News Forum - Thailand launches new tourism portal to make visiting the Land of Smiles easier

[Thaiger]

The Tourism Ministry has launched a new online portal it hopes will make visiting Thailand easier for the 8 – 15 million tourists currently expected next year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the website, called Entry Thailand, has been allocated a budget of 49.6 million baht for its first phase. The portal lists the information and documents travellers need to provide before arrival, along with links to third party providers of Covid-19 insurance and SHA+ accredited hotels. It also provides a link to the Thailand Pass registration site and the Mor Chana contact-tracing app. In addition, there is information […]

The story Thailand launches new tourism portal to make visiting the Land of Smiles easier as seen on Thaiger News.

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[BigHewer]

28 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

8 – 15 million tourists currently expected next year.

Is this really going to happen though? Who’s expecting this?

[Freeduhdumb]

Oh Dear, IT is at it again... let's hope it works a bit better than that Thai Pass and the new 90 day reporting "portals"...

[Saltire]

'Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the portal is part of his ministry’s e-service roadmap planned for 2022 – 2024, aimed at helping tourists navigate Thailand’s complex entry requirements as a result of Covid-19'.

Here's an idea - make the entry requirements simpler.

 

[Pinetree]

Well well, yet one more digital platform to try to get working. How many is that since Covid hit? Must run into many hundreds. 

[Artemis080]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

been allocated a budget of 49.6 million baht for its first phase.

1.5 million USD for another website to list the documents you need, url links to third party websites, SHA accreditted hotels with no real funcitonality. Why?

That's rhetorical. I think we all know the answer.

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The portal lists the information and documents travellers need to provide before arrival, along with links to third party providers of Covid-19 insurance and SHA+ accredited hotels. It also provides a link to the Thailand Pass registration site and the Mor Chana contact-tracing app.

... and that cost  50 million baht for the first phase???

[TheDirtyDurian]

2 hours ago, Freeduhdumb said:

Oh Dear, IT is at it again... let's hope it works a bit better than that Thai Pass and the new 90 day reporting "portals"...

Thailand Pass worked great. 

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Freeduhdumb said:

Oh Dear, IT is at it again... let's hope it works a bit better than that Thai Pass and the new 90 day reporting "portals"...

Apart from informing, it doesn't need to 'do' anything.

[Robosibbo]

Hopefully Thailand, along with all countries will realise that all these restrictions only hurt people...They don't hurt or stop the virus, may slow it down to some extent, we MUST just live with it

[riclag]

Too many hoops!Take down the money making schemes! Start with the Covid Ins,rape scheme!

[Poolie]

Can you do this many?

[DiJoDavO]

That's the only option actually, as going even more difficult isn't possible anymore. 

That portal will be offline within 3 minutes after launch. 

[Harryhound]

7 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The Tourism Ministry has launched a new online portal it hopes will make visiting Thailand easier for the 8 – 15 million tourists currently expected next year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the website, called Entry Thailand, has been allocated a budget of 49.6 million baht for its first phase. The portal lists the information and documents travellers need to provide before arrival, along with links to third party providers of Covid-19 insurance and SHA+ accredited hotels. It also provides a link to the Thailand Pass registration site and the Mor Chana contact-tracing app. In addition, there is information […]

The story Thailand launches new tourism portal to make visiting the Land of Smiles easier as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Alway interested to find out how it is possible to guess the number of tourist visiting given that there has never been precedent for the current situation. Blind optimism comes to mind.

[AussieBob]

Total rubbish and confusing website - just spent 10 mins navigating around to try and figure it out.  IT literate young people OK, but older ones will have issues - flashy front page to start with.

Found TAT list of new rules post 16 December - nothing has changed that I could see - and TAT are still not telling people what happens if they test positive on arrival - not mentioned at all.  Typical TAT - dont fix the problem - hide it. 

Lock me in a private hospital for 10-14 days of a 30 day trip if I test positive, with Omicron racing all over the globe - no thank you.  The logic and treatment of foreign tourists is abysmal - they are saying that foreigners have 'bad dirty' covid so we test them on arrival - meanwhile thousands of local Thai tourists arrive for a holiday into Bangkok and Phuket etc. every day but they are not tested.  And then TAT says that they only want quality rich tourists.  No thank you - not for a short holiday - Thailand xenophobia is not worth it.

[Chatogaster]

5 hours ago, Artemis080 said:

1.5 million USD for another website to list the documents you need, url links to third party websites, SHA accreditted hotels with no real funcitonality. Why?

That's rhetorical. I think we all know the answer.

To be fair, the budget does include an upgrade of the default Windows 95 + Intel Pentium II PC hosting environment. At least probably..., surely maybe..., now self-doubt is creeping in... I'll just hit Submit Reply before my optimism dries up completely...

[Artemis080]

54 minutes ago, Chatogaster said:

To be fair, the budget does include an upgrade of the default Windows 95 + Intel Pentium II PC hosting environment. At least probably..., surely maybe..., now self-doubt is creeping in... I'll just hit Submit Reply before my optimism dries up completely...

Amusingly, you would have thought that they could afford a valid SSL certificate for it. Apparently not.

 

[Artemis080]

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

Total rubbish and confusing website - just spent 10 mins navigating around to try and figure it out.  IT literate young people OK, but older ones will have issues - flashy front page to start with.

Found TAT list of new rules post 16 December - nothing has changed that I could see - and TAT are still not telling people what happens if they test positive on arrival - not mentioned at all.  Typical TAT - dont fix the problem - hide it. 

Lock me in a private hospital for 10-14 days of a 30 day trip if I test positive, with Omicron racing all over the globe - no thank you.  The logic and treatment of foreign tourists is abysmal - they are saying that foreigners have 'bad dirty' covid so we test them on arrival - meanwhile thousands of local Thai tourists arrive for a holiday into Bangkok and Phuket etc. every day but they are not tested.  And then TAT says that they only want quality rich tourists.  No thank you - not for a short holiday - Thailand xenophobia is not worth it.

Richard Barrow just posted that it's now 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine if one of your group or family tests positive. 10 days if you sat next to someone on the plane.

Why on earth would you come here as a short term tourist?

[Faz]

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

Lock me in a private hospital for 10-14 days of a 30 day trip if I test positive, with Omicron racing all over the globe - no thank you. 

What do they do in Australia Bob if you test positive, allow you to roam and mix with the general population.

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

The logic and treatment of foreign tourists is abysmal - they are saying that foreigners have 'bad dirty' covid so we test them on arrival -

Have you seen Australia's quarantine and test requirements.

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

meanwhile thousands of local Thai tourists arrive for a holiday into Bangkok and Phuket etc. every day but they are not tested.

For air travel they must be fully vaccinated. Provinces have their own requirements.

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

No thank you - not for a short holiday - Thailand xenophobia is not worth it.

Is Australia xenophobic then Bob.
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/preparing-to-travel-to-australia-from-overseas
https://www.australia.gov.au/states
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel-restrictions/international-travel-rules

[Faz]

18 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Richard Barrow just posted that it's now 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine if one of your group or family tests positive. 10 days if you sat next to someone on the plane.

I would expect similar in any Country if you test positive.

18 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Why on earth would you come here as a short term tourist?

I don't think many are to be truthful.
Most are returning long term expats or those conducting business so I've been advised by a number of returning foreigner friends.

[BIGGLES]

Previous crap hasn't worked for driving in Tourism, neither will this.

But hey, let them have another year in fantasy world. People in the real world will not jump through these hoops.

Make it very, very simple or forget it Thailand, you're competing on a global stage.

[Rain]

9 hours ago, Freeduhdumb said:

Oh Dear, IT is at it again... let's hope it works a bit better than that Thai Pass and the new 90 day reporting "portals"...

Shouldn't expect it.

Short of the usual rhetoric and pageantry-based grand standing. 

Less practiced.

[Chatogaster]

1 hour ago, Artemis080 said:

Amusingly, you would have thought that they could afford a valid SSL certificate for it. Apparently not.

And overrun the budget?  Think again ;-)

[Poolie]

1 hour ago, Faz said:

What do they do in Australia Bob if you test positive, allow you to roam and mix with the general population.

Have you seen Australia's quarantine and test requirements.

For air travel they must be fully vaccinated. Provinces have their own requirements.

Is Australia xenophobic then Bob.
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/preparing-to-travel-to-australia-from-overseas
https://www.australia.gov.au/states
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel-restrictions/international-travel-rules

Definitely.

No names but some people hate Thailand anyway, they find any excuse to not come.

[FlipFlopFlop]

17 hours ago, Artemis080 said:

1.5 million USD for another website to list the documents you need, url links to third party websites, SHA accreditted hotels with no real funcitonality. Why?

That's rhetorical. I think we all know the answer.

New year coming up, and the committee members have some bills and mia nois to take care of.