News Forum - Recovery of Thailand’s international tourism sector likely to take years

[EdwardV]

So now they expect tourism to take years to rebound? Who would have thought? The country still isn’t open enough, the loops to jump thought are still just a few too many, and the risk is still too great for the average two week tourist. Only makes sense they are not coming in droves. Keeping in mind the average tourist stay in Thailand pre pandemic was less than two weeks. 

[HolyCowCm]

46 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Doubt it. Durian would be too expensive!

Thai version of what Marie Antionette said to the peasants during the famine as let them eat cake. So just figured it was recently said here regarding durian. And I didn't say let them eat Dirty Durian.

[TheDirtyDurian]

38 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Thai version of what Marie Antionette said to the peasants during the famine as let them eat cake. So just figured it was recently said here regarding durian. And I didn't say let them eat Dirty Durian.

I got the reference.......

And they definitely couldn't afford me!

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Jayce said:

If only they'd scrap the "we'll put you in a hospital after you test positive even though you're asymptomatic " rule, I'd be on a plane tomorrow!

At worst just let people stay in the room/villa they paid for instead of losing that money and having to pay for the hospital stay that the insurance won't cover (when asymptomatic)... Especially in the villa scenario where they'd have very adequate separation from Thai society while still being able to somewhat enjoy a 'sortoff' holiday. I mean, weren't the Thai doing it in an organised fashion that way before they opened up to the 40+ countries anyway, so why wouldn't that be possible today?? 

But rather though: plenty of Covid positive Thai out and about who aren't being locked up, so why does it need to be any different for toursists when they're vaccinated, asymptomatic and significantly less likely to be shedding the virus? You might want to keep them out of certain establishments, but no reason to throw them in a hospital for crying out loud. That's probably one of the main things keeping tourists from even considering coming to Thailand right now.

Oh and does anyone know if this whole "you sat close to a positive case on the plane so now we're putting you in hospital even if you test negative on arrival" nonsense still applies?? They were reconsidering that prior to Omicron, not sure if they actually changed any of that...

They have.

But don't worry - you'll still get others who are equally mis-informed telling you that you're "spot on" !

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

I got the reference.......

And they definitely couldn't afford me!

Good to know you set your standards high and walk with youyr nose pointingtop the sky, unless it is under 18 and over 25 years old need not apply.

[NCC1701A]

the Chinese economy is on the verge of total and complete collapse. 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

22 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Good to know you set your standards high and walk with youyr nose pointingtop the sky, unless it is under 18 and over 25 years old need not apply.

 

[HolyCowCm]

40 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Yeah I can still see the sky from looking out the gap of my storm drain.

[Marc26]

9 hours ago, LoongFred said:

It might be easy, but covid has wakened world economies. International travel is on the skids and it won't recover for a couple of years. Smart economies that relied on tourism in the past need to look for ways not so dependent on the tourism industry. Going from 20% to somewhat less would be a good start. 

What does that have to do with the relative ease of Thailand Pass?

[Marc26]

8 hours ago, Jayce said:

I actually didn't know that wasn't the case. I was still basing myself off information that I had read here quite some time ago! Thanks for pointing that out. Still not great to be put in a hospital though even if insurance pays for it. I assume insurance won't cover someone from losing the money from the original accomodation booking. And even if you would be able to recoup that money, I don't have enough leave to be able to rebook any accomodation for after I get out of hospital. Don't relish the thought of spending my entire holiday in a hospital and then having to head back home.

Marc, that may be an obvious non-fact to you, but this is the first I'm hearing about it as I don't dedicate my life this forum...

Don't get me wrong, very glad to read this was all BS, but I've not even come across a Thaiger news article that has pointed this out. Might have missed it, but it would be worth having a "myths and facts" news article done by theThaiger on this.

Regardless of being put in a hospital or hotel by Thai government, I'm not willing to run the risk of having paid for my villa, not getting my money back (which I assume the insurance won't cover) and then being stuck in a substandard accomodation that I can't get out of. I mean, if it's not even clear who decides whether you go to a hospital or a hotel and on what basis that decision gets made, then why should we have any confidence at all?

Same applies to the "sitting near an infected person on the plane ride over" scenario. Why can't this be more clearly articulated? Is it sitting next to or in close proximity? Or is just merely sitting on the same plane enough?? Is it 7 days or 14 quarantine? Is it after 1 or 2 PCR tests?? So many unknowns! How can people make plans off of that and decide whether it's worth the gamble or not.

I would argue only those who love to gamble or those who have enough time to be able to stay overseas and/or have enough money are happy to accept the uncertainty of it all.

While we're at it, can someone also please clarify what happens if you test positive on the 72 hour PCR test that one needs to take to leave Thailand (depending on the destination of course). If the destination mandates such a test and you test positive, what happens then? Does the Thai PCR testing center need to report this and you basically get stuck in a Thai hospital or hotel again??

No worries 

Here is where AXA states it pays 

 

But if I wasn't going to see my stepson I would also give Thailand a pass just for a holiday

 

But to see my stepson I will take the chance 

 

https://www.axa.co.th/faq-sawasdee-thailand-inbound

[oldschooler]

Another non- news “article” from the “Stating The Bleedin’ Obvious” Monty Python School of “Journalism”.

Like “Water Found to be Wet”.

Aren’t Journalists supposed to tell us something we DON’T already know ? 

[JohninDublin]

12 hours ago, Jayce said:

Oh and does anyone know if this whole "you sat close to a positive case on the plane so now we're putting you in hospital even if you test negative on arrival" nonsense still applies?? They were reconsidering that prior to Omicron, not sure if they actually changed any of that...

I think the fact that they needed to test 17 hotel staff because of "close contact" with "patient zero", leads me to believe that extreme caution is in operation.

[eldencrowe]

Hello - new here.  I have planned a stay in Phuket from Jan 1 to the 10th.  Am considering retirement in Phuket (my ex-wife gets half my assets in the pending divorce so retirement in the US just got real thin).

 

Anyway - I must have missed the new flash about getting incarcerated if I sit next to a positive case on my 50 some odd hour flight.  can someone elaborate?

 

Next dumb question:  I'd like to talk to some ex-pats in Patong to get a unvarnished idea about what living in Phuket / Thailand is like.  any particular part of Dodge I need to go to?

[Stonker]

12 hours ago, Jayce said:

While we're at it, can someone also please clarify what happens if you test positive on the 72 hour PCR test that one needs to take to leave Thailand (depending on the destination of course). If the destination mandates such a test and you test positive, what happens then? Does the Thai PCR testing center need to report this and you basically get stuck in a Thai hospital or hotel again??

What do you think happens?

Seriously.

Do you think an airline will fly you if you've tested positive?

If you can't work that out for yourself, maybe you shouldn't be making these arrangements for yourself.

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, eldencrowe said:

Hello - new here.  I have planned a stay in Phuket from Jan 1 to the 10th.  Am considering retirement in Phuket (my ex-wife gets half my assets in the pending divorce so retirement in the US just got real thin).

Anyway - I must have missed the new flash about getting incarcerated if I sit next to a positive case on my 50 some odd hour flight.  can someone elaborate?

Next dumb question:  I'd like to talk to some ex-pats in Patong to get a unvarnished idea about what living in Phuket / Thailand is like.  any particular part of Dodge I need to go to?

I lived in Patong and been going there for 18 years.. 

 

Send me a PM and will give you info on all the areas and any other questions you may have 

[yselmike]

There are issues for us snow birds.Costs! energy costs are slated to rise a lot from next year.inflation is above 5% in the Netherlands.The flights that are reasonably priced and don't involve long lay overs are few and far between at the moment,remember us oldies can't be doing 30 hour trips door to hotel any more.The complaints are flowing in over the cost of the tests that are needed before you can board a flight,both ends.

Do you really think we over 70s are going to put ourselves at risk by traveling anywhere let alone a 10k long flight,even if we could get adequate insurance? 

The papers are full of people ranting about being stranded abroad,or stuck in quarantine hotels eating crap at exorbitant costs.

The winter of 22/23 may see us start to trickle back but I am not sure you will see many of us again,ever.

The wealthiest may be able to fly business or first class and stay in luxury hotels with spacious rooms and grounds,most of us snowbirds stay in budget hotels and guesthouses.

 

[JamesE]

5 hours ago, eldencrowe said:

Anyway - I must have missed the new flash about getting incarcerated if I sit next to a positive case on my 50 some odd hour flight.  can someone elaborate?

If they can find you you'll be tested. If negative, no problem. The Boogeyman of forced quarantine due to proximity has only been seen a couple of times and those were back in July. One was the case of the German woman who was stuck in ASQ due to somebody on her flight testing positive, the other a land tour group that had one of their members get it. Both resulted in some Bad Publicity so the practice was (unofficially) suspended. There was a family issue as well where everybody had to go into ASQ except the kid who tested positive and he/she was sent to a hospital. There have been no reports that I've been able to find of negative tests and quarantine due to proximity since.

[JamesE]

18 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

PS. approved in just over 2 hours. 

Now you're just showing off...

[AussieBob]

19 hours ago, Shark said:

Have been saying this already, as the pandemic isn't over yet. This might be by 2025 if we lucky.
Add a 7 years to it and we come to 2032 - This is my $0.02

Bugger - hope you are wrong.

I saw a headline today that the CEO of Pfizer reckons the Omicron mutation is likely to 'take over' and become the dominant strain - more contagious but looks very much less deadly.  He predicted if that happens there is likely to be 2 outcomes. One is that the virus becomes stable and further mutations will be along the same lines - contagious but far less deadly.  The second outcome could be that the virus then mutates again into another more deadly version.  2022/3 if the first outcome happens. 2025 could be right if the second outcome happens. 2032 if it keeps doing that again and again.

My research over the last few years has lead me to believe that all virus' eventually mutate away from deadly strains towards the more contagious and far less deadly strains. The reason is simple - if they keep getting deadlier but less contagious, then they will eventually kill off too many potential hosts and thus they will die out. Billions of years of evolution has resulted in virus' becoming more contagious but less deadly - such as all the common flu viruses we all get. Right across the animal kingdom, there are millions of different viruses that come and go on a regular basis - the virus' survival rate is higher the less deadly but more contagious they become. 

[Shark]

16 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

Bugger - hope you are wrong.

don't get me wrong a part of me hopes to be wrong for Thailand.

[AussieBob]

13 minutes ago, Shark said:

don't get me wrong a part of me hopes to be wrong for Thailand.

No worries Mate - I dont get you wrong at all - unlike some who think saying anything other than praise about Thailand means you hate Thailand (gone feral). I love Thailand - hate the Junta - hate TAT and others like it - hate that the BiB dont do their jobs enough - hate that the wealthy get away with so much - and some other things - did I mention I hate the Junta and want them all removed and charged and jailed?  But I love Thailand and most Thais (mostly not Sino-Thais) - and I know you love it and them as well. 

Plan/prepare for the worst and hope for the best is a wise thing to do.  Only fools (and youngsters) only think about and plan/prepare for the best - and then hope the bad things never happen.  We all did that when young - but once you 'wise up' things change.

[Jayce]

8 hours ago, Stonker said:

What do you think happens?

Seriously.

Do you think an airline will fly you if you've tested positive?

If you can't work that out for yourself, maybe you shouldn't be making these arrangements for yourself.

Errrrr...duuuh....

Maybe you should learn to interpret my post better and then think a bit further than your original assumption rather than being disrespectful and painting someone with the dumb brush.

My question wasn't at all to do with whether I would be allowed on the return flight, that is indeed pretty obvious, it was whether the test center would need to pass the info to the Thai authorities, thereby being thrown in a crappy quarantine accomodation or hospital rather than me being allowed to book an additional stay at a villa somewhere where I could isolate in peace and luxury... 

The answer there may also be pretty obvious at face value, but knowing Thailand there could be a disconnect between private testing centers where you have to pay to get tested for a return flight and Thai government testing centers. If the answer is the obvious one here as well, then that's another strike against wanting to come to Thailand unfortunately... Even if you manage to have a decent holiday after testing negative on arrival and dodging a positive case on your plane, your 'holiday' could get extended out by another 2 weeks or more (until you test negative) while being cooped up in a crappy hotel/hospital.

Oh but hey, you just keep the condecension going in the meantime ok

Edited December 8, 2021 by Jayce

[Shark]

 

9 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

I know you love it and them as well. 

Plan/prepare for the worst and hope for the best is a wise thing to do.  Only fools (and youngsters) only think about and plan/prepare for the best - and then hope the bad things never happen.  We all did that when young - but once you 'wise up' things change.

Sure thing. I agree with this, for a Thai planning for a bad day isn't something he/she does.

Being in this country I see the lengthy recovery that's still needed. People are like always optimistic. Most of them opened their shops already even through the amount of customers is still low, next to this there is still a big chunk that really went out of business. Because of what i mentioned above it.

[Jayce]

3 hours ago, JamesE said:

If they can find you you'll be tested. If negative, no problem. The Boogeyman of forced quarantine due to proximity has only been seen a couple of times and those were back in July. One was the case of the German woman who was stuck in ASQ due to somebody on her flight testing positive, the other a land tour group that had one of their members get it. Both resulted in some Bad Publicity so the practice was (unofficially) suspended. There was a family issue as well where everybody had to go into ASQ except the kid who tested positive and he/she was sent to a hospital. There have been no reports that I've been able to find of negative tests and quarantine due to proximity since.

Thx James, that's the kind of info I've been looking for!

If I could at least reduce the likelihood of being thrown in quarantine on arrival by being very careful before I come to Thailand so I test negative (and yes I know with Omicron even the 72 hour test is no longer an indicator that you'll still test negative on arrival) and by not being thrown in quarantine through the close proximity thing on the plane, then I'd be ok to chance it. Testing positive before my return flight and potentially having to spend 2 weeks in quarantine then would be less of a concern in that case as at least I wouldn't lose the investment of the accomodation I would have booked and such.

Starting to regret having canceled the bookings I had starting the 2nd of Dec now... I just assumed the close proximity practice was still well and truly alive but that messaging around that was being supressed or that I wasn't looking in the right places for it. Could still be the case though, but your confirmation about not seeing that much additional issues crop up, is somewhat reassuring fwiw.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Jayce

[AussieBob]

4 hours ago, JamesE said:

If they can find you you'll be tested. If negative, no problem. The Boogeyman of forced quarantine due to proximity has only been seen a couple of times and those were back in July. One was the case of the German woman who was stuck in ASQ due to somebody on her flight testing positive, the other a land tour group that had one of their members get it. Both resulted in some Bad Publicity so the practice was (unofficially) suspended. There was a family issue as well where everybody had to go into ASQ except the kid who tested positive and he/she was sent to a hospital. There have been no reports that I've been able to find of negative tests and quarantine due to proximity since.

I hope that is because they stopped doing it, but I fear it is because they clamped down on the media reporting it (including Thaiger) and made them stop publishing 'negative stories' - bad for Thailand - illegal etc. Richard Barrow first published about that family on 9th November and a couple of others too - he has not published any follow ups even though in his first report said he would.