How is the Thailand Test & Go scheme on arrival?
Currently Thailand's Test & Go scheme is suspended in an attempt to slow the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant within the country's borders. If you have been issued with a Thailand Pass already or made the application before 23h59 on Tuesday 21st December 2021, you will be able to enter under the scheme you have applied to e.g. Test & Go. You can start new Sandbox applications to enter Thailand via Phuket, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (Koh Samui) and Krabi.
After getting off our Scoot flight from London Gatwick, we got straight into Thailand's Test & Go scheme - launched on 1st November 2021. The process is quite swift, but here's what to expect when you arrive.
Get your papers ready
As I noted in my previous article, having print outs of your documents is necessary. Make sure you've also got your original boarding pass stub, they'll be needing that to view. Get these out and ready before disembarking the aircraft as you will be expected to give a glancing view of your Thailand Pass to a Thai Ministry of Health official at the jet bridge - doing so saves awkwardly getting them out of your bag later. Keep them handy though, as you'll need it again.
Random chairs everywhere
There'll be a fair walk from the aircraft to the next document check which again is by the Thai Ministry of Health. There's then a number of plastic chairs in the hallway where you have to awkwardly sit, have another brief check of documents and then join another queue. This final queue is the one that really counts as it is a more thorough check of your PCR test, vaccination certificate and Thailand Pass.
More checks are to happen…
Although you would think that they might have streamlined the operations, due to the fact they are controlled by different government ministries the immigration section is separate. This is more or less the same as it was prior to Covid, although now there is no express lanes for ASEAN passport holders. You'll then be able to go through and collect your luggage, provided you are allowed entry into the Kingdom of Thailand with the correct visa or visa waiver.
Once through customs, you will not be allowed out of the airport building unless you have met your hotel representative for your private transfer. It can be a bit confusing at first, as there's so many hotels there, but keep a look out for the logo of your hotel head across and provide your details. You'll be escorted by a person with a green armband saying something like 'hotel representative' which shows they are allowed access in and out of the airport grounds.
The journey experience will vary depending on how much you've paid (more on mine in a review of the St Regis, Bangkok soon) but will go something like this:
Drive from the airport to a testing centre
This will either:
Take place at a medical centre or hospital location with a swab of the throat and nose taken through the window
At the hotel where a dedicated testing area has been setup
Head towards the hotel room
How long does it take for your results to return?
Once at your hotel room, you are legally not allowed to leave until you have received your RT-PCR test results from the hospital or hotel. This will either be given verbally over the phone or via email. I would advise you to get a copy, either physically or digitally, of the test results in case they are needed for future reference. Timescales to receive results will vary but our hotel advised the following timescales:
07h-12h: By the night same day
12h-18h: By midday the following day
18h-23h59: By afternoon the following day
12h-07h: By afternoon the same day
These are guidelines but as a reference here's some examples:
Mine: Test taken at 21h, results received at 15h30 the following day
Others:
Test taken at 21h received at 08h the following day
Test received 'within 12 hours of the test swab taken'
The time you will spend in your room will vary but these timescales are all significantly shorter than ultra expensive rapid PCR tests in the UK.
Need guidance on how to apply for Thailand Pass? Watch my video below! Be sure to like and subscribe.
