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It's becoming more apparent by the day that some of the more reliable information on this topic is being provided board members who actually worked their way through the process, or are in the process of doing so. This article about authorities attempting to get insurers interested in offering 10 days of coverage for those who test positive illustrates the confusion that exits between ministries, hotels and hospitals. From Bangkok Post Insurers avoid travellers after heavy Covid losses Insurance companies have become reluctant to offer Covid-19 coverage to foreign tourists as the industry was beset by a liquidity crunch after issuing many policies and experiencing a high number of cases the past year. Tourists remain interested in the country, as new registrations for the Test & Go programme reached 119,807 as of Feb 8. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said following discussions with the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) over optional Covid-19 insurance for international tourists, only a few companies expressed an interest in joining the programme. Only 4% of inbound tourists have tested positive for Covid-19, most of which have been mild cases. Many insurance companies are facing losses from Covid-19 claims from local cases and are unsure about offering policies to foreign tourists, particularly in terms of reimbursement based on possible scenarios, he said. The Public Health Ministry is dealing with insufficient or expensive hospital beds in major provinces by allowing each provincial communicable disease committee to grant permission to hotel operators to establish isolation rooms on their properties to host asymptomatic guests. Mr Siripakorn said the 10-day hotel isolation price starts from 20,000 baht, including three meals a day and telemedicine from a partner hospital. "While waiting for the OIC to conclude an insurance package, we have to increase affordable hotel isolation as an option for infected tourists so they don't have to pay more than 100,000 baht for treatment, as happened before," he said. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said hotels in many provinces have not yet applied for isolation rooms as they are unsure about the procedures. Hotels in Bangkok are still waiting to hear from the Department of Health Service Support regarding rules, she said. "We were told there is an act that grants permission to hotels to serve as isolation centres, but according to provincial authorities, the partner hospital has to take charge of this process, not hotels. At present, few hospitals are aware of this rule," said Mrs Marisa. She said the obstacles of Covid-19 insurance and hotel isolation are weighing on the domestic situation, with local cases rising sharply to 13,182 on Wednesday. After Test & Go resumed on Feb 1, the flow of tourists has not been as strong as in November, when the scheme was first introduced. "The fifth-day compulsory Covid test is hampering tourism," Mrs Marisa said. "Locals may hesitate to book trips if infections spike." https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2261703/insurers-avoid-travellers-after-heavy-covid-losses

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You're not going to find country-specific detail in policies that cover many different countries. You can ask agent by phone for clarification, but the protocols followed in Thailand can be interpreted differently from hospital to hospital and hotel to hotel. I would anticipate that if I tested positive and was asymptomatic that I may well end up eating the extra expense myself. You can try to minimize the uncertainties but you can't protect against all of them. It's an inherently cumbersome process. At some point you have to leave the outcome to fate.

From Coconuts Bangkok Located on the 74th floor of the King Power Mahanakhon at 314 meters up, the Mahanakhon Skywalk will be closed tomorrow until April 11. It will open again at 10am on April 12. The nature of the renovations were not specified. The skywalk has been popular among tourists and locals for its magnificent, panoramic 360-degree view of the capital. Coconuts was there when it opened, you can read our experience here. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/mahanakhon-skywalk-closed-for-renovation/

From Thaiger / Guardia In a Singaporean news broadcast on the Winter Olympics, it wasn’t the coverage that got the attention of viewers, it was what was happening in the background at the Beijing bar. Behind the Channel News Asia correspondent were two men passionately kissing, a taboo for Singaporeans where broadcasting laws prohibit LGBT content and homosexual relationships between men are illegal. Although the kiss was removed from a version on CNA’s website, a video of the kiss has been seen over 825,000 times on TikTok and a popular Chinese social media network Weibo. One TikTok user wrote “This is actually an act of revolution”. https://thethaiger.com/news/regional/singapore/singapores-lgbt-content-ban-slammed-after-gay-kiss-caught-in-news-broadcast

From The Thaiger Thailand Pass hotlines, emails for assistance with registration process Thailand Pass hotlines were launched to assist travellers with registering for the various programs to enter the country at the moment. We know aspects of it are a pain in the arse, but for people wanting, or needing, to get back into Thailand at the moment, the Thailand Pass is not that difficult to navigate. And The Thaiger has some useful contacts if you need help or have questions. The Thailand Pass has three programs – Test & Go, for fully vaccinated travellers who only have to spend 2 nights (Day 1 and 5) in a pre-paid SHA+ hotel. Sandbox, which is a ‘regional’ quarantine for 7 days. But you can wander and explore around that region for the 7 days before then being allowed to travel anywhere else in Thailand. There’s also the Alternative Quarantine which allows unvaccinated travellers to enter Thailand, but with a 7 – 10 day hotel quarantine, at your expense. Registration for the Thailand Pass is free, but the government spokespersons have been warning travellers about third party websites asking for a fee for Thailand Pass registration. (Here’s the official website by the Department of Consular Affairs… https://tp.consular.go.th/) To be clear, registration is FREE. For entry into Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga, travellers can email thailandpass.hkt@gmail.com for assistance. Those registering for the Phuket Sandbox can call +66 (0) 7653 220 or email phuket.thailandpass@gmail.com. Travellers are also asked to fill in a Thailand Pass Follow Up Form on Google Docs. For other destinations, travellers can contact the Department of Consular Affairs at +66 (0) 2572 8442 or email testgo@consular.go.th. Travellers entering under the Test & Go or Sandbox program must book accommodation at a hotel or resort with a SHA+ certification from Thailand’s Safety and Health Administration. For Test & Go travellers, a SHA+ hotel booking is needed on Day 1 and Day 5 of their stay. A hotel needs to confirm the booking before the Thailand Pass can be verified by the Department of Disease Control. For enquiries about hotel booking authentication, call the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s hotline at 1672. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/thailand-pass-hotlines-emails-for-assistance-with-registration-process

Last time I checked, SquareMouth Insurance offers policies from a variety of insurers with an age limit of 99. The policies and prices are easy to compare. I recall they had one for 30 days for $100,000 "primary" coverage . The premium was $83. As z909 reminds us, you need to carefully read the description and limitations of policy limitations. https://www.squaremouth.com/covid-19

From Pattaya News Health Minister reportedly not keen on easing of Covid restrictions, especially legally reopening nightlife and bar industry Bangkok, Thailand- Recent statements from the Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul seem to contradict statements made by the head of the Department of Disease Control earlier this week about easing Covid-19 restrictions even as cases rise but hospitalizations and serious cases remain very low. According to statements made by Mr. Anutin yesterday, February 7th, 2022, he has stated for people to “not rush to conclusions” about easing restrictions and seemed to pour cold water especially on the legal reopening of the nightlife and entertainment industry, which has been technically closed since April of 2021. The industry has been allowed to convert to “restaurants” in the interim but this has still had many rules, certifications, and restrictions that business owners claim cripple their income and industry, including a ban on dancing and an unpopular 11:00 P.M. national closing time even in popular tourist zones like Pattaya and Phuket. Mr. Anutin reportedly stated, according to Thai media, that there were “no plans” for reopening this industry anytime soon, despite ongoing outcry from business owners in this sector. Critics of the closures claim the ongoing restrictions around nightlife and entertainment are mostly political and have little to nothing to do with Covid-19. The CCSA, however, denies this and says they only care about people’s health and believe these venues run as “normal” are still a major threat to the spread of Covid-19. Anutin has also repeatedly expressed annoyance around lack of mask-wearing compliance in public, especially among foreign tourists, which also appears to shed doubt on the possibility of easing outdoor mask “mandates” set by provincial governors. This also comes as the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O’Cha, stated in a speech yesterday that Thailand needs to learn to “live with Covid-19 normally.” Regardless of what appear to be contradictions or different statements from different agencies, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, confirmed that they will be meeting to hear proposals from different agencies and organizations around Covid-19 restrictions later this week. TPN notes that Mr. Anutin’s opinion, although it carries heavy weight, is only one of many, and the Prime Minister chairs the CCSA and any final decisions on easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Mr. Anutin has, however, stated that the Ministry of Public Health DOES plan on changing the way the ministry presents Covid-19 information, changing focus to serious hospitalizations and deaths vs. cases. It is unclear exactly when this change would take place, however. There is, however, no promise that any restriction would be lifted or announced, including the much-despised “Day 5” required test for tourists entering Thailand on the Test and go program. We will keep a close eye on any and all final announcements this week or possibly early next week. https://thepattayanews.com/2022/02/08/thai-public-health-minister-reportedly-not-keen-on-easing-of-covid-restrictions-especially-legally-reopening-nightlife-and-bar-industry/

From The Thaiger / Reuters Following moves from other Southeast Asian countries, like Thailand, to gradually reopen borders, Malaysia is considering a full reopening of borders starting March 1, allowing vaccinated travellers to enter without mandatory quarantine requirements. The plan is to speed up the country’s economic recovery, according to its coronavirus recovery council today. The Southeast Asian country that shut down its borders in March 2020 has recently allowed Singaporeans to enter without quarantine as part of a bilateral agreement. A government advisory body said travellers would be subjected to Covid-19 screening prior to departure and upon arrival. “This means tourists can visit, investors can enter… It means AirAsia can fly again, as an example.” Coronavirus infections in Malaysia have risen to their highest level in four months in recent weeks, which officials say is due to the spread of the Omicron variant. A total of 13,944 new infections were reported today, bringing the total number of cases to over 2.9 million, with more than 32,000 deaths – one of Asia’s highest fatality and infection rates per capita. However, the majority of the cases were asymptomatic or moderate which the country’s health ministry owes to the country’s high vaccination rate. Around 98% of Malaysia’s adult population has received two vaccine doses and more than half of a booster shot. Approximately 89% of children aged 12 to 17 have been vaccinated, with children aged 5 to 11 receiving their first dose last week. https://thethaiger.com/news/regional/malaysia-en/malaysia-considers-full-reopening-in-march-to-vaccinated-travellers

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon There have been several complaints to Pattaya Mail that some local and foreign-based insurance companies have been guilty of misinformation when advising both tourists and expats. What follows is a summary of the requirements of both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thai Immigration. The rules are very different for those foreigners entering the country as opposed to those seeking an extension of stay once here. Applicants for entry, mostly Test and Go and Sandbox aspirants, are required to obtain a minimum US$50,000 cover to cover the period of their visa. This can be solely Covid-related or general medical insurance or a combination of both. The obvious exceptions are work permit holders who come under the health ministry’s social insurance scheme without separate cover. But most extensions of stay obtained at Thai immigration offices do not require an insurance certificate. Nor currently are they required to show proof of vaccination, contrary to some internet reports. As examples, holders of 30 days visa exempt stamps or 60 day tourist visas do not need insurance to claim their extra month. Nor do eligible foreigners applying for the two months “Covid” extension, although this well-used facility is on life support already as the March deadline looms. The obvious exception to all of the above is the contentious O/A retirement visa (awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the subsequent annual renewal (given by Immigration). These both currently require a separate general health insurance of at least 400,000 baht inpatient and 40,000 baht outpatient, to be upgraded to US$100,000 or 3 million baht from October 1, 2022. There will also be a new facility for O/A visa holders to use self-insurance if they are refused by insurance companies, although the fine print of do-it-alone is yet to be announced. But the O/A visa rules do not apply to other expats such as retirees with an initial O visa, holders of marriage or family extensions of stay or Elite card holders. Some commercial advertisements on the internet seem to be deliberately blurring the distinction between retirees holding different kinds of permission in order to maximize insurers’ income. However, it is true that holders of the little-used Special Tourist Visa (which offers a stay of up to 9 months) and the OX ten year visa (introduced in 2016 but complex and bureaucratic) do require health insurance for both entry and extension. The immigration bureau hotline confirmed that there are currently no plans to extend medical insurance beyond the parameters listed. However, the goal posts can certainly change and there is discretion vested in immigration bureau and individual officers when it comes to handling a particular case. Equally, generalizations by commercial income generators such as “all retirees need insurance” or “you need insurance to stay in Thailand” are speculative baloney. https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/insurance-companies-exaggerating-cover-requirements-for-thailand-388716

From Bangkok Post The government will open discussions to set up travel bubbles with China and Malaysia this month to attract more foreign visitors, following the resumption of the Test & Go scheme on Feb 1. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Monday authorities will discuss the details of a possible travel bubble agreement with China's minister for culture and tourism. Talks will also be held with Malaysia later this month, he said. The number of visitors allowed to visit Thailand under the travel bubble arrangement will be capped, and their movements will also be limited to certain areas in an effort to prevent fresh Covid-19 outbreaks, he said. Under the new travel bubble arrangements, tourists won't have to quarantine upon arrival, but their entry will be subject to special protocols which regulate the kind of visa they can use to come in, where they can stay and which flights to take. https://www.gayguides.com/forums/forum/3-gay-thailand/?do=add

It's worth noting that just about all Test-and-Go arrivals who've entered in February did do under the old Test-and-Go policy that required only day one PCR test. From Richardbarrow.com The infection rate of all travellers entering Thailand by air: November: 0.13% December: 0.45% January: 3.73% February: 3.58% so far Test & Go: 0.59% Sandbox: 5.00%

There seems to be no limits to which the leaders of Myanmar will go in order to tighten their grip on power. From Channel News Asia / Reuters Fearing junta, hundreds of Myanmar parents disown dissident children Every day for the last three months, an average of six or seven families in Myanmar have posted notices in the country's state-owned newspapers cutting ties with sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildren who have publicly opposed the ruling military junta. The notices started to appear in such numbers in November after the army, which seized power from Myanmar's democratically elected government a year ago, announced it would take over properties of its opponents and arrest people giving shelter to protesters. Scores of raids on homes followed. Lin Lin Bo Bo, a former car salesman who joined an armed group resisting military rule, was one of those disowned by his parents in about 570 notices reviewed by Reuters. "We declare we have disowned Lin Lin Bo Bo because he never listened to his parents' will," said the notice posted by his parents, San Win and Tin Tin Soe, in state-owned newspaper The Mirror in November. Speaking to Reuters from a Thai border town where he is living after fleeing Myanmar, the 26-year-old said his mother had told him she was disowning him after soldiers came to their family home searching for him. A few days later, he said he cried as he read the notice in the paper. "My comrades tried to reassure me that it was inevitable for families to do that under pressure," he told Reuters. "But I was so heartbroken." Targeting families of opposition activists was a tactic used by Myanmar's military during unrest in 2007 and the late 1980s but has been used far more frequently since the Feb 1, 2021 coup, according to Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at rights group Burma Campaign UK, which uses the old name for the former British colony. Over the past year, security forces have killed about 1,500 people, many of them demonstrators, and arrested nearly 12,000 people, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a monitoring group. The military has said those figures are exaggerated. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/fearing-junta-hundreds-myanmar-parents-disown-dissident-children-2483011

From Channel News Asia Omicron-specific booster may not be needed CHICAGO: A study in monkeys pitting the current Moderna COVID-19 booster against an Omicron-specific booster showed no significant differences in protection, suggesting an Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, US government researchers reported on Friday (Feb 4). The study involved monkeys vaccinated with two doses of Moderna's vaccine who were dosed nine months later with either the conventional Moderna booster or one specifically targeting the Omicron variant. The researchers tested various aspects of the animals' immune responses and exposed them to the virus. They found both boosters produced "comparable and significant increases in neutralising antibody responses" against all of the variants of concern, including Omicron, according to the study, posted on bioRxiv ahead of peer review. Both Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer have started testing Omicron-specific boosters of their vaccines in human clinical trials. "This is very, very good news," Daniel Douek, a vaccine researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who co-lead the study, said in a telephone interview. "It means we don't need to radically redesign the vaccine to make it an Omicron vaccine." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-argentina-pledge-deepen-partnership-expand-trade-2482431

From Channel News Asia BEIJING: He's the only one who can top Beijing's Winter Olympics mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" in a popularity match. Japan's star figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, still hidden from public view but finally confirmed to be in Beijing, has become the top trend on China's social media site Weibo, outdoing the country's most-sought-after mascot in its native land. After keeping fans and journalists on tenterhooks for days, the Japanese Olympic Committee said the twice Olympic champion arrived in Beijing on Sunday (Feb 6), though he would not be appearing in front of media. His arrival set off news flashes, while the Olympics' official Twitter feed also gave him the VIP treatment with the headline: "Touchdown: Hanyu Yuzuru has arrived in Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games." On Weibo, the phrase "The time for Hanyu to compete is set" was number one by Sunday evening, with fawning fans pouring out their admiration for the "Ice Prince". "I will trust him unconditionally, I will cheer for him unconditionally," wrote a user nicknamed "fanyuemoxiang". "No matter what the result, nothing will change you as a great athlete in my heart. All the best to Hanyu at the Beijing Olympics. I started to learn about figure skating because of you," said "Lunongqiuzhong". https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-argentina-pledge-deepen-partnership-expand-trade-2482431

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Thai law is explicit. When you enter an eatery, whether one serving hearty meals or a booze bar offering stale nuts, you should prove you have had an antigen test within the last 72 hours or submit to one at the entrance administered by staff. In the optimistic words of the government-friendly Pattaya radio ad, “If they don’t ask, you walk.” There is very little sign of walking. Soi Buakhao, the current center of Pattaya nightlife, is packed nightly with Thais, expats and tourists but no evidence of any health checks whatsoever in the venues visited. A motorbike cop parked near Tree Tops said, “That’s up to health inspectors not us, we are here to check the bars close at 11 pm.” However, the Ministry of Health doesn’t usually work after dark. On Walking Street, a mixture of bright lights, music and derelict buildings these days, there were two voluntary “testing stations”, one charging 100 baht for a genuine ATK result, but most venues seemed unconcerned about the law. The doorman at a well-known seafood restaurant said, “We want to welcome customers, not examine their credentials.” At the Jomtien Complex, the hub of what remains of the resort’s gay scene, several bars and eateries sporting Safety and Health Authority stickers, were indeed administering customer health tests. But not all. A nearby cafe asked us to self-administer a test for 50 baht. “But don’t push the stick too far up your nose,” advised the waiter. “We don’t want to start a panic.” Meanwhile, at a high class buffet in north Pattaya, security staff were checking that customers had brought evidence of a recent antigen test. If not, one was offered for 100 baht. A customer showed a picture of an antigen kit on his cell phone, but without any actual proof of the date it was taken. “It always works,” he said, “I use the same photo with a different date written on a card.” “Pattaya is a city of illusion,” said long term expat Phil Ashton who works as a chef in a five star hotel, “all about appearances rather than reality,” adding that the last two years have bankrupted many Pattaya businesses and left others gasping for breath. He concludes, “A drowning man doesn’t reach for his indigestion tablets.” https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/pattaya-restaurants-ignoring-health-tests-on-entry-388546

From Bangkok Post Thailand has become an aged society and will become a "super-aged" society by 2031 when 28% of the population will be 60 or older. The country has witnessed a low birth rate for several decades, but it was not until last year that more deaths than births were recorded. In 2021, deaths outnumbered births at 563,650 versus 544,570. Experts are alarmed by the low birth rate and have suggested the government needs a policy to promote a higher fertility rate, but many people are unfussed. With unemployment among new graduates expected to rise in the Covid-battered economy, some say it is probably better off this way. "It's a good trend, isn't it? People are struggling to make a living and the jobless are everywhere," said a resident in Bangkok when asked about the low birth rate. he experts' warning about a shrinking workforce and growing retirees in the next 10 years as a result of below-replacement-level fertility is not as pressing as the bills due at month's end. "The low birth rate, society is full of retirees. Where will we find the young to drive the economy? Well, we can leave it to the future," said another Bangkok resident. However, demographers and economists stress the issue should not be framed as a concern for the future and insist policy-makers must start planning now to reverse the trend or the country could end up in trouble. Pramote Prasartkul, a demography professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University, said the current demographic situation is a stark contrast to the one during 1963-1983, when about 1 million babies were born each year. "We call it a population 'tsunami'. It is a powerful wave that makes tremendous impacts. The more than one million who were born in 1963 are entering retirement age next year," he said. Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, a research director at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said an ageing society creates opportunities to develop goods and services to meet the demands of the elderly. ''Thailand has entered an ageing society earlier than most countries in Asean, so it should seize the opportunity to develop new goods and services," she said. In the next 10 years the number of elderly in Asean and China will grow; the elderly population in Asean will reach 70 million while that in China will be 200 million, she said. "The issue is challenging. But society has relaxed with same-sex marriages," Dr Bunyarit said. "If the law is more relaxed, they could have their own children." https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2259507/when-baby-well-runs-dry =================================== China's pet economy booms as more millennials delay marriage and kids for fur babies HONG KONG: He Qi, an English teacher from Guangzhou city, divorced last month. He and his ex-wife split their properties quickly and amicably, but could not escape a big quarrel over their two dearest possessions - the pet dogs. "They are my children and I would be very sad no matter which one left me," the 36-year-old said. In the end, they decided to take one each. "I think I will get another small dog or cat soon, I don't want my 'son' to feel lonely, and I think my ex-wife will very likely feel the same way," He said. A growing number of young Chinese are choosing to marry later, delay parenthood, or simply abandon both altogether, due to rising living costs and the demands of work life. At the same time, many of them are choosing to raise cats or dogs, creating a thriving pet economy that is bucking a stubborn trend of weak consumer sentiment in the world's No. 2 economy. Jack Bian, the founder of Hangzhou-based Lang Xiao Zhua, which translates to Waves and Paws, a popular social media platform for pet lovers, said as more young Chinese opt to live with pets it could "delay plans for giving birth". 'We've woken up': young Chinese 'lie flat' as protest against life's grind "Young people in China are currently marrying and having children at a later age. The general consensus in their 20s and 30s is that stress and the cost of living is high, and working hours very long," said Bian, whose organisation has more than 30,000 members. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2259639/chinas-pet-economy-booms-as-more-millennials-delay-marriage-and-kids-for-fur-babies

Battling politicians are more keyed in to using the changing daily numbers of test results to burnish their image than trying to get the country back on its feet. Every day they get a new opportunity for another photo op, leaving the public bewildered and agitated. When you couple this with developing doubts about the efficacy of the testing system itself, and the potential to approach it more as a profit center than a diagnostic tool, the greater the prospect for confusion about tourism rules going forward.

From Bloomberg News / BP Test & Go 'cumbersome', says hotel tycoon Thailand should look to the example of the more liberal reopening policies of Europe and travel hot spots such as the Maldives to revive its tourism industry, says Bill Heinecke, the founder and chairman of Minor International Plc. Current entry requirements for vaccinated foreign travellers are too “cumbersome”, the Bangkok-based billionaire said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “If you’re vaccinated and tested you must be allowed to travel without so much paperwork,” said Mr Heinecke, who heads one of Asia’s largest hospitality, restaurant and lifestyle companies. Tourism numbers in Thailand are “going to be tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”, he said. While Thailand this month resumed its Test & Go programme, Mr Heinecke labelled the requirements — multiple Covid tests, the need to use an online registration system and having an insurance policy with at least $50,000 cover — as “cumbersome”. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2259263/test-go-cumbersome-says-hotel-tycoon

From Nikkei Asia The 244-room Andaz Bangkok will overlook Lumphini Park in the central business district. (Image rendition courtesy of One Bangkok) BANGKOK -- Hyatt Hotels debuts the first Andaz brand hotel in Thailand next year, when a 244-room luxury lodging opens in the planned One Bangkok office-shopping-residential complex in the Southeast Asian nation's capital. Andaz One Bangkok, in the central business district at Wireless Road and Rama IV Road, will overlook Lumphini Park. With the Ritz-Carlton also set to open in the complex, the area looks to become a new hub for Bangkok's luxury hotels. One Bangkok, a joint venture between Thai conglomerate TCC Assets and developer Frasers Property Holdings, said it reached a management agreement with a Hyatt affiliate to bring Andaz to Bangkok. The hotel looks to begin operations when the One Bangkok complex opens its first phase in October-December 2023. Andaz operates in Singapore and Indonesia's Bali, but this will be Thailand's first. Bangkok's first Ritz-Carlton also opens in One Bangkok next year. Featuring 259 guestrooms, including 33 suites, the hotel will occupy the first 25 floors of a 50-story building. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangkok will follow two Ritz-related properties in Thailand: The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui and Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Nikkeihttps://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Bangkok-luxury-hotel-scene-heats-up-with-Andaz-joining-mix

From Bangkok Post Phuket issues alert on infected arrivals Phuket is asking the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to improve Covid-19 screening measures for international visitors, following an alarming number of tourists testing positive on arrival. This is suspected to have largely stemmed from fake negative results from pre-departure testing or inaccurate testing that's only been detected after travellers arrive. The call was made by Pichet Panapong, Phuket's vice governor, during Thursday's teleconference between Phuket Covid-19 control organisations and the CCSA's operations centre. This number is expected to rise given the many tourists applying to enter the resort island under the government's quarantine-free Test & Go scheme that resumed on Tuesday. "False Covid-19 RT-PCR test results are assumed to have something to do with the sharp rise in the number of post-arrival positive tests among tourists,'' he said. On Monday and Tuesday, a total of 7,742 travellers arrived in Thailand, 344 of whom tested positive for Covid upon arrival. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2258347/phuket-issues-alert-on-infected-arrivals

From ScandAsia Warning against traveling to Thailand Travelers to Thailand whose PCR tests return a positive are in a very high risk of being caught up in a web of rules that nobody warned them of before their departure. The SHA+ and ASQ hotels where the travelers are required to stay, must all have contracts with a specific hospital, usually a private hospital. If a traveler staying at their hotel tests positive, the guest has no choice but to be hospitalized at that specific hospital for 7-10 days at their own cost – usually around 10.000 THB per day. In most cases, tourists are requested to pay upfront this amount and coordinate insurance claims by themselves later – holding the risk of not being compensated for their hospital expenses. Sharing hotel room in close contact with a COVID patient also subjects you to quarantine 7-10 days as a high risk close contact person. This is usually not included in the insurance coverage so it would be completely at your own cost. The PCR tests are performed by the hospital who has the exclusive rights to receive all the patients from the hotel they stay at. You must do two PCR tests on the first day and the fifth day of your traveling, and the authorities prefer that you test both times at the same hotel. Some travelers question, if the PCR tests follow same procedures as back in their home countries, since many find the positive result when arriving Thailand, when they just tested negative 48 hours ago before flight departure. All travelers believe they are adequately insured because when they applied for the Thailand Pass, their health insurance was approved. But when the traveler arrives here, it some times turns out that although the Thai embassy or consulate had accepted their insurance policy, they are not covered anyway because of the fine print in the insurance policy. Sometimes, the insurance only covers if the patient has symptoms or is hospitalized in a hospital, not a ‘hospitel’. The Thai hospitals will keep the patient in quarantine regardless of symptoms and for the maximum days they can charge for, all solely depending on the opinion of the doctors’ team at the assigned hospital your hotel is associated with. In other situations, it has turned out that the insurance only covers if the patient is admitted to a public hospital. But the patient has no right to refuse to be hospitalized at the private hospital or hospitel facility which has obtained an exclusive contract with their hotel. Also in this case, the traveler will have to pay the amount at around 100.000 THB themselves. A resident Dane in Bangkok who has been part of a network to come to the rescue of these unfortunate travelers who were trapped in this web of rules says to ScandAsia, that frankly she has come to the sad conclusion that the safest thing to do is not to fly to Thailand on a Thailand Pass until this hotel-hospital alliance is broken or the insurance policies that the embassies accept follow standards that are in compliance with these hotel-hospital contracts. There are so many special situations and describing them all is not possible here, she says. But she wants to add one piece of useful advice: If you have had Covid in the past 2-3 months before your arrival to Thailand then you must remember to bring along with you PCR proof and preferably a medical recovery certificate stating your Covid history in detail with a doctor’s signature. This documentation may help you not to become yet another unfair victim of the medical care protocol. If you show this evidence and insist that your positive result is most likely because the test is picking up dead cells from your past infection, you may be able to avoid being detained. https://scandasia.com/warning-against-traveling-to-thailand/

From Bangkok Post Push for bubbles amid tourism drive The Tourism and Sports Ministry plans to continue travel bubble discussions with short-haul destinations following this week's resumption of the Test & Go scheme. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for a more relaxed RT-PCR testing regime to bring back at least 5 million tourists this year. The country wants to continue travel bubble initiatives, particularly with nearby countries that generate enormous cross-border traffic, such as Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The ministry plans to visit Beijing for the Winter Olympics this month and wants to use the opportunity to seek further updates from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding a travel agreement. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said 35,046 tourists registered for Thailand Pass during its first day of reopening on Feb 1, of which 31,343 were for the Test & Go scheme. As hotels must now verify Thailand Pass bookings via the new Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System, 20% of guests were verified as of Feb 1. Mr Yuthasak said hoteliers have to verify bookings within 30 hours or registration will be rejected and tourists must resubmit the application. Vichit Prakobgosol, TCT vice-president, said even though the tourism sector was improving, strict testing rules were an obstacle to growth as they deter tourists. He said locations that require no RT-PCR test on arrival, such as Dubai, the Maldives and Turkey, can now attract more arrivals than in 2019 before the pandemic and such reopening policies have not worsened their outbreaks. "If there is no new surge in cases and fatalities after the first month of Test & Go resumption, the government has to consider dropping the RT-PCR test requirement. If it does, the country is projected to see at least 5 million tourists," Mr Vichit said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2257855/push-for-bubbles-amid-tourism-drive

From Bangkok Post Prompted by large numbers of tourists testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, Phuket on Wednesday switched to imposing a repeat RT-PCR Covid-19 test on international tourists arriving under the quarantine-free Test & Go scheme. Phuket has now issued a new order requiring all Test & Go tourists to undergo a repeat RT-PCR Covid-19 test on the fifth day of their stay in Thailand, in addition to the first test upon arrival, said provincial chief health officer Dr Koosak Kookiatkul on Wednesday. "This means Test & Go tourists coming to Phuket will have to pay for their two Covid-19 tests and book their hotel rooms on the first and fifth days in advance," Dr Koosak said. "In case they test negative for Covid-19 in the first test, they may undergo the second test and stay in a hotel while waiting for the test result of the repeat test," he added. The infection rate for the first test found in international tourists arriving in Phuket was 2%, while the result of a repeat test showed the infection rate had climbed as high as 4-5%, which were mostly cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, he said. On Tuesday, the first day Thailand resumed its Test & Go scheme, Phuket welcomed 17 Test & Go tourists and 2,439 others via its tourism sandbox programme, according to the province's immigration office. The province recorded 493 new Covid-19 infections, 387 of which were local cases, two in the Test & Go scheme and the other 104 were in the Phuket Sandbox programme, said Dr Koosak. The province was concerned that the high infection rate among visitors from Russia and Kazakhstan would badly hit the tourism industry, said Phuket governor Narong Woonciew. Of the about 300 new Covid-19 infections recorded daily, about 100 were foreign visitors arriving mainly from those two nations, he said. "Russian tourists account for a vast majority of international tourists arriving in Thailand through Phuket," the governor said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2257883/phuket-ups-tests-on-foreign-visitors

From Richadbarrow.com According to a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, the total number of registrations for Thailand Pass on the first day of 1st February amounted to 29,194 people, with 23,660 people applying for Test & Go alone. ..................................... Hotels must verify the 1st and 2nd room & test bookings within 30 hours or the visitors' Thailand Pass registration will be automatically rejected, according to new procedures aiming at monitoring RT-PCR tests. --------------------- According to Facebook page B-Bangpakong, football giants Manchester United and Liverpool FC will play a friendly match at Rajamangala National Stadium on 12th July. They will sign the contract this week.