daydreamer

Up to this point, I had followed the health regulations of Thailand under the covid rules. I downloaded the Morchana app before arriving in Bangkok, wore a mask, used hand sanitizer, scanned my temperature upon entering businesses, etc. But it all started to fall apart on my 7th day. This was the day I had planned to get the required second PCR test under the one day Test & Go entry program. I had checked the Ministry of Public Health web site to access the list of approved labs for PCR tests in Phuket. Of course this being Thailand, the list was outdated, or at least the list in English was. I chose a private clinic in Patong from the MOPH list. I took my paperwork, and drove to the clinic. There were no customers when I arrived. The receptionist/nurse went in the back to show the doctor my papers. He flat out refused to test me. The nurse told me to go to Patong Hospital (not on the MOPH list). So I then drive to Patong Hospital, and after sitting in the waiting area for my number to be called, a nurse at a desk in the lobby told me they would do the test, but I needed a letter from my hotel. So back to the hotel I went, and asked about a letter at the front desk. "Not our hotel, you get letter from your Bangkok hotel". I asked the receptionist to please call The Quarter Silom Hotel, where I had spent my first few hours in Thailand. I figured she would get further than I could on the phone, as she seemed to understand my plight. Of course, the Quarter Silom refused to issue me a letter. The Quarter Silom insisted that the pink paper given each passenger arriving at the airport was all that was needed to obtain permission to receive the second (free) PCR test, and to receive payment from the Health Ministry in Bangkok for the cost of the second PCR test. So back to Patong Hospital we went in the car. By now, the hospital lobby was packed with people awaiting assistance. This second attempt at Patong Hospital was as useless as the first visit. After sitting in waiting area once again for my number to be called , again they refused to help, still insisting on a letter from the hotel. The Quarter Silom was correct, as I found out the following day in Khao Lak. Since the private clinic and the Patong Hospital were uncooperative, I was fast running out of options and time that I was willing to invest in this fruitless pursuit. At this point, after spending nearly the entire morning running back and forth and getting nowhere, I said fuck it all, and just decided to chill. If two approved medical facilities were unwilling to help after my repeated attempts, I decided I had done about all I could to comply with the arcane rules of the Kingdom, at least for today. I wasn't trying to flaunt the rules, but I think many others would also have given up by this point in the day. Since the morning had been wasted trying to get a PCR test, after lunch we purchased ATK tests at a pharmacy. I had totally given up on the Thai red tape to obtain a second PCR test until we left Phuket the next morning. I thought both of us taking ATK tests was the next best thing. N's test was negative. My sealed test packet from the pharmacy had no liquid in the vial, not one drop, so it was useless. That was 150 baht wasted. The box said the test was made for a German company, but in small print, it said "Made in China". Typical of shoddy Chinese manufacturing and quality control. We went to a 7-Eleven and bought a different brand of ATK test for me to test with. My new test result using the 7-Eleven kit was also negative, the same as N's. That evening, we went to Soi Bangla one more time after dinner, and walked on the beach for a while, before winding up back on the balcony at the hotel for drinks and some moo ping. The following morning, we would be driving about 2 hours north from Phuket to a reserved beach side bungalow in Khao Lak, in Phang Nga province. This is Saphan Sarasin, the bridge that connects Phuket island to the mainland of Phang Nga province. When driving into Phuket from the mainland, all vehicles must pass through a military police checkpoint. The MP's wanted to see my passport and driver's license both times upon entering Phuket province by car. Since the bridge is not very long, there is also a nice foot and bicycle pathway to cross the channel This narrow channel of water is all that separates Phuket island from the mainland. There are many food vendors and a waterfront restaurant at the southern end of the bridge After crossing the bridge, you are in Phang Nga province On the way to Khao Lak from Phuket, we took a detour to the Samet Nangshe Lookout. It's located on a mountaintop, with a gorgeous view out over Phang Nga bay. Much of this area of Thailand features limestone karst formations that are covered in rainforest vegetation. Similar to Guilin in China, or Halong Bay in Viet Nam. And the unique karst formations are not only in the sea, they are spread throughout this region on the land as well. The road to the top of the lookout is a heavily rutted and extremely steep dirt road. Since the lookout is on private land, everyone is charged a small admission price. You have two options, either walk to the top of the mountain for 20 baht, or ride in a 4 wheel drive songtaew for 80 baht each. I didn't see anyone walking to the top. In just a few minutes, the songtaew filled with passengers, and we were off. It's the only time I have ever ridden in a 4 wheel drive songtaew with big off-road tires. The ride requires you to hold on tightly, as the truck bucks and heaves over the potholed and heavily rutted steep road surface while slowly making its way up the rough hewn path to the summit. Before arriving at the lookout, I had envisioned driving the rental car up the mountain, but there's no way a car could manage to traverse the road to the top. 4 wheel drive truck, or by foot were the only options. Samet Nangshe Lookout, high above Phang Nga Bay: The bungalow resort was located on one of the best beaches in Khao Lak. The sand at White Sand Beach was soft like powdered sugar. The water was very warm, and perfectly clean. And plenty of natural shade to escape the heat... There was room to park the car right in front of the bungalow - just make sure you don't park beneath a coconut palm tree. Falling coconuts can really put a dent in your ride. There are several bungalow resorts located adjacent to each other. They all offer beach front dining. Unlike Phuket, the food and beverage prices are very reasonable. The food was very good. Everything we ordered was tasty. Our first night at the small resort, a man from Germany saw us headed to eat dinner at the beachfront. He stopped us to tell us how much he enjoyed eating here, saying the food was excellent. There are attractive beachfront dining areas at the resorts to be continued...

The next day after breakfast at the Furama, we went to the MBK Mall to buy a few clothes for N for the trip. There was nearly no clothing for young men at MBK, as many of the shops appeared to be permanently closed. It looked like less than 50% of shops were open. Two years ago, all the shops in MBK were open and it was very busy with customers. I suggested we go to Pratunam market the following day. N liked that idea. There was no shortage of selection at Pratunam, with hundreds of small stalls and shops open for business. The open air market at Pratunam turned out to be the perfect place for N to buy everything he needed for the trip to the south, a few nice looking T-shirts for 80 baht each, a nice button up shirt for 250, shorts at 120 each, and a pair of knock off Nike shoes for 350 baht. N seems to be very aware of prices, and he is careful in spending my money, and he looks for the bargains. A few pair of stylish underwear and socks from a Silom open air market, and he was set for the two week trip. Everything a Thai boy wears seems to look great on them, regardless of the price paid for the clothing. BTW, I just stood in the shops as his personal ATM, without providing any input on his choices for clothing, unless he asked for my opinion. After buying 2 pair of socks for 100 baht in a market area, he later spied 4 similar pair for 100 baht on the sidewalk in Silom, and he was dismayed that he had spent more per pair for his recent purchase, even though he wasn't spending his own money. He even mentioned later that he overpaid for his socks. Also, I had bought a nice backpack, and a pair of sunglasses for him at home before I left on my trip, and carried them to Bangkok to give to N. We flew Thai Smile to Phuket,a subsidiary of Thai Airways. The airline staff wanted to see our vaccination records and my Thailand Pass at the check in counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Boeing 737 was about 35% full going to Phuket. Even though I had booked two seats for us together, at check in, there were enough empty seats that they gave us each a window seat in two adjoining empty rows. Takeoff from Suvarnabhumi: We flew over Phang Na Bay a couple minutes before final approach to Phuket. The unusual karst mountains appear to be melting into the sea. Upon final approach into Phuket, the plane flew over Khao Lak, with it's endless miles of unspoiled beaches. The water is so clear, you can see coral reefs below the surface. As you can see below, Khao Lak is still very undeveloped. There are many small resorts, but they are mostly tucked under the tree cover. No tall concrete buildings, and no condo towers. Let's hope it stays that way. Upon arrival in Phuket, I picked up the pre-booked rental car at the domestic arrivals hall, and we headed for Patong. I had reserved a Toyota Vios sedan, a perfect sized car for the trip. By the end of three weeks in the south, I clocked about 2,000 kilometers of driving the car to the many different spots we visited. We traveled to parts of four provinces in all; Phuket, Phang Na, Krabi, and Surat Thani provinces. I had bought an inexpensive smart phone windshield suction cup holder to use for driving navigation before leaving home. That and a cigarette lighter socket USB plug I brought with me were invaluable in providing GPS navigation in English for free to navigate through the four southern provinces in the rental car. I used the HereWeGo phone app, and downloaded the free maps for south Thailand. For a free app, it's about as good as you can get for Thailand. I toyed with a couple other navigation apps while still in Bangkok, but I liked HereWeGo the best. A British lady's soothing voice gives the directions. There was a USB port on the stereo, but I used that for a USB stick that I had loaded with many hours of current music for the road trips we had planned. N liked the western music I had brought on the USB stick. One huge benefit of the music I brought was it caused him to turn the volume off on his phone at all times while in the car. That way we both had something enjoyable to listen to, and while driving, I was saved from hearing his various phone feeds. We were surprised at the large number of farang wandering around Phuket without masks upon arrival in Patong. I read in the Bangkok Post on January 20th that the governor of Phuket had finally decided to crack down on the many mask violators with two fines of 20K + 40k, and plans to have the police arrest the unmasked, to set examples. I don't know if he followed through with this, or if he was only blowing hot air. We stayed three nights at the Phusita House 3 Hotel in Patong Beach. The small hotel is fairly new, and very clean, with SHA certification. It's located very near the Paradise area which is the hub of gay activity in Patong. They offered free parking for the rental car. Patong is very congested, similar to Pattaya, and parking can be an issue at some of the hotels close to the Paradise complex. We drove to the southern part of Phuket to see the Big Buddha. It sits on a mountaintop, with a superb view out over the southern part of the island of Phuket. The huge statue is made of concrete, and is entirely covered with small white marble tiles. The inside is hollow, and visitors are welcome to walk inside and view different displayed items. There are not many sightseeing attractions on Phuket, so the big Buddha is one of the more heavily visited points of interest on the island. Most tourists to Phuket come for the beaches and/or the nightlife. The adjoining provinces of Phang Na and Krabi offer loads of things to see and do, however. The Phi Phi islands are a very popular day trip amongst Phuket visitors, but Phi Phi is actually located in Krabi province, it is not part of Phuket. Soi Bangla is the main nighttime entertainment street in Phuket. It is located in Patong Beach, and is similar to Walking Street in Pattaya. Soi Bangla was filled to the rafters with people occupying every bar stool, and spilling out onto the surrounding sois. While the bars in Bangkok were closed at this time, bars in Phuket were allowed to open until 9 PM daily. And none of that facade of having to sell food to camouflage as restaurants. These bars and clubs were jam packed with customers, and were operating as real bars, not pseudo restaurants. We walked the length of Soi Bangla two nights, and at 9 PM each night, police vehicles with red lights flashing started crawling forward from one end of the street to the other end to ensure the bars stopped selling alcohol, and turned the loud music off. Customers were allowed to stay in the bars, to finish their drinks. I would estimate there were at least 4,000 - 5,000 customers in the myriad of open air bars and clubs in Soi Bangla and connecting sois every night that we were in Phuket. This is Karon Beach, the next beach a couple miles south of Patong Beach, on Phuket: Somehow, on day 6 in the country, the Morchana app on my phone changed from orange "medium risk" to green "very low risk". This was before the second required PCR test that was supposed to be administered on my 7th day. WTF?? How is this possible? Our second evening in Patong, we went to the Paradise Complex, and watched an outdoor ladyboy show in front of the Zig and Zag bars. I don't really enjoy these shows, but N wanted to see it. Kudos to the ladyboys for a show well done. Everything went smoothly until a boy performer poured a full bottle of kerosene in a large circle on the cobblestone plaza, and then repeatedly attempted, but failed to ignite the fuel. That left the odor of petrol fumes as the fuel slowly evaporated throughout the duration of the show. The seating at the show was outdoors, with only a couple feet between tables. No one was wearing masks except for the bar staff. The outdoor seating arrangement was similar to the outdoor seating plan at the Soi 4 restaurants (bars) in Bangkok.

My suggestion to you is to narrow your choices to just one or two policies. Then email your question to them. That is better than phoning the insurer, as you will have a written record as proof. I believe your symptoms are irrelevant to some insurance companies. As I replied above, they told me "if a health authority or government orders you into quarantine, we will pay the cost of your stay regardless of whether it is a hospital or hotel". Based upon that, they did not mention symptoms, but only mandated quarantine as the qualifying factor for them to pay out on the contract. If it were me, I would phrase the question as to mandated quarantine, and not be focused on symptoms. For tourists in Thailand that test positive, quarantine somewhere is mandatory. If you are in good health, with no or with minimal covid symptoms, you will most likely be sent to a hospitel. If you have underlying health issues, and/or significant covid symptoms, you will most likely be admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. Your temperature and blood oxygen levels will be monitored daily, and if they warrant, you may be moved from a hospitel to a hospital room. Upon testing positive, a nurse or doctor will interview you as to your health history, and then assess the level of your covid symptoms to determine where you will be quarantined, it will not be your choice of hospitel or hospital. That is how quarantine currently works in Thailand for overseas visitors to the country. The Thai health authority doesn't care whether you are asymptomatic, or have obvious symptoms. You will be ordered into quarantine in either case. The determining factor is do you have a high enough viral count to trigger a positive test result. A positive test result means quarantine in one of the two locations outlined above. Mandated quarantine is not based on symptoms, but on your test result. Again, this is the way it works for tourists. For Thais, some are allowed to isolate at home, based on their situation. As a tourist, you will not be given that option. But you should verify the terms yourself before purchasing any policy, as things can and do change to suit the present covid situation. My insurance policy and airline tickets were purchased in November, before the Omicron variant was even in the news.

Seven Corners Inc.

Well, I used to stay in Saphan Kwai, and frequented the numerous local Thai entertainment venues around Pradipat Road instead of going to Silom. Often the only farang I would see during a night out in Saphan Kwai was in a bathroom mirror. One night I found myself in Silom, and the the boy wasn't keen on going to Saphan Kwai with me, so he suggested a local short time hotel just a few blocks away. Back then, I think the room was about 250-300 baht for two hours. So short time hotels do serve a purpose. Now that the nightlife areas have shrunk considerably in the last 20 years, and have nearly disappeared in Saphan Kwai, I stay in Silom, so I have no need to hire a short time room any longer.

I had a similar question regarding an insurance policy I was considering purchasing for my recent trip. Before buying, I emailed the insurance company and asked if they would pay for a hotel quarantine. They answered me within about six hours. The answer in my case was "if a health authority or government orders you into quarantine, we will pay the cost of your stay regardless of whether it is a hospital or hotel". You may want to ask before purchasing a policy, as there are many different companies, and most of them sell different levels of coverage.

If checking into a hospitel (hotel in partnership with a hospital), you will pay two bills, one bill for the hotel room, and a separate bill tor the hospital to cover the nursing fees. Hospitels are required to have on site hospital personnel stationed at the hospitel. They perform tasks such as recording your temperature and blood oxygen levels daily, and maintaining medical records for each person in quarantine. In most cases, the hospital bill will be larger than the hotel bill if you are staying in a hospitel. I suspect an insurance company would have no choice as far as paying the hospital bill. As to the hotel portion, ???

I just returned from a one month holiday trip to Thailand. Since there are very low numbers of international tourists in Thailand at this time, I decided to focus my travel on some of the very popular southern areas on the Andaman Sea. These regions are usually overrun with sun seekers and are heavily crowded in the high season, so I thought this would be a good time to take advantage of lower hotel costs, and of not being swarmed with tourists and day trippers from the nearby resort areas. The last time I was in Thailand before this was in Jan/Feb 2020, just two years ago. It was on this trip that I met N. For nearly two years since that last trip, I had been planning to see N again on my next trip. In the interest of anonymity, I will refer to my friend as N in this report, by initial only. Because I did not see other boys during this most recent trip, this report mostly covers our travels together. Sorry, but no details of boy bars and massage shops, as I did not visit any. For this current trip, I intended to see only this boy for the entire month in Thailand. He pushes all my buttons, and I said why not? This is the first time I have had only one boy stay with me for my entire holiday. Although I didn't spread my baht amongst many boys as is usual for me on my trips, I surely made a very large difference to this one boy's finances. I did tip generously in hotels, taxis, etc in most cases, but the only tips given to a boy was to N. As luck would have it, the Bangkok bars were ordered closed again before I arrived in Thailand in early January. With the ever-changing rules, and opening times teetering back and forth, I hadn't planned to be bar hopping on this trip anyway, so I didn't really miss making my usual rounds of the nighttime haunts and go go bars. I had applied for the Thailand Pass in December 2021, and I entered through the airport with no issues. I won't bore you with the details, as the entry process, paperwork requirements, the blue chairs at Suvarnabhumi, etc have already been reported in this forum by other members. I entered the country under the original 7 day Thailand Pass program, but with the amended version requiring two PCR tests, one upon arrival, and a second test on the 7th day. Under the amended rules, the second PCR test was to be paid for by the Thai government. N had taken two ATK tests 3 weeks apart before my arrival, and sent me emailed photos of them, so I felt confident that he was being safe, and taking the required precautions to avoid the virus. Upon arrival, and before exiting the baggage claim area to face the gauntlet of awaiting private car drivers at the airport, I purchased a DTAC Sim card in the baggage claim hall, right after passing through immigration. To answer a previous question from a board member, I did see a True Sim card kiosk in the baggage claim hall as well. I didn't see an AIS kiosk, but I wasn't looking for them. Surely they would have a presence there too, as they are a major telecom player in the Thai marketplace. Insurance - I bought a 100k USD policy from a US company before the trip. I know only 50k was required, but I wanted the higher limit, and the price difference was minimal. The policy I chose was also a "cancel for any reason" policy. I'm usually not inclined to purchase travel insurance, as my health insurance plan covers me overseas anyway. But since the Test & Go program required it, I opted for a decent US based plan. I considered the options, and figured that it would also cover any pre-paid hotels and or flights I might have to cancel if testing positive for covid during my travels. I compared insurance policies on Squaremouth.com before deciding on which one to buy. The policy I chose gives me 90 days after an event to submit a claim. I thought this would allow me plenty of time to sort it all out at home, if it came to submitting a claim. My Test & Go hotel was The Quarter Silom. The driver took me in a private car to Paolo Hospital in Saphan Kwai, where a nurse came out to the car for the obligatory swabs, then off to Silom. The time at the hospital was about 7-8 minutes. The Quarter Silom is in a very good location on Soi Tarntawan, nestled in between Silom and Suriwong Roads. It is a new hotel, and very clean. It is not a place I would normally stay due to the small rooms, but they offered a 6 hour PCR test window package for a very low price, along with a private car from the airport, and breakfast was included. The fact that the only meal in the Test & Go package was breakfast gave me confidence that they intended to usher me out of the room before noon the following day. Upon checking in about 1 AM, the boy at the front desk asked if I needed anything else, and I jokingly said "Yes, I'd like two cold Singha beers, but I know you won't allow me any alcohol per the Test & Go regulations." I only wanted a shower and about an hour to wind down before a long awaited sleep after crossing through 12 time zones, on three flights to reach Bangkok. The boy at the hotel reception replied "the bar is closed, but just take what you want from the bar refrigerator, and we'll charge you in the morning when you check out". I got my nightcap of two cold Singha beers from the bar fridge. Amazing Thailand!! The next morning after breakfast was delivered to the room, I called reception, and they confirmed that my test was negative, as I expected. N had already emailed me. I sent him an SMS, and he was in my arms less than 45 minutes later. My plan was not to look for luxury in a Test & Go hotel, but for a fast PCR test turnaround time, and to be on my way after a few hours of shut eye. The Quarter Silom was very close to my next hotel, so the taxi the next morning was only about 60 baht. Upon check out, a Quarter Silom hotel employee introduced me to the Bolt car and motorbike taxi app. He called a Bolt car for us to move to the next hotel. Bolt is similar to Uber, with some very attractive prices. A Bolt car for us in some cases in Bangkok was no more expensive than skytrain tickets for the two of us would have cost, to cover the same distance. I believe Bolt is subsidizing their shorter rides to generate business, since it's a fairly new service. I suspect prices may go up in the future, once they have established a solid customer base. The total price for The Quarter test & go package was 3,899 baht inclusive of the room, a 6 hour PCR test, a private car from the airport, and breakfast. I booked the package through Agoda. I checked out, and into the Furama Sathorn, into an executive suite. Very large quarters, and a beautiful view of the Bangkok skyline, especially at night, from the 12th floor room. I only book rooms with balconies, as I enjoy sitting in the open air in the morning for a bit after I wake up. We sat on the balcony a couple evenings as well. Only staying in rooms with balconies eliminates a large percentage of available hotels for me to choose from, but I don't like being trapped inside, behind glass windows. The breakfast buffet at the Furama was included in the room price. The food was a mix of Thai and western fare, changing each day. Clear plastic food service gloves were provided for guests for touching the spoons, tongs, and opening the food warmer bin lids at the buffet tables. As with masks, many customers ignored the hotel request to wear the disposable gloves when filling their plates with food. Much as I like Bangkok, a few days on both ends of my trip is usually enough for me. To me, the big city is not a beautiful place for a holiday. I like to visit a different area of the country on each trip. N and I stayed at the Sathorn Furama for four nights before flying south. Here is the view of the city skyline from the balcony of the Furama. A perfect view of the Maha Nakhon building. If you look closely, you can see a number of people out on the glass platform at the top of the skyscraper in one photo. To be continued...

For anyone looking for a less expensive option, I used The Quarter Silom hotel on Soi Tarntawan for my Test & Go hotel last month. The package was 3,899 baht inclusive of the room, a PCR test with results in a 6 hour window, a private car from the airport, and breakfast. I booked it through Agoda.

S.T. Laundry & Alterations. It's located in the Silom Terrace building, on Sala Daeng Soi 2, which runs parallel to Silom, directly behind the Silom Complex. Walk out the back door of Silom Complex, and it will be to your right, across the soi, less than a minute away. The last time I used them, they charged 200 baht for 3 kg, neatly folded, but they will not do any ironing. Here's a pic from Google: It's right behind the large enclosed construction site of the new Park Silom at the corner of Silom & Convent. If your BF goes through as many clothes changes a day as you say, make sure he carries the laundry bag!!

This site has some decent, clean short-time hotels. Just enter Silom as the location. https://th.dayuse.com/ Brings back memories of years ago when a street trade boy dragged me to the Niagra Hotel near Silom late one night - never again (the hotel, not the boy).

I can confirm this info that@readerhas posted. I received an email from the official Thailand Pass email address over a week ago stating "there is a problem with your Thailand Pass". The email contained a clickable link. Since I had already been in Thailand for about three weeks when I received it, I suspected there was something not right with the email. I certainly had no intention of clicking on any link in the suspect message. Beware, as opening such links often leads to malware being inserted on your device. If you have a question about the status of your Thailand Pass, it is best to contact the website directly without clicking on any links in any received emails.

The new khlong park looks very nice. I just hope that's not khlong water spraying from those sprinklers.

Facebook links can now only be be opened by registered Facebook users.

Although there are many opinions as to what happens if testing positive on arrival with no symptoms, (ASQ hotel, Hospital hotel [hospitel], Rest at home, etc) there is a detailed report on reddit that explains the chain of events. Here are a few excerpts from the report from a person who tested positive on arrival in Phuket. The original report is on Reddit.com:

That's my understanding as well. I don't think the amenities in a hotel room will be a concern if you test positive. The Test & Go partner hospital will be anxious to extract as many baht as possible from the insurance policy you were required to purchase to enter the Kingdom.

Sleep can wait until the next day, send him to my room!

I agree about the size of the rooms. I am not planning on staying in the Quarter Silom more than a few hours for the Test & Go. I have a different hotel reserved for the following day with a much larger room and a balcony. But 248 square feet is fine for me for 6 hours while waiting for the test results, since I plan to be asleep for some of the time. If I get claustrophobic, I'll just pretend I'm in a cabin on a cruise ship. BTW, the confirmation I received from the hotel specified private airport transportation, so no shared ride.

I just tried the link. It's operational now. 👍

I have booked The Quarter Silom Hotel in Soi Tarntawan through Agoda for the one night Test & Go in January. That's the brand new hotel across the street from the Mango Tree restaurant. For a superior room with a balcony, the Test and Go package with breakfast and transportation is 3,899 baht. They are advertising a 6 hour test result from Paolo hospital in Saphan Kwai. After arriving on a flight at Suvarnabhumi about midnight, I'm hoping to check out of the hotel right after breakfast the next morning. Or if you are really desperate, for an additional 4,500 baht, they offer an "urgent" test result, with no timing specified. I chose the standard 6 hour test result, as I'll probably be asleep when the result arrives in the early morning, after traveling halfway across the planet.

And the concrete is produced by a company whose top shareholder we are not allowed to mention by name.

I found the rules for internal flights posted on the Thai Smile website. Sorry @CurtisD, but I'm afraid it doesn't include Koh Samui, as Thai Smile doesn't fly to Koh Samui. I'm including the chart showing rules for many airports. It looks like the rules are subject to each airport or province. Many allow tests within 72 hours of flight, but all airports on this list allow travel with proof of vaccination. It says at least one document is required for travel. It has a listing for Surat Thani, and although Koh Samui is in Surat Thani Province, the listing is for Surat Thani airport, not Koh Samui airport.

Just recently, there was a plan to renovate the old building for use as a museum. Now it sounds like that may not happen. The first sentence of the Bangkok Post article says "the land on which the station is located might have to be cleared to make way for commercial development".

Thailand currently requires the RT-PCR test before arriving in country under the Thailand Pass rules. I have looked up numerous testing locations in the US, and have been left confused over RT-PCR, regular PCR, rapid test, etc. I recently found the following explanation of the RT-PCR test from someone with a licensed background in the medical field very useful. It clearly explains to those of us who are not scientists or work in the medical field what may have been perplexing. I was also confused after reading some references as to to the "RT" in RT-PCR being referred to to as a Rapid Test, and in other instances called Reverse Transcription. There certainly is rapid testing, however that refers to the timeframe that the test results are forwarded to you, and is not what the RT in RT-PCR means. The RT means Reverse Transcription which is explained below. Yesterday I called a local CVS pharmacy, and they confirmed that although their website states they give only PCR and Antigen tests, they told me their PCR tests are in fact RT-PCR tests. In the US, there are far more testing locations that advertise PCR tests than RT-PCR tests. Looking at the US CDC website, there are a dizzying variety of tests that can be used to detect Covid. You almost need to be a scientist or a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher and understand their explanation of tests. The following info from a Thailand based expat Registered Nurse who is a regular poster on the aseannow message board may help to clear up any confusion over the Covid test currently required before entering Thailand, and what you should look for when seeking a test. This is from the poster named Sheryl, who is also a moderator of the aseannow message board. She explains it better than I can: "RT = reverse transcription. It is a process whereby RNA is used ("transcribed") to produce DNA. PCR tests identify the presence of DNA. The COVID virus contains only RNA so it is impossible to do a PCR test for it without the RT step. All COVID PCR tests are RT-PCR. There is no other way it can be done. The only time a PCR test can be done without the RT step is if it is identifying an organism that contains DNA. COVID does not. However most non-medical people do not know this - certainly airline staff, Imm officers etc do not -- and labs do not always state "RT-PCR" on their reports. It will have been an RT-PCR though, for sure. So before using a particular lab find out how their results will be worded. If not including the phrase "RT-PCT" then ask if they can specify it. Just a matter of wording, no difference in the tests, but given the way Thailand's requirements are phrased it is an important one. Of course there is a difference between plain PCR and RT-PCR but what I was explaining is that all COVID PCR's are RT-PCR even if not explicitly stated as such. It is a physical impossibility to do a COVID PCR without the initial RT step. Because the COVID virus does not contain any DNA, only RNA. So it is not a matter of needing a special sort of test, any place doing COVCID PCR is doing RT-PCR. But for entry into Thailand you need to be sure the results will clearly state RT-PCR." In another post, Sheryl mentioned that she received her test for return to Thailand at a CVS pharmacy, and it stated RT-PCR test in the written results: For US residents traveling to Thailand, CVS gives free Covid tests, either billed to your health insurance, or billed to Uncle Sam if you have no insurance. I have read that Walgreens does the same. From what I have learned, some testing centers still offer a "Fit to Fly" certificate along with the test results, and some labs even charge an extra fee for this certificate. Many testing facilities in Bangkok are currently offering this "Fit to Fly" certificate, and a few I have seen in the US are also. I understand the Fit to Fly certificate was a previous Thailand requirement earlier in the pandemic, however as of April 1, 2021, foreign travelers are no longer required to provide the fit-to-fly certificate, as long as they present the COVID 19 RT-PCR test result under the Thailand Pass, or if required upon departure from Thailand. Neither airlines nor the Thailand Pass or Thai checkpoints on arrival or departure require this certificate. On arrival, they only want the test results. On departure from Thailand, a test is only needed if your country of arrival and/or your airline requires a test. So don't go out of your way to get a "Fit to Fly" certificate, or pay any extra for it, as it will just be an obsolete souvenir for you. The US requires no Fit to Fly to return home from overseas. Citizens of other countries returning home should check the requirements of their home countries and airlines. I wasn't trying to complicate this or overthink the situation, but to me, this cleared up a lot of uncertainty. I know I went in great detail here, but I like definitive answers, not hearsay, hot air, and speculation. The results of Sheryl's test for her recent return to Thailand and her lucid professional explanation that she shared with the message board provided me the clarity that I was seeking in this sea of confusion over testing requirements. I have been searching for a clear explanation of this info in planning a future trip of my own. So just verify that your test results will clearly state RT-PCR, not PCR, before getting a test and you should be good to fly and enter the Kingdom. I am posting this extensive explanation so it may help other potential travelers to Thailand, and make it a bit easier to understand the rules.

I have read that there are two Bangkok Bank branches that are often more lenient as far as opening an account for farang without a visa. One is located on Pattaya Tai, right next to the corner where Walking St begins. If you are facing the Walking St overhead sign, it is just on your left. The other branch is also Bangkok Bank on Pattaya SaiSong (Second Road) across from the end of soi 6. I have no experience with either one. I got my K-Bank account many years ago in Chiang Mai with just a passport and my hotel address. If the bank asks for proof of residence, your friend can obtain written proof of residence from the immigration office, even if staying in a hotel. Hotels send the info to the immigration police for all hotel guests, so they can easily verify the address of residence because it's already in their computer system. I would suggest not wearing shorts, rubber flip-flops, and a Singha Beer T-shirt to the bank when asking to open an account without a long term visa, even though it is Pattaya.