Foreigners set to return as Thailand presses ahead with "Travel Bubble" plans

[Expat Tom]

I teach Chinese people English online. I've got news for you. I have talked to NO Chinese who plan on traveling outside of China any time soon. Some Chinese schools are telling their students to not travel outside of their districts in China. The authorities in Thailand who think that the Chinese hoard will come thundering back to rescue the tourism industry are smoking too much funny weed. It isn't going to happen.  In addition, anyone who believe that the CCP is telling the truth about there health situation is deluding themselves. Finally, the Chinese government does want money flowing outside of China now. GET REAL!

[Mavideol]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The experiences of a second spike in South Korea - a country that is bound to be near the top of the list for ease of entry into Thailand -  showed that the scheme might not work, said Thanet Supharothatrangsee chief of the Chonburi tourism business association.

Not only SK, look what's happening in China, also Japan no testing enough thus not reliable numbers of infected from there either... they better think (maybe I am asking to much) about it before hasty decisions

[curlylekan]

3 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Three quarters of Thais won't be all too delighted to hear about that. Allegedly.

 

 

They only care that us westerners don't come back.

[Scouse123]

Prayut has already said that the government cannot bail out the population with much more money!! (He wants to swap places with the UK for a week) , but that is the first clue in my mind. The second one, it was a government spokeswoman who said they are looking seriously at travel bubbles. That makes it even more believable. IU think there is some kind of announcement due this Wednesday,

 

A local tourism guy in Pattaya saying it won't happen, I doubt his opinion as he is not in government, the government has four ministries looking together at at this in a joint approach, and is studying Denmark's recent travel bubble that it has agreed with three other countries over in Europe.

 

When people are saying ' Well, the Chinese can't come now with an outbreak in Beijing ' or ' The South Koreans won't be coming ' the Thai government are well aware, and a lot more than people give them credit for, of the situations in these countries.

 

However, flexible travel as a baby step between Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar makes sense as does a Vietnam Cambodia travel arrangement.

 

Sure, it's not top of the range spending but it gets things moving again and a lot more revenue will be generated than is at the moment, it will also get the airports underway and short haul flying resurrected.

 

China and South Korea can follow later. I honestly do not think China wants their citizens leaving and travelling right now.

 

Regards Australia and New Zealand, their governments have not yet agreed nor signed up to any bilateral agreements.

[paulikens]

2 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

"Bubble" is a code word for letting the Chinese back in, assuming they still want to come. The country can't remain indefinitely but I personally feel a lot safer without the foreign tourists.  It is also a lot easier to find a seat in hospital waiting rooms without the medical tourists, even though some seats are blanked out. 

 

I am sure that in the present environment opening the doors to any large groups of tourists will also open the doors to the virus.

 

another im alright jack sod the rest of ya. so many of ya on here

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Opening the doors the Covid19 virus is only a plane load of Tourists that have departed Wuhan, as they did before the virus was made public knowledge.

Wuhan was the central hub for departures by the Chinese Tourists, with some 6 Million departing from there for LOS last Year.

To allow such numbers ever again, is bordering on sheer lunacy, as China has new outbreaks happening on a regular basis now.

 Still well behind America.

[dallen52]

4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Three quarters of Thais won't be all too delighted to hear about that. Allegedly.

 

 

Fake news...(sorry)

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Regards Australia and New Zealand, their governments have not yet agreed nor signed up to any bilateral agreements.

Regarding Australia. They have states that have closed borders. Health minister in state of Qld has made statement that other states will not be allowed to enter untill they can record 30 consecutive days of no  positive reports.

Can't see AU & NZ in a bubble any time soon. 

 

[Traubert]

33 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

I teach Chinese people English online. I've got news for you. I have talked to NO Chinese who plan on traveling outside of China any time soon. Some Chinese schools are telling their students to not travel outside of their districts in China. The authorities in Thailand who think that the Chinese hoard will come thundering back to rescue the tourism industry are smoking too much funny weed. It isn't going to happen.  In addition, anyone who believe that the CCP is telling the truth about there health situation is deluding themselves. Finally, the Chinese government does want money flowing outside of China now. GET REAL!

How many are you teaching? Where?

[anchadian]

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

40m

 

At the moment, only work permit holders are allowed to return to #Thailand. However, Khun

@NatapanuN

from the

@MFAThai

said there was a meeting this morning to discuss the criteria to allow permanent residents and people married to Thais into the country. No details yet. [1/2]

 

People married to Thais will most likely be allowed back into the country during July but with the same conditions as work permit holders. Meaning insurance plus quarantine. I guess you would also need proof like marriage certificate. So just living together won’t work. [2/2]

[tomauasia]

4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Three quarters of Thais won't be all too delighted to hear about that. Allegedly.

 

 

3 quarters of the barracks 

[tomauasia]

3 hours ago, miamiman123 said:

Chinese ??

US have launched a full war fleet. China is infected. HOLIDAYS your dreaming 

[herwin1234]

27 minutes ago, curlylekan said:

They only care that us westerners don't come back.

its just what you make of your life yourself and how you look at the world around you, in an understanding way or thinking that the world evolves around you.

you feel unwanted and unwelcome, and no doubt there must be a reason for it. (hint, its not "the Thais" but its "you".

other farang including myself feel pretty welcome here in the Land of Smiles. I already gor three or four times free durian from the local durian sellers this season, makes me feel pretty welcome ???? i mean, its up to you how ppl treat you. Its like, if you want ppl to smile at you, start smiling yourself and start thinking nice and positive about the ppl around you. 

but yeah, look at how negative too many farang are, no smiles all sourfaced, its no wonder if locals dont care if they return and never come back.

[DUNROAMIN]

TAT suggested that NZ may be a possibility for future tourist under the bubble scheme as they have zero cases now, how would that work? Are there direct flights from NZ to Thailand? I thought there would be layovers to get here. How would they manage keeping people virus free while moving through airport terminals?

Your thoughts?

[Scouse123]

20 minutes ago, anchadian said:

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

40m

 

At the moment, only work permit holders are allowed to return to #Thailand. However, Khun

@NatapanuN

from the

@MFAThai

said there was a meeting this morning to discuss the criteria to allow permanent residents and people married to Thais into the country. No details yet. [1/2]

 

People married to Thais will most likely be allowed back into the country during July but with the same conditions as work permit holders. Meaning insurance plus quarantine. I guess you would also need proof like marriage certificate. So just living together won’t work. [2/2]

 

 

And  if they only actually mean Permanent residents, then what about all those on retirement extensions and marriage visa extensions?

[Mulambana]

1 hour ago, AndrewMciver said:

How Thailand avoided a catastrophe no one knows.

Leaving aside whatever the Thai givernment did, most importanly Thai people are not arrogant, rude, and don't consider themselves experts in everyhting. They obey what the experts said about masks as much as they could. In contrast, lots of people where virus is raging its havoc are arrogants, rude,and consider themselves experts and want to do whatever they want. The worst of the people are from the bottom of these socities. And we know what percentage of people from the bottom of these socities come to Thailand in search of their brides. 

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, DUNROAMIN said:

TAT suggested that NZ may be a possibility for future tourist under the bubble scheme

All this talk about NZ being in bubble with Thai is a flimsy smoke screen. NZ is country of 5 mil. Sydney (au city) same.

I can't even find the data on NZ tourists to Thailand. It wasn't in top 10 destinations for kiwis.

Vast majority travel to Au. 

As for getting from NZ to Thailand....

Perhaps flight Jetstar to a city on mainland AU. ...then to BKK. 

Anyway won't happen

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

And  if they only actually mean Permanent residents, then what about all those on retirement extensions and marriage visa extensions?

On a temporary permission of stay.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

Medias today are talking on about 79 infected people,

They're just getting started here.

 

In 'my country' during the early days they stressed that the numbers who test positive do not in any way represent the numbers of infected people. There are always far more infected people out there than those who are detected.

 

The numbers of infected were thought to be at least 10 to 20 times higher then those who tested positive and they were quite clear about announcing this to the public in the UK.

 

Everyone who went inside that huge Beijing market over the last couple of weeks is possibly infected.

 

Lets use the UK figures of 10 to 20 times more infected than those detected and suddenly we come up with a potential 790 to 1580 infected and 'in the wild' cases.

 

Of course they already know this (unlike you who quotes their numbers as gospel) - that's why they're locking entire neighbourhoods  down. They know there's a lot more out there based on what they've found. They're not stupid.

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by ukrules

[Kalasin Jo]

I'm a foreigner, British but other home is in France not UK, but I'm not a tourist. I am married to a Thai. We have a home here as well as in France. If I leave, even just to get a new visa ( long story posted elsewhere) when will I be allowed to return? I am on amnesty here now. Ever more pressing financial, family and personal reasons mean I will have to return to Europe soon, even if before then I can get a new non O multiple entry marriage visa in Laos. Been here nearly 6 months, planned on 4, and these matters won't wait another 6. Even though frankly I don't fancy flying nor returning to Europe at the moment because of the infection risk and quarantining at each end, even at home as required currently by France for those arriving from outside the EU.

 

My wife, who should be accompanying me, and her family all believe France and UK are hotbeds of infection with poor control and preventative measures, collapsing health systems and populations that are personally too lax at following guidelines. They simply don't want me to go at this time. 

[Nigel Garvie]

7 minutes ago, herwin1234 said:

its just what you make of your life yourself and how you look at the world around you, in an understanding way or thinking that the world evolves around you.

you feel unwanted and unwelcome, and no doubt there must be a reason for it. (hint, its not "the Thais" but its "you".

other farang including myself feel pretty welcome here in the Land of Smiles. I already gor three or four times free durian from the local durian sellers this season, makes me feel pretty welcome ???? i mean, its up to you how ppl treat you. Its like, if you want ppl to smile at you, start smiling yourself and start thinking nice and positive about the ppl around you. 

but yeah, look at how negative too many farang are, no smiles all sourfaced, its no wonder if locals dont care if they return and never come back.

My post of the week????. 

It is their country, we are immigrants/ visitors  (The word Expats is pompous).

If you are friendly and respectful to them they are almost all friendly to you, it still is the LoS to me. 

 

Why are "Western" tourists and returning retirees etc not very welcome? 

Well firstly, currently, it's bleeding obvious init. We are coming from countries (NZ and AUS excepted) with awful levels of Covid infection, and in the US and UK in particular, shameful records of responding to the crisis.

 

Secondly, many falangs carry around with them a sense of entitlement, and can't help giving locals the feeling that they believe,  because they have a western education and money, that they are in some strange way superior to the people of the country they are visiting.  Thais are proud people, do you think they like this? There are 1.8 million falang residents in Thailand, how would we feel if the situation was reversed.  

 

I have to return home soon and hope to come back in 3 months, I can only hope that the Covid situation improves, and the Thai government outlook on falangs does also. We haven't made it any easier for ourselves.

 

[spidermike007]

The empty heads who came up with the bubble scheme are no doubt living in a bubble, and getting well paid to come up with nonsense. Many of us do not expect Western tourism to return here in any meaningful way for at least the next year or so. Domestic tourism will be down too, as many were hard hit by the insane economic shutdown. The new reality for awhile: 

Edited June 15, 2020 by spidermike007

[vermin on arrival]

37 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

And  if they only actually mean Permanent residents, then what about all those on retirement extensions and marriage visa extensions?

In general, travel bubbles mean a relatively free movement of all people who are in the respective nations via bilateral agreement on safety protocols since those nations have the epidemic under control. However, they may just restrict it to smaller subsets of people.

[ukrules]

5 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

I have to return home soon and hope to come back in 3 months

Good luck with that, according to some we will be starting a second wave in September, that comes from the Chinese government who of course know a lot more than the rest of us about this.

 

I think the 'second wave' in big city China (really the first wave outside Wuhan) is starting right now, they just noticed it.

 

China is about to die.

[ToddinChonburi]

Don't worry the virus will be back this winter.

[hotandsticky]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The empty heads who came up with the bubble scheme are no doubt living in a bubble, and getting well paid to come up with nonsense. Many of us do not expect Western tourism to return here in any meaningful way for at least the next year or so. Domestic tourism will be down too, as many were hard hit by the insane economic shutdown. 

 

 

You are wrong about domestic tourism.

 

The Thais have already flooded back to many popular locations.

 

 

They are not all skint, you know.

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

There is only one country Thailand really wants back.....  

 

Plus South Korea and Japan.

 

[alyx]

22 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

I'm a foreigner, British but other home is in France not UK, but I'm not a tourist. I am married to a Thai. We have a home here as well as in France. If I leave, even just to get a new visa ( long story posted elsewhere) when will I be allowed to return? I am on amnesty here now. Ever more pressing financial, family and personal reasons mean I will have to return to Europe soon, even if before then I can get a new non O multiple entry marriage visa in Laos. Been here nearly 6 months, planned on 4, and these matters won't wait another 6. Even though frankly I don't fancy flying nor returning to Europe at the moment because of the infection risk and quarantining at each end, even at home as required currently by France for those arriving from outside the EU.

 

My wife, who should be accompanying me, and her family all believe France and UK are hotbeds of infection with poor control and preventative measures, collapsing health systems and populations that are personally too lax at following guidelines. They simply don't want me to go at this time. 

Kind of the same situation 

French citizen living between Thailand and Greece....but the latter is not an option for the short term future.

I do understand that you won't leave Thailand (for fear not to be readmitted) but France has everything but a collapsing health system and sincerely I still think that all these countries have been over reacting (my position ....not asking for a counter opinion :))

[drbeach]

48 minutes ago, Mulambana said:

Leaving aside whatever the Thai givernment did, most importanly Thai people are not arrogant, rude, and don't consider themselves experts in everyhting. They obey what the experts said about masks as much as they could. In contrast, lots of people where virus is raging its havoc are arrogants, rude,and consider themselves experts and want to do whatever they want. The worst of the people are from the bottom of these socities. And we know what percentage of people from the bottom of these socities come to Thailand in search of their brides. 

While I agree with you that some people are know it alls and most Thais are generally not like this (except for a small minority of mostly gay Thai men who always want to win every argument), the reason for Thais wearing masks is because they are obedient AND the penalties for non-compliance are draconian. I've seen videos such as one of an elderly Thai man refused entry to the Hualamphong railway station and rudely told to go away because he wasn't wearing a mask, while the guy behind him, an Italian tourist vlogger stuck in Thailand was welcomed, because he was wearing a mask and allowed himself to be temperature screened.

 

I'm sure there are Thais who are rebelling against the current restrictions, as evidenced by that story about a young guy in a Pattaya market who had the police called on him because he refused to wear a mask, but such stories are far and few between because most Thais are obedient, which is understandable given the enormous powers their government has under the state of emergency.

 

The Thai government's response to the crisis has been FAR stricter than what South Koreans, Japanese, Australians and to a large extent, many Americans have been experiencing. Mask laws have been introduced in many American states, to shop at many stores and to catch planes now, so they've almost caught up to Thailand. Meanwhile Australia, normally considered one of the western world's most infamous "nanny states" surprisingly has no mask law of any kind, in fact, along with New Zealand they have the lowest percentage of the population in the western world wearing masks.

 

Apparently the Koreans and Japanese have even allowed BLM protesters onto the streets, while Thai protestors were too scared so they held an online version instead.

[Nigel Garvie]

18 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Good luck with that, according to some we will be starting a second wave in September, that comes from the Chinese government who of course know a lot more than the rest of us about this.

 

I think the 'second wave' in big city China (really the first wave outside Wuhan) is starting right now, they just noticed it.

 

China is about to die.

Thank you for the good luck. 

I am realistic, I have to return for work and medical reasons, no options there.

Right now the US is falling apart with Covid, all those States which were low incidence before are becoming trouble spots at an awful speed. I have no time for the CCP which is as fascist as it is communist, but I expect they will clamp down brutally as they did in Wuhan. Human lives are cheap in a country of 1.4 billion. They and the US are the greatest threats to world peace even with no virus.

 

However I wouldn't bet on which country is going be most devastated by covid, (A bit ghoulish to do so), all the same Brazil is well in the running.