alphonse

In many ways, yes! But not in matters connected with road traffic, be it driving or vehical maintenance. Too many people die because of the 'old ways' when it comes to travel.

Are you sure the hair issue is covid related? Get it checked out?

I thought that the only interesting (and valid?) figure there was that tourism had been 18% of GDP. As that is the just official record .... agencies, visitor sites, hotels etc. one wonders just what that figure would be if all the grey stuff was included. The total amount of baht all those bar girls were not declaring for starters. 30% and more in reality?

Didn't the soldiers ban them a few years back? They had been marvellous fun for some, including myself. Mostly slightly p-ssed, but never really drunk .... and I don't think I speak for just myself. The drug peddlers spoilt it somewhat in the latter years.

And, furthermore, I shall continue wearing one, when in confined public places, if I am back in the UK during the flu season and that particular virus is rampant. How come it took mankind so many decades to realise basic facts about the spread of germs?

True. In the grand scheme of things it's small-fry. Canterbury, near my UK home, was getting this amount per annum pre-pandemic. London alone 30m. An admission of defeat and the nonsense of Thai-pass.

Tourists. As usual, first thought how much they will spend. I suppose this is to be expected, especially in these difficult times, but do they all have to make it so obvious. It's not difficult to get the wrong impression ... "just dump your funds at the airport and catch the next plane back from where you came." ???? Perhaps they would present a more attractive option if they demonstrated, and publicised, a desire to prevent tourists being ripped off from the moment they step into the first taxi away from Swampy and attended to some of the intrusive rules which range from the absurd ones surrounding the purchase of alcohol to the need to constantly report your whereabouts if you stay in other than a hotel and similar, and onto the need to carry your passport at all times. I could go on. I half expect there to be some little guy at the airport looking each tourist up and down and assessing how much they will spend, before writing it in his notebook, which is then sent daily to the authorities.

Thailand likes complication. This military lot love it more than ever. Playing at government. Lurching around with legislation.

Useful that. I was quoted £110 by the nearest "chemist" to me who did them, which is 5 miles away. I assume the Heathrow ones are carried out before departure and give quick results.

Precisely, getting a pre-flight test is not difficult in the UK (although costly @ £100+) and is hardly the deterrent that is presented by the remaining demands for Thai Pass.

I get the fact that a person testing positive upon arrival becomes a cash cow for the hospital he is sent too, but I don't get why the current measures constitute a money-making 'scam' for the country. Surely, and in the bigger picture, the loss of potential medical tourism income alone, and caused by the current measures, to say nothing of losses to the general economy, far outweigh the revenue collected from PCR testing or a few hundred or so visitors forced to pay hospital bills for their Covid related stay.

A tourist is a tourist, they all bring much needed foreign currency into a country (any country.) Backpackers, families, sex tourists, wealthy. Thailand currently needs all they can get. Inflation means there is less disposable income. It will get worse not better. By the time Thailand opens up without hurdles there will be even less money around. Europe, possibly most open despite high levels of omicron, is the best bet for now, but nor for long.

Perhaps the company is in danger of going under. Just saying.

Apparently it was because there were not enough First/Business class travellers to make it viable. The income from Economy class passengers for long haul flights just cover expenses. Profit is from the amount collected from those turning left. The 'pay more' passengers on BA to Bkk flights are notoriously thin on the ground.