Red Lantern Journeys

03/10/2024

Fly by of Fujisan

04/22/2023

Waiting to board the Palace on Wheels, New Delhi

01/08/2023

Some clarification in this post from Richard Barrows regarding the recent decision by Thailand to start requiring covid vaccinations for entry again.

🚨 IMPORTANT SUMMARY of what we know so far about the entry requirements for for flights landing on Monday morning.

I’ve added insights from a senior government official and what we think will happen next and more importantly which rules they will most likely drop soon.

📣 This is my previous post with a translation of the rules by CAAT. Read first if you haven’t already but I will only answer questions on this latest post. Too many people on the old post asking questions that have already been answered manny times: https://www.facebook.com/100044288176713/posts/740925370727062

[START]

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) sent out a list of rules to airlines for flights that land in Thailand from Monday onwards. A government spokesperson who tweeted this list then consequently deleted it. Why?

From what I was told, CAAT made some errors. Mainly they said vaccination certificates would only be needed for people older than 18 years when it should be 18 and above. Secondly, there was apparently a lot of complaints from airlines who now were being forced to do the Thai government’s dirty work.

I am told CAAT are now being pressured to change the requirement in Rule 5 to refuse boarding if the person doesn’t have a vaccination certificate to testing them on arrival instead. Hopefully we will have clarity on this soon as some flights are about to leave!

The checking of documents is all on the airline when you go to check-in for your flight. It is VERY unlikely that your documents will be checked when you arrive in Thailand as there are way too many arrivals now. You will NOT be deported if you have a missing document. I was told that by a senior government diplomat.

About insurance, this will most likely stay. But it is only for people who will next be flying to a country that wants you to do a covid test before you flight. If you test positive, Thailand wants to make sure you have insurance while you stay in hospital. That makes sense.

I am told that if you are not sure if you need insurance then you should just fly. They won’t deport you when you arrive in Thailand. This is because you can easily use a site like https://aq.in.th to choose an insurance policy, pay and then have instant coverage.

About vaccination certificate for people aged 18 and over. This will most likely be dropped sooner rather than later. We just don’t know when. At the moment there is no expiry date for your certificate, but that might change. If you are not vaccinated for medical reasons then get a doctor’s certificate saying why.

Many people have asked me about land borders. I am told this wasn’t discussed at the recent meeting. CAAT only deals with airlines. So please standby for further updates about that. But so far there doesn’t seem to be any entry requirements.

What would I do if I wasn’t vaccinated and had a flight landing in Thailand this week? Knowing Thailand, I would just go ahead with my plans and I will not cancel. They will either backtrack tomorrow or no-one will really care about checking my documents. TIT as they say.

As always, things change rapidly in and no-one really knows what curve ball they will send our way next. Make sure you are following me here on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/RichardBarrow and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand for all the latest updates 24/7.

[FINISH]

You are welcome to post questions as comments but i will ignore ones that are already answered in this post. So many people ask questions without reading first. The last post got over 1,000 comments. Thanks for your understanding.

08/24/2022

Join me in November on this unique trip to climb Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia!

04/10/2022

The Leaning Pagoda, just outside of Bangkok on Koh Kred Island in the Chao Phraya River.

04/06/2022

Climbing and adventure friends: Are you ready for an international experience after Covid? Join Red Lantern Journeys founder, Ambrose Bittner, on this unique, one-of-a-kind adventure to trek into and climb Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia on the island of New Guinea. November 2022. You know you deserve it!
https://redlanternjourneys.com/.../carstensz-pyramid.../

03/29/2022

Entrance to a hotel in Bangkok's Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the world.

03/14/2022

While in Thailand this month, I've spent some time visiting with our local supplier of elephant camp experiences and researching the ethical issues elephant camps for tourists. Read about it here:

https://redlanternjourneys.com/visit-responsible-elephant-camps-in-thailand/

Visit Responsible Elephant Camps in Thailand

11/11/2019

How to eat Ban Xeo, crispy pancake with shrimp & bean sprouts in Hoi An

11/07/2019

Boat ride through a mountain cave near Tam Coc, Vietnam.

11/05/2019

A refreshing stop during our village hike

11/03/2019

We were invited in for tea by this 84 year old Vietnamese National Hero...considered a hero because she lost 2 sons in the American War. A delightful lady who loves visitors. @ Mai Châu

10/23/2019

Kopi C Kosong (coffee with condensed milk, no sugar) served in reused milk cans. The way Singaporeans drink coffee can be complex to order.

10/22/2019

Former colonial police station in Singapore. Now the Ministry of Communication.

10/19/2019

Everything revolves around shopping in Singapore, even rock climbing!

10/19/2019

The way to drink beer on a hot day in Singapore--with ice and a straw.

10/16/2019

Singapore View from our room on the 42nd floor of the Swissotel The Stamford. This city is crazy modern...facial recognition is used to check in to the hotel and for entry into our tradeshow.

09/23/2019

Hauz Khas Monument, New Delhi

10/15/2018

World Tourism Day

We're members of the Adventure Travel Trade Association we follow their code of conduct for responsible tourism. This short video helps explain why we love what we do! https://youtu.be/LMl7mfHvQvI

Thank you to ATTA’s global storytelling team, traveling around the world capturing epic adventurous places, including: - Rupert Shanks (Kyrgyzstan, Alaska) -...

10/14/2018

How To Tie The Cambodian Krama (Scarf)

Better to learn this before you go to Cambodia! https://youtu.be/b3IN0dFIrrU

They say that there are 101 ways to tie the Cambodian Krama, or scarf, which is used by both men and women for everything from carrying a baby, harvesting cr...

09/11/2018

The Indian tribe that gave up hunting

Nagaland is one of our personal top favorite destinations in Asia! We drank "tea" with the king of Mon in his palace that straddles between NE India and Myanmar, visited a museum filled with 50 over human skulls (trophies of a past tribal king before they all got converted by Baptist missionaries and ended headhunting for good), and met the last remaining elderly tribesmen with tattooed faces (according to tradition, faces can only be tattooed after they hunted their first human head). Call us if you are searching for an experience of a lifetime in one of the last frontiers of wild Asia!

A tribe of hunters in India's remote northeast changed their ways to conserve biodiversity.

07/20/2018

Guided Tours of Thailand

We just got recommended in USA Today for our privately-guided tours in Thailand! Yeah! https://traveltips.usatoday.com/guided-tours-thailand-1030.html

To experience all the varied sights of Thailand--the vibrant, bustling cities and remote farming villages, sunny beach resorts and exquisite Buddhist temples--you need to travel to multiple destinations. Choose a guided tour for an adventure in Thailand and you will benefit from a fully planned itin...

03/19/2018

2017 Mt. Rainier Climb for Himalaya Children

Mt. Rainier 2018 CHC - Orientation Meeting Tomorrow - https://t.co/3QZOAKUCLj

Climb Mt. Rainier from July 20 to 22 to raise money support children's education in Nepal!

02/20/2018

2017 Mt. Rainier Climb for Himalaya Children

Mt. Rainier 2018 Climb for Himalaya Children - Only 4 Spots Left! - https://t.co/KsZYVl0jLG

Climb Mt. Rainier from July 20 to 22 to raise money support children's education in Nepal!

02/06/2018

Colors of Bangkok Weekend Edition 20180203 Best - Cycling in Bangkok - Radfahren in Bangkok

Great bike tours in Thailand...we did 3 of them during our last visit! 1 in Bangkok and 2 in and around Chiang Mai. Here's a video from the one in Bangkok. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMc7B8Be3ow&feature=youtu.be Ambrose Bittner Irene Wong

Ride through small communities in non-touristy Yannawa district, cross the River of Kings with a long-tail boat and enjoy cycling in the 'Green Lung' of Bang...

12/12/2017

Charitybuzz: 3 Night Exclusive Bird and Wildlife Experience at Mela Ko... - Lot 1429600

Submit your bid! No one has yet. It's an opportunity to get a great deal for a 3 night stay at one of our favorite places in India, the Chambal Safari Lodge. You'll also support conservation of tigers in India as all proceeds of the auction go to the ngo: Travel Operators for Tigers. https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/3-night-exclusive-bird-wildlife-experience-at-mela-1429600

You and a guest will enjoy a 3-night exclusive bird and wildlife experience staying in Mela Kothi: The Chambal Safari Lodge, a PUG eco award-winnin...

11/28/2017

2017 Mt. Rainier Climb for Himalaya Children

Mt. Rainier 2018 Climb for Himalaya Children - Register Now! - https://t.co/jJM7U9ZLO2

Climb Mt. Rainier from July 20 to 22 to raise money support children's education in Nepal!