New Special Tourist Visa: A drop in the ocean compared to 2019 as many retirees feel abandoned

[webfact]

New Special Tourist Visa: A drop in the ocean compared to 2019 as many retirees feel abandoned

 

File Photo: REUTERS

 

As netizens on online forums panned plans by the Thai authorities to open the country to well-heeled long stay foreign tourists, comparisons with last year's official tourism figures for October make for interesting reading. 

 

The TAT and the tourism ministry have been hyping up their STV (Special Tourist Visa) as a way to kickstart the Thai economy but in reality it is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the same time last year.

 

A look at the ministry of tourism and sports own October 2019 figures reveals that 3,042,282 tourists came to Thailand. 

 

Yet even if the STV gets off the ground in October 2020 the target is 300 a week or 1,200 a month a tiny fraction of last year's figures.

 

Virtually every country on the 2019 list sent far more tourists last October. There were 826,392 from China, 75,728 from the UK, 34,743 from Eastern Europe, 86,527 from the USA and 67,857 from Australia as well as over 100,000 from India. 

 

Even less recognised countries for Thai tourism like Argentina, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Egypt sent far more than 1,200 a month. 

 

Critics of such comparisons will say that Thailand has to make a start somewhere and the long stay visas may allow people with condos and other property a way of getting back into the country. 

 

But after travel bubble plans were shelved and the so called Phuket Model looks to be in tatters after local opposition, many online are saying that the Thai attempt to open up to foreign tourism is ridiculously limited and is targeting the wrong groups.

 

Some are saying it will only benefit the elites in power and satisfy face saving interests. The people on the ground desperate for relief in the tourism sector will not benefit at all and a further two and a half million will be out of work come the end of the year, they say.

 

Last year 39.8 million visited Thailand. The STV plans to run until November of next year. That would mean around 15,000 visitors in an entire year. 

 

There is little chance of them making the slightest dent in the 11.4% of GDP provided by foreign tourist spending in 2019.

 

Online forums including at Thaivisa are increasingly featuring irate travellers who want to come but are feeling priced out and scared off by quarantine regulations at expensive hotels and health documentation and insurance that is difficult to obtain. 

 

The feeling of many is that the Thai authorities should make life easier for many people to return to the country who would help to stimulate the economy. These include retirees stranded abroad with families in Thailand, others unmarried with loved ones in the kingdom and people like digital nomads. 

 

Many of these feel they could help Thailand in its hour of need but feel abandoned and discriminated against for a pie-in-the-sky scheme to appeal to well off tourists. 

 

Meanwhile a fair proportion of online comments also suggest that few people want to travel anyway and plans to open up Thailand at all will be met with indifference from a worldwide public who won't travel far afield if at all. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-09-16

 

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[Pottinger]

At last, a very concise and cogent critique of exactly how little difference present plans will make.

[GeorgeCross]

they've got to start somewhere, give them a chance to at least get this up and running then the numbers should scale upwards easily

[Berti]

There are many tourism workers but they are still a minority.

The majority is still in panic when it comes to Corona.

 

We have to acknowledge that they are building up a quarantine industry to let in foreigners, but somehow I get the feeling they want to get rid of retirees.

 

[connda]

How many thousands long-stay retirees are there in Thailand?  And how many thousand guys supporting a Thai wife, children, and family.  And yet we are continually told that these demographics don't amount to a pimple on the butt-end of the Thai economic elephant.

And yet.......1200 Special, Privileged, Wealthy Foreign tourists per month will stem the tide of the Thai Tourism collapse.

Honestly.  What are these people smoking?  They are totally detached from reality.

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 
Special "Elite" Tourists are the new target of Thai officialdom. 
You, my retirees friends, are not important in the least.  You truly are viewed by the the Thai ruling class as naught but a pimple on the butt-end of the Thai economic elephant.  You don't matter. 
So potential retirees?  Read and heed.  It might be best to sink retirement roots as well as money and assets elsewhere in a country where your contribution is actually appreciated and valued.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by connda

[Berti]

27 minutes ago, connda said:

 

And yet.......1200 Special, Privileged, Wealthy Foreign tourists per month will stem the tide of the Thai Tourism collapse.
 

 

Why wealthy? The visa costs 2.000.- Baht.

[Enzian]

I'll probably be able to renew my retirement status this December, but if at some point next year I'm faced with the choice of staying in-country indefinitely or leaving and staying out indefinitely or forever, I'll crack and leave. 

[Bluetongue]

I think we all have to be realistic. Mass tourism will require at least 6 months notice to get off the ground. Any people in Europe now planning a winter break, the so called snowbirds, as well as Australians planning a New Years holiday or Americans for that matter will have looked at Thailand and disregarded it already. Of course two week millionaires would be ready to come here at a moments notice but I get the feeling they will be the last if ever to come back. And there's no indication yet of any green lane arrangement with the markets in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan so those people aren't coming this year either. Thais that were working in the tourism sector were booted 6 months ago. To me it seems that they have mostly accepted their fate and got on with whatever else they can do. Prayut is an extremely cautious and frightened man, he is not going to do anything quickly. Whatever empathy he and his ilk might have for the plight of the tourism workers or the sector is greatly outweighed by their fear. Besides I think he is a wowser who doesn't really want the booze and sex demographic back anyway, (and that may well include us retirees etc by proxy). So in short the beach and middle class tourists have made other plans and won't come back until they get notice so they can plan their trips in advance as per normal, the other demographic may not ever come back certainly not until at least this time next year, and Thailand has already taken the hit, anything else is on the up from here. 

[chrisandsu]

58 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

they've got to start somewhere, give them a chance to at least get this up and running then the numbers should scale upwards easily

I really don’t know what people expect ? Personally I don’t want borders opened in my home country especially from places that have very high covid rates . Thailand will be opened for high season they are far to greedy to pass up that cash cow trust me . 

[Brunolem]

18 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

Thailand will be opened for high season they are far to greedy to pass up that cash cow trust me . 

Already too late for that.

 

More generally, people are misinterpreting what mostly amounts to cluelessness.

 

The guys in charge are not devising some complex schemes to get rid of X and replace them with Y.

 

If that was the plan, then there wouldn't be a new plan every other day.

 

The simple fact is that they don't know how to reopen the country's borders, and probably neither do most of us.

 

No (significant) country is fully open.

 

Most are still under lockdown, partial or not, awaiting the arrival of winter and a second wave.

 

They, in Bangkok, have been watching what has happened in other countries.

 

And for the time being, Thailand is probably better off the way it is than, for example, emulating Australia's Victoria totalitarian nightmare...

Edited September 16, 2020 by Brunolem

[chrisandsu]

24 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Already too late for that.

 

More generally, people are misinterpreting what mostly amounts to cluelessness.

 

The guys in charge are not devising some complex schemes to get rid of X and replace them with Y.

 

If that was the plan, then there wouldn't be a new plan every other day.

 

The simple fact is that they don't know how to reopen the country's borders, and probably neither do most of us.

 

No (significant) country is fully open.

 

Most are still under lockdown, partial or not, awaiting the arrival of winter and a second wave.

 

They, in Bangkok, have been watching what has happened in other countries.

 

And for the time being, Thailand is probably better off the way it is than, for example, emulating Australia's Victoria totalitarian nightmare...

They will be open by hook or by crook . Problem comes when the high season comes in high flu season in the northern hemisphere.  

[MRToMRT]

2 hours ago, connda said:

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 

So true!! For those without family (Thai) this whole thing raises big questions on the wiseness of buying/keeping assets in Thailand.

[mlkik]

As someone who has a non o retirement extention and visited my elderly Mother in the UK early March I have not been allowed to return.

The Thai government rules are that I must have 800 000 Thai baht in my Thai bank account. I have about 1 000 000 .

I bought a new car in May 2018 and I had a bungalow built on my other halfs Fathers land. I have to pay the bills as her beauty salon does not generate enough income to pay for 1st class car insurance and air con electric bills.

I expected wrongly that people on retirement extentions would be allowed to register for repat flights in the near future. 

Some people have said that this new tourist visa will be ideal for people like myself. I dissagree as I have an extention that is valid for another 4 months and a re entry permit. Why should I have to change this and apply for a tourist visa ?

I am prepared to pay for the ASQ and get my covid test within 72 hours of my flight and have an insurance policy that is ready to go but am not considered worthy of return to a place which I wrongly thought was my home.

As someone else mentioned people thinking of retiring in Thailand think very carefully !

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by mlkik

[mike1967]

2 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

I really don’t know what people expect ? Personally I don’t want borders opened in my home country especially from places that have very high covid rates . Thailand will be opened for high season they are far to greedy to pass up that cash cow trust me . 

Which high season?

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

I think we all have to be realistic. Mass tourism will require at least 6 months notice to get off the ground. Any people in Europe now planning a winter break, the so called snowbirds, as well as Australians planning a New Years holiday or Americans for that matter will have looked at Thailand and disregarded it already. Of course two week millionaires would be ready to come here at a moments notice but I get the feeling they will be the last if ever to come back. And there's no indication yet of any green lane arrangement with the markets in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan so those people aren't coming this year either. Thais that were working in the tourism sector were booted 6 months ago. To me it seems that they have mostly accepted their fate and got on with whatever else they can do. Prayut is an extremely cautious and frightened man, he is not going to do anything quickly. Whatever empathy he and his ilk might have for the plight of the tourism workers or the sector is greatly outweighed by their fear. Besides I think he is a wowser who doesn't really want the booze and sex demographic back anyway, (and that may well include us retirees etc by proxy). So in short the beach and middle class tourists have made other plans and won't come back until they get notice so they can plan their trips in advance as per normal, the other demographic may not ever come back certainly not until at least this time next year, and Thailand has already taken the hit, anything else is on the up from here. 

And it is so simple to debunk the ideas about retirees.

Say 250,000 retirees, some married, some single.

On average bringing inti the country 50,000 Baht, per month that is.

The total sum is not a pimple on the end of anything.

A former governor of a province once said that every retiree is good for 1.4 jobs.

But, the total amount is spread around, doesn't come into the greedy purses of the rich.

And that is a no-no.

[OnTheRun]

51 minutes ago, mlkik said:

As someone who has a non o retirement extention and visited my elderly Mother in the UK early March I have not been allowed to return.

The Thai government rules are that I must have 800 000 Thai baht in my Thai bank account. I have about 1 000 000 .

I bought a new car in May 2018 and I had a bungalow built on my other halfs Fathers land. I have to pay the bills as her beauty salon does not generate enough income to pay for 1st class car insurance and air con electric bills.

I expected wrongly that people on retirement extentions would be allowed to register for repat flights in the near future. 

Some people have said that this new tourist visa will be ideal for people like myself. I dissagree as I have an extention that is valid for another 4 months and a re entry permit. Why should I have to change this and apply for a tourist visa ?

I am prepared to pay for the ASQ and get my covid test within 72 hours of my flight and have an insurance policy that is ready to go but am not considered worthy of return to a place which I wrongly thought was my home.

As someone else mentioned people thinking of retiring in Thailand think very carefully !

 

Basic mistake there mate, you are a visitor nothing more nothing less. They care not a jot about their own people, you are below that in the pecking order.

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Finally, simple math's that explains that they are either ignorant, stupid or have this as a plan as the numbers are literally a drop in the ocean.

 

There seems to be some very delusional people at the TAT who just can't see that there plans are ridiculous and will in now way help the economy or tourists in general.

 

Ah well another barn pot initiative.  Waiting for the next one... coming soon no doubt.

If at first you don't succeed, give up, it saves you looking stupid. You can't stop a tornado so why try. Concentrate now on plans to mitigate the suffering of the people relying on tourism, the money is there (it's certainly there to buy useless submarines and you have piles of dosh in foreign reserves).

[miamiman123]

Because they may hope and pray that the wealthy tourists spends a lot of his money here .....not like you ole penny pinchers that are living off of 16090 per month!... eating rice and chicken every day. Hehehe 

that’s the plan 

Edited September 16, 2020 by miamiman123
Spelling

[Proboscis]

With all the discussion about inviting in tourists from far off countries with higher levels of Covid-19 infection, why does Thailand not consider starting off by inviting in tourists from the very low infection rate countries on their own doorstep. Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia have varying numbers of expats who would consider a break in Thailand for medical tourism if nothing else. Many citizens of these countries used to travel to Thailand for shopping and medical treatment too. Each of these countries have very low or zero rates of infection. Thailand could also consider other nearby countries with low levels of infection too, including limited numbers from China.

 

My suggestion would be to test and trace all visitors to the country and let them stay in pre-reserved resorts. You could impose a further test after a few days and then let them go free.

 

This would be low risk with a higher rate of take-up.

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, connda said:

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 

This is nothing new and has been known for 30 years I have been here.

[gamini]

1 hour ago, mlkik said:

As someone who has a non o retirement extention and visited my elderly Mother in the UK early March I have not been allowed to return.

The Thai government rules are that I must have 800 000 Thai baht in my Thai bank account. I have about 1 000 000 .

I bought a new car in May 2018 and I had a bungalow built on my other halfs Fathers land. I have to pay the bills as her beauty salon does not generate enough income to pay for 1st class car insurance and air con electric bills.

I expected wrongly that people on retirement extentions would be allowed to register for repat flights in the near future. 

Some people have said that this new tourist visa will be ideal for people like myself. I dissagree as I have an extention that is valid for another 4 months and a re entry permit. Why should I have to change this and apply for a tourist visa ?

I am prepared to pay for the ASQ and get my covid test within 72 hours of my flight and have an insurance policy that is ready to go but am not considered worthy of return to a place which I wrongly thought was my home.

As someone else mentioned people thinking of retiring in Thailand think very carefully !

 

So you as a foreigner can't get back to Thailand yet. But consider the fact that Australians can't even get back to their own country!

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile a fair proportion of online comments also suggest that few people want to travel anyway and plans to open up Thailand at all will be met with indifference from a worldwide public who won't travel far afield if at all. 

Given how we are treated and the attitude at immigration, was enough to make some choose Malaysia or Vietnam.  After Corona, the quarantine makes Thailand look that much less desirable. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Online forums including at Thaivisa

Wow, journalists actually do read this forum.  

[Brunolem]

2 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

With all the discussion about inviting in tourists from far off countries with higher levels of Covid-19 infection, why does Thailand not consider starting off by inviting in tourists from the very low infection rate countries on their own doorstep. Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia have varying numbers of expats who would consider a break in Thailand for medical tourism if nothing else. Many citizens of these countries used to travel to Thailand for shopping and medical treatment too. Each of these countries have very low or zero rates of infection. Thailand could also consider other nearby countries with low levels of infection too, including limited numbers from China.

 

My suggestion would be to test and trace all visitors to the country and let them stay in pre-reserved resorts. You could impose a further test after a few days and then let them go free.

 

This would be low risk with a higher rate of take-up.

That's more like it.

 

Don't obsess with $$$, proceed by measured steps, and start reopening the borders within the ASEAN...which is similar to what the EU has done, more or less...

[Brunolem]

4 minutes ago, gamini said:

But consider the fact that Australians can't even get back to their own country!

But can' they go instead to Australia's twin country, North Korea?

[DPKANKAN]

28 minutes ago, miamiman123 said:

Because they may hope and pray that the wealthy tourists spends a lot of his money here .....not like you ole penny pinchers that are living off of 16090 per month!... eating rice and chicken every day. Hehehe 

that’s the plan 

16090 baht a month!! Odd sum but to live on <deleted>! That's merely a weeks bar bills!!! 5555????????????????????????????????

[upena]

39.8 arrivals, not visited. Big difference

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, connda said:

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 

It's never been a good idea to transfer assets (beyond day to day living expenses) to Thailand.

I've little sympathy for those guys sinking their last dime into setting up a business or house in some Thai woman's name, no matter how 'different' she is.

[BritManToo]

38 minutes ago, miamiman123 said:

Because they may hope and pray that the wealthy tourists spends a lot of his money here .....not like you ole penny pinchers that are living off of 16090 per month!... eating rice and chicken every day. Hehehe 

that’s the plan 

Plenty of Thais would be happy to have 16090bht/month to spend.

Would also point out frozen chips are 99bht/2Kg, and spaghetti 75bht/Kg in Makro.

No need to only eat rice, fried chicken and chips is fine. 

[Ratcher]

4 hours ago, connda said:

How many thousands long-stay retirees are there in Thailand?  And how many thousand guys supporting a Thai wife, children, and family.  And yet we are continually told that these demographics don't amount to a pimple on the butt-end of the Thai economic elephant.

And yet.......1200 Special, Privileged, Wealthy Foreign tourists per month will stem the tide of the Thai Tourism collapse.

Honestly.  What are these people smoking?  They are totally detached from reality.

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 
Special "Elite" Tourists are the new target of Thai officialdom. 
You, my retirees friends, are not important in the least.  You truly are viewed by the the Thai ruling class as naught but a pimple on the butt-end of the Thai economic elephant.  You don't matter. 
So potential retirees?  Read and heed.  It might be best to sink retirement roots as well as money and assets elsewhere in a country where your contribution is actually appreciated and valued.

 

 

Well that's your view. Many foreigners currently in Thailand on long stay visa extentions based on marriage or "retirement" don't share it. Fact is the writing was on the wall early March. It was evident then that people would get locked out of Thailand if they didn't return quickly. Same old drivel has been spouted by many on this forum every other day about how bad Westerners are treated here. If you don't like it vote with your feet. 

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, connda said:

By the way, this is a clear warning to any foreigner considering retiring here in the future.  Do so at your own peril.  As many retirees are now finding out, you can be separated from all your assets that you sink into Thailand indefinitely and the Thai government will not care one iota. 
Special "Elite" Tourists are the new target of Thai officialdom. 
You, my retirees friends, are not important in the least.  You truly are viewed by the the Thai ruling class as naught but a pimple on the butt-end of the Thai economic elephant.  You don't matter. 
So potential retirees?  Read and heed.  It might be best to sink retirement roots as well as money and assets elsewhere in a country where your contribution is actually appreciated and valued.

 

 

I have not found it difficult to retire here, been on a retirement visa for 7 years now.

The big mistake many retirees make is to sink all their assets into Thailand. I've always operated on the principle 80% of my assets stay in Australia.

My only non-liquid assets here are a secondhand car and secondhand scooter. No big loss. My funds in several banks would be withdrawn lickety-split, and converted to currencies which are not printing more money, or gold. I could do that in the 7 days the authorities give if they are kicking someone out.

I'm sure my contribution is appreciated and valued by my Thai GF and her family. The Thai ruling class and their opinions are irrelevant to me, it's only the regulations I have to watch out for.

I'd agree that so far, retirees who have been caught outside Thailand have been treated badly. It's not as if they are in an age group that is reckless with coronavirus, unless they are Trump supporters.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Lacessit