@Kai ******

that's crazy that your hotel doesn't bother with such a basic legal requirement that should be part of their daily tasks. Very sketchy.

I would be super wary of a hotel that doesn't file tm30s for every guest arriving each day as is required by the government. It's all done in a simple online reporting site that any hotel can register on. It's a requirement they report every guest within 24 hours of check-in.

Thailand Pass comes directly to you from the government and has a QR code. If you got something from the hotel, then it isn't Thailand Pass.

This is just a terrible, incorrect article in Bangkok Post! Hotels are NOT misleading travelers. This problem is coming because of 2 separate issues:

1) SHA+ certification just means the hotel has met the enhanced sanitation standards to be certified by the Safety and Health Administration. It does NOT mean the hotel is choosing to offer Test & Go packages, and whether it does or not, the hotel will continue to sell rooms like normal to regular travelers. Guests are mistakenly booking any hotel on the SHA+ list and assuming it means the price is including a Test & Go package when they are just booking a normal room. Even if hotels show their SHA+ certification on their website, it is because they earned the certificate for practicing the enhanced sanitation and is no different than a hotel displaying it got a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. It does not imply anything about the hotel offering any testing package.

2) Second issue is that the online travel agencies (Booking, Expedia, Agoda) have labeled all SHA+ approved hotels on their site, but ONLY Agoda is allowing hotels to program in a separate Test & Go rate plan that includes RT-PCR test and transfer. Booking and Expedia have both explicitly decided they are NOT allowing hotels to offer Test & Go packages on their sites, and have told hotels that they should email any guests who want to add Test & Go to add it separately directly with the hotel. This is creating a huge problem where guests do not know in advance the additional Test & Go package fee and do not add it to their booking and just show up in Thailand without it.

It is NOT the fault of the hotels at all. It is a mutual issue where Thailand Pass and all government infographics just tell travelers to book a SHA+ hotel without mentioning to make sure it includes Test & Go package, AND the fault of the online travel agencies not programming their sites to allow people to actually book Test & Go rather than a normal hotel room (Agoda being the exception). I just think it is so wrong to blame hoteliers who are doing nothing wrong except continuing to operate as a normal hotel. Hotels can't be expected to close themselves off to normal bookings and raise their rates just to make sure to cover Test & Go costs for anyone that might be booking a room and needing Test & Go. Consider that it is known that the hospital partner charges 2200 baht or more for the RT-PCR test (which the hotel is NOT ALLOWED to mark up per regulations) which the hotel must pass on to the hospital partner, and the hotel has to pay the SHA+ airport transfer service, plus provide whatever other inclusions for Test & Go. The hotel can't be expected to absorb the cost for guests making a mistake who booked a regular rate, and be called "deceiving" the guest like Bangkok Post is saying.

@Chris ********************

The Tourism Authority website has just been updated to list this requirement: A confirmed payment for a 1-night stay at a SHA Extra Plus (SHA++)* accommodation, and 1 RT-PCR test.

@Chris ********************

just found it updated on the Tourism Authority website: "SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) hotels are those that meet the Amazing Thailand SHA Plus standard and provide an accommodation service in partnership with certified hospitals for the RT-PCR test. The list of the SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) hotels is available here "

@Chris ********************

I don't know for sure the reason but am speculating.

@Chris ********************

if you go to the official government SHA website Thailandsha.com, you'll already see a filter for SHA Extra Plus although no explanation of the difference

I think they are attempting to differentiate between the hotels actually offering test and go and normal SHA Plus approved hotels which may not be participating in test and go. There have been many issues with travelers booking a SHA Plus hotel without adding the test and go package and then trying to get Thailand Pass approval without adding the test and go package. But the extra plus designation isn't full implemented yet.

You don't get visa on arrival from the Philippines. You get visa exempt entry, good for 30 days. Visa on arrival is for nationals from India, China, and some other countries that give you 15 day entry only.