it is what it is

far too simple and effective system for a country obsessed with bureaucracy and with a control freak governmental mentality

this destruction of cultural and architectural heritage is extremely sad, it was a wonderful, iconic, building. it had beautiful original decor, a huge screen and a wonderful atmosphere, by far my favourite building in thailand. the management and staff were old school polite and friendly, the movie programme often included non-blockbuster films and classic films from 20, 30 years ago. and, for me personally, so many memories...

yes, and no. the government does want to restrict the number of visitors but also wants to be seen to be doing something domestically - a fine balance resulting in clunky and unwieldy entry requirements. the main problems thailand has are the comparatively low numbers of double vaccinated citizens (when other countries are well into their booster programme; uk 10 million) and the worry that their healthcare system will simply not be able to cope with a large number of covid cases. the article is absolutely correct, few leisure tourists will put up with the complex entry stipulations and associated cost

if you're happy being uninsured sounds like a possible option; take out an annual policy paid monthly, get the policy document showing cover for a year, cancel the policy. you'll still have the original policy document. i doub't anyone would check if the premiums are being paid...

superrich has different rates at different locations, even when really close to each other as in bangkok. i've never seen attractive rates at an airport in any country.

i honestly can't understand why this is still an issue after the powers that be, with much fanfare and boasting, installed clean air machines in the capital.

really? maybe you haven't been in thailand long, or haven;t been paying attention. bread kratongs have been made for years. to be honest i see far more biodegradable kratongs year on year. so there is movement in the right direction.

i believe the contemporary terminology is disabled, that aside, what were they thinking? or maybe they weren't.

sorry, but you can't genralise about 'thai teachers'. there are good and bad teachers in thailand, as there are good and bad teachers in every country. i often talk to my friend's children about how they are doing at school and it is clear there are some very good thai teachers.

interesting reading the replies. this system and process is clearly not designed to encourage tourism to thailand. it's for domestic consumption, the government want to the people to see they are doing something, but actually they are discouraging 'tourists' from visiting. i'd suggest this will be the case until they get around 80% of the population double vaccinated, and the booster vaccinations underway.

the article is pretty much hot air and a waste of space as it's clearly too early to tell what the thailand pass uptake will be. however, despite recent investment and upgrading of accommodations khao san road remains primarily a backpacker/budget traveler destination, and a lot of fun it can be for those types - as it was for me 25/30 years ago. these tourists are probably not going to be impressed with the compulsory expensive two night quarantine stay or the mandatory insurance. the article would have more value if it delved a little deeper.

the most powerful computers known to mankind have been working on just this problem, however even their massive computing power has, as yet, been unable to produce the final figure

it seems an awful lot of faffing around. i can see anyone returning to thailand long term taking advantage, but for a 2/3 week holiday? plus the additional costs? but what do i know, maybe tourists wont mind the hassle.

how much national insurance do they pay?

as in other countries the government needs to take a lead with a coherent renewable energy strategy aligned with government policy; investment in infrastructure, subsidies and grants to individuals and businesses, education of the population... a plan!

a quick check of world leaders attending COP26, and no, thailand will not be attending...

or you could go somewhere else and save yourself the thailand hassle.

no chance, would require massive capital investment to give all schools access to swimming pool facilities not to mention the training and employment of suitably qualified swimming teachers and life guards.

second hand gloves?

agree, i have friends who would visit but are put off by the uncertainty and/or palaver involved. tbh life doesn;t seem too bad back home, winter and possible plan b aside

not sure what the 'rip off' is. the insured didn't pay the premiums so the policy was cancelled, seems fair enough. the worst the insurer could be accused of is lack of customer care

for sure, the government have been trying to achieve this for years

there seems to be some misunderstanding as to the role of an embassy, they do not exist to sort out basic problems for every tom, dick and harry who didn't take appropriate precautions or actions in the first place. they can, and do, assist individuals in extreme circumstances. an embassy exists to facilitate peaceful co-operation and collaboration between two nations.

hopefully the government has made the necessary capital investment and set up enough labs with the capacity to process the anticipated huge number of arrival tests, plus an efficient infrastructure to transport the samples to the labs and be able to effectively communicate the results - within 24 hours.

confirmed that tourists arriving in Thailand will have to stay one night in a place where they can be contacted. basically, if you have a mobile phone then it's anywhere in thailand with a mobile signal