STV: Worldwide interest is low - and few Elite Card holders keen to return

[Scott Tracy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that just 1,615 people worldwide had signalled their intention to use the STV to visit Thailand. 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Of the 7,000 Elite Card holders abroad only 448 have expressed an interest in returning to Thailand under the ‘Thailand Elite Member Quarantine’ scheme.

 

 

signalling intention and expressing an interest is not the same as actually applying or coming.

[ukrules]

42 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

Holy <deleted>!

 

If that is true there will never be another person sign up for a "scheme" from this regime.  That would be the final nail....

 

 

Do you really think 150 people signup up, were approved and paid for this? I don't.

 

I suspect nobody managed to complete the process, not one person.

 

I'm sure quite a few tried but I doubt they got very far in the process.

[steven100]

are they just starting to realize the truth   ?

no one will come with their stupid STV requirements.

no one will come with any quarantine restrictions.   

 

oh lordy lordy !!  

[rumak]

3 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

 

... Crocandas!

 

Thai immig  has just created the Crockash!t  Visa to meet the demand

[GigsGigs]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I read somewhere that each one paid 175k baht for the package ( flights, ASQ, Visa etc ) x 150 = nice little earner !!

Indeed. But then again 175k THB to these millionaires is like 10$ USD to us, scale to scale.

[GigsGigs]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

too many hurdles to jump thru, even if the idea of possibly coming to Thailand cross one's mind it will immediately disappear as soon as they see the number and type of requirements, not to mention the appreciated baht, last week it started to move towards 32 vs 1 USD but the last 2-3 days it all went back to typical 31 vs 1 USD, we can't win

Over the past weeks it was at 37 vs 1 EUR, went even has high as 37.21 vs 1, now it's barely keeping up and struggling at 36.55 vs 1. I expect it drop 36'ish vs 1 by next week.

 

Thailand is done. Walking Street is missed, I'm heading Greece or Cyprus this Christmas, nice weather, healthy food, no visa required, 3 hours flight only, same currency, wonderful beaches, no need for a passport even, as an EU citizen my ID card is sufficient documentation. The only missing thing in the picture are "girls". Oh well.

[Jackcwba]

What a surprise.....

 

[MRToMRT]

37 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Do you really think 150 people signup up, were approved and paid for this? I don't.

 

I suspect nobody managed to complete the process, not one person.

 

I'm sure quite a few tried but I doubt they got very far in the process.

I suspect none of them paid and they are guests of the government or some company. Theres a quote in some of the press from the minister answering a question were he says of the "tourists" in question "no they will not get refunds they can just come later"

 

An alternative idea might be that they are already here and the gov does not want the press sticking their noses in?

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by MRToMRT

[worldfun]

7 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

An alternative idea might be that they are already here and the gov does not want the press sticking their noses in?

 

aha that might be true actually - anybody checked phuket landings from china? ????

[GeorgeCross]

hahaha the story has hit Reuters now and what a mess..

Quote

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters, adding that about 100 tourists were expected to arrive this month.

Foreign arrivals stopped in April after the government banned commercial flights to keep the coronavirus at bay.

In September, the TAT said some 120 tourists on special long-stay visas would fly directly from Guangzhou to the resort island of Phuket this week, but their travel has been delayed.

 

the mystery deepens  

 

src: https://in.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-thailand-tourism/thailand-delays-hosting-of-first-foreign-tourists-since-april-idINL4N2GZ1YY

 

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy.

[sammieuk1]

And these dirty liars will be the ones controlling ASQ STV maybe the overriding factor in no take up ????

[DrTuner]

4 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

Ah, Thais finally found a way to fleece the tourists without letting them in. Been a long time coming. I'm sure they'll "come" in millions now, what's not to like?

[Flying Saucage]

4 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

The Thai government shows again that it basically is a Mafia-like institution, this time by absolving the theft of money from tourists, and - one has to wonder! - Chinese investors.

 

Regarding the Chinese investors I expect a U-turn soon, however. They will be refunded. Real tourists and expats (any Scandinavians affected?), if there are some, might be less happy.

[Flying Saucage]

5 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

If someone is interested to read the article, this is the link:

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/10/07/no-refunds-govt-delays-special-tourist-visas-2-days-before-launch/amp/?__twitter_impression=true&s=09

[impulse]

It could be as simple as they didn't have enough interest to pay for a charter flight from Guangzhou.  And wouldn't they be embarrassed if they announced 150 tourists and 4 showed up...  Or maybe the extra 2-3 weeks is to give the special tourists more time to get their documents in order.

Hard to say what's really going on with the STV.   There may not be any money to refund because there's been no takers.

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by impulse

[Sammyinla]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

Do you really think 150 people signup up, were approved and paid for this? I don't.

 

I suspect nobody managed to complete the process, not one person.

 

I'm sure quite a few tried but I doubt they got very far in the process.

You are totally right. I am an Elite visa holder and I am on an email thread with 60 other members. All of them have applied to return to Thailand and it seems none of them have even received an approval letter from the MFA. I applied in August (first day of the program officially opening) and I submitted all the docs and I haven’t even received my approval letter. After I get the approval, I still have to submit additional paperwork and wait another month or so to get my COE (probably longer). This has been so frustrating. 

[DrTuner]

37 minutes ago, Sammyinla said:

You are totally right. I am an Elite visa holder and I am on an email thread with 60 other members. All of them have applied to return to Thailand and it seems none of them have even received an approval letter from the MFA. I applied in August (first day of the program officially opening) and I submitted all the docs and I haven’t even received my approval letter. After I get the approval, I still have to submit additional paperwork and wait another month or so to get my COE (probably longer). This has been so frustrating. 

Even a few years back when I got MFA approval for non-imm F it took more than a month. I overheard there was only one single person at the time processing those. It's probably a one or two room "department" in the MFA. Thai bureaucracy at its finest.

Edited October 8, 2020 by DrTuner
typo

[alianware]

Although Thailand have been dealing with farang for years, they still haven't learned, that they are dealing with people from democratic country, who value the fairness, the freedom to choose, and anti stupid regulation, that they have to pay lot of money for stupid thing.

 

Money is not the problem , but the procedures must have limit ! It's called Given and Return. 

[soi3eddie]

In the last 4 months I have motorcycled nearly 8000 kms around Thailand. Bangkok to Hat Yai to Bangkok. Bangkok to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Rai and back to Bangkok with many places in between. True to say that many areas are desolate of commercial economic activity. Huge numbers of vacant buildings and land for sale/rent. This isn't even considering the tourist areas. Even with reopening the borders there would still be huge economic distress in Thailand. As of right now, there will be no general tourist arrivals until at least 2021. 

[charmonman]

11 hours ago, charmonman said:

Well I'm one of the only 69 people in the Americas who have enquired and they can't even bother to give me a response. In my experience, and perhaps others have had a different experience, the Thai Long Stay Company that is supposed to be managing this whole thing are completely useless.

They did respond! I am on the list! Now that the government has screwed over the first 150 recipients by delaying their flight for two weeks and apparently not offering any refunds I have completely lost interest. So apologies to the Thai Long Stay Company, they are not useless, only the government is!

[KarenBravo]

2 hours ago, GigsGigs said:

Sounds like a post written by a leftie.

How do you come to that conclusion?

You've got a great imagination. Why not wear a furry glove and use that imagination.

Cheapest short time ever.

[FalangJaiDee]

I would literally go tomorrow but they’re not letting Americans in despite the fact You’re tested 3 times before you set foot anywhere into the general public. It’s getting so tiresome. The only conclusion I can draw is the process is deliberately outrageous to dissuade rather than outright say “we don’t want you here”

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, Blumpie said:

Just had to bring this picture up again... oh my.

 

Anyways, 

What a shock that there are hardly any people wanting to quarantine before and after their "holiday" for a total of a month (!!!), get travel insurance, pay through the nose for a hotel that you are stuck in, probably get COVID on the plane, wait for symptoms to abate, then go to places that are by and large closed.

But what do I know?  Oh wait, the numbers speak for themselves. 

Fling the doors wide open, nobody will want to come, nor would they be allowed to.  If they did that and infections went through the roof your home country would shut Thailand right down for arrivals, full stop.  

This is as good as it's going to get.  Get it yet Thailand?  

Yep. People in UK were cancelling two weeks in nearby EU countries in case they got stuck with two weeks isolation at home on return. No chance they will be interested in two weeks expensive quarantine to start their holiday.

[MRToMRT]

11 hours ago, charmonman said:

They did respond! I am on the list! 

Can you share some info with us on that? For those of who had no contact from them after submitting passport copy, what happens next?

[impulse]

9 hours ago, GigsGigs said:

Over the past weeks it was at 37 vs 1 EUR, went even has high as 37.21 vs 1, now it's barely keeping up and struggling at 36.55 vs 1. I expect it drop 36'ish vs 1 by next week.

 

Thailand is done. Walking Street is missed, I'm heading Greece or Cyprus this Christmas, nice weather, healthy food, no visa required, 3 hours flight only, same currency, wonderful beaches, no need for a passport even, as an EU citizen my ID card is sufficient documentation. The only missing thing in the picture are "girls". Oh well.

 

That's a 1.8% swing in the baht exchange rate.  I don't know anybody that changes their holiday plans because the exchange rate went up or down by <2%.  And very few at a 10% swing.  There's lots of good reasons not to go to Thailand right now.  The baht's not one of them.

Edited October 8, 2020 by impulse

[Geoffggi]

15 hours ago, Kadilo said:

 

The STV is a non starter. Literally, as they can’t even agree on a launch date.  Now even a Vegan festival has delayed it. Yeah righto........

And the real reason is .............. LOL

[baansgr]

5 hours ago, alianware said:

Although Thailand have been dealing with farang for years, they still haven't learned, that they are dealing with people from democratic country, who value the fairness, the freedom to choose, and anti stupid regulation, that they have to pay lot of money for stupid thing.

 

Money is not the problem , but the procedures must have limit ! It's called Given and Return. 

With numbers almost quadrupling to 40 million a year since 2005 and an expected 75 million tourists in 2030....they kind of don't care as people just keep coming.....maybe a rain check for TAT now.

[teacherclaire]

Of these, 924 were from east Asia, 229 from ASEAN/South Asia/Pacific and 462 from Europe.

 

462 Europeans. Soon from endangered to extinct? 

[rtco]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

In addition 500 from Europe/Africa/Middle East had asked for more details about the STV.

And then thought of John McEnroe ... "you cannot be serious"!! 

[onebir]

16 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

Of these, 924 were from east Asia, 229 from ASEAN/South Asia/Pacific and 462 from Europe.

 

462 Europeans. Soon from endangered to extinct? 

462 Europeans, twice as many as ASEAN, despite coming from much further away.