Latest entry requirement to Thailand

[dumpsterpurrs]

Your wish is granted!

Test & Go quarantine-free entry to resume Feb 1

Thailand will resume the

www.bangkokpost.com

SEE YOU IN THAILAND! Time to book flights!!!!
Now, among the hundreds of LOB in Thailand, how do I pick one? Should I plan and book everything in advance online before arrival? Or head over to Chalong Pier for last minute deals?

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Y'all! Please help! Is my plan below feasible?
Day 1: quarantine & PCR test in Phuket
Day 2-4: board a liveaboard from Phuket and return to Phuket (perhaps Hin Daeng + Hin Muang + Koh Haa etc)
Day 5: quarantine & PCR test in Phuket
Day 6 onward: board another liveaboard, dive dive dive... (Similan + Richielieu Rock + Surin + Koh Bon + Koh Tachai etc)

However, there's no direct flight from me to Phuket and I'll have to either transit in Bangkok or Singapore. Singapore isn't open to my passport. If I book everything on the same ticket, does the transit location matter?
If I transit in Bangkok, can I still do my Day 1 quarantine and test in Phuket or must I spend a night in Bangkok then return to the airport to fly to Phuket?
Do I book SHA hotels on pages like Agoda and crosscheck with the Thai gov's SHA list?
My passport typically doesn't require a visa to Thailand. I assume that remains unchanged? Several countries have suspended visa-free travel, but I don't think Thailand is among them.

Much thanks for all help! Two years at home and my brain's completely forgotten how to plan travel...

 

[Dan]

Do I book SHA hotels on pages like Agoda and crosscheck with the Thai gov's SHA list?

I used Agoda to book my SHA+ hotel stay & Thailand Pass accepted it. Make sure you submit the Agoda booking confirmation page only that looks like the attachment, below

I got the pass via Phuket Sandbox model, so I can't answer your test & go related questions.

 

[Barmaglot]

Now, among the hundreds of LOB in Thailand, how do I pick one? Should I plan and book everything in advance online before arrival? Or head over to Chalong Pier for last minute deals?

I'm not sure there are 'hundreds' of them to begin with, and there are definitely not hundreds of them running right now. I just did a week on the Smiling Seahorse, going from Koh Lipe in the south to Richelieu Rock in the north, and didn't see more than one or two other boats at any given location. MV Lapat ( Similan Seven Sea Club – Padi 5 Star Dive Resort ) was operating, as well as Sea Star Andaman ( SeaStar Andaman – Happy Journey ).
Me, having done a trip on the Smiling Seahorse in March last year, I'm not even considering any other boats anymore - I've done three more trips with them this season (one in November, another in December, just came back from the third in January and heading out for a fourth tomorrow). They're a bit on the pricier side, but since the owner is a photography enthusiast and the boat is custom-built, there is a large and well-appointed camera room, and they're the only operator in Thailand that I know of who run blackwater dives on a regular basis - at least one every trip, more when there's interest and opportunity (best area for blackwater is Koh Bon/Koh Tachai, and it needs reasonably calm weather); last trip we had two blackwater dives. If you're not familiar with blackwater, here are some shots from the last trip:

Y'all! Please help! Is my plan below feasible?
Day 1: quarantine & PCR test in Phuket
Day 2-4: board a liveaboard from Phuket and return to Phuket (perhaps Hin Daeng + Hin Muang + Koh Haa etc)
Day 5: quarantine & PCR test in Phuket
Day 6 onward: board another liveaboard, dive dive dive... (Similan + Richielieu Rock + Surin etc)

Don't make solid plans too far in advance as conditions are fluid and changing constantly. Thai government regulations change on a whim, liveaboards can easily cancel trips on account of not having enough customers, airlines may move flights, etc.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

I'm not sure there are 'hundreds' of them to begin with, and there are definitely not hundreds of them running right now. I just did a week on the Smiling Seahorse, going from Koh Lipe in the south to Richelieu Rock in the north, and didn't see more than one or two other boats at any given location. MV Lapat ( Similan Seven Sea Club – Padi 5 Star Dive Resort ) was operating, as well as Sea Star Andaman ( SeaStar Andaman – Happy Journey ).
Me, having done a trip on the Smiling Seahorse in March last year, I'm not even considering any other boats anymore - I've done three more trips with them this season (one in November, another in December, just came back from the third in January and heading out for a fourth tomorrow). They're a bit on the pricier side, but since the owner is a photography enthusiast and the boat is custom-built, there is a large and well-appointed camera room, and they're the only operator in Thailand that I know of who run blackwater dives on a regular basis - at least one every trip, more when there's interest and opportunity (best area for blackwater is Koh Bon/Koh Tachai, and it needs reasonably calm weather); last trip we had two blackwater dives. If you're not familiar with blackwater, here are some shots from the last trip:
Don't make solid plans too far in advance as conditions are fluid and changing constantly. Thai government regulations change on a whim, liveaboards can easily cancel trips on account of not having enough customers, airlines may move flights, etc.

Thanks for the tips! I'm def interested in black water diving. Let me see if I can make scheduling for Smiling Seahorse work. It might not be possible for this trip, though.

At the moment, I've found Gentle Giant 4D/3N Feb 11-14 to South Andaman for the first part of the trip before the second test, then The Junk 7D/6N Feb 15-21 to North Andaman for the second leg of the trip.

I'm very interested in the deep south trips all the way to Lipe too. If I can find a long deep South LOB for the second part, I can switch to dive North Andaman first, but that would limit North Andaman to only 4D/3N.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

I used Agoda to book my SHA+ hotel stay & Thailand Pass accepted it. Make sure you submit the Agoda booking confirmation page only that looks like the attachment, below

I got the pass via Phuket Sandbox model, so I can't answer your test & go related questions.

Will you still need to spend 7 days in quarantine? It means you'll be out on Feb 11, maybe we can meet on the Gentle Giant ^^

 

[Barmaglot]

I'm very interested in the deep south trips all the way to Lipe too. If I can find a long deep South LOB for the second part, I can switch to dive North Andaman first, but that would limit North Andaman to only 4D/3N.

Having done the Koh Lipe area from a liveaboard twice now, I'm not convinced it's a good idea. There are some lovely dive sites down there, but the conditions are extremely variable; from calm to ripping current, and from clear water to green murk where you can barely see your buddy. I'm making tentative plans to come back next season and sit on Koh Lipe for a month or so, using day boats/speedboats to dive when and where the conditions are favorable at that specific moment.

Will you still need to spend 7 days in quarantine?

Sandbox is not quarantine - I've done both, I know the difference In sandbox, you're free to go around Phuket, including daily dive boats (but not liveaboards) - all you need is to stay within the boundaries of Phuket province and check in with reception at your hotel once a day. In quarantine (which you have to do if you're not vaccinated) you're confined to your room 24/7, no human contact, your meals are brought to you three times a day and left outside the room in the hallway.

 

[Dan]

Will you still need to spend 7 days in quarantine? It means you'll be out on Feb 11, maybe we can meet on the Gentle Giant ^^

Unfortunately yes. I applied the Thailand Pass / Phuket Sandbox model (two weeks ago) before this Test & Go model is available. At the time there was only the Phuket Sandbox, due to the concern of what Omicron wave would do to Thailand. I guess now they have enough data saying that they can handle this Omicron wave and reinstating the Test & Go model. It'll be too late for me to reapply for Test & Go model as my trip is only 12 days away.

As @Barmaglot says, it's not a quarantine. Thanks for your offer to meet on the Gentle Giant. Unfortunately I'll be on a private diving yacht from Feb 10 to Mar 3. We'll be visiting Similan, Surin, Richelieu Rock too, so may be we can meet somewhere out there. I'll tell the captain to be on the look out for Gentle Giant and The Junk and wave at you. Vice Versa, you can be on the look out of MY Agnes and wave to us.

Make sure you give 2 weeks time for getting your Test & Go Thailand Pass as the Thai government is slow in approving your application and sending you the QR code.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Having done the Koh Lipe area from a liveaboard twice now, I'm not convinced it's a good idea. There are some lovely dive sites down there, but the conditions are extremely variable; from calm to ripping current, and from clear water to green murk where you can barely see your buddy. I'm making tentative plans to come back next season and sit on Koh Lipe for a month or so, using day boats/speedboats to dive when and where the conditions are favorable at that specific moment.


Sandbox is not quarantine - I've done both, I know the difference In sandbox, you're free to go around Phuket, including daily dive boats (but not liveaboards) - all you need is to stay within the boundaries of Phuket province and check in with reception at your hotel once a day. In quarantine (which you have to do if you're not vaccinated) you're confined to your room 24/7, no human contact, your meals are brought to you three times a day and left outside the room in the hallway.

Good to know! I'll sneak in some local Phuket dives and stick with Gentle Giant + The Junk for this trip.

Unfortunately yes. I applied the Thailand Pass / Phuket Sandbox model (two weeks ago) before this Test & Go model is available. At the time there was only the Phuket Sandbox, due to the concern of what Omicron wave would do to Thailand. I guess now they have enough data saying that they can handle this Omicron wave and reinstating the Test & Go model. It'll be too late for me to reapply for Test & Go model as my trip is only 12 days away.

As @Barmaglot says, it's not a quarantine. Thanks for your offer to meet on the Gentle Giant. Unfortunately I'll be on a private diving yacht from Feb 10 to Mar 3. We'll be visiting Similan, Surin, Richelieu Rock too, so may be we can meet somewhere out there. I'll tell the captain to be on the look out for Gentle Giaant and wave at you.

Make sure you give 2 weeks time for getting your Test & Go Thailand Pass as the Thai government is slow in approving your application and sending you the QR code.

Apparently you still can't apply for Test & Go right now. It's not clear if they plan to reopen the application only on Feb 1 or before. Your plan sounds amazing! I'd love to spend a month on a diving yacht too!

I'm SO EXCITED for us! It's been too long (for me. I remember reading about your many adventures over the last two years. Def inspired me to say eff it and dive as much as I can now, screw budgets and moderation...
)

 

[Dan]

@dumpsterpurrs I’ll show my Captain your Gentle Giant and The Junk itineraries and see if we can cross path & say hi.

Be on the lookout for this yacht, MY Agnes