Covid RT-PCR test within 24 hours of arrival.

[goji]

Similar in Berlin. Waiting time for an appointment for a visa application is 4-6 weeks. Don't know how long COE or Thailand Pass would take.

My eVisa took 2 working days. That's down from 6 calendar days last year, which included posting the passport both ways.
Last year's COE application was submitted after lunch and I got it about 10pm the same day.

Am not sure about this year's Thailand Pass, but since I'm not first out of the trenches to face the flak, I expect it will be OK. [Unless it is delayed further, so I AM one of the first]

As for the covid PCR test, I think it would be a hell of a lot better if we booked these directly and had them done at the airport, before going anywhere.

The big risk with the current system is the test result not showing up within 24 hours, which could presumably mean a second night of quarantine (in a supposedly quarantine free system).

[christianpfc]

...out of the trenches to face the flak...

Poor choice of words. Flak = Flugabwehrkanone (anti-aircraft gun). However, flak is now used in English as a general term (criticism, opposition) and the German 8.8 cm Flak during WWII was used efficiently against ground targets as well.

[goji]

Poor choice of words. Flak = Flugabwehrkanone (anti-aircraft gun). However, flak is now used in English as a general term (criticism, opposition) and the German 8.8 cm Flak during WWII was used efficiently against ground targets as well.

Had I been attempting to write in German, I'd have hopefully used a capital F, but would almost certainly have made far worse errors elsewhere.

To face the flak is a fairly common term used in English.
As is to "blitz" something, e.g. bliz all the weeds in the garden with weedkiller.

To criticize this would be rather like me criticizing Germans for misusing English words adopted into German, such as "Handy" (mobile phone).

[vnman]

Poor choice of words. Flak = Flugabwehrkanone (anti-aircraft gun). However, flak is now used in English as a general term (criticism, opposition) and the German 8.8 cm Flak during WWII was used efficiently against ground targets as well.

Considering that he is coming out of the trenches, flak is the perfect word.

The offers from the hotels seem reasonable to me. I do think that the insurance is wasted money because I assume we all have our own insurances and don't need anything extra.

Most of us seem to be waiting for some positive feedback from people who are or will be in Thailand. The problem is that it's a difficult time of year. Am I going to wait until December to decide if Thailand is a go or not? I opted to book one of the other 195 countries. it will be far easier to make a last-minute decision for a trip in April.

[goji]

The offers from the hotels seem reasonable to me.

The hotel component of the charges does seem reasonable. I think the testing component is more expensive than it should be, but this really should not stop anyone going to Thailand.
Once out of quarantine, Bangkok hotels seem to be 500 a night below normal levels, so one can start "recovering" any extra expenditures.

I do think that the insurance is wasted money because I assume we all have our own insurances and don't need anything extra.

If your own insurance explicitly includes covid treatment costs and at least $100,000 (now $50,000), it ought to satisfy Thai requirements. There are non-Thai insurance policies proven to meet the rules, so if you have one of those, I certainly agree that buying the Thai insurance would be a waste of money.