Tourism Operators Welcome Test & Go Despite Disappointment With Rule Changes

Thailand’s Test & Go entry program is now open for registration today and tourism operators are cautiously optimistic.  Businesses are uncertain about the extra requirements included in the revised Test & Go such as the necessity for an additional PCR test on day 5 that requires a second hotel stay until a negative result is received.  This is despite the fact that travelers are free to roam on days 2, 3, and 4 after being test negative on day 1.

The tourism industry has voiced frustration with the number of procedures required to comply with the CCSA’s latest guidelines. Thanet Supornsahasrungsi of  Chon Buri Tourism Council said that allowing each province to implement extra disease preventive measures creates confusion for both tourism businesses and foreign travelers.

“In addition to the on-and-off reopenings over the last few months, our guidelines are usually inconsistent. For instance, although the CCSA removed the prohibition on alcohol in restaurants in blue zone provinces late last year, infectious disease committees and provincial governors provide different orders depending on the situation.”

Thanet also highlights the efforts made by Chon Buri authorities to include the province in the sandbox program after the shutdown of Test & Go in late December. At first, only Phuket was authorized to run a sandbox entry system, a choice that irritated and perplexed neighboring provinces. By the time the government yielded, allowing Chon Buri and other provinces to be included in the Sandbox program, the reintroduction of Test & Go was a foregone conclusion, and the prior weeks’ efforts were mostly a waste of time.

Meanwhile, Krod Rojanastien, chairman of the Hua Hin sandbox program and president of the Thai Spa Association, has voiced frustration with the government’s indecisive approach to reopening.

“The Government should not continue its indecisive approach with the reopening program. If we want COVID-19 to become endemic, we need to begin learning to live with it.”

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Source: Bangkok Post