Thailand

Thailand wants incoming travellers to download tracking app before arrival

Published

2 weeks ago

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Ann Carter

Thailand wants incoming travellers to download tracking app before arrival | Thaiger

Stock photo via Piqsels

Thailand is wanting incoming travellers to download its pandemic health tracking app before arriving in order to streamline safety procedures for its upcoming reopening. The request come along with a list of others including proof of a negative Covid test and the mandatory time needed to be spent in quarantine.

Thai officials say potential tourists should pre-register for their visits using Thailand Plus, which is a special Covid-19 tracker app that can be downloaded on both Android and iOS devices (App Store or Google Play). To register, you can use your Certificate of Entry. The app will use QR codes to help you gain access to certain areas such as department stores and shops.

The app will track your location using your phone’s bluetooth and GPS technologies. It will also use these to alert authorities if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. Despite privacy concerns, the app’s developers say your location is confidential and can only be seen by the Department of Disease Control and Health Ministry.

Aside from registering on Thailand Plus, incoming travellers also need to follow certain steps in order to arrive legally. Those steps include undergoing a RT-PCR test on certain days during their quarantine periods. Travellers must also have the necessary documents required to enter the Kingdom.

Documents include:

• A valid visa or re-entry permit (unless you are listed under the visa-free countries)

• A Certificate of Entry issued by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate

• A Covid-19 health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of US$100,000

• Confirmation of an Alternative State Quarantine hotel booking

• A medical certificate with a RT-PCR laboratory result indicating that Covid-19 is not detected and issued no more than 72 hours before departure.

Thailand is also allowing those who are vaccinated undergo a shortened quarantine time of 7 days, down from the previous time of 14 days. Along with all other documentation, inoculated travellers must show proof along with registering at Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health.

SOURCE: The Star

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News Categories: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Thailand

14 Comments

zig

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 2:32 pm

I have 2 phones…they can have their tracking app on the one phone that will sit idle in my apartment all day

Reply
J West

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 3:03 pm

We pray that tracking solves the security problems that plague other countries. Passengers get on planes negative and magically arrive Covid positive. It’s happening in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, Delhi, UAE, Quatar etc etc. Flights from Delhi to Canada have been found entirely infected with false certificate holders. Let’s hope every passenger deplaning in Thailand are more honest than the thousands who have flown elsewhere on false documents.

Reply
luca

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 3:26 pm

I don’t think these measures are acceptable for going on vacation, also because Thailand’s high scam rate will cause a thousand problems for those who want to follow all these rules, at this point after being closed for more than a year and containing the pandemic it is not possible to do anything else, the only hope is mass vaccination, maybe in 2022

Reply
Chupapi

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 3:27 pm

There are 3 apps to monitor potential contacts for covid, Thailandplus, Thaichana (which is the one I regularly use), and Morchana. Why don’t they make a single one for all purposes? It’s so annoying and confusing

Reply
AC

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Honestly, who would like to come to Thailand in such unbelievable and expensive restrictions ?

Reply
Nate Dogg

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 4:21 pm

Big Brother is watching You

Reply
B.T.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 5:15 pm

I arrived on 3 April.Hve this app and nobody ask for that. They ask for quarantine booking hard copy despite you have it printed on COE.

Reply
Bill

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 5:20 pm

so not worth it, see ya next year Thailand.

Reply
Willem

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 5:36 pm

This is not new. For many weeks it is demanded for all entering Thailand.

Reply
Joseph

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 7:40 pm

Extracted from the reported news above. “If Singapore agrees to run the scheme with Thailand as well, we would probably be able to receive tourists from Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Singaporeans.” This is so obvious. Thailand’s basically targeting on travellers from Australia and New Zealand, rather than Singapore travellers. In fact, Singapore is just like a pawn to Thailand or acts as a direct channel to reach travellers from Australia and New Zealand. As you have already noticed, Thailand is well-known for racism and race stereotyping. All they care about are those Caucasians. They love Caucasians to the core. Making use of Singapore is a kind of immature act. Cease being racist and stereotypical against Non-Caucasians.

Reply
Amy Sukwan

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 8:41 pm

My husband supposedly owes money for failure to report into the Mor Chana app. He assures me it’s some sort of mix up. His phones and guns were lost in a tragic boating accident.

Reply
toby andrews

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:18 pm

You are right Luca.
You can follow the rules but Thailand’s high scam rate will cause a thousand problems.

Reply
Ding dings galore

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:37 pm

I found that a quick mai-pen-rai coupled with a stern facial expression put that “directive” to rest quite rapidly. 😉

Reply
7.62mm of darwin

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 5:07 am

I dont even own one of these phone tablet things just a mobile el cheapo that I can ring up then switch off, It is left in the car in for emergencies in oz and in my luggage when I visit Thailand which I now cannot and would not with all these obstacles, what I do carry is cash but you dont seem to want that now and as a Junta member sees me as a filthy farang you dont want me either.

Reply

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Ann Carter

Ann Carter is an award-winning journalist from the United States with over 12 years experience in print and broadcast news. Her work has been featured in America, China and Thailand as she has worked internationally at major news stations as a writer and producer. Carter graduated from the Walter Williams Missouri School of Journalism in the USA.

Phuket

Expats condemn Phuket’s “xenophobic” rapid-test payment policy

Published

11 hours ago

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Maya Taylor

Expats condemn Phuket’s “xenophobic” rapid-test payment policy | Thaiger

PHOTO: Flickr / dronepicr

Expats living in Thailand are up in arms after Phuket officials confirmed that foreigners arriving on the island would have to pay for a rapid Covid-19 test that is free for Thais. The testing requirement is part of new restrictions now in force to combat the spread of the virus. However, it is not the cost of the test – 500 baht – that has angered so many expats, but the fact that officials see nothing wrong with charging people based on their nationality.

On Monday it was announced that EVERYONE arriving in Phuket would have to pay 300 baht if they needed the ‘rapid covid test’. But that was amended the next day. Now we have the latest example of 2-tier pricing in Thailand (below).

The news was shared by travel blogger Richard Barrow on his Facebook page and has so far generated over 430 comments (and still growing), most of them furious…

“Unbelievable. I know Thailand is xenophobic, but for the authorities to do that is an absolute disgrace. They can piss off. I’ll take my business elsewhere in future.”

“I pay Thai taxes, I have for 16 years! am happy to bring my money elsewhere then!”

“Phuketians: “Tourists please come back.” Also Phuketians: “500b khap.”

It was not just foreigners commenting however, with at least one Thai person condemning the policy…

“I feel so so ashamed of how my country (or its government) so desperately wants more money to continue their corruption. Any possible ways they can rip you off – they will do shamelessly.”

Effective yesterday, anyone flying in to Phuket from elsewhere in the country must take a rapid Covid-19 test, unless they have taken a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours or can prove they’ve received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. With less than 1% of the country vaccinated – almost none of them foreigners – the second requirement is unlikely to be met by many.

Foreigners who have to take the rapid test, regardless of whether they are tax-paying work permit holders or retirees contributing to the economy, long-term residents or married to a Thai, will have to pay 500 baht. For Thais, it is free. The focus of expat anger is not the cost, but the principle, which is being roundly condemned as xenophobic.

Foreigners employed in the Kingdom in particular, are angered, given that they have been paying tax for years and have social security coverage. In response, Phuket health officials have issued an “explanation” – that manages to explain very little.

Expats condemn Phuket’s “xenophobic” rapid-test payment policy | News by Thaiger

Meanwhile, while the new restrictions apply to everyone arriving by air, for those arriving by road, only people coming from the high-risk “red” provinces need to meet the entry requirements.

And, just as a footnote, if your rapid covid test conducted by airport officials happens to come back positive you will be whisked away to a Phuket field hospital for a 14 day stay.

Expats condemn Phuket’s “xenophobic” rapid-test payment policy | News by Thaiger SOURCE: TPN

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

No one answered PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s calls to Covid-19 hotlines

Published

13 hours ago

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Thaiger

Photo via Wikimedia

No one answered PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s calls to the country’s Covid-19 hotlines. The prime minister is now ordering more staff to work for both the 1668 and 1669 Covid-19 hotlines to make sure calls don’t go unanswered. There is now an official LINE account primarily for Covid-19 patients requesting hospital beds after the hotlines were “overwhelmed” with callers, a spokesperson said.

After both of his calls to the hotlines went unanswered, Prayut says he wants to look into how the hotlines are managed.

“I tried both numbers, but nobody answered. I want to find out if this is because there are too few health personnel manning the lines, or if they are too busy tending to patients in hospitals.”

With the recent wave of infections at a record high with more than 18,000 active cases, more than doubling the last wave’s peak, hospitals have turned down Covid patients due to a shortage of beds. Recent reports say some Covid patients have been denied a ride in an ambulance. Prayut says he wants both problems to be dealt with immediately.

“I want the Public Health Ministry to urgently deal with this problem. I can’t accept the fact that entire families are getting infected because they are being denied medical help.”

A spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said at a recent press conference that there are thousands of calls made to the 2 hotline numbers and not enough people to answer.

Covid-19 patients seeking a hospital bed can send a LINE message to @sabaideebot with their name, lab results, ID number, telephone number and address.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Covid UPDATE: 1,470 new Covid-19 infections, 7 deaths, provincial totals

Published

13 hours ago

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Thaiger

Photo via Facebook/ศูนย์ข้อมูล COVID-19

1,470 new Covid-19 infections and 7 deaths were reported today by the CCSA. 446 new cases are in Bangkok which remains the hotzone of new infections, although the latest outbreak has now spread to most Thai provinces. Out of the 7 deaths, one was a 24 year old Thai woman with a history of visiting an entertainment venue in the southern province Surat Thani where other Covid-19 infections were reported.

The young woman’s death is a rare case as the vast majority of Covid-related deaths in Thailand are the elderly or older adults with pre-existing conditions. Health officials say the woman suffered from obesity and died 3 days after testing positive for the virus. At present, there are 18,148 patients in state care… 14,555 in hospitals and 3,593 in field hospitals.

Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 48,113 Covid-19 infections and 117 coronavirus-related deaths.

The other Covid-related fatalities include…

68 year old Thai woman with pre-existing conditions of asthma
83 year old man from Bangkok with pre-existing conditions of high blood pressure
80 year old woman with pre-existing conditions of diabetes
45 year old woman in Bangkok with high blood pressure
59 year old man in Bangkok with pre-existing conditions of diabetes
86 year old man in Bangkok with pre-existing conditions of heart disease

Here are the provincial totals for today, as published by the NBT…

Covid UPDATE: 1,470 new Covid-19 infections, 7 deaths, provincial totals | News by Thaiger