BANGKOK — The government said it’s urgently looking into glitches and delays that afflict the online registration system for entering Thailand during the tourist reopening phase.
A government spokesman acknowledged that there have been numerous complaints, from Thais and foreigners, over the functions of the “Thailand Pass” system since its launch last week. A number of users have complained about delays in receiving the QR code required for travel into Thailand, while others say they never received it at all, or the website simply crashed during their sessions.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha himself has instructed all relevant authorities to find solutions for the technical errors, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
Thanakorn told reporters there are a number of reasons behind the issues people are reporting with Thailand Pass. He said some travelers have experienced delays receiving their QR code because the system had difficulty deciphering the proof of vaccination provided — meaning it needs to be manually checked — which slows the whole process down.
In other cases, travellers have booked their first night in a hotel that is not linked to a hospital offering PCR testing, Thanakorn said.
The spokesman said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now coordinating with the Digital Government Development Agency and the Department of Disease Control to fix the delays and errors experienced by the users.
More than 20,000 travelers have flown into Thailand so far since the reopening officially began on Nov. 1, according to government figures. Under the “Test and Go” program, fully vaccinated visitors can travel freely after they test negative for the coronavirus upon their arrival in Thailand.
The testing is conducted at hotels, where travelers are required to stay until the result comes back. The amount of time needed varies, some report a waiting time of just six hours, while others say they had to wait for a day and a half.
Of those 20,000 air travelers who arrived throughout the past week, only 15 tested positive for the coronavirus, Thanakorn said at a news conference. He said the reopening has been a success so far.
