Thailand aims for wider tourism reopening from October

[Harry Fingerling]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The new plan could draw 3.5 million tourists this year, generating 298 billion baht ($9.58 billion) in revenue,

Clearly the man from TAT has been up all night playing his Asian piano and come up with a figure that satisfies those who employs him.

 

one wonders if he has still included the figures from the great reopening of tourism in April, May, June, July, August.....zzzz

[XJPSX]

It will be different again in two weeks. Poor leadership is the obvious problem and they never have been good at planning.

[madmitch]

Thailand seem to think they'll change their quarantine rules and the tourists will arrive in droves. It ain't gonna happen.

 

The UK has introduced it's green list, as other posters have mentioned, and many countries have rules in place regarding quarantine or self-isolation. Until Thailand gets the current wave under control and accelerates its vaccination programme, tourists won't arrive here. Quarantine might stop in Thailand but if tourists have to quarantine on return to their home countries it means nothing.

 

Some long stayers will come, as they have in 2021, but mass tourism at the moment looks nothing other than a dream.

[shackleton]

Well its been said many times on here 

First priority get the population vaccinated plus get rid of the Quarantine restrictions

then start thinking about letting tourists in 

The way the Corivirus numbers are going just lately I would have thought not many tourists would be interested in coming 

Until the above priorities are resolved 

[newnative]

47 minutes ago, fulhamster said:

"Maybe 1% vaccinated? "

 

Any guesses which 1%  ??

Not you or me.

[Thomas J]

  Does Thailand want or not want tourists?  Mandatory Quarantines, Covid Insurance and now an additional fee.  

 

[Captain Monday]

The Thai govt can do the sandbox or what ever they want. They pandemic is all about perception now, 

and managing expectations. If they stick to this zero tolerance thing however, no. It would be because they backed themselves into a corner.  

[Skeptic7]

26 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I don't discount his account and I'm sure it's what he experienced...just saying it's not universal. The new quarantine rules are a little less strict I believe...can leave the room after 3 days or something (was 7 or 8 before) and some plans even say they can wander the hotel/resort. But sure, not ideal and only if one has family or business reasons for returning.

To my knowledge, all quarantines are back to mandatory 15 nights whether vaxed or not and not more relaxed. Also 3 tests during this time is what I was told...where I only had 2. Not sure about the outdoor access, but my buddy says it's quite restricted and limited in BKK. 

 

Regardless, it's what it is and what one makes of it...and how necessary for the individual. 

[cclub75]

11 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

The Thai govt can do the sandbox or what ever they want. They pandemic is all about perception now, 

and managing expectations. If they stick to this zero tolerance thing however, no. It would be because they backed themselves into a corner.  

 

Spot on.

 

Perception.

 

The idea of "zero Covid" is absurd, and utterly non scientific.

 

Especially for countries with... land borders.

 

Focused on virtue signaling (and let's not forget... a certain comfort to deal with opposition rallies)... the thai gvt is cornered.

 

They can't move forward ("let's reopen everything we are all vacinated") and they can't move backward ("this virus is under control, yes a few old people will die, but 99,9 % of our population is okay, we have to live with it").

 

Checkmate.

Edited May 8, 2021 by cclub75

[spidermike007]

7 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

This will depend on how the current outbreak progresses and the appetite for locals in these areas to welcome foreigners. We all know how suspicious many Thais are of any foreign arrivals after Anutin's ill judged remarks last year. This re-opening story seems to be a common theme but until at least 70% of Thais in those areas are fully vaccinated I can't see it becoming a reality. No mention of what hoops the vaccinated travellers have to jump through, or costs to be paid in order to be allowed into Thailand. No quarantine but also no mention of what measures will be in place to stop arrivals travelling to other areas. As usual lacking on the detail but as the current wave is still in full force how can they know? Just more hot air to try and give a glimmer of hope to all those so badly affected.

 

 

Thank you. Instead of helping the millions affected by the enormous betrayal of the administration, they continue with the empty promises. And a promise with nothing to back it up is boring, useless, trite, fraudulent, deceptive, malicious, unscrupulous, unprincipled, unfair, shady, untrustworthy, traitorous, two faced, villainous, wily, cunning, crafty, and bent. That describes the army, the tourism authority, and this administration. 

[Guderian]

Dream on, but first check out what's happening in the Seychelles.

[amdy2206]

The trouble is that we have heard it all before and keep hearing it, only for it to be 'just talk'. They would be better keeping quiet until definite plans are on the board. No point gettingbeveryones hopes up for nothing. I don't know whybthey don't think about opening some ofvthe local borders first rather than just the tourist spots. Lao is settling down well after the second wave caused by ollegals from Thailand and many in Laos have no been vaccinated so local borders opened would be a great trial to see how things work out before going onto the touristcspots.

[sirineou]

14 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

To my knowledge, all quarantines are back to mandatory 15 nights whether vaxed or not and not more relaxed. Also 3 tests during this time is what I was told...where I only had 2. Not sure about the outdoor access, but my buddy says it's quite restricted and limited in BKK. 

 

Regardless, it's what it is and what one makes of it...and how necessary for the individual. 

Our paperwork was completes a couple of weeks ago for a 7-day quarantine for being fully vaccinated.  , but we had delayed our departure a few days to spend Sunday May1st with my sister at Boynton beach, and she was going to drive us to the airport in Miami and depart the 4th. But because we were flying with Qatar air, (west to east) we were losing  a day and arriving the 6th, which   made us ineligible for the 7-day quarantine under the new rules , where vaccinated or not you have to do the 14 days. .   So we changed our flight and airline (Korean air) and date, to fly East to west, and gain a day, which put us under the wire. 

So Long story short, We are doing our 7-day quarantine right now, But everyone arriving after the 6th must do the 14 day. 

We were not allowed outside our room once since we got here. In twenty minutes we will have our second covid test, and we will get the results tomorrow, if it is negative we will be released May 11th 7 am . at which point we will be driven to the airport and fly to our house in Khon Kaen. We will have to appear at the Immigration office there, my wife talked with them already, and since we had done our quarantine in Bangkok, and left immediately after, . we will not need to self quarantine in Khon Kaen. 

This whole thing has been an expensive, annoying adventure. I wish we had waited a couple of months more. 

 

[Simons3]

Sigh Once again the elephant in the room is being ignored...  there is no vaccine for anyone 12 or under, so they still have to  Quarantine which means their parents are stuck in the hotel as well. so unless they are just hoping for  20 million Mongers visiting the  new family orientated walking street in Pattaya, they are going to be  way too optimistic with their numbers and out of  Luck ???? 

[alyx]

8 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

The above mentioned green lists are a list of places where people from the UK are allowed to travel for the purpose or tourism.

 

If it's not on the green list (like Spain for example) then nobody is going there on holiday, and that's the end of it.

 

As we're talking about tourism here these are being enforced, for moving house, business reasons, traveling for work etc, then anything goes.

 

They will review the green lists every three weeks....I guess it comes down to population vaccinated and local outbreaks.

 

Thailand does very well on the control assuming the numbers are to be believed (they won't be) but is scoring very badly for vaccinations this year. I'm sure it will be a very different situation by this time next year.

 

Well, sorry but...this list does not make sense at all: once on the old Continent one can go everywhere it pleases one depending of the rules applied by the neighbouring countries. There is no way to check the trip

[cjinchiangrai]

Another premature announcement from TAT. We will see.

 

If they want to help, maybe they can talk to their foreign friends and get some vaccines sent in.

[cjinchiangrai]

12 minutes ago, Simons3 said:

Sigh Once again the elephant in the room is being ignored...  there is no vaccine for anyone 12 or under, so they still have to  Quarantine which means their parents are stuck in the hotel as well. so unless they are just hoping for  20 million Mongers visiting the  new family orientated walking street in Pattaya, they are going to be  way too optimistic with their numbers and out of  Luck ???? 

Right after they put bargirls on the priority workers list.

 

[Jeffr2]

31 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Dream on, but first check out what's happening in the Seychelles.

They are not fully vaccinated.  The problems are with the ones who didn't get jabbed.

 

Jabs are our only way out of this mess....

 

https://www.canadianinquirer.net/2021/05/07/how-a-small-city-in-brazil-may-reveal-how-fast-vaccines-can-curb-covid-19/

[rumak]

7 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

this seems to be the case even for the mutants.

 

yeah baby.........  about time they included me in something !  ????

[DefaultName]

Potential tourists will do their homework and not come.  ????

 

Who am I kidding; they won't do their homework, then they'll moan "we weren't told about this".  ???? 

 

Like the families who holiday in Pattaya and complain about the nightlife (when there was nightlife, and tourists).

[Stargeezr]

Actually if it is the first of December I would be more likely to believe the statement.  October is just

wishful thinking.  But,    Good Luck Thailand,  what do we foreign people know, anyway, right?

Geezer

[hansnl]

I really hope for all the people out of a job tourism will come back.

But I guess the old will not come back.

[soi3eddie]

5 hours ago, JayClay said:

 

I'm willing to bet that, unlike a lot of members of the TV posse, the majority of Thais have probably long since forgotten the remarks to which you refer...

Many Thais may have forgotten his exact comments but not the sentiment of his remarks. I have personally experienced Thai paranoia of foreigners on a number of occasions in the last year. One refusal of entry to a coffee shop, hard questioning about time in Thailand when checking in to a hotel, Thais pulling up their face masks when passing by, Thais crossing the street to avoid coming close. Add to that reported refusal of admissions of foreigners to some restaurants and bars. 

[herfiehandbag]

8 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

If they say from October all you need is your UK vaccination card and nothing else I'll be back to the wife and daughter asap. I just fear whatever hoops they get rid of, they'll add a dozen more more awkward ones

I hope that they do, and you can get back. But I expect they will institute some sort of beauracratic obstacle course!

 

In one office they will be proposing and announcing all sorts of TATery to allow millions to flood in unimpeded, and round the block in a row of government office buildings all sorts of uniforms will be beavering away to devise ever more difficult to achieve requirements, and complex barriers to entry. A steady flow of "influential people" will be presenting themselves to ensure that their various businesses: hotels, quarantine provision, insurance companies, transport undertakings and a mind boggling array of bubble stretchers are incorporated in the new mandatory requirements for visitors.

 

They can't help it - it is how this dysfunctional regime operates.

 

Still I hope it works out for you.

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

bid to revive a key industry battered by coronavirus travel curbs.

 

[herfiehandbag]

2 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Classic TATery!

[rumak]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

boring, useless, trite, fraudulent, deceptive, malicious, unscrupulous, unprincipled, unfair, shady, untrustworthy, traitorous, two faced, villainous, wily, cunning, crafty, and bent. That describes the army, the tourism authority, and this administration. 

 

oh boy,  for a second there i thought you were referring to the moderation team !  

 

ok Rumak........... pack your bags.   VACATION TIME !

[1Gringo]

Aerosmith had a song which seems appropriate here called Dream On.

[mlmcleod]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The rush to secure vaccines comes after Thailand was hit early last month by its biggest outbreak yet, which has seen its total cases more than double and deaths more than triple.

Such a success surely merits the reopening of tourism! 

 

I am sure that millions of tourists will want to pay the new fees and come to a Thailand where more than half the populace is still unvaccinated!

[Jeffr2]

Maybe they'll follow NZ's route and try to eliminate mass tourism.  It'd be a great idea for all.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/06/new-zealand-tourism-changes-environment-milford-sound

 

New Zealand to spend millions weaning holiday towns off international tourism

Tourism minister says overcrowded sites such as Milford Sound-Piopiotahi ‘cannot return to its pre-Covid state’