Make it easy  

Whatever else one can say about visiting Thailand, it’s not that it is made difficult by the lack of thinking through.

We’ve heard the complaints emanating from the visitors to the Philippines that we try so hard to attract. Upon their arrival, they lament the domestic system they encounter to be so inefficient. There are multiple government agencies requesting to be provided for the same darn information in both electronic and hand-written formats, most of which they do not use anyway (and hence, which they do not need to ask for).

There are unexplained costs, and uncaring airport officials. There are long queues for weary passengers, and yet more information to be supplied (aren’t these agencies talking to each other?).

Then, once the visitors are out the immigration doors, other struggles begin. Whether it’s to obtain decent hotel service during the mandated quarantine, efficient COVID-19 testing, or hospital services --there’s just too many things going wrong for a visit to be raved about.

It’s quite the contrary for Thailand. Having made the bold move to waive RT-PCR testing prior to departure from one’s home country (at least, for now), the remaining requirements are sensible and oh-so-efficiently delivered.

There is still a test --but it’s taken on the day of arrival. So, one avoids the stress of having to take the RT-PCR test from the departure country within x hours before the scheduled flight, and then fretting for the lab to release the results that should be uploaded to some government site, and then waiting for the universe to plop the email or QR code that means official permission has been given to enter. None of that, which is a blessed relief.

True, there is still a QR code that should be obtained from the Thailand Pass website, where various stuff should be uploaded, including vaccine information and insurance coverage, as well as the hotel booking. And guess what? If one books through popular hotel sites, like Agoda, all one needs is the booking confirmation number from the site for the Thailand Pass site to confirm that what you plugged in was legit.

I should know, because 30 minutes after I booked my hotel, I applied for a Thailand Pass. I entered my booking confirmation number correctly, but inputted the wrong date. In zero seconds flat, the Thailand Pass site told me my booking confirmation was invalid. I panicked, but after realizing the error, I keyed in the correct date. Voila, I was allowed to proceed to the next page. Isn’t that amazing? How did the government site know that my booking number wasn’t good for that date?

So, where does one take the test upon arrival, anyway? Not to worry. The hotels offer the necessary package, which takes into account all the components of what is currently mandated by the Thai government for incoming tourists.

Car services that ensures one travels straight from the airport to the “quarantine” hotel? Check. Drive-through RT-PCR testing from the airport before checking in the hotel? Check. A complimentary antigen test kit to be administered by one’s self on the fifth day? Check.

And upon check-in at the hotel, there’s none of that stigma of being greeted by hotel staff in biohazard suits. There’s just proper masking measures, and one is left to trundle along to the hotel room without need of an escort or an electronic tag to monitor one’s whereabouts. Sure, the warning is given that one should not leave the room until the lab results come out --but not a single security guard ready to tackle me to the ground if I attempt to do a Gwyneth was visible.

Early the next day, I got a call from the hotel reception that my lab results came out negative (compare that with domestic labs, which take more than time than they promise to release the results).

That was a cue for me --not to bolt from the premises-- but to luxuriate in the hotel’s comfy sheets and order room service. If only our country could offer the same pleasures.