News Forum - November reopening to international tourists predicts 1.5 trillion baht

[Poolie]

16 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Nostradamus, fortune tellers, tarot cards ... take your pick.

It's all very well making a prediction, it's like opening a new business without a business plan.  Things only work out if all the ducks line up in a neat row.

Will no-one think of the ducks?

[Johno]

Again figures pulled out of thin air that will never materialize and no competant research done as the country falls back into poverty and covid still rages...

Hua hin market just now permanently closed due to  excessive infections. But the gov. wants to push for multiple tourists in the same area  ???

[Wormwood]

8 minutes ago, Wormwood said:

I think they over estimate Thailand. I have been here for my entire life. It is a nice place but no better than most other countries. Most of the reasons people come to Thailand are still restricted. Why come if they are still restricted. Just look at the Phuket sandbox. 42,000 tourists since June. That is a sad number for 3 months. And 2B baht is nothing compared to what is needed. The tourists have not shown interest in coming at least not in high enough numbers to really help.

 

[Pi_Tim]

"Sandbox reopenings that have trickled in about 2.33 billion baht this year, with just over 43,000 travellers entering Phuket"

thats an average of: 2.33B / 43,000 / 3.5 months = 15,500 THB spent per person per month since the opening.

Well, if this is a success, better focus on domestic tourism, the results will be faster and might actually be higher, the middle class will spend more than that !

[BIGGLES]

The UK has removed Thailand from the red list, this is good new.

The UK government has not made revision to its FCDO travel advice which remains don't travel to any part of Thailand unless its essential. This advice will hopefully change this week. If it does then the insurance will be valid. Should this be the case, it's not  going to make much difference I believe, for the following:

COE  = Little interest.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE = Little interest.

SHA+ = Little interest. 

PCR testing in location = Little interest. 

Tracking Apps= Little interest. 

No alcohol = Little  interest. 

Paperwork process = Little interest. 

So with all the nonsense remaining in place, which we've all banged on about endlessly, this is just another pipe dream from an afternoon spent  at a TONG LAW drug party.

 

[Tim]

I have read that TAT wants less tourists but spending 2 time more and of course they have no plans on how they're gonna accomplish that...

It's like me saying to my boss, I want to work less and get my salary doubled.

[Poolie]

6 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

So with all the nonsense remaining in place, which we've all banged on about endlessly, this is just another pipe dream from an afternoon spent  at a TONG LAW drug party.

Speak for yourself.

I'm just waiting for the rest of the world to open up in their own time and on their terms. Good enough for me.

I don't do drugs, neither.

[Wormwood]

58 minutes ago, Pi_Tim said:

"Sandbox reopenings that have trickled in about 2.33 billion baht this year, with just over 43,000 travellers entering Phuket"

thats an average of: 2.33B / 43,000 / 3.5 months = 15,500 THB spent per person per month since the opening.

Well, if this is a success, better focus on domestic tourism, the results will be faster and might actually be higher, the middle class will spend more than that 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Wormwood

[Wormwood]

Agreed!!

[Bob20]

17 minutes ago, Wormwood said:

 

Problem is that domestic tourism doesn't bring extra money into the country.

[Guevara]

51 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

The UK has removed Thailand from the red list, this is good new.

The UK government has not made revision to its FCDO travel advice which remains don't travel to any part of Thailand unless its essential. This advice will hopefully change this week. If it does then the insurance will be valid. Should this be the case, it's not  going to make much difference I believe, for the following:

COE  = Little interest.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE = Little interest.

SHA+ = Little interest. 

PCR testing in location = Little interest. 

Tracking Apps= Little interest. 

No alcohol = Little  interest. 

Paperwork process = Little interest. 

So with all the nonsense remaining in place, which we've all banged on about endlessly, this is just another pipe dream from an afternoon spent  at a TONG LAW drug party.

The FCDO and Government tend to contradict each other, as you say the FCDO SHOULD update their info soon. As for your lack of interest in your items listed, I couldn't agree more. Prayut and his flunkies need to catch up to what most of the planet is doing (including realistic, truthful figures on new cases and deaths.

 

 

[Bob20]

3 minutes ago, Wormwood said:

 

And of that 15,500 pp/pm, most went to the quarantine hotels and other associated costs. What went into small business is negligible...

Get vaccinating and then open up properly and confidently a little later but without ridiculous hoops.

[Greeneyes]

[Griff1315]

1 hour ago, Tarquin said:

This isn't from TAT. It's from a government spokesman. Big difference.

No difference really still BS....

[DavidK]

I am not convinced. Although I would not have spent 1.5 trillion baht, I am now not in a position to spend even my meagre amount which could have contributed towards this estimated income. On 15 August I received my COE but sadly Thailand was placed on Scotland's Red List so my travel had to be cancelled. Thailand is soon to be removed from the Red List (tomorrow) so holiday back on or so I thought. Yesterday I spent 13 hours trying to submit my registration for a new COE. I complete every relevant field, I have purchased new insurance, I have uploaded my vaccination certificate, passport page and proof of insurance (as required) and when I submit this I get a message saying "Please upload additional documents". No specification of what these additional documents are. As far as I can tell the only thing that has changed is my proposed dates of travel. I am therefore not encouraged to view Thailand as a reasonable destination so I had better start looking elsewhere.

[Bob20]

5 minutes ago, Griff1315 said:

No difference really still BS....

 

2 hours ago, Tarquin said:

This isn't from TAT. It's from a government spokesman. Big difference.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

same same not different

[AlexPTY]

 

What is highest number in the world?

The biggest number referred to regularly is a googolplex (10googol). I hope Government officials read my post

 

[Griff1315]

2 minutes ago, DavidK said:

I am not convinced. Although I would not have spent 1.5 trillion baht, I am now not in a position to spend even my meagre amount which could have contributed towards this estimated income. On 15 August I received my COE but sadly Thailand was placed on Scotland's Red List so my travel had to be cancelled. Thailand is soon to be removed from the Red List (tomorrow) so holiday back on or so I thought. Yesterday I spent 13 hours trying to submit my registration for a new COE. I complete every relevant field, I have purchased new insurance, I have uploaded my vaccination certificate, passport page and proof of insurance (as required) and when I submit this I get a message saying "Please upload additional documents". No specification of what these additional documents are. As far as I can tell the only thing that has changed is my proposed dates of travel. I am therefore not encouraged to view Thailand as a reasonable destination so I had better start looking elsewhere.

Additional documentation is probably your bank statements showing the 1.5 trillion baht you expected to spend as your the only one coming....

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Pi_Tim said:

"Sandbox reopenings that have trickled in about 2.33 billion baht this year, with just over 43,000 travellers entering Phuket"

thats an average of: 2.33B / 43,000 / 3.5 months = 15,500 THB spent per person per month since the opening.

Well, if this is a success, better focus on domestic tourism, the results will be faster and might actually be higher, the middle class will spend more than that !

That’s a small amount for someone to spend per month or even per week. I would typically spend that in 2 days on holiday. I guess as most of the 43,000 are returning Thais or expats, then it makes sense. 

[Soidog]

7 minutes ago, DavidK said:

I am not convinced. Although I would not have spent 1.5 trillion baht, I am now not in a position to spend even my meagre amount which could have contributed towards this estimated income. On 15 August I received my COE but sadly Thailand was placed on Scotland's Red List so my travel had to be cancelled. Thailand is soon to be removed from the Red List (tomorrow) so holiday back on or so I thought. Yesterday I spent 13 hours trying to submit my registration for a new COE. I complete every relevant field, I have purchased new insurance, I have uploaded my vaccination certificate, passport page and proof of insurance (as required) and when I submit this I get a message saying "Please upload additional documents". No specification of what these additional documents are. As far as I can tell the only thing that has changed is my proposed dates of travel. I am therefore not encouraged to view Thailand as a reasonable destination so I had better start looking elsewhere.

Hi @DavidK  I also had the same issue last year while assisting a friend to apply for the COE. I can’t recall exactly how I got around the problem. However, I think i had failed to hit the button that “uploads” the documents. The documents appear in the box on your screen, but until you hit the “upload” button the documents are not sent and hence the error notification you are seeing?  Hope this helps in some way. 

[PohTou]

I am 78 years old. I cannot qualify for the Thai Covid insurance. Therefore I cannot go - period. I have already canceled my flights to Bangkok for November 10. My flight from HKG to BKK was canceled by the airline, so the rest of the trip was useless anyway. I have received a refund for my ticket. I do not mind paying for insurance, but I read that it would last only 2 weeks?  (If I could even get it). I also want to travel to Laos, but there are no flights to Vientiane from Thailand and back to Thailand. How would I go back and forth between Thailand and Laos? I have a son and his family in Thailand Bangkok and many close friends and “family” in Laos. If the insurance age limit is not eliminated and travel between Thailand and Laos is not free, then I will not go. I have had 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 2 days ago I received a third “booster” shot of Pfizer. The whole Thai system of entry for fully vaccinated tourists is just not rational.  Please think about it rather than listen to politicians. Phuket is a prime example - control the entry of fully vaccinated travellers, but allow Thai people to enter with no restrictions. Result - many cases of community spread and only a few cases of positive tests among the foreign travellers. Who is the threat to Thai people? - not the fully vaccinated foreigners.

[Soidog]

3 minutes ago, PohTou said:

I am 78 years old. I cannot qualify for the Thai Covid insurance. Therefore I cannot go - period. I have already canceled my flights to Bangkok for November 10. My flight from HKG to BKK was canceled by the airline, so the rest of the trip was useless anyway. I have received a refund for my ticket. I do not mind paying for insurance, but I read that it would last only 2 weeks?  (If I could even get it). I also want to travel to Laos, but there are no flights to Vientiane from Thailand and back to Thailand. How would I go back and forth between Thailand and Laos? I have a son and his family in Thailand Bangkok and many close friends and “family” in Laos. If the insurance age limit is not eliminated and travel between Thailand and Laos is not free, then I will not go. I have had 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 2 days ago I received a third “booster” shot of Pfizer. The whole Thai system of entry for fully vaccinated tourists is just not rational.  Please think about it rather than listen to politicians. Phuket is a prime example - control the entry of fully vaccinated travellers, but allow Thai people to enter with no restrictions. Result - many cases of community spread and only a few cases of positive tests among the foreign travellers. Who is the threat to Thai people? - not the fully vaccinated foreigners.

Totally agree with your comments. With regard to the Covid insurance. Are you unable to get Covid cover through an insurance company in your own country?  My understanding is that it doesn’t have to be with a Thai company? However, I was told that if you wish to extend your visa while in Thailand then you should purchase insurance through one of the approved Thai insurance companies. 

[BIGGLES]

1 hour ago, Poolie said:

Speak for yourself.

I'm just waiting for the rest of the world to open up in their own time and on their terms. Good enough for me.

I don't do drugs, neither.

Good for you, happy to hear it.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Poolie said:

I don't do drugs, neither.

What do you do then @Poolie  please don’t tell me you are tea total. I’ve seen plenty of your posts remember

[Poolie]

8 minutes ago, Soidog said:

What do you do then @Poolie  please don’t tell me you are tea total. I’ve seen plenty of your posts remember

I havent had a drink for over a year, although I'm not tee-total.

I just didn't bother.