The government is looking into technical issues and delays related to the Thai Pass in response to tourists’ complaints about the online registration system, which is mandatory to enter Thailand during its tourism reopening phase.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a government spokesman, revealed that authorities had received many complaints from foreigners and Thais about the Thailand Pass functioning.
Users said they had experienced delays in getting QR codes or had not received them at all after their travel requests were approved.
But authorities have already stepped up efforts to fix the system’s flaws. On Sunday, Mr. Thanakorn said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had alerted state agencies to the complaints and instructed them to repair such technical errors.
The Thailand Pass was designed to streamline travel requirements and health documents’ administration for people who want to travel to the country.
Those expecting to visit Thailand should follow the instructions listed in tp.consular.go.th. After getting approval, tourists must download the Thailand Pass QR code to prove to the airlines and control offices that they are eligible to travel to the kingdom.
However, some applicants experienced delays in receiving the QR code or had not received them at all.
According to Mr. Thanakorn, the problems with the Thai Pass QR code were caused by difficulties in deciphering vaccination certificates provided by users.
Some uploaded vaccination documents proved to be unintelligible and Thai officials were forced to resort to manual verification, which usually takes much longer than the automated procedure, Mr. Thanakorn explained.
Other users had problems with hotel reservations. In some cases, the hotels that travelers had booked were not linked to hospitals that perform RT-PCR tests, the government spokesman stated.
Mr. Thanakorn said the Foreign Ministry, the Digital Government Development Agency and Disease Control Department had been working together to improve the system.
Now, a drop-down list of hotels affiliated with hospitals where Covid-19 tests are performed will see the information transmitted, and travelers will not have to submit documents to prove their current health status repeatedly.
Also, officials have made efforts to validate vaccination certificates faster. The process will go from taking seven days to being done in no more than three days, Mr. Thanakorn stated.
