News Forum - Tourism officials recommend that tourists be allowed to enter without registering for Thailand Pass

[Tim_Melb]

7 hours ago, ace035 said:

I am not worried about the Thai Pass as long as they scrapped those Day 1 PCR test, I'll book my flight ASAP.

The Thai pass is here to stay, the requirements for getting o e will be reduced in time but it will stay just like the new digital passes that have been introduced by other countries around the world. It will become a replacement of the customs and immigration forms that you previously filled out on the plane combined with your vaccination docs and it will if anything speed up your arrival processing long term. It's the on arrival testing that is the problem but that will be dropped soon enough. 

[farang]

at this time all those b/s money grabs could be lifted!!!one big one for older people is the b/s insurance. i got a quote of $2,500 usd for a policy that has a $9,000 usd deductiable!! im already have a usa insurance policy that pays when im in thai but its not accepted now.and ive used it in past years with np. drop this crap!!!insted of tourtist being required to buy this crap do nothing insurance,just let all tourtist put up their credit card on file and if medical theatment is needed then they have their bill paid.its easy,simple and  beats the hell out of these scams.hotels  take your card when booking so why not do the same instead of the money grab?the thai govt needs to scrap all this and go back to applying as in 2019.no more b/s down loads,thai pass,wondering when its coming.and downloading a bunch of crap papers where half of them are rejected anmd no one knows what the hell they want.and i keep hearing a few fools yelling ''we are going to get super rich farangs''!!yeah right.i spend about one million thai baht in less than six months!!im not one of the ''super rich''as most are not either.most super rich  go to a resort,and never leave it.so its not supporting the most thai shops and buiness.regular tourtist  is where your money is made by working thai people.ones who eat at street food shops,resturants,go to bars and clubs,shop and visit many places.you would think someone would get the idea after two years of b/s.chock dee to all the thai working people,who are being shafted!!

[HiuMak]

14 hours ago, MrNovax said:

With many other countries dropping all restrictions or greatly reducing them I can see Thailand doing so soon as well.  If not people will spend their holidays elsewhere.  

Thailand cannot afford with a huge reliance on tourism. I hope they lift all restrictions similar to their neighbours

[Grumpish]

The Thailand Pass is no big deal, as long as it replaces the arrival card. At the moment the Thai obssesion with paper mountains and job creation schemes for hordes of pointless pen pushers (and the levels of blatant corruption) is just reinforcing the view that Thailand is still a Third World country hiding behind the veneer of a Second World country. 

I am in Cambodia at the moment, I was planning to go back to Thailand for a few weeks before returning to the UK, but have lost patience with the bureaucratic bs and blatant rip offs that the Thailand Pass and Test & Go scheme represent, so I am going straight back to the UK instead. I am a retiree with a very healthy income, the type of visitor that Thailand claims to be trying to attract. Really? It doesn't look like it from where I am sitting.

[Janneman]

Thailand pass is OK if they use it like a visa thingy. No need to fill out clumsy forms aboard an airplane anymore (hey could I borrow your pen...). But they better drop the expensive insurance which wont pay out once you need it.

They might as well drop the PCR test on arrival too since that is rather useless. With > 50k local daily infections it does not really makes sense to test incoming visitors to prevent the spreading of Covid.

My guess is they will drop both at Christmas. 

[mws]

I was considering going to Thailand but once I looked into the test and go procedure insurance rip off possible quarantine and all the rest of it decided no way I will go to Cambodia instead.

[Poolie]

32 minutes ago, mws said:

I was considering going to Thailand but once I looked into the test and go procedure insurance rip off possible quarantine and all the rest of it decided no way I will go to Cambodia instead.

Have a really great time, wont you? Byeeee!!

[Thaidup]

At this point, after 2 years and Omicron being like a flu, I tend to agree that the time to open up is past due.

The damage being done to the people of Thailand far outweighs the risk of covid now.

Travel insurance should be the only requirement for entry into any country we want to visit.

[JoeTourist]

I lost a large sum of money when the Thai govt suspended the Test & Go on 22 December '21. I lost money paid for the pre-departure covid19 test, the pre-paid covid19 test and one night SHA + hotel, plus the prepaid hotel booking for 2 weeks.

I will not be organising any trip to Thailand in the future until ALL restrictions are lifted.

[JoeTourist]

19 minutes ago, JoeTourist said:

I lost a large sum of money when the Thai govt suspended the Test & Go on 22 December '21. I lost money paid for the pre-departure covid19 test, the pre-paid covid19 test and one night SHA + hotel upon arrival, plus the prepaid hotel booking for 2 weeks.

I will not be organising any trip to Thailand in the future until ALL restrictions are lifted.

 

[JoeTourist]

4 minutes ago, JoeTourist said:

22 minutes ago, JoeTourist said:

I lost a large sum of money when the Thai govt suspended the Test & Go on 22 December '21. I lost money paid for the pre-departure covid19 test, the pre-paid covid19 test and one night SHA + hotel upon arrival, plus the prepaid hotel booking for 2 weeks.

Furthermore, I have not yet received the promised refund of my airfare from Scoot.

I will not be organising any trip to Thailand in the future until ALL restrictions are lifted.

 

[PohTou]

On 3/4/2022 at 1:47 AM, Politenessman said:

It's funny how often the idea that wealthy foreigners are keen to sweep in and save the day pops up in Thai tourism planning.

Wealthy foreigners are the least likely to go through all the silly regulations Thailand currently has. They will go somewhere where the entry is easy and the stay is pleasant with many options for tourists to enjoy. And no risk of being positive on the 5th day and having to further interrupt their vacations. The Philippines have the right idea.

[LoongFred]

17 hours ago, Janneman said:

Thailand pass is OK if they use it like a visa thingy. No need to fill out clumsy forms aboard an airplane anymore (hey could I borrow your pen...). But they better drop the expensive insurance which wont pay out once you need it.

They might as well drop the PCR test on arrival too since that is rather useless. With > 50k local daily infections it does not really makes sense to test incoming visitors to prevent the spreading of Covid.

My guess is they will drop both at Christmas. 

Christmas is about right at least a good bet.

Well to do tourists on the other  hand will go through travel agencies who will do all the work so easy for them. 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

As each month goes by with no change, the likelihood of me going to Thailand grows less and less.

It is not only the entry requirements, but the need to get a PCR test to return to the US 24 hours prior to departure. 

It is also a gamble when looking to book for months in the future since Thailand has yet to demonstrate consistency in restrictions. 

Personally, I will not be booking until at least three months after entry restrictions are lifted.

In the discussion of the "pent up demand" for travel, what they need to consider that at this point it is down to people who "want" to travel there, but don't "need" to.

As the months creep along, my "want" is waning.

[LoongFred]

1 hour ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

As each month goes by with no change, the likelihood of me going to Thailand grows less and less.

It is not only the entry requirements, but the need to get a PCR test to return to the US 24 hours prior to departure. 

It is also a gamble when looking to book for months in the future since Thailand has yet to demonstrate consistency in restrictions. 

Personally, I will not be booking until at least three months after entry restrictions are lifted.

In the discussion of the "pent up demand" for travel, what they need to consider that at this point it is down to people who "want" to travel there, but don't "need" to.

As the months creep along, my "want" is waning.

The headline says, "tourism offical" that sounds like government people instead of travel agents etc. 

[Naksuthin]

If tourist want to visit a warm sunny beach without

*buying covid insurance,

*applying for a PASS, 

*Staying in a SHA hotel

*then being tested for covid......

GO TO CANCUN MEXICO!!!!!

You dont even need a PCR test to fly to Mexico.

Just hop on a plane. 

And Once you are there they give Americans a SIX M9NTHS VISA!!!!

Thailand need to compete with other popular tourist destinations if it wants more rourist.

There are TOO MANY REQUIREMENTS in Thailand.  Its like applying to enter university

 

[Naksuthin]

13 hours ago, PohTou said:

Wealthy foreigners are the least likely to go through all the silly regulations Thailand currently has. They will go somewhere where the entry is easy and the stay is pleasant with many options for tourists to enjoy. And no risk of being positive on the 5th day and having to further interrupt their vacations. The Philippines have the right idea.

Exactly. People come to Thailand because it cheap.  Rich people go to Dubai, Seychelles, Monaco

Thailand is for budget tourist who want $9 massages and $3 noodle lunches

 

[Naksuthin]

The Average spending per tourist in 2019 was 48,580 Thai baht

The average expat Retiree in Thailand spends at least 50,000 baht a month 9n rent, food, transportation, vacations etc

So each year the average Retiree spends as much as 12 tourists

 

 

[ace035]

25 minutes ago, Naksuthin said:

If tourist want to visit a warm sunny beach without

*buying covid insurance,

*applying for a PASS, 

*Staying in a SHA hotel

*then being tested for covid......

GO TO CANCUN MEXICO!!!!!

You dont even need a PCR test to fly to Mexico.

Just hop on a plane. 

And Once you are there they give Americans a SIX M9NTHS VISA!!!!

Thailand need to compete with other popular tourist destinations if it wants more rourist.

There are TOO MANY REQUIREMENTS in Thailand.  Its like applying to enter university

That's true, I agree with you and I've been to Mexico lot of times but the point is Thailand does not give a s**t about what other countries do.

[oldschooler]

Cases Irrelevant. Deaths Alone Matter. 
Tiny number dying with western vax now. Why not just “ let it go “ and restore pre- Covid conditions worldwide ?