News Forum - BREAKING: Vaccinated travellers from 10 countries allowed to enter without quarantine starting November 1

[Tim]

Another deja vu flip flopping quality moment with Uncle Prayut...  

[Tim]

1 hour ago, Bernhard said:

According to Reuters "Visitors from at least 10 countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, China and the United States will be exempted from quarantine on arrival, Prayuth said in a televised speech. More countries will later be added to the list, he said".

Good, Germany is on the list. We will see...

Don't rejoyce too quick papa schultz, you're not there yet, so far it's only words blown in the air from a crazy old man, you might spend another winter eating Bratwursts before you see the sun of Thailand :)

[BIGGLES]

Well, on the back of this announcement,  the Baht took a nose dive. The money men must be frightened that there will be a uncontrolled mass of people wanting the Baht. 

DREAM ON BOYS!

when the Baht crashes (and it will I believe), I might buy the odd 50,000/100,000 Baht!

Right now, KEEP IT!

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Benroon said:

Well for sure it can't stay in its current format as this announcement makes it obsolete - lets think glass half full. 

Yes I’d love to think glass half full. I’m going to stick my neck out and predict the following:

FIrst - CCSA will maybe move it to at least November 15th  

Second - foreigners will still have to stay at an SHA+ hotel. At least until the result of the first Covid test is available 2 or 3 nights. 
 

Third - Preflight PCR and on arrival still required. 
 

Fourth - COVID insurance still required. 
 

Fifith - In order to check the above. COE still required. 
 

Sorry if that sounds like dregs in the bottom of the glass. But I’ve been around these clowns for too long to believe anything until I can see it with my own eyes. It seems odd that they would jump from a couple of locations and all the multiple Covid tests, insurance and COE and then move straight to fly in with a preflight Covid test and go wherever you want. That’s what they should be doing for vaccinated tourists, but it seems a hell of a big step in one go???  I hope I’m wrong. 
 

We may know by the end of the week? 

[Soidog]

3 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

Well, on the back of this announcement,  the Baht took a nose dive. The money men must be frightened that there will be a uncontrolled mass of people wanting the Baht. 

DREAM ON BOYS!

when the Baht crashes (and it will I believe), I might buy the odd 50,000/100,000 Baht!

Right now, KEEP IT!

The baht went up in value following the announcement. It didn’t nose dive ! 

[Tim]

35 minutes ago, Soidog said:

FIrst - CCSA will maybe move it to at least November 15th  Second - foreigners will still have to stay at an SHA+ hotel. At least until the result of the first Covid test is available 2 or 3 nights. 
Third - Preflight PCR and on arrival still required. 
Fourth - COVID insurance still required. 
Fifith - In order to check the above. COE still required. 

I am afraid that indeed it will be the best scenario...

Notice that he hasn't mentioned Russia, they are in a current spike of covid at the moment, there's no way they'll be on the list imo. Maybe it is something he has only realised today and so made this breaking announcement to try saving the boat. As they were betting everything on the Russians.

[BIGGLES]

42 minutes ago, Soidog said:

The baht went up in value following the announcement. It didn’t nose dive ! 

Take a look my friend it plummeted!

[Malc-Thai]

4 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

Take a look my friend it plummeted!

£ dropped 

[BIGGLES]

1 minute ago, Malc-Thai said:

£ dropped 

So that's a drop from opening this morning  at 46+

[daavi]

Which are the 10 countries?  

My bet is that the 10 countries have a lot to do with how much the country can earn from tourists, rather than allowing fully vaccinated  Thai-Expat families to return home for Christmas, without having to deal with the unnecessary and onerous quarantine protocols.

I previously had to endure the painful 15 day isolation in Bangkok, despite having been CV-19 infected mid 2020, then having the two Pfizer CV-19 vaccine doses in January of this year.

I hope to be proven wrong,  as I am so looking forward to coming home with my family.

[Soidog]

36 minutes ago, Tim said:

I am afraid that indeed it will be the best scenario...

Notice that he hasn't mentioned Russia, they are in a current spike of covid at the moment, there's no way they'll be on the list imo. Maybe it is something he has only realised today and so made this breaking announcement to try saving the boat. As they were betting everything on the Russians.

Yes a good point. I noticed some federation of Thai industries guy has warned about the falling baht yesterday. What better way of pumping its value up by 1%-2% by making such an announcement. I really need to take my optimistic therapy more seriously

[Soidog]

38 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

Take a look my friend it plummeted!

No @Biggles, sorry mate. The pound fell from being worth 46.2 to 45.7. That means that the baht increased in value. It rose in value it didn’t nose dive. Before the announcement you needed to spend 46.2 baht to get one Pound. Now, due to the rising value of the baht, you only need to spend 45.7 baht to buy a Pound. It’s a common mistake as we are use to looking at the Pound to Baht exchange rate rather than the other way. Believe me, the Baht rose in value filling the announcement.

[Petern]

Strange that contries like us and England is ok but not Nordic contries is invited

[PapayaBokBok]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

you might spend another winter eating Bratwursts

Pass the Grey Poupon please--Im Hiso like that... :)

As for opening LOS you just know he wants to be able to say we are only open for our Chinese Overlords...

[Shane]

That's great news for tourism but on returning to Australia we will be forced to quarantine still 

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

Yes I’d love to think glass half full. I’m going to stick my neck out and predict the following:

FIrst - CCSA will maybe move it to at least November 15th  

Second - foreigners will still have to stay at an SHA+ hotel. At least until the result of the first Covid test is available 2 or 3 nights. 
 

Third - Preflight PCR and on arrival still required. 
 

Fourth - COVID insurance still required. 
 

Fifith - In order to check the above. COE still required. 
 

Sorry if that sounds like dregs in the bottom of the glass. But I’ve been around these clowns for too long to believe anything until I can see it with my own eyes. It seems odd that they would jump from a couple of locations and all the multiple Covid tests, insurance and COE and then move straight to fly in with a preflight Covid test and go wherever you want. That’s what they should be doing for vaccinated tourists, but it seems a hell of a big step in one go???  I hope I’m wrong. 
 

We may know by the end of the week? 

This is exactly what we learned from Phuket. No quarantine = Sandbox. Coming to Bangkok, et al. will be just like coming to Phuket or Samui: Vax, tests, SHA+, Insurance, (I'm sticking with) 7 nights, except for the uncomfortable bus ride to Pattaya, CM, or HH.

[ace035]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

Yes I’d love to think glass half full. I’m going to stick my neck out and predict the following:

FIrst - CCSA will maybe move it to at least November 15th  

Second - foreigners will still have to stay at an SHA+ hotel. At least until the result of the first Covid test is available 2 or 3 nights. 
 

Third - Preflight PCR and on arrival still required. 
 

Fourth - COVID insurance still required. 
 

Fifith - In order to check the above. COE still required. 
 

Sorry if that sounds like dregs in the bottom of the glass. But I’ve been around these clowns for too long to believe anything until I can see it with my own eyes. It seems odd that they would jump from a couple of locations and all the multiple Covid tests, insurance and COE and then move straight to fly in with a preflight Covid test and go wherever you want. That’s what they should be doing for vaccinated tourists, but it seems a hell of a big step in one go???  I hope I’m wrong. 
 

We may know by the end of the week? 

Absolutely, This is what I am talking about, it's a "trick", they did not mention in the article that upon arrival in Thailand for the COVID-19 test that how long will you get the result in? Is it by hours, 2 days or 3 days? then finding out that you get screwed already. I will believe when it happens, other than that it's all opinion.

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, Rip255 said:

At this point if you havent got vaccinated, its your own fault. Especially since oldies are prioritised. 

Anyone still saying there are shortages are lying. The government is begging people to get them and theyve moved onto school kids.

Completely untrue. 

Half the population have had nothing at all, and of the third that have been fully vaccinated most have been vaccinated with either two Sinovac or one Sinovac and one AZ.

Unless Thais are over 55 or have severe health conditions the only option available is Sinovac, followed by AZ after three months - so next year, and for many even that isn't available yet.

Foreigners are fortunate and have been prioritised despite the complaints, particularly for Pfizer, so your comment is simply uninformed nonsense - and that's being as polite as it's possible to be.

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, JamesE said:

(snip) ....., except for the uncomfortable bus ride to Pattaya, CM, or HH.

Poor dears having to suffer an "uncomfortable bus ride".

How about the two thirds of the Thai population who have yet to be fully vaccinated and have no chance of being fully vaccinated until next year?

Or don't they matter as long as the tourists are happy?

[Bangkok_Gary]

Fully vaccinated travellers (from an approved list of countries) can enter Costa Rica without Covid tests, without health insurance. All you need is proof of vaccination. Just get on the plane and enjoy. I will go there for a holiday. Too much bullsh*t to go to Thailand.

[Cathat]

A slight improvement in conditions to enter thailand but is unlikely to be enough to encourage meaningful numbers to arrive.

Until unrestricted travel returns not many folk will venture far from home.

Mass tourism and it is debatable if they want it back will be at least another years wait now.

[Stonker]

12 minutes ago, Cathat said:

...Mass tourism and it is debatable if they want it back will be at least another years wait now.

You've got what many have missed or refuse to accept - many here if not most DON'T "want it back" until the country's ready, which isn't going to be before Songkran next year at the earliest.

[Soidog]

 

I didn’t see the live televised announcement by the PM, only what was reported in the Bangkok Post.  The BBC have reported the story and have included the following statement

Mr Prayuth's comments came in a televised address on Monday.

Referring to visitors from 10 low-risk nations, he stressed that "when they arrive, they should present a [negative] Covid test... and test once again upon arrival".

If the second test is also negative, any visitor from those countries "can travel freely like Thais", the prime minister said.
 

But he warned that the government would act decisively if there were to be a spike in infections or an emergence of a highly contagious variant of Covid-19.

 

What does he mean when he says “when they arrive they will have to present a negative Covid test”? When you arrive at the check in or at immigration? It’s obvious he means pre-flight or at least you would hope so, but he’s talking utter nonsense. If he means on arrival and if you can’t present, what then? 
 

It also seems as though there will be at least one test on arrival and it’s clear there will be some requirement to wait until that test on arrival is shown to be negative. How long will this take? 24 hours if it’s a PCR test? Will you have to wait in a designated SHA+ hotel? What happens if you are shown to be positive? Where will you have to go?  This is before it’s further watered down by the CCSA. Not looking good as it first sounded already… 

Full article via this link:

Thailand to re-open for some vaccinated visitors on 1 November https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58838189

 

[JamesE]

36 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Poor dears having to suffer an "uncomfortable bus ride".

How about the two thirds of the Thai population who have yet to be fully vaccinated and have no chance of being fully vaccinated until next year?

Or don't they matter as long as the tourists are happy?

Apparently they don't.

I'm really concerned about three things in all of this. First, the rush to open is only because of the 120-days promise made back in June. Conditions on the ground haven't changed all that much from the end of September so why hurry? Why risk everything on an illusion because, Second, the cases and deaths just don't add up. The recent news from the rural doctors exposed the shell game that has been going on with "cases". Cases are only what PCR says, not what antigen says - officially. So "cases" have been moved from reality into Limbo. On top of that most countries are seeing a death rate of about 2%, Thailand keeps reporting about 1.1%. Even Vietnam, which has had a very similar COVID experience to Thailand's is reporting just over 2%. So either reported deaths are too low, reported cases are too high, or nobody really knows (or is saying). Which leads to Three, the lack of vaccination. You're entirely correct that releasing the world upon Thailand solely due to the low vaccination rate is a big mistake. Not only is the Sino-AZ fallback cocktail unproven but the lessons from the Delta variant were quickly forgotten. They're completely ignoring that, as with Delta, one person with a new variant entering Thailand is enough to ruin everything.

Fortunately, I think they are overestimating tourist demand for Thailand. If you look back at last year's big winter surge it started right about now. But the US and UK are still seeing the remnants of the Delta surge. If another winter surge starts we're going to be back where we were a year ago: no travel. But not due to government edicts, due to just plain fear.

[Hulu]

No quarantine, but 2 tests.There is always something extra,to get Money.