Koh Samui opens for bookings from vaccinated foreign tourists

[Thaiger]

Koh Samui’s sealed route programme, Samui Plus, has opened for business, with vaccinated tourists now able to apply for a certificate of entry. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says some details need to be ironed out, including determing the cost of a 7-day stay at an alternative state quarantine facility, to include Covid-19 tests and medical fees. According to a Bangkok Post report, the cost is expected to be around 35,000 baht. Ratchaporn says that unlike the strict measures imposed on local travellers to Phuket, Koh Samui does not plan to ask vaccinated local arrivals to […]

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[EdwardV]

“Koh Samui does not plan to ask vaccinated local arrivals to show a negative Covid-19 test result.” - why? Because to require the test would diminish domestic tourism. It’s like watching a slow moving train wreck. 

[JamesE]

Oh great. No details at all. And what's this UD$1,100, 7-day ALQ nonsense?

[Martin]

As someone who spent a great deal of the last 20 years in Thailand, up to March last year, i am definitely not a "Thai basher", i have a great affection for Thailand and always was met with kindness and hospitality.

But the dire situation Thailand finds itself in seems to be leading people to take leave of their senses. It's very sad to see.

What part of the "Samui Plus" scheme has an iota of attraction to persuade someone to travel halfway across the world?

A 15 night ASQ can be had in Bangkok for roughly 35,000 baht if you shop around. So Samui plan on effectively doubling the charge?

 

[KaptainRob]

4 minutes ago, Martin said:

What part of the "Samui Plus" scheme has an iota of attraction to persuade someone to travel halfway across the world?

A 15 night ASQ can be had in Bangkok for roughly 35,000 baht if you shop around. So Samui plan on effectively doubling the charge?

As usual the announcements come well before any approved detail. 

Samui may be very attractive to many returnees and tourists although one must factor in the transfer costs by air from BKK.

 

[AlexPTY]

52 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

As usual the announcements come well before any approved detail. 

Samui may be very attractive to many returnees and tourists although one must factor in the transfer costs by air from BKK.

Surely no-one will sneak over the bridge how they did in Phuket, but i could see how you can get a ride on a speedboat for 1500 from the mainland

[gummy]

1 hour ago, Martin said:

As someone who spent a great deal of the last 20 years in Thailand, up to March last year, i am definitely not a "Thai basher", i have a great affection for Thailand and always was met with kindness and hospitality.

But the dire situation Thailand finds itself in seems to be leading people to take leave of their senses. It's very sad to see.

What part of the "Samui Plus" scheme has an iota of attraction to persuade someone to travel halfway across the world?

A 15 night ASQ can be had in Bangkok for roughly 35,000 baht if you shop around. So Samui plan on effectively doubling the charge?

Could well be that those charges will be waived for "invited" Burmese people/groups as they will surely need some other nationality to blame when it all goes dangerously haywire.

[BookShe]

16 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

Surely no-one will sneak over the bridge how they did in Phuket, but i could see how you can get a ride on a speedboat for 1500 from the mainland

How much is the speed or a rowing boat ride for the 500 meters long trip from the mainland to Phuket? Samui is quite windy lately so the speedboat ride is not too convenient. On the other hand, why would you pay 1500 bhat for a speedboat when you can just pay 150 bhat for a ferry? Unless you are coming here from a mega-red zone (or lie about it) you can enter Samui without any problem or PCR test.

[KaptainRob]

18 minutes ago, BookShe said:

How much is the speed or a rowing boat ride for the 500 meters long trip from the mainland to Phuket?

Easy enough to swim across with suitcase tied on your back.   Or take a longtail ride from Phang Nga.

As for accessing Samui by ferry, yes it's an option but first you must get to Surat Thani's Donsak pier.  If lockdowns continue to occur this may not be possible.

[BookShe]

7 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Easy enough to swim across with suitcase tied on your back.   Or take a longtail ride from Phang Nga.

As for accessing Samui by ferry, yes it's an option but first you must get to Surat Thani's Donsak pier.  If lockdowns continue to occur this may not be possible.

It's only 8 hours drive from Bangkok (drive daytime to avoid curfew), so people who wanna skip the lockdowns and can afford a vacation are all heading down south. Samui is open, clubs and restaurants serving alcohol as usual, and it's about to open for international travelers in just 3 days. Methinks it's all making a lot of sense in LOS. Oh, I forgot to mention the boutique airline that suspended almost all domestic flights, except the BKK-USM. As far as I'm concerned I'm outta here. Waiting on some legal docs, and I'm heading home to get the real vaccine. I've been sitting here for more than a year and IMHO things aren't getting any better here, in fact quite the opposite. May the 4th be with us.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, BookShe said:

It's only 8 hours drive from Bangkok (drive daytime to avoid curfew), so people who wanna skip the lockdowns and can afford a vacation are all heading down south. Samui is open, clubs and restaurants serving alcohol as usual, and it's about to open for international travelers in just 3 days. Methinks it's all making a lot of sense in LOS. Oh, I forgot to mention the boutique airline that suspended almost all domestic flights, except the BKK-USM. As far as I'm concerned I'm outta here. Waiting on some legal docs, and I'm heading home to get the real vaccine. I've been sitting here for more than a year and IMHO things aren't getting any better here, in fact quite the opposite. May the 4th be with us.

A wise move if you can afford it. I left in May 2020, though that was for work. At the time vaccines weren’t available and I, like many, thought this would be under control in 3-6 months. 14 months on and having decided not to even try to return until I had been vaccinated, controlling things in Thailand seems further away than ever. 

 

Good luck with your plans and safe trip home. 

Edited July 13, 2021 by Soidog
Typo

[BookShe]

9 hours ago, Soidog said:

A wise move if you can afford it. I left in May 2020, though that was for work. At the time vaccines weren’t available and I, like many, thought this would be under control in 3-6 months. 14 months on and having decided not to even try to return until I had been vaccinated, controlling things in Thailand seems further away than ever. 

Good luck with your plans and safe trip home. 

There are no wise moves anymore. It's either a bad move or worse. You will know in hindsight. Traveling around the world unvaccinated is a risk. I just made my last will today in case things turn south :)

[satpete]

there is no risk from fully vaccinated tourists even some may tested positiv,

many thai people lost work in tourists areas, tourists will bring much more work now,

live with the virus is the only way to live and do not starve,

thai people without vaccines are the most danger in future

[bushav8r]

meh

[bushav8r]

19 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

As usual the announcements come well before any approved detail. 

Samui may be very attractive to many returnees and tourists although one must factor in the transfer costs by air from BKK.

Flights from BKK to anywhere else in Thailand usually cost next to nothing.

[gummy]

10 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

Flights from BKK to anywhere else in Thailand usually cost next to nothing.

What in your opinion is "next to nothing" is not the case for so many people in Thailand who earn 8,000 THB per month or less or by your comparisons perhaps I should say earn next to nothing

[bushav8r]

Everything is relative. Poor people in Thailand are not likely  to travel like westerners who would gladly  pay a token fee rather than drive.  

[bushav8r]

7 minutes ago, gummy said:

What in your opinion is "next to nothing" is not the case for so many people in Thailand who earn 8,000 THB per month or less or by your comparisons perhaps I should say earn next to nothing

The lady selling you noodle soup likely does not have frequent flyer miles.

[KaptainRob]

5 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

Everything is relative. Poor people in Thailand are not likely  to travel like westerners who would gladly  pay a token fee rather than drive.  

I wholeheartedly agree with that.  It's not the most scenic drive and flying is just so convenient and safer too.

Return fares from BKK start at 4500 bt, or about usd150. 

[bushav8r]

1 minute ago, KaptainRob said:

I wholeheartedly agree with that.  It's not the most scenic drive and flying is just so convenient and safer too.

Return fares from BKK start at 4500 bt, or about usd150. 

It is amazing how the cost can be so low. Again from a western perspective.  Its like when you get ripped off by a taxi driver and pay 10 bucks instead of 5.  Who cares.  Get me there safely, and I will even give you a tip.

[KaptainRob]

2 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

It is amazing how the cost can be so low. Again from a western perspective.  Its like when you get ripped off by a taxi driver and pay 10 bucks instead of 5.  Who cares.  Get me there safely, and I will even give you a tip.

I can't agree on your taxi analogy.  If I get ripped by a taxi they don't get a tip but if the fare is correct I may tip almost as much as I could have been ripped off.  Fuzzy logic?

[JamesE]

19 hours ago, Martin said:

A 15 night ASQ can be had in Bangkok for roughly 35,000 baht if you shop around. So Samui plan on effectively doubling the charge?

The only attraction is that you're not locked up. The Samui plan doesn't include meals. The Samui plan doesn't include tests. Plus, when you finish your 7-night stay, you get to book another one. By the time it gets added up two weeks on Samui is going to end up costing over ฿100K. I'll be watching with interest to see how the actual opening goes and I'm hoping they have the kinks and costs ironed out before I need to choose in September. Right now, however, I can get a really, really nice ASQ in BKK for about 50K.

[gummy]

17 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

The lady selling you noodle soup likely does not have frequent flyer miles.

She isn't pretentious  like many so doesn't even want them. Just normal honest people buying her noodles daily and not full of BS is enough to make her life good.

[bushav8r]

9 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

I can't agree on your taxi analogy.  If I get ripped by a taxi they don't get a tip but if the fare is correct I may tip almost as much as I could have been ripped off.  Fuzzy logic?

Just comparing taxi prices here....taxii  to downtown  is at  least $60 dollars here.  I f I get charged 10 bucks in Thailand I just tell the driver to get it up on two wheels and get me home quickly.

[bushav8r]

Taxi man will smile a lot and welcome you to Land of Smiles.  He likely can't  communicate with you, but that is part of the fun...Stranger in a Strange land...just sit back and enjoy the ride..