welshguy

I just contacted her, she has sorted out the insurance. She DIDNT! send her old Thai passport off to London Embassy, so she will do the passport renewal (and I.D. card) over there.

Thanks for that, im "assuming" she has sent her old Thai passport off. I did say to her, it would probably be easier to get it renewed in Thailand.....but it of course, fell on deaf ears! I will look at the Thailand Pass website in a bit. Cheers.

Good day all. A quick question if I may please. My ex wife (who is Thai) is travelling to Thailand later this month (from the U.K.) Her Thai passport has run out, she has contacted the Thai Embassy in London for an "emergency" Thai passport. Of course, they aren't answering the phone recently! Her "Plan B" is to use her British passport to travel there and back. She phoned me this morning asking me, how much and where to get the "special" Covid insurance ? I replied, Ive no idea! IF! Her "emergency" Thai passport comes back before she goes....then all well and done, if it doesnt (which I suspect it wont!) she will need to get the covid insurance...hence my question! Thanks in advance.

Ah here we go again! Honestly, one of life's great mysteries is How in the name of all that's holy, does T.A.T. come up with such ridiculous claims and numbers? Actually perhaps the greater mystery is...do they expect anybody (outside of T.A.T. that is!) in the world to believe such garbage? Absolutely hilarious...the folk at T.A.T. would have been better employed as script writers for Benny Hill!

Just got back yesterday from another 2 weeks in the Canary Islands (Spain........I also went there in Jan/Feb this year for a month). No restrictions to enter the country. no "covid insurance" needed, no visa needed, shops bars restaurants etc. more than happy to take have your service. (with a smile too!) hell. I didn't even need to wear a mask on the plane if I didn't want to! Compare this to what Thailand offers? No contest ! IF, they do lift the Thai pass and covid insurance etc, I shall return in October, I'm lucky, in that I'm retired, so can literally go "at the drop of a hat!" The vast majority of the tourists Thailand is missing, I assume aren't in the same boat as me, so need to book time off from work, book flights etc etc etc. so the sooner Thailand opens properly, the more people will come! Surely to god, they. ( TAT that is) can see that?!! Ok ! I know stupid question! lol! Im "hoping", Thailand is open "properly" soon...I even FINALLY! has an e-mail answered ( only took two years!!!) from Thai airways, saying that I could "rebook" the flight which I booked and paid for in 2020, for a September 2020 flight! The flight was of course cancelled..As I say I had an e-mail from them recently saying I could re-book another flight, *must be used by the end of this year!" though. SO please! Come on Thailand! Pull your finger out and open up properly!!

Once again. Yet more preposterous dreaming of figures ,form the hub of silliness. A.K.A. The T.A.T. They sure do give me plenty of laughs with their ridiculous statements. They are obviously accountable to nobody. Oh what nonsense they continually spout out!

I went to the canary Islands for 4 weeks, in Jan/Feb...booked again to go next week for a fortnight, Simple to do, no , just need to get a Spain "health pass", (done in minutes on line) no tests etc , then you are free to enter and spend your money, nice to be welcomed too! I "assume" hundreds of thousands of other "potential" tourists, are doing the same as me...ie. NOT going to Thailand! Ive been going to Thailand for 40 years now, got the use of a house over there, got friends and family there etc etc. I love the place, However as time goes by (I was last there in Jan/Feb 2020), Im "missing" it less and less, also as time goes by, it reminds me of all the scams etc, that have been going on for years, Now with all this Thai pass, tests, quarantine hotels blah blah blah..it honestly makes me miss the place less and less. When this covid started, I thought, wow...I may never be able to get to Thailand again"! (or at least for a long time!) and I was honestly devastated..however, with the passing of time, other countries actually "WANTING" tourists to travel to their country, and spend their money there...then with Thailand doing the opposite? I still "sometimes" think I may never go there again...Thing is ? Now? Im not that bothered if I never go back.. Saying that? I am still maybe 50-50 I may go back October time this year...IF and thats a huge IF! the ridiculous restrictions are dropped! As for the airport being busy now? I dont believe it! It could have been busy (ish!) for a few days, as per many of the reasons other posters have suggested. Will it stay busy..? No way!

Still........ Not for me thanks. I wouldn't even mind taking a test in the U.K. before leaving to go to Thailand...no way do I fancy taking a test in Thailand. the hub of testing.

The same for me... And I suspect millions of other potential tourists.

i do own a little scooter in Thailand. I live over the "dark-side" , when Im there...so I use it to go shopping, to the swimming pool etc, Never use it at night, and dont often cross Sukhumvit road, unless Im going to Tesco or Big C etc, (yes! I know I can still have an accident on the "quieter" dark side....see evidence every day I drive around out there!) I appreciate people on bikes, have a higher (much) chance of being involved in an accident. (Rarely see bikes crashing into bikes though?!). No way. could I drive a car in Thailand (Well in Pattaya Im talking about!) . Bikes cars, driving the wrong side of the road, people using 2 (sometimes 3) lanes to "turn left", lots and lots of drivers (particularly cars/lorries/pick ups etc)seem to think, its OK to not stop at a junction, and to just pull out, sod anybody driving along the road they are turning into! Speeding, dangerous parking, using mobiles, totally clueless what to do at the infernal roundabouts, totally ignoring red lights (not by a "second or two either!), unable to parallel park or reverse properly, U-turns? Oh my god don't even get me started! Drink driving, etc etc etc...its ridiculous how little they seem to value human life. Whilst they are driving...sad but true. As for the Police and "enforcement"? yeah right!!! There are a myriad of things they could do, (some of them very very simple too) to reduce the loss of life on the roads..........Alas though, they don't seem to want to or be able to? Yes! I know I ride a scooter when Im in Thailand (saying that..not been for over 2 years! God knows when I will be there next!)...and I know bike riders are much more at risk......BUT simple education/enforcement would be start...(by enforcement, I dont mean the B.I.B taking some lunch money...but real enforcement.................... Will anything ever be done? Who knows....I certainly doubt it!

" S&P downgraded ratings of Siam Commercial Bank and Kasikorn Bank, from BBB+ to BBB, and Krungthai Bank and TMB Thanachart Bank, from BBB to BBB-." I copied and pasted this from another thread on here....Dont know if its what youre looking for?

Like the proverbial broken record! T.A.T. coming out with yet more garbage!

A big fat NO from me..........And everybody else I know. who always regularly travel to Thailand. Lift all the restrictions, and Thailand will see a nice boost to their tourism numbers, from overseas holiday makers. Most people, have to "book time off work, " etc. etc. etc. before they can even think about booking flights hotels etc. The last thing they need..are all the obstacles (sorry "requirements") that Thailand put their way. I honestly dont think Thailand will ever get back to their "old tourism numbers" days. Its all fine and dandy for people to say, "oh no worries. Thailand can do without tourism now, they can just diversify blah blah blah, to do other things, to get people back in employment, the economy flowing again etc etc etc"....Ah......... if only it was that easy!!!

Sorry chums. Your latest "brainwave", still wont bring the tourists back. Its being tested in Thailand, which is the main things tourists object to (along with lots of other nonsense of course!). Try again.

2 days? 2 days and they are still waiting to get the breathalyser result? Amazing Thailand indeed. They really are taking the public for right mugs. Unbelievable.

Last time (last summer) I had my eyes tested in the U.K. I asked for reading glasses, (obviously for reading!) and glasses for when using the laptop. I was provided with both....Both sets of glasses worked fine. In fact, I even ordered some extra pairs of spec. online. ( from one of the cheapy places. to get extra glasses...they asked for my prescription, I gave them the one I got from the local opticians, I had just the one prescription, they asked me my age, and how far away the computer screen would be, I told them..they said they would calculate it, and voila, a few days later I got back some really cheap glasses. both reading glasses and glasses for using laptop. I think! what I'm trying to say here is. I definitely needed different glasses for both reading and laptops, the local optician only gave me the one prescription (for reading glasses), they obviously tested my eyes, both sets of glasses they gave me were fine. They were so good in fact, I thought, I may as well get extra pairs , (Im always losing/breaking! etc. my glasses!). I looked online, they were really cheap., so I did the above. I "assume" when making the glasses, it must be pretty easy for them to work out the two different sets of glasses you need, even from the one prescription? Either that, or I was really lucky in the ones they sent me out!

I don't understand all this nonsense. Seems as if they really don't want tourists back in, spending their hard earned cash. They want the elusive millionaires only it would seem.....good luck with that. Meanwhile, other countries are opening up, what's more , they are GLAD AND GRATEFUL, for tourists to be returning to their different shores...Not so Thailand. Ive not been back to Thailand for over 2 years, previous to that, I was going for almost 40 years (first went in 1993)...the longer I don't go back, and the more I read of all the nonsense, they are spouting out? The less I miss it, and the less I think of going back there. I'm positive , I'm not alone in my feelings about the entry nonsense Thailand ask for, to be able to spend your money in their country helping their economy? Fantastic amazing superlative, Thailand. The land of the unfathomable. Thailands tourism really is dying a slow death. To those of you who think it isn't? Well good luck to you too!

Outstanding! Local studies rule! Truly great research via "local studies!".

I came back yesterday, from a 4 weeks holiday in the Canary Islands (Spain). Pretty simple/straightforward to get there, just needed to be vaccinated, download a "Spain Travel Pass " onto my phone. Then before I went, I had to order a covid test kit online (£16) and then get tested on arrival back in the U.K (that wasn't needed in the end though, as the "rules" changed whilst I was away, so no need to take the covid test , once back to U.K.). Then two days before I flew home, just needed to download a "passenger locator form*...all was very easy to do, not too intrusive I thought.The weather was fine too, fair enough, the first weeks wasn't! The last 3 weeks I was sat by the pool nice weather, not expensive, staff and workers seemed to be friendly and very grateful to the tourists, for spending their money there......... Whilst there, when talking to holidaymakers there, there were a fair few! who "normally" go to Thailand, but just couldn't be bothered with all the rubbish thats needed to get there now. There were also some farang men there, with their Thai wives! Again, same story...they went to Spain and couldn't be bothered with the Thai nonsense!! Ive been going to Thailand for 39 years now, I really want to go back, Im retired, my "plan" was to spend October-December over there, home for Christmas, then back to Thailand in January, back to blighty before Songkraen, then repeat. Of course, Covid put paid to that. I think, tourism in Thailand will never recover (fully!) from this. Other countries are opening up, with far less restrictions, then when you get there, they are actually glad, to get your tourist pound/dollar/euro etc. Not so in Thailand. I wont be going back to Thailand. until these "restrictions" are drastically reduced, I suspect, the vast majority of other tourists wont either. Thailand can try to entice/lure as many millionaires as they like! to holiday there...sorry to say, it aint gonna happen. There are many many people,in Thailand, deeply affected by the loss of tourism ...of course, as they arent the rich/hi-so etc.......nothing much is likely to happen. Im "hoping"! to go back to Thailand later this year....I was hoping the same last year...and the year before though!!!

This guy is a genius! One day though, "maybe" he will be the first to offer his theories/explanations/answers etc. (which havent already been said by others before him I mean!).

Not news, Just another day in the life of Thailand.

Just when I think Thailand , cant get any more ridiculous. Seriously. 4!!!!!!!!!!! time you can get done for drink driving before you lose your license? (just one of the many points topping up procedures!)... Amazing Thailand? No, more like pathetic, ridiculous, laughing stock (of the modern world) Thailand. The mind boggles. it really does, who in the name of all that's holy comes up with these ridiculous suggestions/plans/laws, Truly incredible.

Cheers for that Dr. Yong. I tried mixing my drinks on Saturday night, hoping I wouldn't get a hangover the following day........I still did! In the meantime , I will stop reading the inane things you spout out my good doctor!

" The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming to realize 1.5 trillion baht of tourism revenue in 2022, which would be 50% of the pre-pandemic figure in 2019 when about 3 trillion baht of revenue was generated. The TAT is also targeting a revenue figure of 2.4 trillion baht in 2023, and about 3 trillion baht for the year after." Yeah right............good luck with that mate!

The reason I didnt get the "newer" license with the photo, was because I knew there would be a catch to it.........There was! As you say you have to pay to renew it every year. Im 61 now though! So I may well get one, if it could possibly help in Thailand! Cheers!