parts of the region -- which largely escaped the pandemic's initial wave, only to be hit hard this year -- are following its lead, albeit at a slower pace.
Business hub Singapore has started quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from 10 countries, including the United States and several European countries, and will add more soon.
Indonesia re-opened the resort island of Bali this month to tourists from select countries although, with travellers still required to do a five-day quarantine on arrival, the scheme has had a slow start.
Vietnam plans to allow foreign visitors entry to the holiday island of Phu Quoc from next month and Malaysia has a similar plan for Langkawi island, while Cambodia will reopen beach spots Sihanoukville, Koh Rong and Dara Sakor from Nov 30.
Some countries, including the Philippines and Myanmar, remain closed to foreign tourists.
- East Asia -
Mainland China, where Covid-19 first emerged last year, remains closed to overseas tourists, as is Japan.
South Korea has started accepting visitors from 49 countries. A negative coronavirus test is required for all arrivals, with a limited exemption from a 14-day quarantine for those vaccinated in South Korea.
Some of the world's toughest measures have been implemented in Hong Kong -- with a maximum 21-day quarantine for incoming travellers -- which has kept virus cases low but crippled the travel industry.
- South Asia -
Recovering from a devastating surge earlier this year, India re-opened for foreign tourists on charter flights this month and will allow in visitors on all flights from mid-November.
Fully vaccinated travellers no longer have to undergo home quarantine, provided they are arriving from countries with which India has reciprocal arrangements for acceptance of WHO-approved vaccines.
Last month, Nepal started issuing visas on arrival for vaccinated tourists and dropped quarantine requirements as it seeks to lure back foreign trekkers to its mountains.
More than a million tourists visited the Himalayan country in 2019 -- but numbers dropped by 80% last year.
Among the first countries to reopen borders was the popular holiday destination of the Maldives, which started allowing in foreign tourists in July last year.
The number of tourists visiting the Indian Ocean atoll nation recovered to 500,000 last year following the re-opening, and authorities expect 1.5 million holidaymakers this year -- just shy of the figure in 2019.
Sri Lanka opened its international borders for fully vaccinated tourists without any quarantine requirements on Oct 7, while Pakistan allows in foreign visitors as long as they have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test.
- Australia and the Pacific -
Australia introduced some of the world's toughest border restrictions in response to the pandemic, banning citizens from travelling overseas without permission.
But the government announced Wednesday that the ban would be lifted, with the country's border also set to open to skilled workers and international students by year's end.
New Zealand remains closed to foreign visitors, with no date for reopening.
The South Pacific nation of Fiji, whose economy is heavily tourism-dependent, will allow vaccinated travellers from countries across Europe and Asia to enter quarantine-free, as well as those from the United States, starting Dec 1.
What happens if he falls ill remains a pressing problem.
Everyone knows why Thai authorities are insisting on medical cover for all foreignvisitors. In 2019, according to the public health authority, unpaid hospital bills amounted to 448 million baht and rising. That, of course, was in the pre-pandemic era, before Covid coughed its way into the headlines.
From November 1, most foreigners entering the country will need Covid-specific insurance to the value of US$50,000, which replaces the former US$100,000 floor, presumably to encourage international tourism. The exceptions will be foreigners working officially with Labour Department permits since they pay a percentage of their salaries into the government's social security fund which covers hospitalization.
The pandemic has highlighted the role of insurance in international travel.
Initially, the civil aviation authority stated the insurance must be from a Thai company, but we later found out that foreign-based companies are also eligible. We have yet to see the details of any newly-devised US$50,000 policy. For example, the website http://covid19.tgia.org/, representing the Thai General Insurance Association, has not yet been updated.
The obvious questions about refunds if a foreign trip is cancelled, what happens if you test positive for the virus on arrival in Thailand and what hospital treatment (and where) you can actually expect are still grey areas. Policies also need to clarify if fees are automatically paid, or if you must pay the hospital bill first and claim back the cash in your own time. Each insurance company will differ significantly on the detail. You can bet your life on it.
If you want to travel abroad, there's no alternative to the jabs.
The current Thai proposals excuse most entrants from having non Covid-related, general health insurance. So if you break your leg on holiday, or catch significant malaria, you won't be covered unless you take out a separate and expensive add-on or separate policy. In other words, the long-standing issue of stranded farang desperately needing a heart bypass and pleading for crowd funding to get back home is not being addressed.
However, compulsory general medical insurance might be still required for two groups who have hitherto needed it on top of Covid cover. They are the one year O/A retiree visa holders and those holding the Special Tourist Visa which allows tourists to remain in the country up to nine months. To find out more, we will have to wait for embassies to update their websites giving detailed instructions on visas.
Unless there is a seismic shock about to descend on the expat population, foreigners extending their visas or obtaining extensions of stay at Thai immigration offices will not be required to show any insurance documentation. Unless, of course, they hold the O/A annual visa which is always and mysteriously in a category of its own. Moreover, compulsory vaccination for expats remaining in Thailand is not a criterion for staying here. Not yet, that is.
A lot of medical insurance for travellers is aged-capped. It may be difficult for some intended visitors to Thailand to qualify for entry once they reach 65 or 75 even though they are the wealthiest target group according to marketing research. In the post-pandemic world, health insurance in some form will become virtually universal for international travellers. If Thailand is to make a success of its opening-up policy, a host of medical detail awaits clarification. And sooner rather than later.
The Covid-19 pandemic has heavily affected the livelihoods of Phuket residents. Has the Sandbox Programme improved their situation?
Mike has been a taxi driver in Phuket for the past 15 years, driving tourists to and from the airport. But since Thailand closed its borders to international tourism, he earns less than half of what he used to.
"It is not even enough to cover living costs", he said, "like paying rent or maintaining my car."
He is not alone.
Mai, a massage therapist at one of the most popular spas in the island, has seen her salary drop dramatically over the past two years, yet she feels fortunate to have kept her job.
"Before the pandemic there were 120 of us. Now we are only 8."
Due to its economic reliance on tourism, Phuket has been one of Thailand's most affected provinces during the pandemic.
The announcement of the Phuket Sandbox Programme, which allows tourists to enter the island without completing a quarantine, signalled to many locals the end of a long and difficult period.
"I think the Sandbox is good," said Ratchanee, who has kept her travel agency open over recent months despite minimal income.
"We cannot close Phuket all the time. We have to open, and when we open, find a way to deal with Covid together," she said.
But three months after the launch of the Sandbox Programme, few are seeing significant differences in their situations. While there are more tourists in the island, numbers remain low when compared to before the pandemic.
"There used to be lines of tourists waiting to come in", says Wan, who works in a souvenir shop. "Now, some days nobody buys anything […] it's still quiet."
Mai explains that before Covid, her spa used to receive entire busloads of tourists every single day. Now, even after the Sandbox, "most of our customers continue to be locals," she said.
An additional hurdle is that official guidelines advise tourists to only use services with SHA+ safety accreditation, which is not accessible to all businesses.
"I am not able to offer my services to most [tourists] because as an independent driver I do not have an SHA+ license," said Mike, "It will be a long process to get customers."
Ning, a yoga teacher, explains that a large part of her income used to come from tourists who requested private classes in their rented villas. As the Sandbox Programme requires tourists to stay in SHA+ hotels, this part of her income has not recovered.
"It is difficult for me to teach online," she said, thinking about alternatives. "Many of the positions I teach require me to manually adjust the student, which is only possible in face-to-face classes."
Ning has begun to sell coffee from her studio as an alternative source of income.
Like her, many other small business owners previously relying on foreign tourism have adapted their business models to the current situation.
Somaung, whose business selling beach hats failed in the early stages of the pandemic, became aware that the government was offering free space for food vendors by the beach. He began to sell dried squid to local beachgoers.
"It's a good business because everyone still needs to eat," he said. But "now most of my customers are Thai, so the Sandbox has not really affected me."
Although there is little tangible change in people's livelihoods at this stage, many have high hopes for the situation after November which will see the full reopening of Thai borders to tourists from countries deemed low risk.
"I hope that as the Covid situation improves, people will feel comfortable enough to come to the studio and learn in person again", says Ning, who is developing new marketing materials to publicize her yoga classes.
Similarly, Mai says, "I love my job and I want to continue working as a massage therapist. I just hope that after this year, enough tourists will come back to cover our living costs. Though maybe not busloads as we had before," she said. "That was too much".
Others are more sceptical about efforts to reinvigorate tourism: "the Sandbox supports big chain hotels, but the locals don't get anything," said Dam. "In a couple of months there will be no more waves. I will stop surfing and work in the fishing industry until the situation improves."
The Health Ministry says the discovery of the new Delta Plus variant in Thailand will not affect the country's November 1 re-opening. Sathit Pitutecha, deputy public health minister, says the mutation has not been categorised as a variant of concern.
"Because viruses mutate all the time, only a mutation that causes severe illness and makes the virus spread easier or become resistant to drugs that treat the Alpha and Delta variants, is considered significant."
He goes on to say that the discovery of the variant in Thailand was reported for the sake of transparency, as it's important to keep potential international visitors informed. Delta Plus was reported in a male patient in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. According to a Bangkok Post report, the man was treated and has since recovered.
The patient had no history of being overseas and had travelled to Kamphaeng Phet from Ayutthaya before he developed symptoms. He was tested by the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences and officials are tracing the man's close contacts to determine if any are infected.
However, Supakit Sirilak, from the Department of Medical Sciences says the Delta Plus variant in this case is AY.1 and not AY.4.2, which is spreading in the UK and is thought to be up to 15% more infectiousthan the original Delta variant.
For more information on how to get into Thailand during the pandemic, CLICK HERE.
Expert predictions about the Delta variant of Covid-19 becoming the dominant strain in Thailand by August came true several months ago, but testing shows that the Delta variant is now responsible for 98.6% of all new infections in Thailand. This data from the Department of Medical Science comes as the Delta Plus strain has been found in Thailand and may be up to 15% more transmissible.
Testing in the week of October 16 to 22 found that nearly 99% of infections were of the Delta variant. Just 0.8% of new infections were the Beta variant, and 0.6% were the Alpha variant. In the Deep South, where the provinces have been experiencing a surge of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, tests revealed that 96.9% of new infections are the Delta variant, with the Beta variant making up 2.3% and the Alpha variant 0.8%.
The new Delta Plus variant causing concern is one of 47 Delta Plus subvariants identified so far worldwide. 19 of them have been uncovered within Thailand so far although researchers say none of them have shown any signs that they are more resistant to vaccines or faster spreading than the main Delta variant. The substrain that has been found to spread 15% faster is Delta Plus AY 4.2, a strain that the British government is monitoring but has not yet been found in Thailand.
Domestically, Kamphaeng Phet Providence has been uncovering Delta Plus variants for one month now, all of which have been the AY 1 subvariant, which has not been shown to be more transmissible or vaccine-resistant, with no cases of the AY 4.2 variant found.
Thailand has also seen 18 people infected with a subvariant of the Alpha strain known as E484K, identified late last month on September 27. Two of the infected patients were in Chiang Mai prison, 4 were Thai people in Chanthaburi and Trat, and the remaining 12 were Cambodian migrant workers. All 18 patients have been released from medical care after being cured of the strain of Covid-19.
