AMFWolfie

Why would I/We need "Have written/electronic confirmation of hotel bookings in Thailand" If I am simply going home or is this just another way of saying you still have to do a days quarantine while you get the result of a Covid test on Arrival... So actually not done away with quarantine completely after all.

Tend to agree, seems half sensible if you are paying top dollar but as I've done both when I had a work permit, the government hospital are not that bad. Yes some give the impression they are somewhat dated but unlike our NHS which seems to spend money on equipment and no, not the essential stuff, I mean beds, trollies. stretchers, the sort of stuff that looks dated in a Thai hospital yet it's still fully functional. With UK budgets if the NHS department doesn't spend all their money, then its decided its not needed and reduced the following year which is why the companies that supply hospitals and theatres in the UK still say with an NHS contract its a license to print money!! Not criticizing the NHS just its infrastructure run very much ,like local government and would not survive if a private company carried on the same way.. apologies slightly off track here but Thai hospitals, private or government are pretty well run by anyone's standards..

These figures are based only on what they can see spent through official establishments and by what credit/debit cards are used. More difficult with cash that Europeans spend and also in establishments not monitored like bars and the like. Obviously it will look like the Chinese spend more because they go where they are taken to which is geared up to extort as much money as possible

UK and USA is NOT one of the 10 but because of the large number of vaccines they will be added to the list.

I think as in the UK, there is a massive difference in going to the pub for a beer with, or meeting some mates enjoying social interaction/bantering or going to a club with the sole intention of getting wasted, meeting members of the opposite sex and parting to the early hours. Possibly do less of the latter the older we get but the risks of contracting colds, flu or Covid will be far less in an outside open bar than an enclosed club with sealed aircon. That's proven fact not guesswork so surely a soft opening as they did in the UK would be the way forward. Easy to monitor and regulate and to be fair, would satisfy a very large majority or ex-pats and tourists alike especially if it meant there was more likelihood of everything remaining open until Covid was under control enough to open the night clubs... One of the biggest concerns to most of the bar owners still forced to pay the draconian Key money upfront just so they can open the bar, only to find it all shutdown again in a month or two..

What about for those people who live in a "Sandbox" area. When can we expect to avoid all these hotels and quarantine at home like the UK?

Umm...well considering the hoops "tourists" have to jump through to get to Thailand especially the now compulsory medical insurance, I fail to see how "tourists" are running up such huge unpaid medical fees and I for one cannot see the entrance fee of 500 baht contributing towards this "problem" if that's what it actually is. Unfortunately I feel as many people do on this forum, its just another money making scam to line the pockets of the corrupt. If it truly was to be used as intended there would already be fine details of what the financial shortcomings are created by tourists and the collapse of the tourist industry. This money WILL NOT go to where its most needed and will just be used to pave the way of getting the businesses controlled by those in power back up and running quickest.. Unfortunately I do not see it being enough of a deterrent to stop those wanting to come to Thailand from coming at least in the short term. Once other Asian countries get there act together and become more "appealing" to tourists, that's when your will see Thailand taking a back seat and then and only then, will Thailand see the error of it ways!!

Not the slogan we need to worry about, its the continuous plugging of Phuket that makes me think there must be loads of government officials with investments or interest in Phuket. What about all the other provinces that heavily rely on tourism and surely before anyone starts to get interested in returning to Thailand as a serious holiday maker, Thailand needs to put its house in order and open International travel and open the nightlife with alcohol. Very few people following what's occurring in Thailand will be enticed to go there until the reports start filtering through stating everything is back to normal. A single island known for its scams and corruption simply wont cut it apart from an odd desperate few

Not sure whether to say you were one of the lucky ones but wife and I had mine in the UK, May and 2nd dose July. Felt both of the injections and didn't feel too clever the next day on both occasions which almost without exception, was the case with everyone else I spoke to who had the Astra Zeneca vaccine, felt <deleted> for 24-36 hours after. Let hope it was the genuine article not a placebo!!

Agreed. Keep hearing everything is going to open, the sandbox success etc but still no proper International flights and still very little open. Was hoping to fly back to my house in Thailand in November but just cant see it happening no matter how much would like to..

No the only information you are missing is the country is run by morons who are to short sighted and/or stubborn to listen to people/countries that have already been through this and no better.... such a loss of face to remain closed and locked down...

Maybe I missed it but with very little open to support these tourists, what would be the point of coming!! Can sit on a beach in any hot country like Antigua which I believe is fully open. Much the same for returning ex-pats like myself. Fortunate to have a home in the UK with the wife who would dearly love to come home to Thailand but what would we do when we get there with nothing open. Need to sort the country and resident population out first without worrying to much about tourists...

And if I recall the suggestion is to use AZ as a 2nd dose to everyone who has a first dose of Sinovac to give it some chance of increasing the effectiveness above 50%!! Have heard stories of people having had two shots of Sinovac and a few month later not finding any of the anti-bodies provided by this vaccine in the body. This points to the effectiveness not lasting but then again this came from Thai social media groups so read into it as you will..

AND...since the rollout commenced in February2021!! I think not. The only vaccinated then were the rich, influential and powerful. This is a typical Thai publicity stunt although I would love it if it was the truth and could be substantiated with facts like which vaccine, how they keeping it cold in the vaccination area which incidentally doesn't appear to be being advertised anywhere to get nearly a million people through their doors...

So this police chief or whatever he was drove a Lamborghini and lived way above his means and no one thought it suspicious or a bit odd!! being on the take for years and will never see the inside of a prison cell. He's out the country already and you probably wont hear about it again. The drug dealer offer 1 million but he wanted 2 million and was determined to get it...funny its all over Thai social media with the actual unedited video but not the news on here...

Having left Thailand with the wife back in April with full intention of returning in October when quarantine was to be lifted everywhere, or at the very worse, 2 weeks in Phuket sandbox, I have watched with continuing doom and gloom of the gradual demise of Thailand's tourist industry. Having lost one bar that took 10 years to build and now see the other likely to follow suit because of the greed and stupidity of the owners wanting rent and key money during lockdown with no sign of common sense prevailing. I'm amazed anyone is bothering to spend or invest in any future enterprise in Thailand with the state of play as it currently is or as its predicted to be, ignoring of course TAT and other such like minded organisations just trying to hold on to their fragile jobs. Unless the government pull the preverbal white rabbit out of the hat and seriously start a genuine controlled vaccination program, allow proper democratic elections, all the speculation and conjecture is purely a nonsense. I have spoken to many friends who live in Thailand and run business either here, there or both and are selling up in Thailand, lock stock and barrel and departing home for 5 - 10 years. These are people I would never have thought would give up their beloved Thailand but educated enough to realise it will take some considerable time for things to get back to anywhere near "normal". Fortunately this group are young enough to ride it out unlike some of us which realistically only have 5-10 years to be able to enjoy Thailand before heading for the knackers yard once and for all. While the departure of this particular group may not have any real bearing on the state of the country, their yearly expenditure in Thailand would not to be sniffed at what with private schools for the kids, vehicles, property and in many cases, Thai employees who work directly for them in companies or indirectly as home help etc.. Such a shame and could easily have been avoided if the powers to be hadn't been so greedy and corrupt in the first place..