For my PCR – test, I arrived at Chiang Mai Ram hospital just before 7 am. The hospital was empty, and the only door in was via the Emergency Department.

There were just a few patients waiting there. Nothing that seemed overly acute.

When I need to travel out from Thailand, I have used Chiang Mai Ram’s services. The price for the package is 3000 baht. 2500 baht for the test and 500 baht is for doctors fee.

I am always sending them a mail about the booking. Then I arrive in the early morning register at counter nr 2, “Medicine.”

A nurse does the regular weight and blood pressure check.

After that, you follow the nurse to the swab room. The nurse changes from the regular uniform into full body armour, a space suite kind of outfit. (She picks up a large box with the text biohazard.)

Then she swabs your nose and mouth. The nose takes the longest time. But the nurses are very skilled, so not painful. It just tickles a bit.

Back to counter nr 2. Meet the doctor that arrives around 8 am. Pay for the test, and the hospital will email you the result at 12.00 hours.

There’s a big Starbucks just by Ram. I prefer parking at that new section of the hospital than driving up in the narrow and cramped old parking space at the old main building.

Then it is nice to grab a large latte and an espresso chocolate chip coffee when the errand is done!

The sun is back in Chiang Mai after an unusually early for the year stormy weekend. The city is waking up, traffic increasing around the moat and old city wall, and scattered complaints can be heard from crowds at food stalls about the reduced amount of pork in the rice porridge.

If all goes well, Sri Lanka is next for me. Next, fill in the online health form for Sri Lanka. Arrange the documents for returning to Thailand. The so-called Thai pass for Test and Go.

Then I need to figure out if the law for bringing out a maximum of 30 face masks from Thailand is still up and running. Apparently it is not. In Thai newspapers that has been announced as incorrectly reporting.

At the airport there was no inspection of this.

At the hospital remember to be polite and follow the procedures. Then it goes smooth. Questioning the way they do things does not take you anywhere.

Today I heard a foreigner refusing to say his name when the staff asked. His point was, “why do you ask?” It says on my id-card. This kind of person delays the process for himself.