Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge Remains Closed as Test & Go Suspended
Bangkok, BTNp: THE PLAN to reopen the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge was put on hold indefinitely due to government measures to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
The plan to allow fully vaccinated visitors to enter the kingdom at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai starting on Friday, December 24 under the quarantine-free scheme, Test & Go has been halted.
The bridge connecting Thailand’s Nong Khai province and Laos’ Vientiane had been designated as the only land entrance under the Test & Go program.
The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration of Thailand (CCSA) decided to suspend Test & Go program, which included not only airports but also bridges.
The CCSA said the board will evaluate the COVID-19 situation again at the next meeting on January 4 before deciding on reopening the bridge.
Suspended
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand, has confirmed that foreign visitors can still gain entry into Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox scheme and by using Alternative Quarantine (AQ) services after the Thailand Pass system was suspended.
According to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) recently announced that it was suspending the Test & Go scheme. The scheme had allowed Thailand Pass carriers to enter the Kingdom without needing to enter quarantine if they tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival using the RT-PCR method.
The Thailand Pass system will no longer accept new applications and will reevaluate the situation on January 4. Some 200,000 people had already been approved prior to the announcement and will be permitted entry under the Test & Go scheme, but must get tested twice using the RT-PCR method, first on arrival and again on the seventh day of their trip. The Thai government will cover the costs for both tests. *BTNewspaper/ NNB
