Thailand to allow long-stay tourists in island of Phuket from October

[StrandedinthePark]

I see this as a positive statement. There are a LOT of details yet to be worked out, but it could potentially work for me. I spent about 3 months between Thailand and Vietnam each of the last 2 winters. Obviously new visas need to be available, since visa runs will not be an option. 

 

Since they mentioned a geographic area in which you’d have to stay I don’t think they mean the ridiculous ASQ 14 day hotel rooms. I think they mean an area in which tourists would have to stay for the first 14 days. And, clearly since having a few “approved” hotels wouldn’t work for any kind of large numbers I think it would have to be any hotel within that area. If the hotels were reasonably priced I would do that. 

 

I know I’m making a few assumptions, but I’m also pretty much outlining what it would need to be in order for me to go. The budget for my trip would have to be in line with what it’s been the last couple of years, much more than that and it’s a non-starter and I’m out. 

 

I really don’t want to be in Canada for the entire winter (ever again). If Thailand’s not a reasonable option then I’ll look for somewhere else. I’m curious what will happen with Bali, since they seemed interested in having tourists this winter. The Dominican Republic might be an option, though one I’m not totally thrilled with. And lastly, for me, Cuba could potentially work if they go to stage 3 and stop requiring tourists to stay isolated on the Cayos. 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Rimmer
Font corrected

[sambum]

21 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Limits the market already .. how many people can take a mth in one hit from their vacation allowance and then spend nearly half of it indoors .. 

"Tourists will HAVE to............"

 

Most people thinking of going on holiday don't like to be told that they HAVE to do anything, and to actually say "You can come here on holiday but you HAVE to stay for a month" is unbelievable arrogance! Add to that all the other "HAVE TO's", and the majority of people are going to just turn to the next page on their holiday destinations list!

[Aussie Col]

17 hours ago, ukrules said:

I've been suggesting for years that they issue a 6 month visa with a 6 month permit to stay so people can come to Thailand on an extended holiday for the winter.

 

Various laws would need to be changed to do this but if they change them then lots of people would come for longer than the usual 90 day period before they need to leave the country and do a 'visa run' in order to extend their stay for the entire winter.

 

Think of the northern European countries where the winter starts early and ends late, they have plenty of money, 1000's of them own holiday homes here and come every year yet they're still stuck on this 90 day maximum stay nonsense unless they get retirement visas when they're not really retired and living here full time.

 

In Hua Hin and plenty of other places many such people come every year and I've noticed some of them have been cutting trips short to fit inside the 90 day window in recent years, they can't be bothered to 'border run' any more - it's too inconvenient, especially from a place like Hua Hin which doesn't have a nearby border.

 

Plus an optional 60 or 90 day stay at the end of it.

[barney42bb]

They just Don't Get It .... Do They????.

[Rockbottom]

Quote

Tourists will have to stay for at least 30 days, with the first 14 days in quarantine in a limited vicinity of their hotel, before they can visit other areas, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

So for example, let's say I have three weeks off of work, my budget is $5000 exc. airfare and I want to travel. Can I go to Thailand under these conditions? Apparently not.

[Patjqm]

19 hours ago, NE1 said:

What happens when they are 10 days into their quarantine and another load of tourists turn up. Do they go to a seperate hotel. 

For it to really work the airlines would have to run like a package tour , where everybody on that plane stays in the same hotel.

So you would need 14 seperate quarantine hotels to accommodate 14 days of " package tours " to stop later arrivals mixing with the earlier arrivals.

 

And the other 7 days...in another resort on the island? So 14 resorts having each xx capacity...will take long to get millions of tourists...????

[ChomDo]

19 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Me! And many of us who are stuck outside Thailand away from homes and our life. 

Exactly, was just going to say the same. Many of us waiting to return are looking for "humane" ways to come back and this idea looks like the closest to that so far. At least they allow you to get out of your room! It's still not simple, especially for the cost of it and for the fact that you have to go to the wrong place (probably many of us don't live in Phuket). What's not explained yet tho is what paperwork you need and can you enter with normal exempt from Europe without a TR visa?  

[taxin]

5 hours ago, Henryford said:

Amazing Thailand, but you can't get to see it.

Apparently you can in October if you stay in Phuket for a minimum 30 days.

[Zikomat]

 Another childish fantasy. How many more will we hear from these people? Somebody should explain them that it is impossible to have cake and to eat it at the same time. Zero covid cases = zero tourists. So simple.

[black tabby]

32 minutes ago, Harry Fingerling said:

Announcing TATs new Phuket mobile travel bubble.

The latest form of New Normal?

Ordeal after ordeal for any new entrants into Thailand.

14 days after proposed lock-up of the new arrivals, there might be mandatory bio-suits  to go anywhere?

There could  be more casualties of the heat exhaustion among the aliens than Coronavirus itself.

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by black tabby

[Rockbottom]

41 minutes ago, Billpro785 said:

Anyone with common sense can see this is geared toward long stay expats, and those on retirement visas. Not the idea way to return, by at least a way.

Quote

Thailand will allow foreign tourists to visit for longer stays from October, a senior official said on Friday, as the government tries to revive a key economic sector that has been devasted by the coronavirus pandemic.

There's no mention of any specific group except "foreign tourists". There's no cryptic intent by TAT to specifically target long stay expats and those on retirement visas. This is a general tourist proposal for "foreign tourists" who wish to stay 30 days or more to jump start the fledgling tourist industry. IMHO this proposal will not do much at all to meet what ever financial projections the TAT are expecting. 

[geisha]

5 hours ago, Lou Provencaou said:

If staying 3 weeks as required will it be then possible to moove to Chiang Mai?

 

If having to stay at least 30 days will we have to get a 2+1 months visa and will it be possible to apply in the Thai embassy in France?

I don’t think that anyone knows what will be possible or not. They haven’t published the rules of entry yet. 
As for the Thai Embassy in France, from past reports, even in good times they were noted as the most unfriendly Embassy , so good luck with that. There’s also the problem of flights, prices, and health insurance covering Covid. I’ve read some of the big company’s answers on this, and I honestly didn’t understand a word. I’ll go for professional advice on this.

[Rimmer]

A post in overlarge fonts has been corrected, please do not post in this manner, thank you.

[Nanaplaza666]

21 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

People with lots of $$ and think they will be better of there than where they are.. an ready for a holiday.. no everyone is poor.. 

I think you are missing the point . Money or not , you think people with money will go to stay in quarantine for 14 days (ok maybe 5 star but cannot be in contact with nobody so no funny business or whatsoever) and then maybe two weeks of holiday and on return to their own country 14 days of quarantine again . They will have better choices to enjoy their money believe me . 

[Knocker33]

Welcome to the Covid colony 

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

I think you are missing the point . Money or not , you think people with money will go to stay in quarantine for 14 days (ok maybe 5 star but cannot be in contact with nobody so no funny business or whatsoever) and then maybe two weeks of holiday and on return to their own country 14 days of quarantine again . They will have better choices to enjoy their money believe me . 

What do you mean by "funny business" ?

Telling jokes ?

 

[ian007]

It's like building a ski resort on a mountain in Thailand... no snow so it doesn't work. No flights so how should this work? Just about as crazy sorry to say... (yes I would pay for 2 weeks in a nice hotel in Phuket to get back there. I would stay for at least 3 months as I have a house and a life there but this is not realistic. Wish it was...)

[paulikens]

21 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

No one is actually starving though, Thailand is also developing its own vaccine and if another Country makes a vaccine first, Thailand would gladly pay for it 

@CorpusChristie depends where the vaccine comes from as they dont seem to keen to snap up the russian vaccine, and i cant say i blame em

[CorpusChristie]

4 minutes ago, ian007 said:

It's like building a ski resort on a mountain in Thailand... no snow so it doesn't work. No flights so how should this work? Just about as crazy sorry to say... (yes I would pay for 2 weeks in a nice hotel in Phuket to get back there. I would stay for at least 3 months as I have a house and a life there but this is not realistic. Wish it was...)

Its highly likely they have thought of that and have some flights arranged 

[Aussie Col]

In my opinion they should make it easier for those with Thai wife's and or children to re-enter Thailand first without jumping through hoops and self isolate in the marital home or a hotel very near it.

[reallyaffiliated]

Going to call the embassy here this monday. Hopefully they will know more about flights, also wondering if I can apply for an ED visa now, so that when I'm there I can stay longer.

[bipper]

22 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Limits the market already .. how many people can take a mth in one hit from their vacation allowance and then spend nearly half of it indoors .. 

With 10 days annual holidays not counting bank holidays it's one way to keep Americans out ????????

[Expat Tom]

I thought that it was illegal to smoke pot in Thailand? Clearly, some people in government make up these wild ideas while passing the bong around and drinking beer. Who in the world will fly to Thailand and spend 14 days in a 5 star hotel out of a 30 day vacation???? Thailand is a wonderful place. I love it here. But, I sure wouldn't take that vacation to hang out in a hotel and pay overly inflated prices for 14 days??? DuH!

[CorpusChristie]

18 minutes ago, Aussie Col said:

In my opinion they should make it easier for those with Thai wife's and or children to re-enter Thailand first without jumping through hoops and self isolate in the marital home or a hotel very near it.

Would you trust people do self isolate for 14 days ?

Where would the Wife /Family stay, whilst the person was in the house self isolating ?

[Aussie Col]

18 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

Going to call the embassy here this monday. Hopefully they will know more about flights, also wondering if I can apply for an ED visa now, so that when I'm there I can stay longer.

Don't forget to post how you get on.

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

I thought that it was illegal to smoke pot in Thailand? Clearly, some people in government make up these wild ideas while passing the bong around and drinking beer. Who in the world will fly to Thailand and spend 14 days in a 5 star hotel out of a 30 day vacation???? Thailand is a wonderful place. I love it here. But, I sure wouldn't take that vacation to hang out in a hotel and pay overly inflated prices for 14 days??? DuH!

Some people will use this opportunity to get back to Thailand and stay in Thailand longer than 30 days

[Redline]

Can you get a girl to come stay with you, and pay for her testing?

This would make it bearable, but if she’s not a match, it could be worse than staying alone.

All joking aside, this would be a good enticement ????

[HerbyJFlash]

22 hours ago, mehrdad said:

Who would be will to go on such a journey? 
 

Me

[Aussie Col]

2 minutes ago, Redline said:

Can you get a girl to come stay with you, and pay for her testing?

This would make it bearable, but if she’s not a match, it could be worse than staying alone.

All joking aside, this would be a good enticement ????

I can't see that being allowed and i don't think you are allowed to leave the hotel.

Obviously the hotel would have to supply all your food inclusive of the price.

[sebastion]

2 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

Adverts for Thailand on Australian TV today, I am told. " when the world is ready to travel, Thailand is waiting"

They will be waiting till July 2021 for Australians