Originally Posted by GGLwannabe

I arrived in BKK yesterday lunch time when the airport was largely deserted. I had my Thai Pass etc. checked in one of the long walkways, then on to immigration where there were lots of free desks, then out to the baggage hall to find my suitcase was already on the belt. The Conrad car point was right outside the immigration exit, and I was in a limo en-route to the Conrad just minutes later. We went via Samitivej Hospital where I had the gentlest and shortest PCR test of the last 2 years, and 30 seconds later, I was on my way again, reaching the Conrad in very good time.

I had had paid extra to get my PCR test result super-fast, and just over 3 hours after checking in the front desk called to say I was negative.

30 minutes later I was in a taxi en-route to Don Mueang and Chiang Mai.

The whole arrival process is very well-organised now, but what's still holding most tourists back is the possibility of a positive PCR arrival test necessarily followed by 10 (?) days of compulsory quarantine in a hospital, or at best a hospitel. I didn't want that to happen to me, so had taken ATK tests on the 2 days prior to my flight, and again just an hour before checking in. Had any one of them been positive, I would have aborted the trip.

I think if the Thai authorities were to change to requiring just a negative PCR prior to departure, that would result in a huge increase in inbound tourism. I guess they know that too, so hopefully this will be the next step forward.