the green light

another policy that 'will bite the dust" raising prices in thailand will have an indirect effect on tourists coming in. Thailand has no additional amenities to attract more tourists. Raising prices will discourage foreigners to visit Thailand. Eventually the Baht will go up again and again. The government should realize that Foreign tourists are the one who spend more money than local tourists and employed a lot o workers in the hospitality business. It would make sense to attract more instead and not less. Hotel rate is only making the rich Thai richer and never help the street people. It is another way to say that foreigners are not welcome It is very funny that a previous article indicated that the people are not coming to Thailand because the airline ticket is too expensive. There were talk that TAT is trying to put together a discounted package for an "air to stay" package. wonder what is going on? It sound that there is desperation and the truth is not out. I would like to know about the 9 million travellers coming to thailand. How many are truly coming on holiday? not returning or doing business. Indians, chinese and arab will never pay more for a hotel room, or eat at expensive places. Are the government will ask the noodle soup in the street to have a dual pricing too?

This article is misleading and it sounds somebody wants to put their hands in foreign pocket. IF hotels having problems to attract tourists, why would they charge more for foreigners to book in their hotels. The reason that hotel prices are discounted because they cannot attract people to stay in their hotels. why would they want to be priced out by raising prices and go under. Why does the government believes that hordes of people will be gushing into the gate of Thailand. The government said that they want Thailand to be an expensive place to visit. Well they are doing it. They do not realize many main factors affecting travel : Inflation, cost of gas, war in the Ukraine, higher interest rate, and recession around the globe. people will be assessing travel cost not based on what happened in 2019 but on their current situation. they are will be looking on cutting cost.

let us not forget Thailand can't offer amenities for the disabled people on wheelchairs. Most BTS station do not have a working lift on either side of the road. Rich people are not young but middle age or old with disability. That is whatthey look when they travel The other main reason is communication..Thai education system is poor and many students are not proficient in English .It includes the taxi and Tuk Tuk drivers, salesperson in department store or food court and transportation service. Let us also include the foot policeman . Older rich tourists have no patience to deal with local destination people who can't speak english The government should not worry about attracting rich tourists but find ways to improve thai image to be a better competitive travel destination

I do not understand how a country will want to change its image from cheap to expensive image without improve amenities. For years ,Thailand was thought to be a place to retire , and a place for the middle class people to enjoy a reasonable low expensive vacation. Foreigners were willing to disregards, garbage on the street, overflowing street gutters .If it rains, the street drains are goggled. Let us not mention a non existing and poor train and transportation system, traffic jams everywhere, rats running around bangkok streets in the nights....and many more- CHEAP is the answer, visitors can look the other way and excuse Thailand for their poor system Thailand can't expect to raise price just to make it look expensive without additional amenities. They need to consider what are travel destinations available in the market . With the world economy being in bad shape and inflation all around, traveller are looking for cheap vacation.. Thailand should feels lucky to be in the cheap category.

another BLAH BLAH article!!!!!!!!! It all depends on whether or not you are retiring or working (online or at an office) If you are retire living on a $2,000 a month.. paying Bht32,000 ($950)/month will seemed to be a lot of money excluding utilities which will run about Bht2k/month It is not ridiculous to have a Bht 6k-7k/month rent in town, Typical rent is equivalent to 30% (Bht 18k) of what you earn per month. The ridiculous places are nice and can fit the lifestyle of many.... you will have extra money to bring many girls .Girls will perform the same in a cheap room. Depend on your lifestyle, If you are paying a lot of money for rent, then you will spend a lot of time in your place and it would be a waste of time and money and never nejoy bangkok.

would be easier that they will only allowed vaccinated people to enter thailand?o Any person who got the MRNA vaccines and 2 boosters can just walk in... other require to either be tested or quarantine for 5 days. Only the MRNA has success rate of protection in the 90%

this guys is basically a corrupt politician. Tourists , Thais, and Farangs pay for goods and service being purchased. Obviously he wants to collect a tourist tax in addition to the VAT tax. I just can't see how he can implement it. 1. central department store clerks will look into your eyes and detrmine that you are non Thai and will add something for him. 2. Hotel will charge more if you use your passport. 3. taxi cab will surely collect more extra , the farangs tourists or residents are already paying more. than Thais. This guy is just smoking too much medical cannabis. he surely knows how to alienate the farangs and tourists who for many years has provided great service for Thailand in education, business and family support. without the foreigners Thailand will be less than a 3rd world country

this guys is trying to develop a two tier pricing on hotels and other services. one price for the Thai people and another for the farangs. you do not generate revenues by biting the hand that feed you.

the government has not realize the cost of travelling. airlines has raised the price of travelling by at least 20%. On top, travelers will need self test and buy insurance to visit Thailand. the insurance cost is just throwing money away . It is very natural that if any tourist develop the covid symptoms, they will pay their own cost to get treatment. So what is the use of the insurance requirements If the governments wants tourists to come back, they need to lift all restriction and find a way to offer them some incentive to visit Thailand. the government should make the visitors welcome to visit Thailand.

Since there are not many foreigners coming to Thailand , policemen are having a tough time collecting Baht2,000 from foreigners throwing the cigarettes bud on the floor on Sukhumvit. They are focusing now on the the street walkers and get their money from them. At Songkran. People with extra bonus would love to get the "afternoon delight" before being locked at home with family for few days. So the streets will be full of prostitutes. for the Thai men (not farang). There is no way to round up the prostitutes and send them to the local station. Paperwork and hassle will be enormous. It is a drive to collect quick money for each prostitute.. that is Thailand for you.

Readers should not find anything special about " arresting prostitution if they break the law." It means they will spend more time collecting bribes from the prostitute. because there is no way to gather them all and send them to the police station. Police stations do not have large vans to collect them all. We all know what this mean. they are referring to street and free lancer walkers and not workers at the bars or massage parlors. the price to bribe the policeman to avoid arrest is Baht 1000 per time. In the cities, there are many other places for street walkers beside around the Nana hotel. - lumpini park, china town, behind Rama IX and other places. Every mid size city has their "own prostitution gathering". They are around places when they are a lot of gathering of men I guess the police is short of bonuses for their officer on Songkran .Getting the money from prostitutes is a good safe haven of cash flow.

I really do not see the connection between heavy restriction on arrival of vaccinated tourists and the number of the local positive COVID-19 . Thai people are getting infected local and not by the arrival of foreign tourists. the percentage of some of the visitors carrying the infection is much less than 0.003% ...we are taking 70 people vs 20,000 visitor per day. It is all relative the type of vaccine they got and how well their immune system is working. In any case, their condition is recoverable in few days. Right now, the norm is other population has received 2 shots of the Covid-19 vaccines plus one booster shot. anybody who travel will not leave home without having the 3 shots. So they should be free to enter any country with no restriction. including Thailand. there is no need to do testing to enter Thailand.

It has all suspicious about the COVID positive number reported. it is not the vaccine not working but it is about the population is not fully vaccinated or not interested of being vaccinated. It seemed to be a large number of them more than 2 million. how many more younger people not willing to be vaccinated. the whole economy is based on being vaccinated. Best solution is for the government should establish a door to door vaccination effort at old people home just like Israel to get them all vaccinated. Old people are not easily persuaded to go over and get the shot. If you prevent activities of younger people based on their vaccination card, they will all get vaccinated such as going out to eat, unable to go to a mall without your vaccination card, getting driver license for motorcycle, tickets on the road, or any other government interaction, including renewing the visa. people will wake up

It is funny that I read all the remark made on Forum As a joke, would it be pleasant everyone if the arriving travelers were issue a Baht 500 coupon to be used at the girly bar on Soi Nana between 11am to 2 pm for an afternoon delight. HAHA here is an incentive

by now, No traveler would want to travel unless he has received the 2 vaccination and the first booster. that is the requirement entering other countries. Thailand has set up an elaborate system of testing arriving foreigner for money in addition a force isolation plan at a hospital. One should look at at least Baht 100k not covered by insurance of extra cash in case you tested positive. The government do not want to dismantle the system. Sad news. tourism will go to other nations. How can anybody consider Thailand to be the haven for expat., buy properties, or even do business. I think somebody does not want any visitors back or live in Thailand

From the article " Travelers must have a fully paid hotel reservation confirmation for the arrival date which must include an RT-PCR test, ATK test kit, and airport pick-up. airlines may still require an RT-PCR test before boarding." Business as usual- nothing new From what I understand that travelers will need to book 5 nights in an approved hotel for the the 2 tests and most airline requires at least a Covid-19 test before flying. Let us not forget if you tested positive be prepare to pay at least Baht 100,000 for an isolation in an expensive hospital not covered by insurance. Insurance company will pay if you were sick and needed to go to hospital and not just tested positive. I do not understand what improvement Thailand is doing the answer NOTHING

Tourism in Thailand and Covid-19 given the high number of covid 19 cases in Thailand., would it be safe for visitor to be tested before arriving. the chances to test positive in Thailand within the first 5 day after arrival is quite high. It just mean that the chances that a visitor ( or his family) to be isolated in an expensive hospital is quite high at a cost of Baht 100,000/person Visiting the Kingdom for holiday now is still not a safe thing - coming to Thailand for your family or business is enduring as long as one stay long term..

this article is still puzzling in light that people are vaccinated or still getting vaccination. Out of the 50k people who tested positive , how many were unvaccinated or vaccinated, and what type of vaccine they have originally got.? By now, the population should have received 2 vaccinations plus a booster shot. I believe people are not getting vaccinated or vaccination with a poor vaccine that requires a booster shot. that is why the numbers are getting higher and we are not yet in Songkran week yet. This virus is airborne. Social distancing will help but not effective. The government should impose vaccination . People will need to show their vaccination card if they want to go to public places and government building, ....etc.

what a good ploy : " drug people to pacify them and swallow any kind of propaganda" There is nothing to do and no job. People will grow it to sell. Very obvious

I feel sorry for any tourist that can't return home or use credit cards due to unforeseeable circumstances like war. Nobody should make fun of the Russians. they are just farangs enjoying Thailand. Of course they adapt in spending less money. and it is quite normal to visit the 7/11 for food and other. Lack of farangs visiting high priced/bad food tourist restaurant or Tesco lotus is just related to the lack of tourist coming to Thailand an not blame the Russians Thailand should depend on tourists of every nations in order to survive . Thailand does not offers any amenities except cheap living, food, beaches, and sex industry. Due to poor education system, lack of learning and training, Thailand could never be and industrial giant country. The government need to revive tourism in order to capitalize on its strength before it is too late.

When people plan a vacation, they are interested to enjoy their time off versus what it will cost them. The biggest draw back with the rules in Thailand is the cost of quarantine if tested positive. It is estimated to be around $2,000/ person. it does not make it a vacation but a choir taking a holiday in Thailand. People can say that the chance of tested positive is rare on arrival. But tourists can be face with inadequacy of the people testing you upon arrival, or whether the system will induce fake positive result to justify their system in place. the best time to visit Thailand is when they drop all tests on arrival.

everyone has a story to tell you about their experience with immigration. it is never the norm situation. It is never in black and white and depends with whom you are a dealing with and where. better wait until the dust settled.

it is very obvious from the article that the government is not doing enough to improve the lives of Thai people.. So they like them to be high to avoid the reality of their situation. happy and rich ... a great idea to promote inadequacy.

I think the concern is mutual. The government does not understand how tourists travel for pleasure would think about the restrictions As a frequent visitor to Thailand, I consider the pre departure test is like getting ready for the trip. It is ok and it should not be scrapped. Once I am on the plane, I want to enjoy my vacation once i arrive, I do not want to be forced being locked in a hotel which I do not like, have some body poke my noise or mouth for tests twice costing more money , wasting time and not sure how reliable these people to conduct the test. worse I do not want to be locked in a costly hospital. Question: would I be excited coming to Thailand? until the government drops all restrictions , I will go somewhere else.

The main issue with the Thai economy are Tourism and export. Both are hindered by 1. Baht to US dollar conversion. ( quite high still) 2. Many restrictions on entry to Thailand ( just too much hassle and expensive) 3. Many restriction re-entering back to home country 4. World event to prevent flow of good and people 5. travel competition such as Vietnam, Maldives, UAE, Philippines 6. Thailand does not want the "cheap" tourists"- the backpackers to come back TAT is still living in the past about the number of tourist visiting Thailand. Everyone who came to Thailand earlier were looking for a cheap vacation and a lot of cheap sex. Now all has changed: inflation-things cost more, added charges on temples and national parks, insurance cost, and an addition $ 5k for COVID-19 mischief , it makes Thailand quite expensive in comparison to other places.