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I am about to apply for a COE as a spouse to travel from the UK. I have an O/A visa.

Has any UK members arrived recently? Were you able to use the NHS covid test to check in at the airport? Or is it safer to pay for a test to avoid risk of delays?

Also, is Emirates the only airline allowed? I have seen different info so would like to be sure.

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The NHS drive though testing does not provide you with a certificate. 

In many cases, it doesn’t provide you with a result unless you are contacted because you are Covid-19 positive. 

I was tested in a hospital in the UK - I never received the result. I was told the assumption is ‘Covid-19 negative unless contacted and told otherwise’.

 

You will have to be tested at a private health facility to obtain your Covid-19 Negative Certificate. 

Ensure you take a Covid-19 RT PCR Test (throat and nasal swab) and not an antibody test (blood test) which lots of facilities also offer.

 

You will also need a Fit to Fly certificate which you should be able to get at the same facility. 

 

Run a Google search for the nearest private health facility to do your test.

Call them and ensure they can do the test within the time frame. 

 

I used Midlandhealth which is in Birmingham https://midlandhealth.co.uk

 

If you let the forum know where you are, someone else may have a good experience of a facility near you. 

 

-------

 

Flights: 

Either Embassy allocated flights (I flew on a repatriation flight in July, receiving my Eva Air ticket via the Embassy, others have gone with Thai Airways on a repatriation flight). 

 

A number of Posters have also pointed out that for the past month (3 weeks?) CoE has been approved when flying on Emirates flights. 

 

I’m not sure if other passenger travel into Thailand is permitted with other Airlines at the moment, the Emergency Decree has been extended. 

 

It's best to contact the Thai Embassy in the UK and confirm this. 

 

 

 

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The reply from Richard Smith is correct. In fact, you are not allowed to do the free NHS test for travel or business purposes.

 

Emirates insist on a Fit to Fly certificate which the NHS do not provide. Emirates will also not accept a home PCR test.

There are clinics who do the walk in PCR test and issue the certificate. Vivo and Nomad being two more centres. Cost is around GBP150 and advance booking essential.

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5 minutes ago, Rhacsyn said:

The reply from Richard Smith is correct. In fact, you are not allowed to do the free NHS test for travel or business purposes.

 

Emirates insist on a Fit to Fly certificate which the NHS do not provide. Emirates will also not accept a home PCR test.

There are clinics who do the walk in PCR test and issue the certificate. Vivo and Nomad being two more centres. Cost is around GBP150 and advance booking essential.

Richard is always correct.

 

But why fly with Emirates or Qatar Airways when other airlines like Lufthansa do not require the PCR test?

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2 minutes ago, Logosone said:

 

 

But why fly with Emirates or Qatar Airways when other airlines like Lufthansa do not require the PCR test?

It is required for the COE and you cannot board a flight for Thailand or enter the country without a COE

 

(Even if Lufthansa is now allowed to have commercial flights into Thailand, which if so is the first I have heard of it)

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1 minute ago, Logosone said:

Richard is always correct.

 

But why fly with Emirates or Qatar Airways when other airlines like Lufthansa do not require the PCR test?

 

Thats interesting [Lufthansa not requiring the pre-flight PCR test] - how does that impact entry to Thailand?

 

Do the officers checking our paperwork on arrival not also look for the Covid-19 PCR test result?

 

I don’t recall which documentation was given specific attention. 

 

My Covid-19 PCR test was actually 4 days old by the time I’d landed, I had to take another Covid-19 test on arrival at the ASQ hotel. 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It is required for the COE and you cannot board a flight for Thailand or enter the country without a COE

 

(Even if Lufthansa is now allowed to have commercial flights into Thailand, which if so is the first I have heard of it)

 

That's not quite correct Sheryl. 

 

The Thai Embassies do not require the Fit to Fly Certificate or Covid-19 Negative certificate before issuing the Certificate of Entry. The reasons being that the timeline is too fine. 

 

Thus: Meeting the entry requirements (i.e. Spouse / parent of a Thai National), with >US$100,000 Insurance (covering Covid-19), a Valid Non-Immigrant Visa, a Flight ticket and ASQ booking the Embassy will issue the Certificate of Entry. 

 

The Fit to Fly Certificate and Covid-19 Negative Certificate must be shown upon Checkin at the Airline counter - travel will be refused (by the airline) without this document. 

 

 

Edited by richard_smith237
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10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It is required for the COE and you cannot board a flight for Thailand or enter the country without a COE

 

(Even if Lufthansa is now allowed to have commercial flights into Thailand, which if so is the first I have heard of it)

I was really referring to flights out of Thailand, as I am already in Thailand and thus do not need a COE.

 

Lufthansa itself continues to operate commercial flights out of Thailand, so you'd think they have to fly in. But in any event they do not use their own planes, but partner arrangements with Swiss Air and Austrian airlines.

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11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thats interesting [Lufthansa not requiring the pre-flight PCR test] - how does that impact entry to Thailand?

 

Do the officers checking our paperwork on arrival not also look for the Covid-19 PCR test result?

 

I don’t recall which documentation was given specific attention. 

 

My Covid-19 PCR test was actually 4 days old by the time I’d landed, I had to take another Covid-19 test on arrival at the ASQ hotel. 

 

 

I called Lufthansa in Singapore, as their Bangkok office, as expected simply did not pick up and was useless.

 

They assured me no PCR test is required for flights leaving Thailand to Germany. Presumably if you need a COE you can do your PCR test but I suspect Lufthansa themselves will not require it.

 

Situation in Germany is a bit different as they classify Thailand a low risk country and thus I do not need to take any test when I enter Germany.

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6 minutes ago, Logosone said:

I was really referring to flights out of Thailand, as I am already in Thailand and thus do not need a COE.

 

Lufthansa itself continues to operate commercial flights out of Thailand, so you'd think they have to fly in. But in any event they do not use their own planes, but partner arrangements with Swiss Air and Austrian airlines.

There are several airlines flying out of Thailand every week other than Lufthansa,like KLM,Qatar Airways,Eva Air,Finnair and Emirates. I have not heard that Qatar Airways asks for a negative covid-19 test prior to departure, but Emirates does. 

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6 minutes ago, Logosone said:

I called Lufthansa in Singapore, as their Bangkok office, as expected simply did not pick up and was useless.

 

They assured me no PCR test is required for flights leaving Thailand to Germany. Presumably if you need a COE you can do your PCR test but I suspect Lufthansa themselves will not require it.

 

Situation in Germany is a bit different as they classify Thailand a low risk country and thus I do not need to take any test when I enter Germany.

You've muddied the waters and spun off on quite some tangent there Logosone !!!

 

The Op is referring to Covid-19 Tests required for boarding a flight to Thailand (not from Thailand). 

 

The Certificate of Entry is solely an ‘Entry into Thailand’ thing - a requirement under Thailands Emergency Decree. 

There is no such ‘certificate’ requirement to enter European Countries. 

 

 

To clarify: Are there even any ‘Lufthansa Passenger flights’ into Thailand at the moment ?

 

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Logosone said:

I was really referring to flights out of Thailand, as I am already in Thailand and thus do not need a COE.

 

Lufthansa itself continues to operate commercial flights out of Thailand, so you'd think they have to fly in. But in any event they do not use their own planes, but partner arrangements with Swiss Air and Austrian airlines.

The discussion was about flying into Thailand, for which COVID test is required.

 

There is no requirement for it to fly out unless the specific airline has one.

 

Until recently there were no inbound commercial passenger flights allowed, only charted repatriation flights. Emirates was recently allowed to start flying. I don't think Lufthansa has been..

 

Many airlines fly in with cargo (or passengers in transit) then take passengers going out.

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7 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

There are several airlines flying out of Thailand every week other than Lufthansa,like KLM,Qatar Airways,Eva Air,Finnair and Emirates. I have not heard that Qatar Airways asks for a negative covid-19 test prior to departure, but Emirates does. 

Qatar Airways actually do require the PCR test.

 

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Op is referring to Covid-19 Tests required for boarding a flight to Thailand (not from Thailand). 

 

The Certificate of Entry is solely an ‘Entry into Thailand’ thing - a requirement under Thailands Emergency Decree. 

There is no such ‘certificate’ requirement to enter European Countries. 

 

Believe it or not Richard, I am aware of that.

 

Lufthansa do allow you to book flights from Frankfurt to Bangkok on their website, you can have  look. Whether those are real flights they will honour is anyone's guess. Like I said though, they definitely fly out of Thailand so you would think they also sell flights into Thailand, since they have to come in anyway.

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5 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The discussion was about flying into Thailand, for which COVID test is required.

 

There is no requirement for it to fly out unless the specific airline has one.

 

Until recently there were no inbound commercial passenger flights allowed, only charted repatriation flights. Emirates was recently allowed to start flying. I don't think Lufthansa has been..

 

Many airlines fly in with cargo (or passengers in transit) then take passengers going out.

There is a requirement for a Covid PCR test IF you fly out with Qatar Airways and Emirates, who require it.

 

You can check on the Lufthansa website, they sell flights from Frankfurt to Bangkok. A bit strange if they only do cargo flights. I suspect those flights are for people allowed to travel in, such as Thai nationals, spouses of Thai nationals, parents of Thai children, etc.

Edited by Logosone
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Just now, Logosone said:

There is a requirement for a Covid PCR test IF you fly out with Qatar Airways and Emirates, who require it.

 

You can check on the Lufthansa website, they sell flights from Frankfurt to Bangkok. A bit strange if they only do cargo flights. I suspect those flights are for people allowed to travel in, such as Thai nationals, spouses of Thai nationals, parents of Thai children, etc.

 

unless something has changed very recently I doubt it. As far as I know people in such categories must fly on a repatriation flight or Emirates.

 

Many airlines list flights into Thailand on their websites and even sell tickets but then cancel. Don't go by online websites.

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3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

unless something has changed very recently I doubt it. As far as I know people in such categories must fly on a repatriation flight or Emirates.

The embassy in London is now showing these airlines that can used.

EVA Air, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines

Source: https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/application-for-certificate-of-entry-to-thailand-for-non-thai-nationa?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

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