News Forum - Countdown to February 1 – opening Thailand’s tourist floodgates?

[palooka]

4 hours ago, vlad said:

Feb 2nd TAT statement, due to the Successful roll out of our new Test & Go 10,000 tourists came through the Airport yesterday. A TAT  spokesman predicts 100,000 visitors before the start of March 555.

@vladyour crystal ball is using TAT calculators again.

[TheDirtyDurian]

3 hours ago, LoongFred said:

Where do you plan to stay? You need to stay somewhere so it might as well be the place where you get tested. I don't understand unless you sleeping on the beach or a cheap room. 

How about the family home?

[Guevara]

5 hours ago, pascal said:

well, Philippines will open the country next month as well, i do not know yet the conditions to entry, but if it is less hassle than Thailand i bet Philippines will collect a lot of tourists. this said the covid condition there are not really reassuring .

Of course the Philippines haven't been economical with 'true' figures. Or have they?

[Poolie]

1 hour ago, Guevara said:

Of course the Philippines haven't been economical with 'true' figures. Or have they?

Have fun amidst all the wreckage from the recent typhoon.

[Rain]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

How about the family home?

Probably not. Has to be SHA approved......which, surprisingly, there are quite a few scattered throughout the country [not limited to BKK and other high profile locales]. 

One has to dig around to find them - they are available. 

[ThaiPadawan]

They’re expecting fireworks but will see only firecrackers. The second required hotel stay and covid test is kabuki theater. Thailand shoots themselves in the foot so often they must have the market cornered on spare feet. 

[Darth]

Just checked for 1 night Bangkok & 1 night Hua Hin for 2 persons sharing room on Agoda SHA+ including tests & it’s getting on for £500- Hua Hin more expensive than Bangkok .

So it’s a definite no from me.

For same price I can get flights & 4 nights hotel 2 persons in Malaga. So booking this & Thailand will have to wait until they join the real world.

[RampantRabbit]

There are  two  reasons why this  wont  happen

1 Khun Emperor Prayut  informed us there would be no  more  floods and 

2 See  reason 1

[RampantRabbit]

7 hours ago, ThaiPadawan said:

They’re expecting fireworks but will see only firecrackers.

more  like  damp squibs  Id  say

[Thommo]

16 hours ago, Jason said:

When the Omicron surge comes, test and Go will be the first program to be suspended....again

I doubt it now  I think the have had their last shot,  no turning back now  Just look at the original Phuket sandbox 90 positive case a day or was that a week  and it was to be suspended

[dean]

Tickets are booked for mid April.  If Thailand doesn't follow suit with Philippines ill be changing my tickets.

Its my holiday and I wont be fleeced by thai government beurocracy and the test an go money grabbing hotels.

This is just the beginning as the tourists that do change plans to go elsewhere will now experience another venue and most likely won't return to Thailand.

This policy may affect the thai industry for many more years.

If I travel elsewhere this year I'll definitely be thinking about the next year as well.

 

[TiT]

Just postponed our trip for the 3rd or 4th time, I've lost track.

We'll be heading back in Q4 of this year and hoping all this madness is behind us.  Not playing these games.

[HiuMak]

On 1/29/2022 at 10:04 AM, Thaiger said:

The Test & Go program of the Thailand Pass is set to start again on February 1. Test & Go Version 2.0. In this reboot you will need to book an extra pre-paid SHA+ room, and PCR test, for Day 5 of your stay, in addition to the original version of Test & Go when you only had the one test and room booking on Day 1. Since December 22, when the original Test & Go program was shelved, the Sandboxes have filled the arrival void, with 7 days of SHA+ prepaid hotel bookings in a designated province or region […]

The story Countdown to February 1 – opening Thailand’s tourist floodgates? as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Good news thailand

[nobusinessofurs]

23 hours ago, WR2 said:

The mask requirement is the stupidest thing ever.  So I have to wear a mask outdoors, far from anyone else, never close to anyone long enough to possibly transit the virus, but as soon as I sit down inside a crowded restaurant I can take off my mask?  Stupid.  There's no scientific basis for an outdoor mask mandate, and that's not even considering that cloth masks are proven to be useless, and surgical masks nearly useless in any situation.  So yeah, count me as one of those who will not return until the outdoor mask wearing charade is over.

Don't forget while driving your own vehicle 

[dj230]

Surprisingly I’ve seen a lot more tourists the past week in bangkok, malls are a lot more busy and I am noticing a lot more foreigners opposed to just thais. 

[Leeshard]

On 1/29/2022 at 10:01 AM, Artemis080 said:

Actually, the most stupidest thing ever is tourists wandering around here thinking that the mask mandate is beneath them. So probably for the best.

I see a lot of runners and cyclists in Pattaya. Are you suggestions that they should wear them? If so they’ll likely be extremely short of oxygen and could potentially pass out. So perhaps mask wearing should be only mandated for walkers? How about if you’re sitting on a beach in a big group eating som tam and drinking beer all afternoon. Maybe you should mask up between mouthfuls?

Edited January 30, 2022 by Leeshard

[Leo]

Thailand is, and was, always "competing" with specific countries for tourism, namely Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The only reason there was (some) traffic in 2020-2021 was because these other 3 countries' borders were shut.

Now that they are reopening with far fewer restrictions, things are going to get tougher for Thailand, basically no matter what Thailand does.

[Leeshard]

We’ve already seen tourists disappearing before the result of their PCR test under the old T and G scheme. That only required one night and resulted in massive man hunts for one or two possibly infected tourists. What happens now when they don’t turn up for their 5 day test and we can be sure there will a small but significant proportion of those. Will the hotel pocket the money and keep quiet or report them to the police? What happens if the tourist says he got delayed but he’ll be there on day 7,8 or 14? Will the police launch huge man hunts again and if they can’t be found will the police liaise with Immigration (more of a problem than we might think) and get them flagged when they try to leave the country?  I can foresee massive problems with this day 5 test. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Leeshard

[Stanuk]

I understand the need for COVID-19 testing before entering the country. Your not going to pass go without being fully vaccinated and having had a negative test 72 hours before departure.the cost of the 1st day test and go is on average 10K Baht (£220) and £150 for day 5 a whopping £1480. for a family of 4. You also miss out on two days of your holiday, should you be a family or couple that wants to adlib where to visit you can't. The second test has to be booked at the time of applying for the pass. But you could drive anywhere for the first 4 days without restriction and no other tests. Somebody needs to see that the second test at least should be dropped. Stop putting the tourist off its harming the economy and the ordinary Thai who's only source of food on the table is the tourist.

 

 

 

[Mathlada]

Hi,

The rules are a little unclear for me, so I can land in BKK get a day one test, then fly upto Chang Mai and test there on day 5?

Thanks,

Adam 

[LoongFred]

On 1/29/2022 at 10:01 AM, Artemis080 said:

Actually, the most stupidest thing ever is tourists wandering around here thinking that the mask mandate is beneath them. So probably for the best.

If they think it's so stupid they should go elsewhere and stop telling Thai health authorities how to do their jobs.

[Leeshard]

5 hours ago, Mathlada said:

Hi,

The rules are a little unclear for me, so I can land in BKK get a day one test, then fly upto Chang Mai and test there on day 5?

Thanks,

Adam 

As I understand the rules you can book any SHA registered hotel you like for your day 5 test. So if that’s in Chiang Mai no problem. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Leeshard

[aladdin]

. Philippines is reopening Feb. 1 without all the restrictions save you must be vaccinated.  Unless a tourist already has paid the various to holiday in Thailand, or, has personal or business reasons to be here, it is less complicated and less annoying to travel to PI for a relaxing midwinter holiday in a tropical paradise. ALSO THE BURNING SEASON BEGINS IN MID FEBRUARY seriously ruining air quality FROM BANGKOK THROUGH THE NORTH OF THAILAND.  Air pollution from burning fields in the region becomes awful for two  plus months from late February and is very hazardous to older folk and to those with respiratory issues. Many who can afford it, travel AWAY from the North to the South of Thailand, or other countries during this time...covid and finances permitting.  I plan to.  So waiting till snowbird season is almost over and till burning season is almost upon us will definitely curtail the tourist desired rebound effect. Bad timing. Poor understanding of the tourist mentality., patience and commitment.

[Graham]

On 1/29/2022 at 6:34 PM, Rain said:

Probably not. Has to be SHA approved......which, surprisingly, there are quite a few scattered throughout the country [not limited to BKK and other high profile locales]. 

One has to dig around to find them - they are available. 

I thought it specifically said SHA ++ for the 2 quarantine stays, let's not BS anyone here, that's what it is, forced quarantine in overpriced hotel.

TIT.

[thaivisitor]

Hi all,

Hoping some of the residents in Pattaya can shed some light on whether an ART is required for entry into all bars and restaurants, especially those in Soi 6, Walking St, Treetown, and Soi Buakhow.

Thank you very much.