Thai Pass

[TMax]

Silly question, have they ironed out the bugs with the Thai Pass website? Things like not accepting pdf, issues using certain browsers (chrome), being hacked etc. I saw a while back where they said they were working on all the issues but haven't seen anything about the bugs lately.

[PeterRS]

It's around 4 weeks since I made my application. pdf files were still not accepted. As for being hacked, there are notices on several websites to make sure you only use the one official Thailand government website and not the rip offs. It seemed pretty clear and I had no problem in submitting the application. Completing it was the problem for me!

[reader]

• From The Thaiger

• Anutin says Thailand Pass may be scrapped, if Covid-19 continues to improve

The Covid-19 situation in Thailand is beginning to stabilise and if cases continue to decrease, the Ministry of Health will consider completely cancelling the Thailand Pass, according to Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

In an interview today, Anutin said the Covid-19 situation in the kingdom is improving. He said the total number of infections, hospitalisations and deaths are all decreasing, as well as the daily use of antiviral drugs. If Thailand continues on this trajectory, Anutin said he will propose for the Thailand Pass to be completely cancelled and would also scrap the suggestion for incoming travellers to take an ATK test.

Anutin said the Ministry of Health expected a much higher surge in cases following the Songkran holidays, which ended 10 days ago. He said the Ministry of Health would continue to monitor cases over the next 1 – 2 weeks, and if they remain low, then they will consider scrapping the Thailand Pass for good.

[gerefan]

1 hour ago, reader said:

• From The Thaiger

• Anutin says Thailand Pass may be scrapped, if Covid-19 continues to improve

. He said the Ministry of Health would continue to monitor cases over the next 1 – 2 weeks, and if they remain low, then they will consider scrapping the Thailand Pass for good.

That will be the day!

How will enforce the Insurance Scam they have invented? 

[spoon]

Thailand need to catch up with its neighbors soon. Singapore, malaysia already scraps most of covid measures this week. I believe cambodia already did that much earlier too.

 

[paulsf]

The Bangkokpost is reporting today the ThaiPass will end June 1.  

[New Londoner]

Just in time for me! Thanks.

[TMax]

They change their plans like they change their undies, I can wait a bit longer. 

[gerefan]

7 hours ago, paulsf said:

The Bangkokpost is reporting today the ThaiPass will end June 1.  

Oh Yeah....
Time will tell.....Remember TIT

[reader]

The on again, off again, 300 baht Thailand Tourism Fee is on again. The Post reports that the TTF (yet another acronym) will be collected by airlines from international travelers beginning in the third quarter.

"The tourism fee is in line with the revised National Tourism Policy Act of 2008, which granted permission to set up the fund from the fees collected from foreign visitors. The fund will be used to develop tourist sites and offer tourists insurance," said Chote Trachu, permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry. He said the fee is meant to help tourists in case of emergency, such as a sudden sickness, accident or political unrest while travelling in Thailand.

People exempt from the tourism fee collection include diplomats, government officials, people with work permits from nationalities under a memorandum of understanding with Thailand, and children under 2 years old. The TTF system activates 30-day insurance coverage for tourists once they arrive.

It's not likely to discourage many visitors from going ahead with their plans. And if it once and for all gets rid of the Thai Pass and the insurance requirement so much the better.

[reader]

This will hopefully see the flow of SE Asians from other ASEAN countries increase.

From Pattaya Mail

Thailand standardizes entry rules by air and land

By Barry Kenyon

rom May 1 Thailand has opened a total of 31 land checkpoints at its borders with neighboring countries. This means that entry rules for walk-in tourists and visitors are now in line with arrivals by air. Some immigration checkpoints at the Laos and Malaysian borders have been operating for several weeks, but they have now been joined by those in Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo provinces which include the immigration checkpoints at Aranyaprathet/Poipet and Pong Nam Ron near the Cambodian border.

Fully vaccinated visitors can now enter Thailand by air or land without any pre or post entry compulsory health test. However, they must register in advance on the Thailand Pass portal to receive their all-important QR code by submitting their vaccination record and proof of Covid insurance worth a minimum of US$10,000 for 30 days. Unvaccinated persons must present additional proof of a very recent RT-PCR test or undergo quarantine for at least 5 days. Those arriving in Thailand by sea require a certificate of entry issued by the port authorities on arrival.

Thai land borders have been closed to tourists for two years, although goods traffic and guest workers from neighboring countries have been allowed through on a discretionary basis. The reopening of land borders means that foreign tourists and expats will be able to visit neighboring countries without purchasing an air ticket. This could make easier obtaining visas abroad or making use of re-entry permits, although it will take several weeks before the immigration entry implications are transparent.

 

[Guest]

According to the MFA site, it doesn't have to be COVID insurance any more.  See Insurance Docs section.  

https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/thailand-pass-faqs-2

 

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, z909 said:

According to the MFA site, it doesn't have to be COVID insurance any more.  See Insurance Docs section.  

https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/thailand-pass-faqs-2

 

one can only hope that border officials will know that

[Boy69]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

one can only hope that border officials will know that

You are probably right officials in Thailand have intendecy to interpret the law as they wish.

[macaroni21]

I wonder how the massage- and gogo- talent hoping to enter Thailand via land crossings are going to show USD 10,000 worth of medical insurance. 

 

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

I wonder how the massage- and gogo- talent hoping to enter Thailand via land crossings are going to show USD 10,000 worth of medical insurance. 

 

1000 baht note will work as Certificate of Insurance

[reader]

4 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

I wonder how the massage- and gogo- talent hoping to enter Thailand via land crossings are going to show USD 10,000 worth of medical insurance. 

 

They've already found a way, I'm sure. They much more adept at improvisation than we are.

[reader]

The Pattaya Mail today reports that the on-again, off-again, on-again Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) is yet again off-again.

"Thailand’s prime minister has pushed into the unknown a date for the introduction of a new 300 baht (US$9) tax on most foreign visitors. Prayut Chan-o-cha told a press briefing that the scheme needed more discussion, even though a start date of August or September had been indicated by the tourist ministry. The premier stressed that the surge in international arrivals meant that national income would steadily increase throughout the year without the surcharge."

 

[TMax]

It will be interesting to see if they do agree to scrap the Thai Pass on June 1, also if they will add a section to the TM6 to declare vaccination status (as suggested elsewhere). 

 

 

[reader]

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the Bagnkok Post that he "plans to propose ending the Thailand Pass system initially for returning Thais, and later also for foreigners."

[reader]

The insurance industry continues to exert a firm grip on the powers that be who--in their wisdom--have decreed that the Thailand Pass will live on.

From the Thai Enquirer

Thailand Pass still required for all those entering Thailand

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was expected to decide on the Ministry of Public Health’s proposal to lift the Thailand Pass for Thai citizens at its meeting led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha on Friday.

However, no decision has been made on the issue, despite calls for its removal. 

“We still have to be cautious and continue to closely monitor the situation of Omicron and other new variants that could happen in the future,” Prayut said after the meeting.

“We have to plan for them and adjust our measures accordingly and timely,” he said.

Nearly 240,000 people have registered with Thailand Pass since entry regulations were relaxed at the beginning of May, the CCSA reported on Friday.

“Tourists still have to register with the Thailand Pass system to make sure that they have been vaccinated and that they have bought the insurance,” said TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn.

[Vessey]

My cynical mind thinks that it has been more about money and less about public health for some time  

[gerefan]

You are dead right Vessey

[TMax]

Yes Vessey I suspect you are correct on that one, it's certainly starting to look that way. 

[orson]

On 5/3/2022 at 5:33 PM, vinapu said: