A Stranger in a Familiar Land

The paperwork to get to Thailand was a bit of a mixed bag. The first step is to book a flight and a Test and Go package at a hotel, as well as travel insurance. Once that was completed, one then had to apply for a Thailand Pass, which involved uploading vaccination certificates and QR codes, proof of travel insurance, and proof of having booked a Test and Go package. The application was a tad frustrating because the pdf upload wasn't working, so I had to take photographs of everything and upload them as jpgs. Once the application was submitted, I only needed to wait a few hours before my Thailand Pass and QR code were issued.

Arrival into Thailand was efficient. Before reaching the immigration counters, we were made to sit on some chairs while attendants came to us individually to make sure we had the correct documents to present to immigration. The immigration counters were eerily quiet. Once through immigration, I met my Test and Go hotel representative who then took me to another holding area while he checked my documentation. After a short wait, another traveler and I were herded into a waiting van to the Elegant Airport Hotel.

The Test and Go package includes one night at the hotel, three meals, and a covid swab to be administered on site. I specifically chose the Elegant Airport Hotel because it was close to the airport and because it was one of the more reasonably priced packages at THB3,900 (about USD130). On arrival, the efficient staff checked me in, got me to select my meals, and then sent me to the nurses' station for my swab. I was then informed that my test result would arrive at 4am.

My room was large and very pleasant. Sadly, the view wasn't great. Right next to the hotel was a squatter settlement - the people there lived in shipping containers amidst piles of rubble. They were flanked by the hotel on one side, and a walled in luxury housing development on the other. This stark contrast was a familiar sight back when I lived in Bangkok on the 1990s, and it seems little has changed.

Despite the comfortable surroundings, I had a fitful nights' sleep. I'd had a negative PCR test result two days earlier, but there still is a certain amount of anxiety when waiting for a Covid test result. The result came in as scheduled, and I was free to go. I ate breakfast, and then made my way back to the airport for my flight up north to Chiang Mai.
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