Yes this caught me first and later on I figured out and then changed the time.

We just performed the ATK tests and sent pictures of the negative results by email to our test&go hotel (which at least in the case of the Shangri La they kindly recommended). Did not yet hear back from them.

In NO case would we ever download the (non compulsory) Moochana tracking/phishing/data stealing app. Thailand is not championing data security and since I applied for the Thai pass I got several phising and spam emails related to the application. At least they warn about this . BTW: I did never download the EU data mining apps either.

Bangkok is empty, businesses are starving and people are running around OUTSIDE masked like chickens in the heath (completely useless if you then ride a crowded train with the same wet mask you touched a thousand times). Not exactly your holiday spot, guess the seaside would be better. At least they learned to be nice and accomodating. Promises for a good future which I wish to them!

Post Covid Thailand will definitely be a nice place choosing right your season and destination. No Russians / Chinese in sight either. Will treat ourselves to a weekend at the Centara Railway Hotel in Hua Hin: premium seafront deluxe room THB 4500 net per night including (room service) breakfast! The fuel for the car may cost more......

The Russians are normally not in BKK. I was there end of December and early this month too. The business is picking up and will pick up more because of the doing away of the day 5 PCR test. The biggest issue is if the tourist test positive and the quarantine for a longer period. Once and if they do away it or shorten the quarantine until you test inconclusive people will stay away.
Chinese will probably start end of the year and it is they who sustain the major part of the industry of Thailand. The government always make a mess of things and would eventually do the right thing with pressure from the industry.

Any testing upon arrival is a hindrance to tourism, a pre departure test is the maximum that the market tolerates. Wonder why most EU countries can do that and even suppressed the pre departure test for vaccinated travellers ?

About the Chinese, I love your optimism, BUT the Chinese communist party in charge does not want its people leaving the country. Anyway they sadly will be busy for a lomg time following the disastrous zero Covid policy.

Yes testing on arrival is the biggest hinderance to tourism in any country. As for the Chinese their tour operators have been told that they will be opening up for outbound travel by end of this year so they have already started to make bookings too.

Basically you could do the ATK test outside of you nostrals and submit 100% certainly negative result back (via email)?

You are so right. We have this excellent return ticket ARN AMS BKK with Klm in J for less than Eur 1.000. Due to fly end of April. We would love to go to BKK and Koh Samui again. I have no problems with testing before travelling. However the risk of testing positive on arrival is not acceptable. Unless this changes within the next weeks, we will cancel the trip. Feel very sorry for all the kind people whose income depends on tourism.

now it looks like the predeparture PCR test will be dropped first, while the PCR after arrival and day 5 ATK will still stay in place...
Pre-travel tests to be dropped (bangkokpost.com)

Well dear BinSabai, one must bee a fool to leave without predeparture PCR test and then risk to test positive on arrival going to hospitel jail or whatever.

Thai nationals already now can enter without predeparture test.

you are WRONG on this!

Thai nationals coming back through test & go or sandbox need a predeparture PCR test as well; they are only exempt from having an insurance!
on the other side, Thais who come back and serve quarantine, do NOT need a predeparture test

I would agree with the first point!

The positive rate on arrival of travelers from some origins were very high (up to 17%) a few weeks ago. Since then the pre-departure test is seen as not reliable by some Thai authorities. They don‘t care, that people from most of the countries (i.e. Russia) with that high numbers don‘t travel anymore. They also prefer to have the testing business in Thailand to having it in the countries of origin.

On the other hand without the need of a pre-departure test the positive rate on arrival will go up as the number in many Western countries are high and there will always be a lot of people who are inexperienced enough to travel to Thailand without getting tested before departure. And Thailand hasn‘t enough resources for PCR testing many more travelers.

I‘m quite sure, that they will change the test on arrival to an ATK test or that they will scrap it in the next months. And everyone who travels to Thailand should have an ATK test before departure as long as there are tests after arrival.

Oh that sounds much better - thanks

Do note though, that nothing is certain until the Garuda sings..

Yes, nothing is certain. But the odds are a lot higher since the DoH changed its mind a few weeks ago.