rabang

Outside it is so hot that the mask melts on your face. I wouldn't mind it if it was only indoors.

Truth hurts, I know.

Not so great if many places are closed and you have to wear a mask everywhere when you step out of your hotel room / condo.

Not totally. However, they don't have any restrictions anymore and life is back to normal in Sweden. Must be shocking to land in a police state of Thailand, even if the sun is shining.

But not mandatory and few tourists have used them over there either. Plus they were used often only outdoors. BTW, I used a mask occasionally in Bangkok as well a few years ago before covid due to the pollution. Not sure if they were any help though.

Many people get now more excited about panicking and fear that they can't get back to normality. That is certainly not healthy and don't let those individuals drag you down with them.

Many don't even know they are sick and never get tested so the death rate is likely to be way below 1%.

Do they? Hundred bookings to 300 seems a big jump in percentage but is still nothing.

Although the Northern European winter is harsh Sweden has abandoned all the restrictions and people are free to do whatever they want. The sun and warmth of Thailand are not enough to lure them if they'd feel like landing in a police state.

Masks will remain mandatory in Asia probably for many years to come. Wearing them outdoors in a hot and humid climate is a nuisance that potential tourists should be aware of.

I am more afraid of the consequences and the world becoming such an unbearable place that I won't have any incentive to carry on and would rather call it a day.

No, even though an improvement this is not good enough for most people and will definitely NOT revive the tourism industry. As others have said there are too many hoops to jump through, too many risks with the faulty tests and other nearby passengers potentially leading to a quarantine. No sane person will accept this and plan a holiday on these terms. Those with other motives to enter the country will find it easing their process but they are not too many.

My guess is that sometime in 2023. I am making this prediction just to see how accurate it will be.

Picking berries is very hard work. I can do it for maybe two hours at a time. Cloudberries are the most valuable but also the hardest to find (suprise surprise).

How can you know it is a misconception of something that has been around for less than two years? It is already known that natural immunity is stronger than the protection from a vaccine.

If this happens my travelling will be quite limited. The world of this new normal is and will be such an ugly and depressing place that I might have to consider a final solution for myself.

Remember, just 15 days to flatten the curve. That was some 19 months ago.

No, it has some of the cleanest air in the world. I agree that against the pollution masks will be worn in Asia but I do not accept that we should use a mask forever as some are suggesting due to covid.

There are no masks in sight in Scandinavia anymore. They are being sold with discounts now.

I had covid earlier this year and it was like a strong flu. Nasty but not unbearable. I had also a positive antibody test result to confirm my immunity which should be much stronger from an infection than from the vaccines according to the most recent information: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/15/natural-immunity-vaccine-mandate/ There aren't many incentives for me to get vaccinated now. I don't know if travel would be it but currently I don't see many places attracting me enough to merit vaccination for just the entry. It would be easy to fix that quickly if necessary as here the vaccines are now universally available at any time to anyone of eligible age.

I expect there will be a lot of demand for tickets to the USA from European travellers starting from November when the vaccinated folks can go there again. Southern states with warm and sunny weather should be popular but the likes of New York as well. I don't understand this talk of tourism being dead as I see more and more travel posting in social media now. Even some local authorities have said there is no need anymore to avoid travelling. People can travel even long distances but they need reliability which Thailand is not offering at all.

Bangkok is not a worldwide airline hub unlike London and Frankfurt, although well connected to some parts of the globe. There are few direct routes to Africa and none to the Americas. Chiang Mai has been the most polluted city in the world for years during the burning season, I can not believe Madrid would ever "rise" to the same level. I believe you know Spain well though even if I am not totally convinced by your arguments but your tastes seem to simply differ and there is no reason in trying to change that. For example I am not a huge fan of the Thai cuisine in general, with some exceptions, but it is a matter of taste what one prefers.

Heat in Spain is seasonal. There are almost all kinds of weather at certain seasons in some parts of the country. In Thailand there is a hot and even hotter season and a rainy season. Only northern parts of the country have slightly cooler weather in winter. And Madrid is not an airline hub? It is THE European hub for flights to Latin America to begin with. Any regional airport in Spain has tons of options to fly all over Europe. I don't know about Madrid's pollution nowadays because the last time I was there was over 10 years ago but it is certainly not as dirty as any Thai city. And how about other Spanish cities, like Barcelona, San Sebastian, Sevilla, Toledo, Segovia, Valencia, Santander etc. etc. Most Thai cities are absolutely horrible in comparison. Bangkok has bigger malls, street food, some temples but that's it.

It is depressing what a prison people are creating of the world for themselves, willingly and even demanding for more strict measures and control in the name of freedom. It is completely absurd! If a virus is from China we don't have to bring a Chinese system as well. How do people with kids justify and explain creating this dystopia to their children? Just get vaccinated if you feel like, if not, it should not be anyone else's business.

A matter of taste. In Spain you can do many things outdoors from skiing to sailing or from beaches to bicycle. Thailand is too hot and humid for most things except lying on a beach. In Spain you can drive around the country, Thailand is very dangerous for that. Spain has multiple historical cities where one can walk around and tons of options close by in Europe and North Africa. Cities in Thailand are muggy, polluted, dirty, chaotic and ugly. So it is a matter of perspective what you consider exciting.