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

[Benroon]

34 minutes ago, Jacob23 said:

I am on the fence. Deciding between Phuket Sandbox and Bangkok. I intend on travelling early Dec and stay a month in Bangkok. 

Is it possible that we will have quarantine free arrival in Bangkok after Nov 1? that would be awesome. I am not interested in Phuket Sandbox but I don't want to be stuck in a hotel room for 7 days in Bangkok. 

I’m in the same boat but Nov. What you wish for would be perfect but given the BKK covid figures I really can’t see that happening. 

[Soidog]

4 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Total guess, but I would expect there to be a registered hotel minibus to pick passengers up at extra charge. 

I believe there was mention of specific SHA+ pumps that could be stopped at on route for restrooms etc. 

Thanks. Yes, there is only one practical way of doing it, although that hasn’t been explained. In typical Thai style, I assume it will have police escort with flashing lights. Locals will stare in wonder at the minibus of infested tourists. Everyone in full hazmat suites. What an awful start to your “holiday” Welcome to Thailand

[Benroon]

4 minutes ago, Soidog said:

My guess (and that’s all it can be right now), is that the COE process will still be in place. The COE is intended to check that the foreigner has the right level of insurance and confirmed booking in a designated hotel along with prepaid Covid checks (they may have expanded it to proof of vaccination also?). Until they drop the requirements for insurance and SHA+ hotels, I can’t see them removing the COE? It’s little more than an admin check but a big pain in the ass

You’re probably right SD but right NOW you need ASQ (if not interested in Phuket) but this article suggests from Nov 1st SHA+ would possibly suffice  - so someone booking now, today, apart from wait, should do what ? 

[palooka]

22 hours 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.

What about HHK to Hanoi ,Vietnam and then to Luang Prabang Laos, or Vientiane?  Both flights are short so maybe only transit Vietnam.

[longwood50]

This is the economic model used to predict the total amount added to the economy by foreign tourist.  Denominations are in billions of baht. 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by longwood50

[Griff1315]

1 minute ago, Soidog said:

Thanks. Yes, there is only one practical way of doing it, although that hasn’t been explained. In typical Thai style, I assume it will have police escort with flashing lights. Locals will stare in wonder at the minibus of infested tourists. Everyone in full hazmat suites. What an awful start to your “holiday” Welcome to Thailand

You just described it perfectly all the tourists crammed onto a bus, no social distancing. Driver probably wearing hazmat suit, escorted by police to make sure you don't escape before they extract all your money. Some guy out in front waving a red flag with a bullhorn shouting beware filthy ferang tourists. Lovely start to your very expensive holidays.

[Soidog]

14 minutes ago, Benroon said:

You’re probably right SD but right NOW you need ASQ (if not interested in Phuket) but this article suggests from Nov 1st SHA+ would possibly suffice  - so someone booking now, today, apart from wait, should do what ? 

Yes I totally agree. I also would prefer to fly in to BKK, stick around for a week and then go elsewhere. As you say, right now that’s only possible with ASQ. I’m looking to get back in the New Year but will hold off booking or doing anything until the situation you describe is clearer. I will be amazed if BKK opens in just 21 days time. Possibly Hua Hin and maybe a few smaller locations. It’s possible CM may also be included? 
 

The bottom line is that this pandemic has proven a challenge for policy makers across the world. Even in places where open debate and challenging of opinions is transparent it’s been difficult. Can you imagine how hard it is in Thailand. Loss of face, respect for senior people, controlled media etc. It’s not playing to their strengths at all. Lockdown did. It was exactly what the Thais are good at. Telling people to do less and control. Opening up and freedoms don’t come easy to military people and so they will fluff and fumble their way through this for the next six to twelve months. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

52 minutes ago, Benroon said:

I’m not sure - the gist of the article the way I read it was they want to open up fully - having said that you may well be right but that’s not going to help IMO. 

The problem with these articles is they’re so confusing it would be better not to publish them in the first place! 

What if someone from one of the 5 areas wants to book now to arrive post Nov 1st  ? What if they live in those areas ?

They have to provide ASQ details (for BKK obviously) but by the time they travel they could do SHA and not need the ASQ !! 

Chaos! 

https://www.thaiembassy.com/

You can get up to date info from this website. There is also a weekly mailing list.

[Faz]

21 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

https://www.thaiembassy.com/

You can get up to date info from this website. There is also a weekly mailing list.

That is not an official Thai Embassy website, it's a commercial website.
https://www.thaiembassy.com/disclaimer

ThaiEmbassy.com is not the official site of the Royal Thai Embassy and is not affiliated with the government of Thailand. This site is maintained and supported by Siam Legal, a Thai law firm. For questions about this site, please contact info@siam-legal.com.

GENERAL DISCLAIMER

The information provided at this site is of a general nature and may not apply to any particular set of facts or under all circumstances. It should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of Siam Legal or establish an attorney-client relationship. Laws are constantly changing. The information on this website was accurate at the time of posting and we make every effort to keep it current, however we are not responsible for outdated materials.

 

[Janneman]

1 hour ago, Bob20 said:

Never mind the government! We don't need millions of tourists (domestic and/or foreign) to move around the country spreading the virus to communities that haven't been vaccinated yet.

Thai economy needs tourists.

The virus is not spread by tourists visiting communities. In the sandbox you have like 1 infected traveller per day. In Thailand you have like 10k new infections every day. Officially that is. A few extra infections caused by tourists don't really matter if ther are like 200k active cases nationwide.

[Bob20]

2 minutes ago, Janneman said:

Thai economy needs tourists.

The virus is not spread by tourists visiting communities. In the sandbox you have like 1 infected traveller per day. In Thailand you have like 10k new infections every day. Officially that is. A few extra infections caused by tourists don't really matter if ther are like 200k active cases nationwide.

I bet that's what you said last Songkran too...

Your post has no basis in science and you don't even seem to understand that the "case numbers" are not actual case numbers. The numbers are purely positive PCR tests out of the number of tests they do. It gives a proportion. And they don't even include ATK test results so the number should be doubled already (read the doctors association's statement). 

Let's say they do 50k tests and find 20k positives, that means in the country there are millions of positives.

And as Christmas in the UK, Songkran in Thailand and many such events around the globe have shown clearly, movement spreads the virus.

And in Thailand too many have not yet been protected.

[TheDirtyDurian]

40 minutes ago, Faz said:

That is not an official Thai Embassy website, it's a commercial website.
https://www.thaiembassy.com/disclaimer

ThaiEmbassy.com is not the official site of the Royal Thai Embassy and is not affiliated with the government of Thailand. This site is maintained and supported by Siam Legal, a Thai law firm. For questions about this site, please contact info@siam-legal.com.

GENERAL DISCLAIMER

The information provided at this site is of a general nature and may not apply to any particular set of facts or under all circumstances. It should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of Siam Legal or establish an attorney-client relationship. Laws are constantly changing. The information on this website was accurate at the time of posting and we make every effort to keep it current, however we are not responsible for outdated materials.

Yes, not official blah blah blah. Doesn't mean not correct. 

I've been following for a long time now and always found them accurate. 

Affiliated to a law firm, it's in their interest to be correct, no?

 

[Poolie]

17 hours ago, Robert2020 said:

Meanwhile Cancun, Mexico just saw a record amount of tourists arrive since 2019 of 1.6 million in one month. There's no quarantine, mobile tracking, PCR tests and all the bars are open. Did I mention they have the second biggest coral reef in the world?

Did you also mention that 1.599999m will be Americans?

Thailand here I come.

The smell of large ego's will be overwhelming.

[Faz]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Yes, not official blah blah blah. Doesn't mean not correct. 

It's full of misinformation and misleading facts.  

 

[Janneman]

1 hour ago, Bob20 said:

I bet that's what you said last Songkran too...

Your post has no basis in science and you don't even seem to understand that the "case numbers" are not actual case numbers. The numbers are purely positive PCR tests out of the number of tests they do. It gives a proportion. And they don't even include ATK test results so the number should be doubled already (read the doctors association's statement). 

Let's say they do 50k tests and find 20k positives, that means in the country there are millions of positives.

And as Christmas in the UK, Songkran in Thailand and many such events around the globe have shown clearly, movement spreads the virus.

And in Thailand too many have not yet been protected.

Actually, I studied virology, population biology, epidemiology, and statistics. Ages ago. Maybe science has changed.

I guess we are both right. Mass movement of unvaccinated people will spread a virus. Mass gatherings of unvaccinated persons will spread it too. That is why it is a good idea to close bars and clubs, and to have police raid parties.

But movement of vaccinated foreign tourists can do little or no harm. That is my point. All foreign tourists are vaccinated. They can still get and spread covid, I know. But it is not as if every tourist is a walking source of viruses.

Movement of local unvaccinated tourists is something else. That will spread a virus. Only thing to stop that is keep on vaccinating. And only allow vaccinated local tourists to travel.

I don't envy the Thai government. The economy needs foreign tourists, but at the same time they should restrict local tourism. So Thai people have to stay home, while the farangs can travel freely? That won't make the government popular. Nor the farangs. But I'm no politician, I'm a wannabe tourists waiting for the restrictions to ease.

 

 

[Bob20]

2 minutes ago, Janneman said:

Actually, I studied virology, population biology, epidemiology, and statistics. Ages ago. Maybe science has changed.

I guess we are both right. Mass movement of unvaccinated people will spread a virus. Mass gatherings of unvaccinated persons will spread it too. That is why it is a good idea to close bars and clubs, and to have police raid parties.

But movement of vaccinated foreign tourists can do little or no harm. That is my point. All foreign tourists are vaccinated. They can still get and spread covid, I know. But it is not as if every tourist is a walking source of viruses.

Movement of local unvaccinated tourists is something else. That will spread a virus. Only thing to stop that is keep on vaccinating. And only allow vaccinated local tourists to travel.

I don't envy the Thai government. The economy needs foreign tourists, but at the same time they should restrict local tourism. So Thai people have to stay home, while the farangs can travel freely? That won't make the government popular. Nor the farangs. But I'm no politician, I'm a wannabe tourists waiting for the restrictions to ease.

Sorry, but we are not both right. So maybe time to read-up

It has been extensively shown that Covid is spread by both unvaccinated AND vaccinated people.

The vaccine only reduces your chance of getting sick or dying, but it doesn't prevent you from carrying and transmitting the virus. Some studies show virtually no viral-load reduction, others show up to 34% reduction, depending on the vaccine as well, but for practical purposes there is no difference. Both groups can get infected and pass-on the virus. 

[pascal]

hummmm it is the best we can wish for Thailand, but i really doubt it. Hence, what will be the plan to get in the country ? as far as i see the conditions are still a pain ....... tourists want freedom ...... the only acceptable thing is the long queue at immigration as before, more than this no thanks you i will try somewhere else or wait it becomes better.

[Bob20]

4 minutes ago, pascal said:

hummmm it is the best we can wish for Thailand, but i really doubt it. Hence, what will be the plan to get in the country ? as far as i see the conditions are still a pain ....... tourists want freedom ...... the only acceptable thing is the long queue at immigration as before, more than this no thanks you i will try somewhere else or wait it becomes better.

You are right. Even if it was easier, believe me, it's not the place to be right now. Empty deserted places. Most of what was once fun is closed. It will all return but it will take time.

[Wolfie]

Is there a plan to allow transit at bkk onto other destinations and do the ‘dirt box’ there or even if things go as planned you would have to stay in Bangkok for the first week? Arriving early Jan but impossible to plan and book anything without knowing the detail

Edited October 11, 2021 by Wolfie

[TheDirtyDurian]

2 hours ago, Faz said:

It's full of misinformation and misleading facts.  

Such as?

[Bob20]

Just announced on tv:

Full free-for-all opening Nov 1 for 10 countries

Alcohol ban restaurants lifted on Dec 1

 

 

[Bob20]

more info:

bars & entertainment venues considered too

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2196079/pm-sets-nov-1-for-reopening-to-foreign-tourists-from-low-risk-countries

[Griff1315]

Best order a few more million ATK, they will need them to keep the numbers down.

Apparently public health comes second to the tourist money.

[Faz]

@Bob20

Already a thread running on it; 

 

[Faz]

43 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Such as?

If you can't spot the misleading misinformation on this page, open a new thread.
https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thailand-visa-types