Thread: Digital Health Pass to be required for domestic flights

BANGKOK: The Public Health Ministry yesterday (Sept 8) confirmed the introduction of a Digital Health Pass for use by passengers on domestic flights.

The Ministry confirmed it has signed a three-year agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) for the use of the app on flights with seven airlines so far.


The seven airlines are Bangkok Airways, Thai Smile, Air Asia, Air Asia X, Nok Airways, Lion Airways and Vietjet Air.


It added that the app would receive and store information from the Health Ministry on an indivudal’s vaccine status. This will then be incorporated into the existing Mor Prom vaccine app which was initially devised for people to book COVID-19 appointments but which was modified in due course to merely report any adverse vaccine reactions encountered.


The Digital Health Pass is essentially an electronic health certificate in digital format that will contain three essential pieces of information relating to a person’s vaccination details and COVID status:


1. COVID-19 vaccination data relating to the individual


2. The results of any RT-PCR tests from participating hospitals and the results of ATK tests from participating clinics and pharmacies.


3. The results of serum IgG antibody detection


All data stored in the app is secure, the Ministry assured. The app is encrypted to prevent tampering and data is stored using block chain technology that adheres to international security standards established by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) and requires the consent of the document holder under the Personal Data Protection Act.


Citizens will receive a Digital Health Pass when they have successfully been administered two COVID-19 vaccinations or have successfully undergone COVID-19 testing at a hospital designated by the Ministry, which will be certified by the Ministry of Public Health’s electronic stamp. Those who have been vaccinated but do not receive the Digital Health Pass on its release are advised the check with the hospital where they were vaccinated.


Sathit Pitutecha, deputy public health minister, said that as the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) eases restrictions, a new set of precautionary measures are to be adopted by the aviation industry under a practice of universal COVID-19 prevention and the app is a key component of this.


At this stage, the Digital Health Pass will be used for domestic flights only and is expected to become operational soon. However, it may well be utilised for service in shops, restaurants and venues where customers are required to provide proof of their vaccine status at a later stage.

Digital Health Pass to be required for domestic flights

An app eh?

Well those have really done the trick so far…

Well, that is likely to be farangs completely fucked then.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Well, that is likely to be farangs completely fucked then.

Certainly seems to be not very farang friendly.

Is there a start date suggested? I didn't see one.

So tourists and others who have been vaccinated outside thailand will not be able to fly domestically?

I wouldn't get to wound up about it. Who will want to fly anyway. Every where you fly is under Covid control.

They just never ever ever think this shit through. I have zero documentation of my vaccine status, and i am bloody sure the ministry will not give a shit.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

I wouldn't get to wound up about it. Who will want to fly anyway. Every where you fly is under Covid control.

True to a point. When I go to my son's wedding next year I need to get from UTH to BKK on the way out. The phrasing in the article suggests I will need to travel by bus for the first leg.

Originally Posted by cyrille

An app eh?

Well those have really done the trick so far…

But you know they *can* work.

Just imagine if you have to install it to be able to fly....

I look forward to all these whiners protesting their freedumbs again....

^not really sure who you are swining at there harry. Simple fact is, most on line systems work poorly, if at all for farangs in Thailand. I could not get entered into the system used by my vaccination center through their app. My staff followed up, and in the end it was "farang cannot". That is what most people will use for evidence of vaccination. To get any documentation, the head of my organization has to send a letter to the head of theirs to get a cert of vaccination. Nothing on line, no mobile data. Nothing.

This is going to kill farang travel unless they put in place a work around.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

^not really sure who you are swining at there harry. Simple fact is, most on line systems work poorly, if at all for farangs in Thailand. I could not get entered into the system used by my vaccination center through their app. My staff followed up, and in the end it was "farang cannot". That is what most people will use for evidence of vaccination. To get any documentation, the head of my organization has to send a letter to the head of theirs to get a cert of vaccination. Nothing on line, no mobile data. Nothing.

This is going to kill farang travel unless they put in place a work around.

I was referring to the Thailand+ and the MorChana apps, which seem to function OK in my experience.

My vaccination status (approved for COE) is already in a database tied to my passport number.

It wouldn't be a massive piece of app development to access it.

But the same people banging on about their fucking Ivermectin and not needing masks have even been whinging about using a contact tracing app because it "abuses their freedumbs by allowing them to be tracked"..... you know, on the mobile phone they refuse to put it on.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

They just never ever ever think this shit through.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

i am bloody sure the ministry will not give a shit.

You need to cut out that part in the middle, where you get worried.

That's bad for your BP.

Focus on the 'not giving a shit' bit.

I'm back in Thailand now, so you can consider me quite the expert again.

Originally Posted by cyrille

ou need to cut out that part in the middle, where you get worried.

That's bad for your BP.

Focus on the 'not giving a shit' bit.

I'm back in Thailand now, so you can consider me quite the expert again.

I agree with Cyrille.

This is Thailand: Compromises will be made.

don't worry.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

and in the end it was "farang cannot".

I agree Nid, Most of these Thai devised apps will not work for us foreigners. Usually to set up an acct you have to have a Thai ID or PP #. That's usually where it ends for us.

My wife and I have our vaccination cards from the US showing the vaccine inoculation day and the Moderna Lot# and doc. My wife has been working with a few friends while we are in quarantine on how this can be updated in their system. Bottom-line, there is no system. They have no clue how to implement a vaccine data base. They talk a good game and some of their proposals are what needs to happen, but their execution is always waaaaaaay short.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

They just never ever ever think this shit through. I have zero documentation of my vaccine status, and i am bloody sure the ministry will not give a shit.

No app here but have paper documentation. Haven't even attempted the app as so far no need. Signed up and recieved jab same way locals do here. All paper, no app needed. All needed is ID card.

Is this another version of the "Green Card" for entering restaurants? That one didn't even last one day!

Originally Posted by qwerty

Is this another version of the "Green Card" for entering restaurants? That one didn't even last one day!

But its coming Oct 1st, so they say. Got my Mor Phrom app showing green now.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Well, that is likely to be farangs completely fucked then.

If only because my current phone has no more storage capacity left for new apps.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

They have no clue how to implement a vaccine data base. They talk a good game and some of their proposals are what needs to happen, but their execution is always waaaaaaay short.

To be fair, I put the MorPhrom app on my phone and it was updated after each of the first and second doses. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked as promised.

There is a button on the app for a 'Digital Health Pass' which is marked in red as not yet operational. All the data are in the system linked to both my passport and my pink ID, so it should be fairly straightforward to turn that on.

All of which is fine if you are in the system. For many resident expats and visitors that clearly is not going to happen.

Yep - I got vaccinated in KSA and now live in Thailand, so who knows where that leaves me with this Mor Prom app.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Yep - I got vaccinated in KSA and now live in Thailand, so who knows where that leaves me with this Mor Prom app.

Yep. Same me Cyrille. Was vaccinated in US. I am most certainly not going to get vaccinated again to be in some dumb app. I will just drive everywhere.

Originally Posted by Shutree

To be fair, I put the MorPhrom app on my phone and it was updated after each of the first and second doses. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked as promised.

There is a button on the app for a 'Digital Health Pass' which is marked in red as not yet operational. All the data are in the system linked to both my passport and my pink ID, so it should be fairly straightforward to turn that on.

All of which is fine if you are in the system. For many resident expats and visitors that clearly is not going to happen.

Not true. They have the Thailand Plus app and they have your vaccination details from your COE application.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Yep - I got vaccinated in KSA and now live in Thailand, so who knows where that leaves me with this Mor Prom app.

And did you submit your Vaccination certificate with your COE application or just not bother?

Originally Posted by happynz

Sort of the same here. Here in the sandpit we use an app called Tawakkalna. It has all the health updates, vaccine info, Covid-19 test results, etc. It's necessary to to have as one isn't allowed to enter malls, hospitals, offices, or educational premises without scanning or showing a guard the app. Now, if someone only has a dumb phone like a circa 2005 Nokia 3310 with no internet capability they may be in for a rough time getting anything done.

Or they could just buy a cheap smartphone and connect it to free Wifi.