CCSA eyes stricter scheme to ensure visitors to Thailand tested, tracked
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday gave the go-ahead to the new Thailand Pass Hotel & Swab (TPHS) system, which will ensure all arrivals undergo their RT-PCR test for Covid-19 and their movements in Thailand can be tracked.
No date for the system’s official launch has been announced.
Under the current Test & Go scheme, new arrivals must take two RT-PCR tests – the first at a hotel on the day of landing and the second on the fifth day at a different hotel if necessary.
“Visitors who wish to enter Thailand must book both the RT-PCR tests along with two days in hotels,” CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said. “Under TPHS, hotels will be required to verify each Thailand Pass booking within 30 hours or visitors’ registration will be automatically rejected. This way they can ensure that guests have paid for both tests and hotel rooms before arriving.”
Once the booking of both tests and hotel rooms are verified, tourists can then proceed with registering for their Thailand Pass by entering details of the hotels they will stay in on the first and fifth days. The Department of Disease Control will then approve the registration within seven days.
Taweesin added that the Thailand Pass system will send data to the TPHS system every hour to ensure visitors’ information is updated regularly.
The CCSA said 151,774 foreigners have entered Thailand under the Test & Go scheme so far this year.