News Forum - Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran

[BIGGLES]

11 hours ago, JJJ said:

This story has so many holes in it. Prepandemic levels? AOT reported 53,000,000 arrivals to BKK in 2019. 12,000 a day on an annualized basis would be about 4million. 

Also 1-5 of April will also have a bump in traffic as people likely moved any end of March trips to April. Mid-April will probably see a return to the same trend  

It will be interesting to see come June when international arrivals may actually be down year over year.

Thailand did a lot of damage to itself with the utterly pointless Test & Go “pause” in December and it’s snails pace in lifting pointless mandates like outdoor masks.

Especially for westerners, Thailand trips require a lot of preplaning—people are arranging winter holiday trips now! Why plan a trip to Thailand where the slightest change is met with a major over reaction.  

At this point, arrival tests are not the only thing holding down Thailand’s tourist economy. It’s just so sad for all those whose lives depend on it. 

The TAT magic calculator is being used by every man and his dog here.

[butterfly]

I am planning to return to Thailand soon but their flip flop policies is stopping me from booking a flight to Bangkok

when will they learn ?

[Cathat]

bonafide tourists represent a trickle of arrival's at best.

most genuine tourists won't stray far from home for at least 6 months after all the extra beuacracy to travel from a to b has been removed.

the beginning of next high season at the earliest is the best thai travel industry can hope for and that is still looking very uncertain.

 

[Chaimai]

12 hours ago, Jasonjohn said:

What nonsense! These people are here already. They're not new arrivals!

Another newbie who thinks he knows erverything!

[Chaimai]

9 hours ago, butterfly said:

I am planning to return to Thailand soon but their flip flop policies is stopping me from booking a flight to Bangkok

when will they learn ?

 

 

There is no flip-flopping, the rules are quite clear.

 

They just have their priorities wrong and are out of kilter with most of the western world. Their thinking is getting closer but until they realise that PCR testing on arrival is a major barrier the arrival numbers will remain relatively low.

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Cathat said:

bonafide tourists represent a trickle of arrival's at best.

most genuine tourists won't stray far from home for at least 6 months after all the extra beuacracy to travel from a to b has been removed.

the beginning of next high season at the earliest is the best thai travel industry can hope for and that is still looking very uncertain.

Selfishly I think it is set up perfectly to want I want out of my time next month

 

Getting a little buseir where I can find something going on the nights I go out

 

But still relatively quiet

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

22 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Travellers are flooding back into Thailand after the country scrapped its pre-flight Covid PCR testing requirement. Arrivals to Suvarnabhumi International Airport have almost doubled to around 12,000 passengers per day, arriving on a flurry of new inbound flights. On Sunday afternoon, international travellers teems throughout the airport, reaching near pre-pandemic levels. They were greeted by officials and hotels reps who shepherded them to their PRC testing sites upon arrival. Starting April 1, international travelers entering via the Test & Go and Sandbox themes do not need to a negative PCR test certificate issued within 72 hours of departure of their […]

The story Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

It doesn't matter if you get the test back in 4 hours. You still have to pay for the hotel.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

10 hours ago, BIGGLES said:

The TAT magic calculator is being used by every man and his dog here.

Let's not drag dogs into this. They haven't done anything to deserve the slander.

[Marc26]

3 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

It doesn't matter if you get the test back in 4 hours. You still have to pay for the hotel.

Yeah but of you are a tourist, which is what this thread is about, you'd have to anyways

 

My wife's T&G on Saturday was 5400 baht

Take away 1500 baht for PCR test(much cheaper than it would be in Canada)

 

Thats 3900

She had a private airport pick up and dinner and breakfast 

The hotel isn't that much more out of pocket 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

6 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Yeah but of you are a tourist, which is what this thread is about, you'd have to anyways

My wife's T&G on Saturday was 5400 baht

Take away 1500 baht for PCR test(much cheaper than it would be in Canada)

Thats 3900

She had a private airport pick up and dinner and breakfast 

The hotel isn't that much more out of pocket 

From the article..."Meanwhile, RT-PCR testing time have decreased, with results available within 4 hours of testing. This may eliminate the need for many travellers to stay overnight in a quarantine hotel, encouraging more tourists to enter the country, Thai PBS reported."

They are implying that you wouldn't need to stay in a quarantine hotel overnight. But since the PCR test is paid for as part of a hotel package, and you still have to wait 4 hours, good luck getting a refund on the hotel room that is 3x the cost of a comparable room. 

My point was simply that a fast return on a PCR test does not offset the added cost since it can not be arranged without all the add ons.

[Marc26]

11 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

From the article..."Meanwhile, RT-PCR testing time have decreased, with results available within 4 hours of testing. This may eliminate the need for many travellers to stay overnight in a quarantine hotel, encouraging more tourists to enter the country, Thai PBS reported."

They are implying that you wouldn't need to stay in a quarantine hotel overnight. But since the PCR test is paid for as part of a hotel package, and you still have to wait 4 hours, good luck getting a refund on the hotel room that is 3x the cost of a comparable room. 

My point was simply that a fast return on a PCR test does not offset the added cost since it can not be arranged without all the add ons.

Oh my bad LGM, did not see that

And don't know why they would write something so clearly wrong 

 

But the hotel is not 3x cost

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Chaimai said:

Their thinking is getting closer but until they realise that PCR testing on arrival is a major barrier the arrival numbers will remain relatively low.

It’s almost beyond belief that they don’t already realise this. Surely they must know that this is the number one barrier to getting tourist numbers back up.  So let’s assume for a second that they do, what then is stopping them from removing the PCR on arrival? 

[Mamachigawa]

22 hours ago, Malc-Thai said:

Pretty cleaver government by scrapping the pcr test before flying.. that means people that wouldn't of been able to fly and have to had quarantined at home can now pay to be quarantined in Thailand after arrival.. 

Also they can infect other passengers, to increase the Test and Go Hospital and extended stay billings 

[Soidog]

34 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Selfishly I think it is set up perfectly to want I want out of my time next month

Getting a little buseir where I can find something going on the nights I go out

But still relatively quiet

Yes I agree. I think it’s a good time as far as numbers are concerned to be in Thailand. 
 

A couple of things that people aren’t talking so much about these days is worth beating in mind:

1. There is still the day 5 ATK to do and register the result. Seems lots of ways you could get around a positive result to stop being whisked away to quarantine. But let’s not forget, if you do test positive, you have a moral duty to self isolate anyway until you test clear. Even without symptoms, that could still mean 5-10 days staying in your room ordering room service. 
 

2.  For many, Covid is still a nasty illness you wouldn’t want. I know many people in the UK who have been triple jabbed and got the Omicron variant and still had 4-5 days feeling totally crap. Comments such as “worst flu I’ve ever had” or “as close to thinking I was going to die”. Being in Thailand right now poses a risk of catching Covid, especially in bars and close contact “sports”. So you could still have your holiday totally ruined or even end up having to call for medical help anyway. 
 

People shouldn’t forget this virus is still out there and even “mild flu” symptoms is not what people want on holiday. 

[Marc26]

4 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Yes I agree. I think it’s a good time as far as numbers are concerned to be in Thailand. 
 

A couple of things that people aren’t talking so much about these days is worth beating in mind:

1. There is still the day 5 ATK to do and register the result. Seems lots of ways you could get around a positive result to stop being whisked away to quarantine. But let’s not forget, if you do test positive, you have a moral duty to self isolate anyway until you test clear. Even without symptoms, that could still mean 5-10 days staying in your room ordering room service. 
 

2.  For many, Covid is still a nasty illness you wouldn’t want. I know many people in the UK who have been triple jabbed and got the Omicron variant and still had 4-5 days feeling totally crap. Comments such as “worst flu I’ve ever had” or “as close to thinking I was going to die”. Being in Thailand right now poses a risk of catching Covid, especially in bars and close contact “sports”. So you could still have your holiday totally ruined or even end up having to call for medical help anyway. 
 

People shouldn’t forget this virus is still out there and even “mild flu” symptoms is not what people want on holiday. 

Extremely good point

 

And I've pointed that out to my wife who is on her 3rd day now 

That she still needs to take her 5th day and if she tests positive she will miss Songkran

 

Back to your points

 

1) 5th day, very true and still a worry. Although like I did in Mexico I would book a place that I could throughly enjoy my isolation 

But that means finding a place that would allow me to stay, I'd be truthful 

 

2) Again a concern. I've been one of the more cautious people I know over the pandemic

So I won't stop being caution 

No super crowded bars and very little indoor dining for me

[Manu]

23 hours ago, Malc-Thai said:

Pretty cleaver government by scrapping the pcr test before flying.. that means people that wouldn't of been able to fly and have to had quarantined at home can now pay to be quarantined in Thailand after arrival.. 

Intersting point...and after their quarantine, they would continue to spend money since they are here, might as well finished the planned holiday. But in my own opinion, you have to be mad not to test yourself anyway before flying to Thailand, at least an ATK test, for...well, for obvious reasons.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Manu

[Soidog]

12 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Extremely good point

And I've pointed that out to my wife who is on her 3rd day now 

That she still needs to take her 5th day and if she tests positive she will miss Songkran

Back to your points

1) 5th day, very true and still a worry. Although like I did in Mexico I would book a place that I could throughly enjoy my isolation 

But that means finding a place that would allow me to stay, I'd be truthful 

2) Again a concern. I've been one of the more cautious people I know over the pandemic

So I won't stop being caution 

No super crowded bars and very little indoor dining for me

Spot on Marc. That’s the approach I took when I first arrived. Back then you had to have a second PCR on day 5. Even now, I still make sure I sit outside in a bar  I avoid getting in to an elevator and prefer the stairs. I wash or gel my hands and generally keep my distance. It would help  slightly if there was a more accurate view of what was happening in Thailand right now with case numbers. On the face of it, you are more safer here than you are in many countries. However, over the past few weeks, every person I talk to from Nong Kai to Songkhla tells me people are coming down with Covid all over the place. 

[Shaycarmaycar]

However many airlines require a PCR negative before getting on an international flight.  At $150 Aus per person a family of 5 would still be $750 out of pocket when leaving and approximately the same before travelling home. Then paying for insurance that has to recognised by Thai authorities. Still extremely probitive!!

[Soidog]

8 minutes ago, Shaycarmaycar said:

However many airlines require a PCR negative before getting on an international flight.

Sorry to question this statement, but is this actually true, and if so which international airlines? My understanding was that airlines follow the requirements of the departure, arrival or transiting country. So a direct flight for example from the UK to Bangkok should not require any preflight PCR test. In my opinion a wrong move at this current time. I would still hope that every passenger takes an ATK test prior to departure. 

[Chaimai]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

It’s almost beyond belief that they don’t already realise this. Surely they must know that this is the number one barrier to getting tourist numbers back up.  So let’s assume for a second that they do, what then is stopping them from removing the PCR on arrival? 

 

None whatsoever.

 

There cannot possibly be an anti-tourist agenda so I can only assume the typically plodding - and we know best attitude - is hampering their decision making. They will follow, but at their pace rather then when it is appropriate to do so. With domestic vaccinations up to 73% the citizens are adequately protected.

 

Don't get me wrong, this is not an anti-government rant, Thailand has done no worse than many other countries. However, they do seem to make, well let's say, "Thai decisions".

[Marc26]

54 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Spot on Marc. That’s the approach I took when I first arrived. Back then you had to have a second PCR on day 5. Even now, I still make sure I sit outside in a bar  I avoid getting in to an elevator and prefer the stairs. I wash or gel my hands and generally keep my distance. It would help  slightly if there was a more accurate view of what was happening in Thailand right now with case numbers. On the face of it, you are more safer here than you are in many countries. However, over the past few weeks, every person I talk to from Nong Kai to Songkhla tells me people are coming down with Covid all over the place. 

Yes it hit our Thai family over the last 2 weeks

 

My stepson had a dangerously high fever, 42 C, for a night

Which I found out the next day after it went down or would have insisted he go to the hospital 

[Marc26]

29 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Sorry to question this statement, but is this actually true, and if so which international airlines? My understanding was that airlines follow the requirements of the departure, arrival or transiting country. So a direct flight for example from the UK to Bangkok should not require any preflight PCR test. In my opinion a wrong move at this current time. I would still hope that every passenger takes an ATK test prior to departure. 

I've said a few times on here

Airlines aren't going to be more stringent than the destination country 

They don't want to have to check PCR tests

[Chaimai]

2 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I've said a few times on here

Airlines aren't going to be more stringent than the destination country 

They don't want to have to check PCR tests

 

 

I flew to Phuket 10 days ago on a Thai Airways Boeing 777-300ER. It was rammed and was going on to Frankfurt.

 

No checks at all other than evidence of vaccination at check in.

[Marc26]

1 minute ago, Chaimai said:

I flew to Phuket 10 days ago on a Thai Airways Boeing 777-300ER. It was rammed and was going on to Frankfurt.

No checks at all other than evidence of vaccination at check in.

They didn't check your PCR test? That's odd

[Benroon]

22 hours ago, ReallyHuh said:

Sorry, but it is a prison if I am not allowed to reside in my own house.

Luxury cars, rooms and breakfasts or whatever are all a part of the scam.

Yes. I have resided in Thailand near on 9 years.

and in all that time that chip hasn't budged from your shoulder an inch !

(I stayed in the Marriot 'prison' - I'm going to wager it's probably a little more comfy than your house).