CCSA admits some hotels are scamming Thailand Pass travellers
Some Thai hotels are deceiving foreign arrivals by letting them book a room without transport or Covid testing, then trying to sell them a new package on arrival. CCSA spokesperson Apisamai Srirangson says some hotels are deliberately only selling a room, whereas the Thailand Pass requirements stipulate that the package must include transportation from the airport to the hotel and PCR testing on arrival.
The Bangkok Post reports that when unsuspecting travellers arrive, they must then purchase a new package or risk being denied entry to the kingdom. Apisamai says some hotels that have deliberately misled tourists will then refuse to refund them if they cancel their reservation and book a Thailand Pass package at another property.
“Some hotels had the packages that included limousine and Covid-19 testing, but also allowed visitors to reserve only rooms and seek PCR testing themselves. This shows that such hotels intentionally deceived visitors. Visitors who were unaware of the requirement and bought incomplete packages later had to cancel their reservation and, in some cases, did not receive a refund.”
Thailand re-opened on November 1 with minimal quarantine for vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries. All arrivals must complete Thailand Pass registration, which replaces the much-criticised Certificate of Entry. Thailand Pass requires all international arrivals to have proof of being fully vaccinated, a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel, and US$50,000 in Covid-19 insurance coverage. They must also have transportation from the airport booked through their hotel and must undergo a second PCR test organised by the hotel.
Apisamai says participating hotels have been advised of all conditions pertaining to the Thailand Pass system and foreign arrivals who have not purchased a limousine service from the airport to their hotel, as well as a second PCR test, will be denied approval to enter the country.
For more information on how to get into Thailand during the pandemic, CLICK HERE.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
