News Forum - Thailand to overhaul reopening plans for pilot areas, one system policy to be adopted

[Thaiger]

Thailand is overhauling their reopening plans to simplify and unify current protocols. The new idea is to adopt a “One SOP, One System policy, with SOP standing for standard operating procedure. The new plan will toss out mandatory quarantine and sealed routes for pilot areas sometime this year. They will also slash Covid tests costs in half, in some instances. The plan is for 5 areas: Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Cha-am, and Bangkok and will be submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next week in the hopes of getting vaccinated tourists on October first. Concurrently, Samui Plus […]

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[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

I suppose a returnee who already has a house or a condo still need to pay for SAH plus hotel? Only to take the covidtests there and make temperature checks? I seriously  doubt they'll let anyone bypass whatever  profitable system they come up with.

[Wendy]

We have a condo already booked and we are both fully vaccinated. Does anyone know if we will be able to go straight there or have to go to a hotel.

we are coming from the UK

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

13 minutes ago, Wendy said:

We have a condo already booked and we are both fully vaccinated. Does anyone know if we will be able to go straight there or have to go to a hotel.

we are coming from the UK

It's only a proposal, there'll be twists and turn before its finalized, if ever.

Edited September 14, 2021 by DoUKnowWhoIAm

[Graham]

One SOP, this is a joke right, there is absolutely no way this government can come up with one system of entry that will apply, too many departments involved and too many clowns with the (I have a better idea than you attitude), the only way a single SOP can be applied is to open as it was before Covid, never mind the scamming hotels, the ridiculous high cost of PCR tests, the Apps that you can't register on or can never get to work. For the sake of the normal people of Thailand, get the vaccinating done (as it should have been done a year ago), open the country once more and get back to normal life.

We all know TIT so not likely to happen any time soon.

[AlexPTY]

do it simple. open all or none

[Soidog]

11 hours ago, Graham said:

One SOP, this is a joke right, there is absolutely no way this government can come up with one system of entry that will apply, too many departments involved and too many clowns with the (I have a better idea than you attitude), the only way a single SOP can be applied is to open as it was before Covid, never mind the scamming hotels, the ridiculous high cost of PCR tests, the Apps that you can't register on or can never get to work. For the sake of the normal people of Thailand, get the vaccinating done (as it should have been done a year ago), open the country once more and get back to normal life.

We all know TIT so not likely to happen any time soon.

It’s a fair point @Graham  I’m sure there are SOP’s in place within the immigration department for visa renewals. Yet you can go to the same office and even the same person and the SOP has changed from one day to the next. Can you imagine what it will be like with various hotel managers, hospitals and clinics?  Not to mention the thousand and one other Covid related scams people will dream up.
 

Jet Ski hires will insist they saw you sneeze on their jet ski and now they have to have it fully disinfected and quarantined for 72 hours and so you have to pay - “It’s the law” Motorbike hires will add 100 baht for deep clean after you finish with hire. “It’s the law”

Brace yourself for a whole new set of scams….

[PapayaBokBok]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-kroger-and-walmart-cheaper-rapid-covid-19-tests/

I mentioned this the other day for PCR tests and now selling at cost about 1250 bt each for 3 for 4000

would sound about right opposed to the 8000!!!!....Makes sense to do the SOP but will thai logic and saving face allow it?  I hope so....maybe they are finally tired of spinning this and seeing the well has run dry

As usual, hopeful but have been burned many times in LOS.....your move Thailand--put up or shut up

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

17 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

As usual, hopeful but have been burned many times in LOS.....your move Thailand--put up or shut up

But this ….…..

Same, Same but Different!

[BBY]

Ohhh, when will the penny (Bhat) drop.

Understand this. Until you give freedoms of choice. As other countries that are opening are offering. You will get few tourists. The clue is in the word TOURist. We are not going to come with limitations such as you are suggesting. Yes to, double vaccinated, face mask’s, social distancing, phone app, lateral flow testing (we can even bring our own kits). Yes to all of these sensible requirements. 

We do not want to be bound by your choice of where we can go and especially where we can stay, a select few hotels that are clearly being favoured. We want freedom of choice such as the ability to choose our own accommodations from budget guest house to luxury hotel, condo to villa. Insurance by our own choice of international companies. Our money. Our choice. 

Relax it sensibly, or tourists will remain minimal. Stop trying to push money in the direction of the favoured few. Tourists are not idiots. We can see exactly what you are trying to achieve and it’s at the cost of your own people trying to make a living.

I repeat “Tourists need to be ATTRACTED”. This is the only way mass tourism will return.


 

[Bob20]

56 minutes ago, BBY said:

Ohhh, when will the penny (Bhat) drop.

Understand this. Until you give freedoms of choice. As other countries that are opening are offering. You will get few tourists. The clue is in the word TOURist. We are not going to come with limitations such as you are suggesting. Yes to, double vaccinated, face mask’s, social distancing, phone app, lateral flow testing (we can even bring our own kits). Yes to all of these sensible requirements. 

We do not want to be bound by your choice of where we can go and especially where we can stay, a select few hotels that are clearly being favoured. We want freedom of choice such as the ability to choose our own accommodations from budget guest house to luxury hotel, condo to villa. Insurance by our own choice of international companies. Our money. Our choice. 

Relax it sensibly, or tourists will remain minimal. Stop trying to push money in the direction of the favoured few. Tourists are not idiots. We can see exactly what you are trying to achieve and it’s at the cost of your own people trying to make a living.

I repeat “Tourists need to be ATTRACTED”. This is the only way mass tourism will return.


 

Thailand can do nothing else, because they're way behind with vaccinating and the partial lockdowns haven't worked well either.

You can't give tourists "choice" while the locals are restricted and unprotected.

They shouldn't even make these crazy plans, as every movement they propose spreads the virus to locals who have not been vaccinated yet.

Thus, every "plan" is concocted to manouvre between all the problems they've created, hence the list of hoops you have to jump through.

Instead they should concentrate all their attention on procuring vaccines and on jabbing day and night. Because when we get to a high level of jabs (and good ones!) THEN we can open with few restrictions and some kind of normality.

Then the locals are safe and tourists will have confidence too.

[Podgey]

The major obstacle for me and my girlfriend is that we are afraid that we be force to quarantine if some one close to us show up infected. Have anyone heard if they are about to change that? All The other rules i can accept