Thailand Pass stays for now, but in ‘faster form’
The government has said
it has not cancelled the Thailand Pass registration requirement for foreign travellers yet but it will be made
more convenient and quicker to obtain.
Dr Sumanee Wacharasint, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said the requirement will be retained but the procedure will
be streamlined for smoother ease of entry into the country.
“The procedure involves checking vaccination certificates, proof of hotel bookings, insurance documents, and documents for booking RTPCR tests upon arrival,” said Dr Sumanee.
The Test & Go entry scheme was cancelled last Sunday (May 1), meaning there
is no longer any need for bookings for alternative quarantine (AQ) hotels and RT-PCR tests,
which will facilitate faster Thailand Pass registration. Vaccination certificates take less time to check than bookings, Dr Sumanee said.
“Therefore, Thailand Pass registration has remained in place, and there should be no problems from May 1. But the CCSA will monitor the situation regularly. If the situation improves, a further easing of entry rules is expected to follow.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul added that the government will consider where they will scrap antigen testing and Thailand Pass registration requirements for foreign visitors once data from the cancellation of the Test & Go entry scheme and RT-PCR tests upon arrival has been reviewed.
The Test & Go and Sandbox schemes ended on Sunday for vaccinated travellers, replaced by a “no quarantine” programme. RT-PCR testing is no longer required and COVID-19 insurance is reduced from US$20,000 (B685,000) to $10,000.
The unvaccinated are now welcome if they present proof of a negative RT-PCR test no more than 72 hours before their trip; but they must be quarantined for five days, with another RT-PCR test on day 4 or 5, and travellers are also advised to self-administer antigen tests during their stay.
TOURISM FEE OF B300 SET FOR Q3
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed the B300 tourism fee is scheduled to begin being collected between August and September this year using the Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) system implemented by airlines.
Chote Trachu, permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said last Friday (Apr 29) the fee is meant to help tourists in case of emergency, such as a sudden sickness, accident or political unrest while travelling in Thailand.
He further explained the TTF system will integrate with airlines’ websites to display an additional screen for fee collection for foreign passport holders. The TTF system activates 30-day insurance coverage for tourists once they arrive.
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.