Usual Suspect

About every 6 months there's a handful of local big-wigs from the tourism office/Amphur having their pics taken whilst yet another announcement about the airports pending future is unveiled..(with the promise of 1000's of tourists about to flock to/fill all the hotels).. ..What actually happens is that once the red carpet has been stashed away yet again, the airport almost shuts down to a state of mere 'tick-over'. I remember years ago (after it's 1st revamp to 'international status') I used to commute from H.H. to BKK & back aboard Bangkok Airways turboprop planes..a great service..The planes were en-route to Samui (& BKK) and it was a simple add-on to drop down into H.H. As always here, once it became popular H.H. airport hiked up it's landing fees, and BKK Airways simply gave them the finger and kept at their regular altitude..almost right over the airport to make a point... Maybe in years to come when the a/pt has it's own rail-siding/link for passenger shuttle to/from town, and a regular service of bigger jets are using it, not just one per week..then maybe it will have finally earn't it's 'international' status../

What was quoted in the title?..Value over volume..? Well today I finally returned to the LoS... On the lunchtime Emirates flight from Dubai..(a fully laden 777) But I was not prepared for the sheer emptiness of the place..We were the only plane hooked up to an air-gate on the arrivals-side..! We were the only folk at the Covid station, and at immigration! OK, I was one of the last to be there 'cos my seat was at the back of the plane, AND the young immigration officer was friendly, but very thorough, and held me at the desk for a good 10 mins checking everything paperwork-wise. When I did get my passport stamped and headed off the find my bag it was not that hard.... only 1 carosel was running, and mine was the ONLY bag going round..! The great hall was almost empty of any living soul..! It was only in the l;imo-taxi taking me to the AQ hotel that I sat & thought how strange the last hour had been.

I've mentioned on this forum before about the landlady of the wife's bar on Bintabaat coming & giving her the new 'rental rate' for when the bars open again... The new 'rate' had taken a big increase since the last contract was in play! Now I am unable to speak about what other bar-owners are doing down this Soi? OR if they too have been given the same kinda news we got from the owners..? BUT.. Maybe the hike in rentals is a alternate way of finishing off the bars down here, and (as mentioned earlier) the Soi is indeed maybe marked for developement..? (ps.. When she told me about the hike in our rent I told her to gut the place & walk away!).

I'm due on an Emirates flight to BKK next week... Emirates have sent me both a text & an email outlining the Covid requirements for entering/transit thru' Dubai. What I DID notice in this notification was that UAE nationals did NOT have to take a PCR test prior to check-in/boarding an Emirates flight back to Dubai, but had to undergo the PCR on arrival... Wait on a mo, does this mean other passengers may well be sat next to an infected person all the way to Dubai..? Sounds well out-of-order to me.

Martin71... Yes they need to see proof of flight booking for your 90 day visa (I too are booked on an EK384 flight).. But they do not need proof of flight booking for the Thailand Pass.. BUT your AQ hotel booking site will ask you for your flight confirmation. Dunno if Emirates are still doing it, but my ticket included free insurance... Which was good enuf to get me my Thailand Pass... Keep your eyes on the prize fella.

I waited patiently for 3 weeks for a Non O to come thru.. Finally I sent a polite e-mail to the Thai Embassy in London expressing my concern & worry... My visa was in my inbox the next day! My advice is to e-mail the authorities concerned, but be humble, and be polite, and grateful for what they are doing for you.. And you may (like myself) be lucky.

I remember a MiB pulling me over 1 day... He smiled, got his ticket book primed and said " Bike you, modify"... Well OK, my m/bike does sit higher than others, and there's not to many 'super-moto'd' Sonics in town.. ...I left the bike running, got off, took his pen & pad off him, and gestured him to take it for a whizz round town.. He DID!.. Came back, snatched his pen & book back, and told me "Next time no wear helmet na".. & shook his ticket book at me. So some of them are OK.

Burma Bill... Thanks for that... I am however not funding any of this 'Coffee Bar' project.. It's the wife setting it up for her daughter to run... My Issan days are over now..555.

A few posts back there was a post about Cambodia, & the 1000's of tourists etc. For many years both Cambodia & Vietnam have been in Thailand's shadow when it came to the sheer number of tourists visiting/staying. Well now both countries have opened-up, AND selling alcohol too.. (cheaper than Thailand) it would be good to see more resorts over there, and give the LoS some real competition, and remind all the head-in-the-sand folk that run the Thai Gov that they damn well missed their chance this high season, and maybe for a long time to come..JUST by being to damn restrictive both with the complicated entry procceedures, and keeping all the bars etc firmly closed.. .. I really do hope that somewhere in the fantasy offices of TaT they are monitoring the tourists actually flying into Vietnam & Cambodia. As for my Mrs, and the bar we've been running for 20+ years..We've got the 6 wheel truck in for all the 'bar furniture' we have not sold already.. It's looking like a 'Coffee Bar' in Issan, rather than the bar in Hua Hin... End of an era for us & our loyal staff I guess. Oh yeah..The poll... YES Mr Prayut, get the bars opened up again! (or like in our case it's to late to make a difference now) Thailand may as well stay closed..!

I tried to sign in to the Thai consul site this evening and it's down!.. Got a message saying try in a few hours.

So the TP is no-where near being 'fixed' yet then..? DO hope you folk in the previous posts DO get on your flights.

My Thai wife is an agent for Tune... if I remember in the morning I will ask her, & reply on here.

Many AQ hotels in Bangkok DO say they get test results back in 6 hours.. e-mail the hotel, & I'm sure they'll let you know.

Well it's taken 7 days, but for the PM to make this announcement.. the news of T/P simply being almost unobtainable to 1000's of would be tourists because of it's many faults is a step in the right direction surely..? It does beg the Q. however that will they make the system less stringent.. Maybe start to accept a few minor errors (like Covid cover not being highlighted under medical insurance policies) These little glitches that prevent folk actually boarding their flights!

I too are hoping to use Emirates/AIG insurance for my T/P application. I have requested a personalised policy form, but as you rightly show.. a).. The Covid cover is not really highlighted (which I hear they want to see this). b) The policy is on more than a single page..(Have heard/read many difficulties arising from this) BUT..I have read on other forums more than once that this policy offered by Emirates/AIG Has indeed been accepted.. So on the basis of this I will try later using their policy/plan..?

Hey, that's a big step in the right direction!.. Maybe (just maybe) the folk at the T/P site ARE recognising these numerous faults & ARE working to rectify them.

I came across this problem when applying for my Non O..When I uploaded more than 1 doc/photo the upload cancelled-out/cleared the previous upload..Argh! I wrote an e-mail to the Thai Embassy in London about this, & their reply was simply please send in your application, IF we need any more documentation we will contact you...So I'm waiting for the outcome..?

I to was stumped by this question...& like others here I thought well, they already have 2 pix of my passport, to I sumitted a copy of my birth certificate... I'm hoping they will accept it..?

The O/P mentioned in his post that he'd not got a reply back from Emirates... I too have tried to contact them via e-mail to the links they provided, & yes, I got no replies whatsoever. This makes me worry a little about relying on their insurance scheme in a time-of-need.. Insurance is no damn good if the company will not get back to you! I will however contact the isurance company Emirates use to request a personalised policy, and then check out the company covering me from there..? Also, as a bit of a footnote... I do believe to obtain a Thailand Pass your insurance policy must state a min of 50,000 for Covid cover... So many insurance companies include Covid cover in their health coverage, but few actually highlight this Covid coverage/$50,000 figure... Will wait to see if the Emirates policy shows this..?

I read the airport entry-report by Richard Barrow this morning..(thank you Richard btw) He arrived at his hotel, and had his PCR done by 7.30am, but was then told the result should be back to him by noon the NEXT DAY..! Does this mean the guy (& many others) may have to be paying for 2 nights at the hotel..? My flight lands at 12.25 (just after midday), & my ideal plan was to be able to leave mid/late morning the next day... Now, after reading Richard's account, then I have my doubts..?