@Monti *******

they are called partner bookings. Each site has its own deals with hotels but when one is cheaper than the other, they show the other site's price offer. Both websites share each other's offers and you happened to have booked the Booking.com offer on Agoda but you could have also booked Agoda's offer on booking.com. It is not true that all Agoda bookings go through booking.com. You just happened to have picked the offers that are being provided by booking.com.

@Mia *******

very unusual then. First report of this from anywhere in the country.

Are you sure they didn't just get the standard 30 day extension? Most immigration offices require you get the 30 day normal extension first before you are allowed to apply for the 60 day Covid one.

@Joe ********

One is higher audio quality. The cheaper one sometimes on a call can sound like internet telephony, versus the premium one sounding like any normal phone call.

Why not just use your Thai carrier and dial internationally using one of the special codes that allow super-cheap special rates to call overseas. All 3 carriers have a cheaper code that charges at 1 baht a minute for calls to the USA, and a more expensive "premium quality" version code that charges 2.5 baht a minute. Either way is way cheaper than dialing an international call using the normal "+" format. For dtac, dial then the country code, area code and phone number. Calls to the USA are 1 baht a minute. Or use their "premium quality" code instead which is 004 + country code etc which costs 2.5 baht a minute. For example, dialing New York City using the premium code would be dialed as something like 004-1-212-XXX-XXXX. There are similar codes for True ( and 006) and AIS ( and 005) which charge the same 1 baht/2.5 baht a minute.

What's the problem? If you actually have a qualifying booking, contact the hotel and they will give you the special confirmation. If you don't have a qualifying booking, then that's why the Agoda confirmation shouldn't be accepted.

@Sara ****

I really don't know for Chiang Mai, sorry.

@Adam *******

it's the Samui Command Center direct line that SHA PLUS hotels can use to communicate with them. Only for official hotel use between hotels and the government command center.

PART 2

I'm sorry, I am not clear from your post if you are in Thailand already or where you have gotten tested positive. Are you in your Test & Go hotel and got the RT-PCR test result? What is Berkeley? This is the correct procedure:

It is important that you are aware that Thailand's normal policy if you test positive upon arrival is that you are required to be taken into hospital quarantine for 10 days - even if asymptomatic.

As you likely know, it is possible to test positive on a RT-PCR test for several months after recovering from Covid, and Thailand's test sensitivity is higher than that of many countries. There have been multiple incidents of arriving passengers who tested negative pre-departure, and positive upon arrival.

A certificate of recovery does NOT exempt you from needing to take the arrival RT-PCR test.

However, the Thailand Pass FAQs webpage states the following regarding traveling after a previous covid infection:

"Those who have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months before travelling to Thailand must present a valid COVID-19 recovery form or medical certificate certifying that they have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months before travelling or are asymptomatic in case their COVID-19 RT-PCR test shows a positive result."

The Samui Command Center in charge of Covid testing for arriving passengers also has confirmed on 23 Dec that you are not transferred to the hospital if tested positive, as long as you have certificate of recovery per the above conditions. You will be released normally after your Test & Go period even with a positive test result, as long as it can be checked that the result is from recovery from having covid. Wether this policy is the same nationwide, I don't know.