News Forum - Travelling to Thailand… It’s Complicated | GMT

[Thaiger]

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[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

And unnecessarily expensive.

[Skipper]

I have just arrived back in Bangkok after over two years. I worked here as an expat for over 12 years.  I just travelled here from Brisbane via Singapore on mostly half empty flights and empty airports. The nerve wracking experience of paying up front for everything and applying for Thailand pass (mine was rejected after 7 days waiting patiently) I called the 4 listed numbers, 3 had a this number is not connected message. The 4th said press 9 for English but it still kept on in Thai. After 6 attempts I got English.  I then waited 90 mins to finally talk to someone to be told check application again maybe you make mistake. I did this could find nothing wrong sent it off as edited which said this would start the 3 to 7 days approval period again. I received an approved the next day. Lucky I had booked 16 days in advance. Then PCR test in Australia  (I understand this is being dropped) then the form to fill in and sign on the plane admitting you have come from a covid infected area so agreeing basically you will be quarantined if you have a problem to meeting a swathe of PPE dressed staff at an almost empty airport with a greeting as you taxi in of rows of mothballed Thai Airways planes to be whisked of to your PCR test then to quarantine hotel for the nerve wracking night waiting for a hopefully negative result. I have been in and out of Thailand hundreds of times over my years of working here. I know lots of people wanting to come back but just can not deal with this process. I came back because of business. It is stressful to say the least. I doubt I will come again until some normality returns.

[Photobenzman]

Hello,

What about all teachers that has to go out from Thailand and make a new NoNB VISA.

What have they to do to come back?

 

[Soidog]

10 minutes ago, Skipper said:

I have just arrived back in Bangkok after over two years. I worked here as an expat for over 12 years.  I just travelled here from Brisbane via Singapore on mostly half empty flights and empty airports. The nerve wracking experience of paying up front for everything and applying for Thailand pass (mine was rejected after 7 days waiting patiently) I called the 4 listed numbers, 3 had a this number is not connected message. The 4th said press 9 for English but it still kept on in Thai. After 6 attempts I got English.  I then waited 90 mins to finally talk to someone to be told check application again maybe you make mistake. I did this could find nothing wrong sent it off as edited which said this would start the 3 to 7 days approval period again. I received an approved the next day. Lucky I had booked 16 days in advance. Then PCR test in Australia  (I understand this is being dropped) then the form to fill in and sign on the plane admitting you have come from a covid infected area so agreeing basically you will be quarantined if you have a problem to meeting a swathe of PPE dressed staff at an almost empty airport with a greeting as you taxi in of rows of mothballed Thai Airways planes to be whisked of to your PCR test then to quarantine hotel for the nerve wracking night waiting for a hopefully negative result. I have been in and out of Thailand hundreds of times over my years of working here. I know lots of people wanting to come back but just can not deal with this process. I came back because of business. It is stressful to say the least. I doubt I will come again until some normality returns.

An excellent post and one that perfectly describes the experience for many. I had a few minor problems with the Thailand Pass, though overall my Experian e was exactly as outlined. The group of people fully dressed in Hazmat suits, double masked and face shield was utterly ridiculous and only added to the air of fear and uncertainty. Just the one hurdle remains for you if you plan on staying long enough, and that is the Day 5 test

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, Photobenzman said:

Hello,

What about all teachers that has to go out from Thailand and make a new NoNB VISA.

What have they to do to come back?

I assume they can extend it in Country on the basis of Covid (Until March 26th I believe). If not, then I assume they would need to leave and do the same as everyone else? 

[Cabra]

And that in a nutshell is why tourist are staying away.

[Soidog]

And that is why @Cabra it’s even more unfathomable why the Thai government can’t understand that’s why tourists are staying away. Nothing or little to do with test before departure. Maybe yesterdays downgrade of six Thai banks by rating agency S&P may wake them up in to doing something. Hopefully not and hopefully the Teflon Baht will finally collapse. 

[Cabra]

30 minutes ago, Soidog said:

hopefully the Teflon Baht will finally collapse. 

1997/1998 redux. With the lack of foreign currency, existing current account deficits, and depending how exposed Thai banks are (i.e., non performing loans, etc.) to the real estate crisis brewing in China (Evergrande's liquidity crisis), it could be a perfect storm.

[Poolie]

3 minutes ago, Cabra said:

1997/1998 redux. With the lack of foreign currency, existing current account deficits, and depending how exposed Thai banks are (i.e., non performing loans, etc.) to the real estate crisis brewing in China (Evergrande's liquidity crisis), it could be a perfect storm.

People have been predicting Evergrande's collapse for six months now. There was a thread on here that got shut down for going off topic where all the usual pathetic anti-China lot couldn't find anything relevant to say.

[Soidog]

7 minutes ago, Poolie said:

People have been predicting Evergrande's collapse for six months now. There was a thread on here that got shut down for going off topic where all the usual pathetic anti-China lot couldn't find anything relevant to say.

A little off topic ! 

[Manu]

4 hours ago, Skipper said:

I have just arrived back in Bangkok after over two years. I worked here as an expat for over 12 years.  I just travelled here from Brisbane via Singapore on mostly half empty flights and empty airports. The nerve wracking experience of paying up front for everything and applying for Thailand pass (mine was rejected after 7 days waiting patiently) I called the 4 listed numbers, 3 had a this number is not connected message. The 4th said press 9 for English but it still kept on in Thai. After 6 attempts I got English.  I then waited 90 mins to finally talk to someone to be told check application again maybe you make mistake. I did this could find nothing wrong sent it off as edited which said this would start the 3 to 7 days approval period again. I received an approved the next day. Lucky I had booked 16 days in advance. Then PCR test in Australia  (I understand this is being dropped) then the form to fill in and sign on the plane admitting you have come from a covid infected area so agreeing basically you will be quarantined if you have a problem to meeting a swathe of PPE dressed staff at an almost empty airport with a greeting as you taxi in of rows of mothballed Thai Airways planes to be whisked of to your PCR test then to quarantine hotel for the nerve wracking night waiting for a hopefully negative result. I have been in and out of Thailand hundreds of times over my years of working here. I know lots of people wanting to come back but just can not deal with this process. I came back because of business. It is stressful to say the least. I doubt I will come again until some normality returns.

Very understandable. We have all heard so many similar stories but it is always interesting to hear new ones pointing out clearly the non-sense of all this. Like I said before, I would personally NOT even think about coming to Thailand if I was not staying at least 3 months, never mind 2/3/4 weeks holiday. But at least it went ok with your first test. My friend was not so lucky back in December, his test on arrival was positive although he had 0 symptom...he was not sick, nothing. Then the nightmare started... a swathe of PPE dressed staff indeed took him to a tiny hotel room somewhere in Pattaya for 10 days, where he only saw human twice, again a swathe of PPE dressed staff taking him to hospital for chest Xray and scan (I repeat, he had no symptom at all, not on day 1 nor any other day). Luckily he is here for a year but the whole experience stressed him out nicely. Good thing at the end though: he did not have to get a single penny out of his pocket, the mandatory covid insurance did indeed take over all the costs.

[Cabra]

32 minutes ago, Poolie said:

People have been predicting Evergrande's collapse for six months now. There was a thread on here that got shut down for going off topic where all the usual pathetic anti-China lot couldn't find anything relevant to say.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2282599/china-property-giant-evergrande-suspends-share-trading-again

(Off Topic) Today's Evergrande news.

I'm not predicted their failure. Too big to fail, I think. Just speculating on Thai banks exposure. If any.

[ThailandRyan]

43 minutes ago, Poolie said:

People have been predicting Evergrande's collapse for six months now. There was a thread on here that got shut down for going off topic where all the usual pathetic anti-China lot couldn't find anything relevant to say.

Still trolling about how well it is all working out I see.  Just like all of the Chinese tourists returning as you predicted, not happening with millions locked down still.  No wonder they want the Indians and Saudi's to return.

[BigHewer]

10 hours ago, Skipper said:

I have just arrived back in Bangkok after over two years. I worked here as an expat for over 12 years.  I just travelled here from Brisbane via Singapore on mostly half empty flights and empty airports.

Hi Skipper. Thank you for your post. How did you find the experience of transiting Singapore en route to Thailand? Was it a smooth process? Am thinking of either doing the same or flying direct to avoid the hassle.

[BillO]

Saw that your regular guest Ben Hart was quoting a John Hopkins University report today that basically says lockdowns, masks, business closings,  social distancing etc  basically had “no appreciable impact” against Covid 19 mortality, but imposed enormous negative  economic and social costs where adopted. Duh! John Hopkins people! Watch his YouTube video. 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, BillO said:

Saw that your regular guest Ben Hart was quoting a John Hopkins University report today that basically says lockdowns, masks, business closings,  social distancing etc  basically had “no appreciable impact” against Covid 19 mortality, but imposed enormous negative  economic and social costs where adopted. Duh! John Hopkins people! Watch his YouTube video. 

Do any of you guys ever do any research at all?

Or you see something that fits your agenda and you don't care to actually research it?

 

A 1 minute Google search shows it's not a " John Hopkins Study"

 

So you are touting this study because it wss commissioned by John Hopkins, DUH!

 

Except it's a report authored by an economist

He has no medical background whatsoever 

 

 

It just blows my mind you adults just post anything that Fox News pushes and don't care if it has any basis

 

 

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/97056

 

So your "John Hopkins study" is a paper written by an economist who didn't like lockdowns or masks

You could have written it, you have as much qualifications as he does in this field