News Forum - Minister of Tourism is sure tourists will flood Thailand November 1

[Benroon]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:05 PM, Marc26 said:

That's a bit hysterical, IMO

I have flown into Vancouver a few times now with testing required on arrival

5k people throughout the day is not a huge # to go through........

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One is Canada, the other is Thailand

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:19 PM, Benroon said:

One is Canada, the other is Thailand

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For sure, but once all the upper level planning is sorted out, I have seen Thailand handle all sort of tasks efficiently

Hell, put the people who work at the phone booths giving out new SIM cards, those fcukers handle close to that per day and fly through it   :)

[vlad]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:05 PM, Marc26 said:

That's a bit hysterical, IMO

I have flown into Vancouver a few times now with testing required on arrival

5k people throughout the day is not a huge # to go through........

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Marc26 I have flown into Thailand onboard a full A380 no fun waiting to go through passport control with just 1 A380 let alone a few planes arriving at the same time before any testing is required.

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:03 PM, vlad said:

Marc26 I have flown into Thailand onboard a full A380 no fun waiting to go through passport control with just 1 A380 let alone a few planes arriving at the same time before any testing is required.

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I've flown into Bangkok over 40x, possibly more

I've seen it no more different than most countries that don't have the automated machines

Sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there is none or very little.....

[Benroon]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:42 PM, Marc26 said:

For sure, but once all the upper level planning is sorted out, I have seen Thailand handle all sort of tasks efficiently

Hell, put the people who work at the phone booths giving out new SIM cards, those fcukers handle close to that per day and fly through it   :)

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Don't get me wrong so have I - I'm not an 'anti' (frequently called an 'apologist' whatever one of those is) but it's the upper level as you call it that will be the problem. if after a major announcement re Nov 1st no-one is any the wiser, infact the confusion is worse now, what chance do the poor souls at the airport have !!

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:36 PM, Benroon said:

Don't get me wrong so have I - I'm not an 'anti' (frequently called an 'apologist' whatever one of those is) but it's the upper level as you call it that will be the problem. if after a major announcement re Nov 1st no-one is any the wiser, infact the confusion is worse now, what chance do the poor souls at the airport have !!

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Yeah I meant to say that I am sure there would be hiccups with the top management

But if that got sorted out, it really is a pretty quick process, so I could see it going relatively smooth

I would say there has been about 300-400 people in Vancouver airport when I have arrived and it flows

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:03 PM, vlad said:

Marc26 I have flown into Thailand onboard a full A380 no fun waiting to go through passport control with just 1 A380 let alone a few planes arriving at the same time before any testing is required.

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On another note, I have done the VIP arrivals for the last few years at BKK

It is awesome, for around 2k-2500 baht you go through the diplomatic lane with a car waiting for you right outside

They meet you as you get off plane

Feel like a superstar  :)

From landing to in car, it usually takes less than 15mins

[yselmike]

It was a bit chaotic at Schiphol last week and people were missing flights.Evidently it was caused by problems at check-in with controls for evidence of vaccinations and negative tests,and then again at security and passport controls.Heathrow was in the news because people were over 3 hours getting through passport control.I can't wait to get that shit at both ends.

[yselmike]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:45 PM, Marc26 said:

On another note, I have done the VIP arrivals for the last few years at BKK

It is awesome, for around 2k-2500 baht you go through the diplomatic lane with a car waiting for you right outside

They meet you as you get off plane

Feel like a superstar  :)

From landing to in car, it usually takes less than 15mins

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Do they still allow the over 70s to use the priority immigration?

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:03 PM, yselmike said:

Do they still allow the over 70s to use the priority immigration?

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I got a couple decades to go! But I would imagine they would

But this VIP Arrival really is awesome. I only take carry-on, so don't have to wait for bags.....

[Soidog]

  On 10/13/2021 at 1:17 PM, Rip255 said:

Don't need a flood of low quality tourists that only line the pockets of sleazy dive-bars, past-their-prime bargirls and zero-star guesthouses.

A lower number of high quality tourists that visit attractions, go to fancy restaurants and buy full-price retail is what's needed. 

Thats why keeping bars closed for the high season would be the BEST thing for Thailand.

For every time a sleazy barfly arrives here and stays at 'Ye ol' Shithole Inn', they discourage high quality tourists from ever coming that would have spent 10x as much at the Grand Royal Plaza Hotel. 

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You are one damaged person. What happened to you? What was his/her name who broke your heart? Only Thailand discourages “high quality” tourists. To get high quality you need to provide high quality services and attractions. If Thailand wants to build streets without proper sidewalks and bars with cockroaches and rats, then low quality is what you get. Som Nam Nar. The way Thailand treats foreigners, you are lucky anyone goes there on holiday. Good job the natural beauty is quality to offset the attitude. 

[Stonker]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:05 PM, Marc26 said:

That's a bit hysterical, IMO

I have flown into Vancouver a few times now with testing required on arrival

5k people throughout the day is not a huge # to go through........

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  On 10/13/2021 at 7:40 PM, Marc26 said:

Yeah I meant to say that I am sure there would be hiccups with the top management

But if that got sorted out, it really is a pretty quick process, so I could see it going relatively smooth

I would say there has been about 300-400 people in Vancouver airport when I have arrived and it flows

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Unless the Canada and Vancouver airport sites have got it wrong, the test on arrival at Vancouver is a self-administered rapid-antigen test - apparently unsupervised apart from by a teleprompter.

That can't be compared in any way with a PCR test.

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 4:53 PM, Stonker said:

There's limited PCR testing, so all of it will be tied up just handling testing the tourists so there'll be no test 'n' trace available for anywhere else.

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Do they do test and trace in TH?

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 6:42 PM, Marc26 said:

For sure, but once all the upper level planning is sorted out, I have seen Thailand handle all sort of tasks efficiently

Hell, put the people who work at the phone booths giving out new SIM cards, those fcukers handle close to that per day and fly through it   :)

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You've just reminded of one of my visits to TH. On arrival I went to that SIM card desk, and there were 5 Indians in a group all ahead of me. For 20 minutes I stood as next in line in the queue. Some of the Indians spoke English, but for the benefit of those who didn't every thing had to be translated. So it was No 1 Indian asks question. No 2 Indian seeks clarification. Then conference with the whole group. Then No1 Indian asks new question, and No 2 seeks clarification and new conference ensues. At one stage, there were about 20 people in the queue with just one girl available to deal with matters. The more sensible people behind gave up. I gave up after 20 minutes, and they still hadn't bought anything. I only needed to recharge my old SIM card with credit.

I understand the TH is actively encouraging such tourism from India. I wonder why?

[Stonker]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:28 PM, JohninDubin said:

Do they do test and trace in TH?

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Yes. 

While the testing's limited, as frequently discussed, the tracing's apparently very good - locally, it definitely works. 

Apparently a lot  better than the UK's system and certainly a lot cheaper as that was $50 billion wasted according to the recent cross-party enquiry

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:03 PM, vlad said:

Marc26 I have flown into Thailand onboard a full A380 no fun waiting to go through passport control with just 1 A380 let alone a few planes arriving at the same time before any testing is required.

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But with 5k a day, they won't all be coming into the same airport and at the same time. 

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:18 PM, Stonker said:

Unless the Canada and Vancouver airport sites have got it wrong, the test on arrival at Vancouver is a self-administered rapid-antigen test - apparently unsupervised apart from by a teleprompter.

That can't be compared in any way with a PCR test.

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That is incorrect, well it was when they lifted the hotel quarantine 

It could have changed 

The majority of passengers arriving were tested at the airport.

A smaller % got tests to take at home 

Just when I have been, there has been 100+ going through the testing "maze"

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:24 PM, Marc26 said:

I've flown into Bangkok over 40x, possibly more

I've seen it no more different than most countries that don't have the automated machines

Sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there is none or very little.....

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I have cleared immigration in as little as 25 mins at BKK. The longest it has taken me has been 70 mins. It used to be quicker when you could choose which queue to join. Since the introduced the "snake lines", that has slowed things down.

[Marc26]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:54 PM, JohninDubin said:

I have cleared immigration in as little as 25 mins at BKK. The longest it has taken me has been 70 mins. It used to be quicker when you could choose which queue to join. Since the introduced the "snake lines", that has slowed things down.

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And those timelines aren't any different than most airports

Vancouver is awesome because we have the automated terminals

You can land with 3 planes at the same time and be through in 15mins easy 

I've been really lucky in BKK, never waited more than 20mins or so

But now do the VIP arrival

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 7:24 PM, Marc26 said:

I've flown into Bangkok over 40x, possibly more

I've seen it no more different than most countries that don't have the automated machines

Sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there is none or very little.....

Expand  

My experience with the automated machines at LHR, are that it always refers me to a human. Schiphol, is never a prob in that regard.

[Stonker]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:46 PM, JohninDubin said:

You've just reminded of one of my visits to TH. On arrival I went to that SIM card desk, and there were 5 Indians in a group all ahead of me. For 20 minutes I stood as next in line in the queue. Some of the Indians spoke English, but for the benefit of those who didn't every thing had to be translated. So it was No 1 Indian asks question. No 2 Indian seeks clarification. Then conference with the whole group. Then No1 Indian asks new question, and No 2 seeks clarification and new conference ensues. At one stage, there were about 20 people in the queue with just one girl available to deal with matters. The more sensible people behind gave up. I gave up after 20 minutes, and they still hadn't bought anything. I only needed to recharge my old SIM card with credit.

I understand the TH is actively encouraging such tourism from India. I wonder why?

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They were probably trying to steal SIM cards. I've been in a similar queue but for iphones and that's what was being discussed to divert the sales girl's attention. When I asked if I could help, in Hindi, they left .

[Stonker]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:54 PM, Marc26 said:

That is incorrect, well it was when they lifted the hotel quarantine 

It could have changed 

The majority of passengers arriving were tested at the airport.

A smaller % got tests to take at home 

Just when I have been, there has been 100+ going through the testing "maze"

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I'm sure Vancouver airport will be interested to know that they've got it wrong, as will the Canadian government site:

https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/takecare/passenger-steps/new-travel-requirements-for-entering-canada-by-air

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid?utm_campaign=gac-amc-travelborder-part2-21-22&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=ggl&utm_content=ad-text-en&utm_term=canada arrival covid test&adv=2122-147654&id_campaign=14643232225&id_source=125810504863&id_content=545679435742&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=CjwKCAjwh5qLBhALEiwAioods4DmLCsQudgtLbhWNWgerHAKx-lw1LFgVk7fYh3iaYcYydN2MVnzJxoCz_0QAvD_BwE

https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/takecare/covid-19-testing#:~:text=Location and hours

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:48 PM, Stonker said:

Yes. 

While the testing's limited, as frequently discussed, the tracing's apparently very good - locally, it definitely works. 

Apparently a lot  better than the UK's system and certainly a lot cheaper as that was $50 billion wasted according to the recent cross-party enquiry

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I do recall now, that was part of TH's plan in the early days. It worked well for about a year and then along came Delta

For all our criticism of TH, apart from Vaxxing, just about everything they did, their metrics were better than the UK.

[JohninDublin]

  On 10/13/2021 at 8:59 PM, Stonker said:

They were probably trying to steal SIM cards. I've been in a similar queue but for iphones and that's what was being discussed to divert the sales girl's attention. When I asked if I could help, in Hindi, they left .

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Stealing SIM cards. I think they were only 49BT, and you still need to put money on to them. Mind you though, this was in the days when you didn't need to pre-register a SIM.

[Stonker]

  On 10/13/2021 at 9:19 PM, JohninDubin said:

I do recall now, that was part of TH's plan in the early days. It worked well for about a year and then along came Delta

For all our criticism of TH, apart from Vaxxing, just about everything they did, their metrics were better than the UK.

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It was still working well recently, at least in all the local cases I know and know of, where the sources were all found as were contacts they passed it on to (and contacts tested who were negative).