Wanderer
Surin Dinosaur
I returned to UK 2 days ago. I can't say it was easy but I did it. There were good things and ridiculous things associated with doing it and I post a list as reference and info for anyone else needing to do similar.
1) Before leaving:-
(i) Re-entry permit from Surin Immigration to get back into Thailand later in the year without going near the UK Thai Embassy - took time but no problem - 1900 THB single entry.
(ii) Thai 1,000,000 THB Covid Insurance for return to Thailand - I didn't have this previously and was too old to get Thai Insurance company cover, therefore wasted £800 on a French policy that nobody looked at just to get back from UK last October. Companies like Roojai have now insisted residence in Thailand for 6 months before they will give this insurance, with a reasonable annual premium of 850 THB. Roojai apparently changed their rules yet again a couple of day before I left, and would only give me a reduced insurance for 350 THB which is useless. Fortunately through Bolttech Insurance Co broker I got it very straightforwardly on line (actual insurance company is Dhipaya Insurance). They quote age limits of 1-99 years for it. Cost 850 THB. This 6 months rule was one reason why I had delayed going back to UK until now.
(iii) Negative covid test within 72 hours of flying required to get into UK - had arranged to do in Surin, both public and private hospital said would do - test early morning, send sample to Bangkok, return result next day by email (with English), therefore I could print off a copy and travel direct to Bangkok airport. Now local hospitals have changed the rules and will only do a covid test for emergency cases, not for travellers. The reason being that they want to conserve sampling material stocks in case of big emergencies. (??) Bangkok Hospital Korat also refused. No help or guidance was forthcoming.
Via VFS Global I got a test done by one of their contracted laboratories in Bangkok, but they could not promise a 24-hour result as everyone busy and more likely 48 hours for a result. Therefore I booked 3 nights in a hotel in Bangkapi near the testing company. Covid test carried out at my hotel, hard copy results by courier back to hotel. Cost 3000 THB.
(iv) The Pantip Hotel Ladprao was ok - 80% off normal price via Agoda - £45 for 3 nights including breakfast (!!) in a busy area of Bangkok but the large hotel was virtually empty of customers. Very difficult for them. Breakfast was not the advertised buffet - on all 3 mornings I was the only person there, which meant put one's head round the kitchen door and agree to have American breakfast cooked for me. It was acceptable. No evening restaurant but room service orders up to 7.00pm and the Thai food quality was good.
(v) The negative covid test result was emailed to me within 10 hours of the test, and hard copy delivered early next morning. If I had only known that would happen I would have booked a flight 36 hours earlier. Also, it meant that the 72 hours were very nearly up when I got on my transfer flight in Europe. Some things one can't bargain for and I couldn't believe that one. Having a hard copy was important.
(vi) Flights to UK - the one remaining direct flight is the Sundays only Thai "repatriation" flight designed to bring Thais back from London. Leaves Bangkok 03.55am, poor Covid standards, no flexible ticket, costs more than other airlines. They still owe me for their previous cancelled flight and I was never going to use Thai Airways.
Skyscanner info showed regular morning flights Finnair via Helsinki, early evening flights Singapore Airways via Singapore, and near midnight flights KLM via Amsterdam. Prices well below the Thai figure and flexible for changing. To be safe with getting the Covid test results I booked KLM, via Amsterdam. Warning - the prices quoted by Skyscanner are for HAND BAGGAGE only, which for international flights is plain ridiculous and they don't make that clear. Best to use the KLM or other airline own website for booking where all this is clear and using an agent for a slightly lower price was a big mistake for me last year. Ticket flexibility is also compromised.
(vii) The Passenger Locator Form for entry into UK has to be done ON-LINE and within 48 hours of departure. It requires details of confirmation of having taken a covid test, where you will 11-day quarantine on arrival (i.e. at home for me), reference data for 2 and 8 day covid tests already pre-booked through a UK company etc, etc. A 3-page form - I copied it on to a memory stick and got the hotel to give me a hard copy - that proved to be necessary. These 3 pages got checked in detail.
(viii) The hotel also printed hard copy boarding cards for my 2 flights
2) The Flights:-
(i) I got to the airport early. Very few people and 75% of the landside restaurants and shops closed. Thankfully I bought a meal at one of those restaurants.
(ii) Paperwork checked in detail at check-in, but I didn't have any problems through to airside.
(iii) Airside at the airport was totally depressing with virtually everything closed and boarded up, including most toilets as well as shops and restaurants. The only restaurant open was Mango Tree and it was full. Apart from a couple of souvenir shops, there was only Boots pharmacy and that was the only place to buy a bottle of water to take on the flight.
(iv) The flight was half empty, older than usual aeroplane. Good crew but truly dreadful no choice, vegetarian only, food. The WORST I ever had on an international flight and Covid can't be blamed for that. Electronics on the entertainment screen also not working correctly. I won't use KLM again.
(v) Schipol airport transfer was ok. My paperwork was checked in minute detail, with some laughter as to why my 72-hour covid test limit was nearly up. The flight was full, with middle seats left empty, a few young Thais dressed in full protective plastic covering, some white Brits, but mostly guys of African/Caribbean origin returning into UK. I haven't worked out why that should be. The coconut macaroon and cup of coffee on the flight were the best KLM food
3) Heathrow:-
(i) Row by row slow exiting of the plane, a very long walk through a very quiet airport to a long queue at immigration. No signs or people to give information but it eventually emerged that this was for people from red list countries only !!!! So then a dash and scramble to the main immigration lines - took about 45 minutes to get through, so not as bad as said in the newspapers.
Europeans given the same facilities as Brits even though we are not now getting remotely the same from them. !!
Paperwork checked in full detail again. Hard copies were a very good thing !!. People relying on telephone apps were having much more difficulty.
4) Home, so far:-
(i) I stocked up with food after collecting my car. My 2 and 8 day Covid testing kits had already been delivered.
(ii) NHS have checked up on me both yesterday and today by telephone !! I am surprised by the detailed questioning and checking, but it is a good thing.
I did my 2-day check today and delivered the sealed package into a "priority posting box". There is an on-line list of these selected post boxes, with collections even on Sunday, specifically for the covid testing packs. It is allowed for me to go out to do this as it qualifies as an "emergency" purpose.
I hope all that is of use for future reference.
I will do an update on the covid test result reporting procedure.
All this depends on Thailand not being put in a red zone for travel to UK. If it was it would mean quarantine in a UK hotel and much greater interrogation on arrival.
As regards Europe/Schengen agreement entrance rules then at this moment in time it appears that travellers from Thailand are not required to provide much at all.
Not like trying to travel from UK into Europe !!!!!
1) Before leaving:-
(i) Re-entry permit from Surin Immigration to get back into Thailand later in the year without going near the UK Thai Embassy - took time but no problem - 1900 THB single entry.
(ii) Thai 1,000,000 THB Covid Insurance for return to Thailand - I didn't have this previously and was too old to get Thai Insurance company cover, therefore wasted £800 on a French policy that nobody looked at just to get back from UK last October. Companies like Roojai have now insisted residence in Thailand for 6 months before they will give this insurance, with a reasonable annual premium of 850 THB. Roojai apparently changed their rules yet again a couple of day before I left, and would only give me a reduced insurance for 350 THB which is useless. Fortunately through Bolttech Insurance Co broker I got it very straightforwardly on line (actual insurance company is Dhipaya Insurance). They quote age limits of 1-99 years for it. Cost 850 THB. This 6 months rule was one reason why I had delayed going back to UK until now.
(iii) Negative covid test within 72 hours of flying required to get into UK - had arranged to do in Surin, both public and private hospital said would do - test early morning, send sample to Bangkok, return result next day by email (with English), therefore I could print off a copy and travel direct to Bangkok airport. Now local hospitals have changed the rules and will only do a covid test for emergency cases, not for travellers. The reason being that they want to conserve sampling material stocks in case of big emergencies. (??) Bangkok Hospital Korat also refused. No help or guidance was forthcoming.
Via VFS Global I got a test done by one of their contracted laboratories in Bangkok, but they could not promise a 24-hour result as everyone busy and more likely 48 hours for a result. Therefore I booked 3 nights in a hotel in Bangkapi near the testing company. Covid test carried out at my hotel, hard copy results by courier back to hotel. Cost 3000 THB.
(iv) The Pantip Hotel Ladprao was ok - 80% off normal price via Agoda - £45 for 3 nights including breakfast (!!) in a busy area of Bangkok but the large hotel was virtually empty of customers. Very difficult for them. Breakfast was not the advertised buffet - on all 3 mornings I was the only person there, which meant put one's head round the kitchen door and agree to have American breakfast cooked for me. It was acceptable. No evening restaurant but room service orders up to 7.00pm and the Thai food quality was good.
(v) The negative covid test result was emailed to me within 10 hours of the test, and hard copy delivered early next morning. If I had only known that would happen I would have booked a flight 36 hours earlier. Also, it meant that the 72 hours were very nearly up when I got on my transfer flight in Europe. Some things one can't bargain for and I couldn't believe that one. Having a hard copy was important.
(vi) Flights to UK - the one remaining direct flight is the Sundays only Thai "repatriation" flight designed to bring Thais back from London. Leaves Bangkok 03.55am, poor Covid standards, no flexible ticket, costs more than other airlines. They still owe me for their previous cancelled flight and I was never going to use Thai Airways.
Skyscanner info showed regular morning flights Finnair via Helsinki, early evening flights Singapore Airways via Singapore, and near midnight flights KLM via Amsterdam. Prices well below the Thai figure and flexible for changing. To be safe with getting the Covid test results I booked KLM, via Amsterdam. Warning - the prices quoted by Skyscanner are for HAND BAGGAGE only, which for international flights is plain ridiculous and they don't make that clear. Best to use the KLM or other airline own website for booking where all this is clear and using an agent for a slightly lower price was a big mistake for me last year. Ticket flexibility is also compromised.
(vii) The Passenger Locator Form for entry into UK has to be done ON-LINE and within 48 hours of departure. It requires details of confirmation of having taken a covid test, where you will 11-day quarantine on arrival (i.e. at home for me), reference data for 2 and 8 day covid tests already pre-booked through a UK company etc, etc. A 3-page form - I copied it on to a memory stick and got the hotel to give me a hard copy - that proved to be necessary. These 3 pages got checked in detail.
(viii) The hotel also printed hard copy boarding cards for my 2 flights
2) The Flights:-
(i) I got to the airport early. Very few people and 75% of the landside restaurants and shops closed. Thankfully I bought a meal at one of those restaurants.
(ii) Paperwork checked in detail at check-in, but I didn't have any problems through to airside.
(iii) Airside at the airport was totally depressing with virtually everything closed and boarded up, including most toilets as well as shops and restaurants. The only restaurant open was Mango Tree and it was full. Apart from a couple of souvenir shops, there was only Boots pharmacy and that was the only place to buy a bottle of water to take on the flight.
(iv) The flight was half empty, older than usual aeroplane. Good crew but truly dreadful no choice, vegetarian only, food. The WORST I ever had on an international flight and Covid can't be blamed for that. Electronics on the entertainment screen also not working correctly. I won't use KLM again.
(v) Schipol airport transfer was ok. My paperwork was checked in minute detail, with some laughter as to why my 72-hour covid test limit was nearly up. The flight was full, with middle seats left empty, a few young Thais dressed in full protective plastic covering, some white Brits, but mostly guys of African/Caribbean origin returning into UK. I haven't worked out why that should be. The coconut macaroon and cup of coffee on the flight were the best KLM food
3) Heathrow:-
(i) Row by row slow exiting of the plane, a very long walk through a very quiet airport to a long queue at immigration. No signs or people to give information but it eventually emerged that this was for people from red list countries only !!!! So then a dash and scramble to the main immigration lines - took about 45 minutes to get through, so not as bad as said in the newspapers.
Europeans given the same facilities as Brits even though we are not now getting remotely the same from them. !!
Paperwork checked in full detail again. Hard copies were a very good thing !!. People relying on telephone apps were having much more difficulty.
4) Home, so far:-
(i) I stocked up with food after collecting my car. My 2 and 8 day Covid testing kits had already been delivered.
(ii) NHS have checked up on me both yesterday and today by telephone !! I am surprised by the detailed questioning and checking, but it is a good thing.
I did my 2-day check today and delivered the sealed package into a "priority posting box". There is an on-line list of these selected post boxes, with collections even on Sunday, specifically for the covid testing packs. It is allowed for me to go out to do this as it qualifies as an "emergency" purpose.
I hope all that is of use for future reference.
I will do an update on the covid test result reporting procedure.
All this depends on Thailand not being put in a red zone for travel to UK. If it was it would mean quarantine in a UK hotel and much greater interrogation on arrival.
As regards Europe/Schengen agreement entrance rules then at this moment in time it appears that travellers from Thailand are not required to provide much at all.
Not like trying to travel from UK into Europe !!!!!
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