News Forum - OPINION: Test and Go, up and gone, where to from here Thailand?

[DurianShakes]

Thanks Tim. As always, your commentary is measured, calm, and reasonable.  

We just cancelled our highly anticipated return to Thailand this Feb with this sudden change in protocol.  Hopefully Omi is just a slight bump in the country's road to recovery.  In the meantime our thoughts go out to all the Thais this will negatively effect.

[ace035]

3 hours ago, Thevoice187 said:

I already have my Thailand pass and am due to arrive Jan 1st. Still ok?

You're good until Jan 10

[Janneman]

Closing the country is an understandable reaction. But it will not keep omicron out. In a few weeks (or months) we will know how good or bad it will be. Then the country will open up again. Until rho, sigma or tau variant arrives some months later. Then it starts all over again.

Perhaps goverments worldwide should start thinking how the world can live with covid. Closing the world with every new variant is not an option in my opinion.

[Bangkok_Gary]

I was in the process of getting a tourist (TR) visa and a hotel booking for a Test & Go room prepaid plus a room booking for ten days prepaid (as required for a TR visa) and then getting a Thailand Pass and POW! this announcement blows me out of the water. Luckily before I had put down the money for the hotel. Whew. But what is the procedure now to get into the Land of Confusion ?

[Rob1234567]

Hi all,

just wondered if anyone knows if I am good to fly on the 26th dec is I already have my Thailand pass!? 
 

[ds_a]

I am a Canadian living in Chiang Mai. I’ve been a subscriber since moving here in August. I always appreciate the work you do to bring relevant news to our expat community!  Your commentary I found hit the mark perfectly!  It truly is discouraging to see Thailand’s good intentions swept away by this latest wave. More so, I found your empathy for Thai businesses and the families who rely on expat revenue on point. It’s not about us…it’s about them. I am incredibly lucky to be a guest in this beautiful country and I do not take that for granted. I don’t think any of us in the expat community do. We love this country and it’s people. Your remarks I found to be accurate and from the heart. None of this mess is manufactured or anyone’s fault. It is what it is and together we all will make the best of it. Bars may close…hopes for the holidays may be dashed, but the Thai people and their guests will persevere - somehow!  Thank you so much for reflecting the sentiments that I and so many other long term expats are feeling right now!  Reading your commentaries warmed my heart!
 

[WildIrishRover]

4 hours ago, Rob1234567 said:

Hi all,

just wondered if anyone knows if I am good to fly on the 26th dec is I already have my Thailand pass!? 
 

Yes, anyone who already has a Thailand Pass QR code will be allowed entry under Test n Go

[WildIrishRover]

4 hours ago, Bangkok_Gary said:

I was in the process of getting a tourist (TR) visa and a hotel booking for a Test & Go room prepaid plus a room booking for ten days prepaid (as required for a TR visa) and then getting a Thailand Pass and POW! this announcement blows me out of the water. Luckily before I had put down the money for the hotel. Whew. But what is the procedure now to get into the Land of Confusion ?

7 or 14 days hotel quarantine, the length of time depending on your vaccination status, and country of origin for your flight.

[Dr.Sivada]

Easy. Recession in Thailand for the next 5-10 years. Get your investments out while you still can. 

[Sandbar]

We live in hope that the world can get back to normal.

Sadly that seems a frustratingly long time away. Two years have past with many deaths, hospitalizations and forced restrictions placed on our daily lives. Jobs lost, businesses closed and countries on the brink of financial oblivion. 

Life as we currently know it is 'fraying' around the edges and has it has taken a fair beating from this global pandemic. As has been quoted so many times, this won't be the last pandemic that we will have to face. Let's hope we have gained valuable insight and knowledge on how fight the next one! 

 

 

 

[Romulus]

There’s none so deaf as those that don’t want to listen and none so blind as those that don’t want to see.  The writing was on the wall (well actually it was written in the Thaiger) with the poll that showed most Thais didn’t want the the country opened up and preferred restrictive Covid measures if it kept out Covid.  About 70% (who presumably don’t rely on tourism for their primary income) said they didn’t support opening up.  But the Thaiger relies on tourism for clicks, views and sponsorship so the Thaiger has a strong bias and heavy reliance upon western and Indian tourists being able to visit freely.  Like all of us, everyone at the Thaiger needs to adjust and get used to the new normal.  2022 is going to be a very barren year for tourists.

[TimothyN]

20 minutes ago, Dr.Sivada said:

Easy. Recession in Thailand for the next 5-10 years. Get your investments out while you still can. 

Thailand's not the only country where there will be recession. Thailand's only economic saving grace is that it handed out limited stimulus, and that money was from real reserves of cash. Thailand hasn't been printing baht to hand out to citizens. So, you may find that Thailand will fair better than many other countries in the next few years as it doesn't have to pay back massive debt.

[TimothyN]

49 minutes ago, ds_a said:

I am a Canadian living in Chiang Mai. I’ve been a subscriber since moving here in August. I always appreciate the work you do to bring relevant news to our expat community!  Your commentary I found hit the mark perfectly!  It truly is discouraging to see Thailand’s good intentions swept away by this latest wave. More so, I found your empathy for Thai businesses and the families who rely on expat revenue on point. It’s not about us…it’s about them. I am incredibly lucky to be a guest in this beautiful country and I do not take that for granted. I don’t think any of us in the expat community do. We love this country and it’s people. Your remarks I found to be accurate and from the heart. None of this mess is manufactured or anyone’s fault. It is what it is and together we all will make the best of it. Bars may close…hopes for the holidays may be dashed, but the Thai people and their guests will persevere - somehow!  Thank you so much for reflecting the sentiments that I and so many other long term expats are feeling right now!  Reading your commentaries warmed my heart!
 

Thanks for your kind words. The piece was written from the heart by an exhausted writer.

[TimothyN]

8 hours ago, DurianShakes said:

Thanks Tim. As always, your commentary is measured, calm, and reasonable.  

We just cancelled our highly anticipated return to Thailand this Feb with this sudden change in protocol.  Hopefully Omi is just a slight bump in the country's road to recovery.  In the meantime our thoughts go out to all the Thais this will negatively effect.

Thanks for your kind words.

[Jayce]

11 hours ago, Alex23 said:

 It’s not the governments fault, it’s the virus. 

Unless if the government makes the wrong decisions based on premature or incorrectly assessed threats posed by said virus.

 

11 hours ago, Alex23 said:

Not closing the borders puts us all at risk

Jeez, are there really still people in 2021 who believe borders are the holy grail in keeping viruses out?? Even if that would've been the case, it's not anymore since Omicron has already proven to be inside of Thailand's borders so what good will keeping borders closed do you think??

[Jayce]

Quoting from Tim's article: 

Quote

Even if Thailand suddenly reopened its borders and removed all restrictions, who is coming at this time?

I would most certainly and I would assume many other with me! Maybe not to the point of pre-pandemic levels of course, but surely significantly more than what has been seen since the 1st of Nov reopening.

[Dialemco]

It was inevitable that Thailand would have to suspend test and go and sandbox programmes until it is known just how serious Omicron is. We must be hopeful that it will be mild and maybe bring the pandemic to an end. This will become more clear in the next few months. Meanwhile we must cautiously hope that both Russia and China do not take advantage of the Covid situation to wage war as both these countries are becoming increasingly belligerent to regain territories they have lost. 

[hondo]

you'd have to really love thailand to travel at this time.  thailand is a nice place and all, but really?

[gazmo16]

9 hours ago, Todd said:

My sincere condolences... My flight to Bkk is scheduled on Feb 14. If that doesn't pan out, there is always another Sand (filled) Box waiting for me in Phuket..... I can taste the fresh coconut juice already!

That's what I like to see, someone who still sees the glass as half full .  Planning for the worst but looking for an upside. 

[JJJ]

13 hours ago, Rob001 said:

Hi,

We are a family of 5 with flights booked from the U.K. to Phuket on December 27th. We’ve all been really looking forward to being back in Thailand and have been avoiding all people for the 10 days before we fly so as to avoid the chance of catching Covid. 

On the surface, this is about the best news we could have hoped for but would you travel? We have 3 weeks planned with hotels that need to be cancelled by the 23rd in order to get our money back. It’s a tough call - I think we can live with managing the risk of getting it, and we know the consequences, but is Phuket/Khao Lak going to be fun to visit giving the further restrictions?? On the one hand, we’re happy in the hotels and sea (diving) with limited attractions open and want to be a part of Thailand’s recovery, but on the other hand, will everything be locking down now that tourist numbers will be so low - and declining??

it’s not like there are many other options to travel at short notice so it’s this trip (already delayed a year) or 3 weeks of British Winter. We also have a liveaboard booked in the similan islands towards the end of the trip so hopefully that would go ahead still

Any advice would be appreciated from people in Phuket

thanks

Rob

Much of the buzz in Phuket and Bangkok remains locals. Many New Years international tourists were expected but local trips was always going to outpace that. New Years last year was nice even with increased restrictions during that wave and a full quarantine requirement.  

According to official rules, Phuket was supposed to have the most relaxed rules (conversely allowed “freedoms”) for New Years. 

BUT the governors often make hasty and irrational changes. For instance, by law, you should wear a mask on the beach. The hysterical out there criticized a recent government proposal to end the mask requirement in parks and beaches. If there’s any mini outbreak the over reaction will be swift and brutal. 
 

It’s definitely a risk. 

[Ynwaps]

I've already shot my immune system twice, not going to get another two boosters 

[Stardust]

14 hours ago, Cabra said:

"Early anecdotal accounts say that Omicron appears to be less dangerous. But the sheer weight of numbers may still lead to a number of hospitalisations (or even deaths) that governments find unacceptable."

Less dangerous than delta, but dangerous none the less, and not less dangerous than from where we started. I does appear that while infections/new cases are spiking globally, the number of deaths remains consistent (acceptable or unacceptable is an interesting debate).

In conclusion, my opinion is we will have to live with this level of death as the virus shows no signs of slowing. And all anyone can do is protect themselves with vaccine (as the vaccinated are less like to enter the hospital and/or die 

Even than less death than the flu in Europe has every year. Germany has 25 000 to 30 000 death about flu each year. It seems some are no more on the ground of the reality and planet earth and think the normal is zero death with any kind of Virus. We have to start to ask them in which bubble/ Universe they are living and about their mental health status.

[Stardust]

1 hour ago, Jayce said:

Unless if the government makes the wrong decisions based on premature or incorrectly assessed threats posed by said virus.

Jeez, are there really still people in 2021 who believe borders are the holy grail in keeping viruses out?? Even if that would've been the case, it's not anymore since Omicron has already proven to be inside of Thailand's borders so what good will keeping borders closed do you think??

Yes a clowns club and empty heads it really seems they lost their mind completly. We had before Covid viruses with millions of death world wide and millions of death with flu. Ruled by psychos who not realized ever the first day they born they are at risk to die or will sooner or later. Before covid nobody found it abnormal that every year people are dying of viruses but now they find it shocking. Do they ever noticed how many people are dying of air pollution, chemical pollution, cancer etc. ? They not freak out about that and they should start to ask themself why and why they freak out about omicron and not about their daily poison they eat and breath or another viruses they could catch. They are absolute out of balance.

[gazmo16]

26 minutes ago, Ynwaps said:

I've already shot my immune system twice, not going to get another two boosters 

Fair comment and for many you can't get a booster even if you wanted one.  Tourist areas like Phuket are on their second booster while other provinces are still on their first or second jab.

It's not a jab on demand system everywhere .

[EdwardV]

13 hours ago, Shark said:

that's why Europe is back in lock-down too right?

Actually most of Europe is only double vaccinated. Just saying.