madmitch

Nobody will know how many tourism businesses have permanently closed until tourists start to arrive again. Only then will we see how many don't open their doors.

I wonder if these are the same experts that stated there wouldn't be any flooding this year?

I think Khun Somsong has been on the Samsong!

So it's taken 130 years to think of this?

I've just relocated, possibly temporary but I've done everything as though I'm here permanently. My daughter is with me (UK passport) but the Mrs is still in Phuket. I booked an Airbnb for a couple of weeks, anticipating being let out of self-isolation and getting a rental property with no problems. I was mistaken, though fortunately I did manage to find somewhere and only needed three nights at a hotel. You don't need references to rent in the UK but you do need proof of income of around three times the annual rent you'll be paying. I struggled with this as although I have contract work in the UK plus a pension which just about made up the required amount, they refused to accept my pension as it was on a drawdown basis and not on a weekly/monthly fixed payment system. They allowed me instead to pay six months upfront, plus a 5 week deposit. They'll also allow a guarantor. I wanted to move onto monthly payments after the initial six months so still had to go through the hassle and eventually I got around it by showing savings. Where I am in southwest London, rental properties are being snapped up as soon as they are on the market with some agreeing to rent without even seeing the property! Bank accounts are relatively easy to open with the newer banks e.g. Metro, which has branches, or Starling, which is purely online, though you'll struggle to get a credit card unless you have some sort of credit rating. One hassle is proof of address. You need to show bills in your name at the new address. Of course you don't get any bills until you've been there a month! I still don't know how much my council tax will be. Thames Water did send confirmation in the post that I'd set up a direct debit and a couple of places accepted this, though one bank didn't. NB I maintained a UK bank account throughout my 18 years in Thailand. Registering with a GP was easy, I've put in a claim for child support, I even have my over-60s travel pass, for which the Thames Water letter worked, and getting covid jabs and lateral flow tests is easy. FYI I've found my supermarket bill to be no more expensive than in Thailand, much cheaper if there are a bottle or two of wine or beer, though eating out has become horribly expensive. Cars are much cheaper though petrol is twice the price and insurance without proof of no claims is also pricey. Hope this helps.

@smedly I am of the same opinion as you. The timing of the article is ridiculous as with Thailand being on the red list, UK arrivals are subject to hotel quarantine whatever vaccines you have and wherever they were administered. I returned to the UK having had one AZ jab in Thailand and therefore had to self-isolate. I had no problem getting the second AZ vaccine at a walk in centre. No one said that the Thai administered jab wasn't acceptable. They checked the date to ensure eight weeks had passed, found a way of getting this on the computer system and to all intents and purposes I am double jabbed. They admitted that it might be problematical trying to register this on the NHS app but this wasn't because of my first jab being in Thailand, it is the same for all overseas countries. So I'd suggest wait and see what happens when Thailand is off the red list rather than taking any notice of this article.

I am sure that all festival participants and attendees will willingly comply with all of the Governor's anti-covid requirements.????

The Thai Government will no doubt see this as justification for increasing their military spending.

Key Visa charge a straight 5000 baht for a UK passport renewal plus 100 baht fpr EMS posting of the passport.

I had to renew my daughter's UK passport before our return and covid made it very difficult to do it personally in Bangkok (was in Phuket) so I used an agent for the first time, and despite hassles with the VFS office closing during lockdown, it worked out fine. I used Key Visa in Pattaya and it was definitely worth it in this instance, especially as VFS won't post the new passports.

No mention of imported beer, I see. And a change to the stupid afternoon alcohol sales law would also be welcomed. One step at a time though!

Still using room night to make the figures appear higher than they really are, I see. I note that room night numbers were nowhere to be found when arrival numbers were climbing due to the influx of Chinese even though western arrival numbers were down. I wonder why?

My missus had hers on Tuesday, as did her son and his girlfriend who are in their 20s. Just seems wrong to me to prioritize Phuket in this way for the sake of a very limited number of tourists that is benefitting very few businesses.

This Government is not interested in small businesses. Their concern is purely with larger businesses, many of whom are Government "sponsors"!

At last, something vaguely sensible! It's quite possible to pick up the virus between the pre-flight test and arrival at the destination, even for vaccinated travellers so this would be a fair compromise.

Well, the million new foreigners about to settle in Thailand will need somewhere to live! ????

they will be granted some privileges, such as not being required to notify Thai authorities every 90 days. Amazing what they consider to be a privilege?

Banana Beach is a great spot as well.

Surely convicted heroin smuggler is acceptable language without fear of reprisals?

Phuket Tourism Council President Thanet Tantipiriyakit explained that opening the island to tourism on Dec 1 could see the more than 200,000 tourists arrive under the Sandbox scheme in December, and even more in the first quarter of next year in addition to boosted numbers of domestic tourists coming to Phuket. Surely fully reopened means exactly that, at least to fully vaccinated tourists; no sandbox, no COE, no covid testing once in the country, bars and restaurants open and a free choice of where to stay, whether SHA+ or not. Or is my interpretation a little different?

Exactly. A year and a half of no business and then get hit with this. Still have to pay the room tax though, and despite not having guests, you still have to complete the form every month and email ot to the OrBorJor to declare a zero amount or you get a fine!

“Additionally, I also want responsible officers to adjust the method of counting high-risk arrivals on the plane because they must go into a quarantine venue, instead of traveling,” What does this mean? Surely no one on the plane should be deemed high risk as they have already been tested and have jumped through all the hoops to get the certificate of entry. The hotel licensing issue is a difficult one. If they don't introduce a specific classification for small hotels, many will simply go out of business, if they haven't already. The documents required, including original plans for the buildings, are numerous and unobtainable for many. And the aditional information required for SHA approval is aimed at large hotels with full restaurant facilities. Very unfair to expect Somchai's Guesthouse to have the same approval process as the Hilton

If you use an Android Box you need to get a remote mouse. It makes navigation so much easier. Loads on Lazada. Mine has a keyboard on the back which is quite useful.

Yep, the calculator strikes again. 28,000 arrivals. 10,492 gone home 17.705 gone to other provinces 4,963 still in Phuket Well done team!

I've been back in England for four weeks. My impression is that long haul travel is simply not on most people's agenda for various reasons. I'm sure there's a similar feeling across much of Europe and North America.