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Anyone got into Thailand during the pandemic? Some quick questions.


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As title stated. I am travelling to Thailand on the 18th (I work there) after many months of work filling in paperwork and figuring out how to satisfy the varying whims of Thai immigration. I just recieved my covid test certificate and despite assurances it wouldn't happen, they sent the damn thing slightly too early (about 74 hours prior to my flight time). They didn't include the time on the certificate, but since my flight is at 21:25 in the evening the date on the certificate does seem to suggest it might have been issued outside of the 72 hour requirement.

 

Does anyone know if this might be an issue? Also, does anyone know if they confirm coronavirus test results by contacting the lab or using the test ID or something like that? If not then there are ways around the issue...

 

Finally, I guess it's worth checking that the important point is the date of issue of the certificate, not the date and time of the test. That's what it said on the UK Thai embassy website, so I have assumed it is correct, but I can't help but worry...

 

Thanks for your help.

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I think you would be ok and just made to have another test at your expense on arrival at ASQ.

When i came in from the Philippines in August,the plane was delayed 3 hours allowing Extra's on the flight without the correct paperwork.

And i doubt they would contact the lab to verify certificate. 

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27 minutes ago, TomLavin said:

Yeah this is my feeling as well. I have contacted many people and it seems to be the consensus. now I just have to wait approximately 48 hours to find out if it's true...

 

Thanks.

I think a negative test certificate issued not later than 72 hours prior to the departure is ok. 

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I think the requirement is the TEST date\time has to be no more than 72 hours before departure, not the certificate date. The certificate date is not what is checked so if your test was done more than 72 hours before departure you may very well get stopped from boarding. I don't think there is any wiggle room in that requirement. You may want to grab another test quickly if you can. I'm guessing you also have a fit to fly certificate also done within 72 hours of flying???? That's also part of the requirement. You may have read the regs incorrectly as that rule has always been no more than 72 hours for test and fit to fly.

Edited by Dan O
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The requirements on the Thai embassy page state explicitly that the certificate has to be 'issued', within 72 hours, but I have seen different locations saying different things. I'm trying to get another test just in case, if not we will have to try our luck.

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Will be good to hear an update.  I did see another report where a few hours too long was allowed at the airport, but I guess this will be at the discretion of the local officials, so perhaps risky, so if you can get another test, probably worth it.

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12 minutes ago, TomLavin said:

The requirements on the Thai embassy page state explicitly that the certificate has to be 'issued', within 72 hours, but I have seen different locations saying different things. I'm trying to get another test just in case, if not we will have to try our luck.

You may be reading it wrong. It clearly says the test and a separate fit to fly certificate both within 72 hours of departure. That has been the regulation since the beginning and has never changed: see below from the London Embassy Website:

 

 

3. Fit to Fly health certificate, issued within 72 hours before departure – this is a statement by a doctor that you are free from symptoms and fit to fly (must be separate from COVID test)

4. COVID-19 test result with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure

 

Edited by Dan O
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59 minutes ago, Dan O said:

I think the requirement is the TEST date\time has to be no more than 72 hours before departure, not the certificate date. The certificate date is not what is checked so if your test was done more than 72 hours before departure you may very well get stopped from boarding. I don't think there is any wiggle room in that requirement. You may want to grab another test quickly if you can. I'm guessing you also have a fit to fly certificate also done within 72 hours of flying???? That's also part of the requirement. You may have read the regs incorrectly as that rule has always been no more than 72 hours for test and fit to fly.

I think the clock starts at midnight beginning of the day, by the date on the certificate and is valid until midnight, ending third day. So if your outside this you may need another certificate, unless the time is clearly on your certificate you would count down from that time. 

I just helped 2 students return home to Thailand and that's how I figured it as the doctor never put the time on the certificate. 

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4 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

I think the clock starts at midnight beginning of the day, by the date on the certificate and is valid until midnight, ending third day. So if your outside this you may need another certificate, unless the time is clearly on your certificate you would count down from that time. 

I just helped 2 students return home to Thailand and that's how I figured it as the doctor never put the time on the certificate. 

But that could make it 95:59 hours, not the 72 hours as requested.

 

72 hours has nothing to do with midnight to midnight, it's the time from when the sample is taken ( not analysed ) until the time of your flight, that is your 72 hour window, i'd suspect no wiggle room and would not even take the risk of being outwith that window!

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20 hours ago, TomLavin said:

I've managed to get another test. Should be fine. I will post here what happens tomorrow...

 

Edit: Thanks for the help ????

My experience at LHR one month ago was that the level of scrutiny of the (many) docs was very low (although like so many other things in the process, this may change). My test was done at 3 pm 3 days before the flight, so strictly speaking 6 & a bit hours too early, & there was no issue. It's all ironic of course, as you'll be surrounded by Thais who don't need a test at all! However, you may have made a good decision to get a later test as it will mean you have one less thing to worry about; I, anyway, found the whole thing very stressful.....

Good luck.

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Yesterday I came back to Thailand coming from France:

 

- the Thai embassy in Paris told me clearly by email that "the requirement is that the Report date\time has to be no more than 72 hours before departure, not the sampling date". I suppose they do this because they know that it can be dfficult to take the test and get a MD to certify the result within 72 hrs of flight departure (my interpretation only). I do not know if other embassy have different requirements / require a sampling date <72 hrs.

 

- all your paperwork is carefully checked before departure and at arrival in BKK, I do not know if a test report 75 hrs old (for example) would still be accepted, however I would not take the chance.

 

- our departure was delayed because one passengers was refused access at boarding (after checking in: they had to unload his luggages), I suppose due to an issue with his documents, so clearly that can be the result of improper/missing paperwork.

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On 10/16/2020 at 8:55 PM, farmerjo said:

I think you would be ok and just made to have another test at your expense on arrival at ASQ.

When i came in from the Philippines in August,the plane was delayed 3 hours allowing Extra's on the flight without the correct paperwork.

And i doubt they would contact the lab to verify certificate. 

"and just made to have another test at your expense on arrival at ASQ."  and how much will that cost, about 8000Bt? I wonder what the profit margin is? Probably about 90%.

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On 10/17/2020 at 2:58 AM, Dan O said:

You may be reading it wrong. It clearly says the test and a separate fit to fly certificate both within 72 hours of departure. That has been the regulation since the beginning and has never changed: see below from the London Embassy Website:

 

 

3. Fit to Fly health certificate, issued within 72 hours before departure – this is a statement by a doctor that you are free from symptoms and fit to fly (must be separate from COVID test)

4. COVID-19 test result with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure

 

UK RTE specifically state "result issued within 72 hours of travel". My test was a Friday afternoon for travel on a Monday evening ( greater than 72 hours) but with result issued less than 72 hours before travel. This scenario was the norm on that flight, not the exception, pretty well publicised on the facebook site that we were sharing information on. Some embassies however were strict on testing within 72 hour before departure, so this really isn't a uniformly measured prerequisite and is dependant on the country and embassy that you are utilizing, UK was somewhat lenient.

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15 hours ago, TomLavin said:

Once in BKK it was extremely quick, with lots of staff pointing us ASQ-ers the way to go. Now in quarantine - this is where the fun begins...

...please enjoy your 14-day mandatory Buddhist Meditation Retreat, where guests are invited to experience 'monkey mind' and potentially find the root cause of their despair.

 

"Silent retreat is the opportunity to notice what keeps your attention at the surface, to be honest with yourself about what prevents you from falling into your innermost depth, and to practice surrender of the mind’s safety-seeking strategies while being held in the loving spaciousness of the “container” of the retreat itself."

 

Brought to you by the new Thailand Immigration Department

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Although the OP sorted his entry out already, I’d like to add one thing.  I flew Cathay Pacific out of LAX on the 21st. I asked the supervisor for Cathay what the 72 hours meant, and even after reading the rules, she didn’t know if test date or results date.  When prior to leaving I contacted the Thai Consulate in LA and was told the 72 hours was the date of the results, not the test.  As a high strung individual I played it safe and had both test and results within 72 hours.

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I had the same issue where my test certificate (sample collected on) was a little bit more than 72 hours but like Tom, I didn't take any chance and pay another 220$ test 48 hours before so both "collected/reported on" were within 48 hours.

 

The Canadian embassy did asked to forward the lab reports to them prior the departure (for references).

 

A lady right in front of me at the airport was refused boarding by the airline due to the timing, I couldn't hear too much but better be safe and pay extra.  Peace in mind.

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In Zurich (10-17) the discussion was different: your date and time taking the test is more than 72 hours before arrival in Bangkok. We agreed on departure date. Play safe and take the test within 72 hours before scheduled departure time.

 

Somebody was refused because on the fit-to-fly certicate, issued by a MD, "Fit-to-Fly" was hand written. He will try two weeks later.

 

Don't take any chances.

 

 

 

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