Pre-departure PCR Test Dropped

[winterjanu]

Thailand
From @RicardBarrow:

Starting from 1st April, the need for pre-departure RT-PCR test will be dropped. However, you still need to test with RT-PCR on arrival and then do self-ATK test on Day 5. Insurance is $20,000. This needs to be published in the Royal Gazette before official.

Meanwhile,

Vietnam: From 16th March: Pre departure 72hrs RT-PCR or 24hrs ATK(rapid test). No on-arrival test, no isolation. No vaccination requirement. (Though only for some countries now)

Cambodia: From 16th March: no pre-depature test, no on-arrival test, no isolation. Full vaccination required.

[Guest]

Based on the previous post, if I want to make a short trip to SE Asia, Cambodia is now the most interesting destination.   Although, there is the slight problem of flight choices. Perhaps the Cambodia government ought to take a punt on this and bribe Emirates to fly to Phnom Penh, therefore opening up a whole range of countries. 

 

Hopefully lots of tourists will decide to go to Cambodia & Vietnam, therefore pressurizing the Thai government to get it's act together.

 

As for the Thai policy changes.

1 I'd prefer to delete the test on arrival & quarantine.    However, I guess someone is profiting from testing & quarantine.

2 Deleting the pre-departure test is still useful.   Even in 2021, I drove quite a long way to get a UK PCR test from a reliable provider with suitable documents.   Whilst there were local providers, I was put off by poor customer reviews and their inability to answer simple questions about the certificate and result timing.   

On Twitter, some are questioning whether people will risk going to Thailand and being sent to Covid Jail, without taking a test before.   Well now the traveler will have choices for pre-departure, ranging from no test, LFT, a free government PCR test (where offered) or a paid PCR test from a provider without a suitable certificate.

The worst aspect of this is perhaps the higher probability of catching covid on the flight to Thailand.

 

 

 

[tm_nyc]

I also have been looking at visiting Cambodia as a lower-hassle alternative to Thailand.  But, as z909 points out, the flight availabilities (from the US at least) are way less than to BKK & airfares to Cambodia are higher, in some cases substantially.

[Riobard]

Important to check, for RAT, the specific timing because some nations make it a bit easier: the calendar day prior to the calendar date of boarding as opposed to strictly within 24 hours prior to boarding. So 12 noon on a Thursday, for example, could work for departure 23:00 on a Friday and reduced the stress of same day testing depending on lab open hours. People are often in transit their boarding date. 

[pong2]

Camb never had real Interconti flites. I guess the airport cannot even take them, though the difference is minimal. Very first country to have it would be France, then USA.

You could go there via transit at most ASEAN cities, like SINgapore.

One also has to accept that Thai govmt also has to take in account the general feelings of its own population-you cannot just switch from very heavy rules to nothing.