Multi-ministry drive to open up Thailand to foreign tourism by October 1st, tourism minister

[crazykopite]

L????L it’s never going to happen with all the severe restrictions they have put in place . Thailand will be extremely lucky if they even manage to get a handful of tourists during the peak season ( December / January )

[tomacht8]

It's all going too slowly until all the generals and authorities have agreed with each other.
There are only ideas from a wide variety of ministries, but a specific general plan has not yet been made. In the tourist areas and all Thais who are dependent on it, the money is slowly running out. Meanwhile, the theft of motorcycles and break-ins in bungalows are increasing sharply.

 

[hobz]

If they can just get the Chinese tourists back quickly then the rest of the world can wait until 2025.

[Call]

Keep the country closed for the safety of Thai citizens. Wait for a vaccin and add another year for extra protection. So far 58 Thai persons have died from this virus!

Actually far to many deaths, compared to the 25.000 in traffic accidents, yearly.

[Dialemco]

We are going to have to live with Covid. Sure there will be some cases owing tourism but these must be controlled by track trace isolation when they occur. Thailand does not have a choice but to open safely as possible for tourism as economy in freefall with mass unemployment far greater than officially published owing to the unknown cash economy

[from the home of CC]

most don't care about the state of their own countries, let alone this one. Don't trade Thai lives for dollars for it hasn't worked anywhere else in the world...

[Aussie Col]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

As long as they are quarantined properly I can see no problem

Quarantine = no tourists = Thailand sinking ever deeper into the abyss

[ChrisKC]

It is unpalatable to say but the Corona pandemic appears to be somewhat unpredictable as it relates to emerging new infections causing spikes, surges in countries thought to have control. These are Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and China, France and many others. This would be a red flag to me if I were trying to encourage Visitors to these shores, particularly with a start date only six weeks away.

 

And it all has to marry up, with other Countries Health Ministries, Airlines who, at a moments notice, could easily scupper the plan (that has to be sustainable if it is to be worth all the effort), when they cancel flights etc through a sudden change in circumstances.

 

 

[Aussie Col]

3 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

most don't care about the state of their own countries, let alone this one. Don't trade Thai lives for dollars for it hasn't worked anywhere else in the world...

But in the meantime the junta won't do a single thing to halt the amount of road deaths every year

[Aussie Col]

4 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

They need a country to twin with. And as mentioned above, it might only be China, and even that is  a  guess.  I just don't think it will occur before December 1, if  at all.

Lets not forget that China is where this virus started and despite the claims of the Chinese about their low numbers of deaths nobody of intelligence believes them

[jimn]

So it will be TIT for TAT

[Raphael54]

Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has newly arrived from Mars. 

He doesn't seem to have met earthling Anutin Charnvirakul yet.

 

[Tarteso]

to open up Thailand to foreign tourism by October 1st,

 

...Or not

[mike787]

Good news...Thailand open October 01....walking street here we come.

 

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Absolutely. Plus, no big kickbacks. I'm sure we'd all gladly do it for beer.

No surprise there.

Certain nationalities on this forum think they have a god given right to traverse the globe and tell others how to run their country.

[ChaiyaTH]

2 minutes ago, mike787 said:

Good news...Thailand open October 01....walking street here we come.

 

Hey hey hey. Keep it fair will you? Those girls are now 20 years older and the young ones fat. Where can I get the left one?

Edited August 19, 2020 by ChaiyaTH

[Jimbo2014]

Lock up your prawns... the Chinese are back!

[chivo]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

As long as they are quarantined properly I can see no problem

How long is the average vacation to Thailand? If it’s 2 or 3 weeks, a 14 day quarantine leaves little to none actual vacation time!

[phitsanulokjohn]

They can open it up as much as they like,but so long as restrictions exist,what tourist would want to come,with potentially many days of their vacation stuck in a hotel,plus all the paperwork required,not to mention the added expense.

Waste of time&money.

Not what I'd describe as a holiday.

[Mike Teavee]

5 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Does anyone in these ministries have a brain? Travel bubble no good, so we will replace it with a "twinning Country" system, which is essentially the same thing, but because it has a different name, all will apparently be well?

Could it be similar to the recent "Green Lane" announced between Malaysia & Singapore... 

 

Haven't got too many details on it, just had an email from Air Asia announcing it was being/had been launched but as I'm now in Thailand I didn't take too much notice... 

 

Quick google search brings back this https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3097723/singapore-malaysia-begin-limited-cross-border-travel

 

 

[micmichd]

5 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Thailand has not had a run of the virus.  New research suggests that up to 50% of people have a natural immunity but the other 50% are at risk. When the virus hits a country there will a large number of people who are hit hard, then it weans off as we see in London for example.

Thailand has population with low exposure, so it could easily go very bad quickly

Practically you can not have a high number of people arrive and provide quarantine facilities for 14 days.  Tourists do not want to be stuck in a hotel for 14 days. Perhaps apartments, bungalows. But it is too difficult to pull off.

But once a vaccination is available you could do the 14 days quarantine at home.  

[connda]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Multi-ministry drive to open up Thailand to foreign tourism by October 1st, tourism minister

What are these people smoking?  I want some!

[connda]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The travel bubble scheme is now rejected, said Pipat, especially as the prime minister himself ditched that proposal. 

 

In its place is something he referred to as "twinning countries" and regions.

Bubble scheme is now rejected.
Now they're "twinning countries."

That's like relabelling a package of pork and instead calling it "the other white meat." 

Same concept - different brand.

[SunsetT]

6 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

The stench of desperation is particularly pervasive this morning as the straws to grab on to are slowly running out. 

Not quite yet but the economic s h i t is beginning to hit the fan as it was bound to do...Or to put it politely: The economic reality is setting in.

Edited August 19, 2020 by SunsetT

[spidermike007]

1. You get rid of Pipat, and the other cowards, and extremely timid people blowing up the economy. 

 

2. You start designing sensible plans. Like any and all people from all nations are welcome starting tomorrow. If you are willing to subject yourself to quarantine and pay for it, no restrictions should apply. None of the applications to the consulate nonsense. No bloated health insurance. 

 

There is an insane plan being floated on Samui right now. It goes as follows. Have a laugh:

 

Many destinations that are heavily dependent on international tourism have been especially hard hit by the various travel, transit, and entry bans. There is no clear timeline set for Thailand to allow international arrivals outside of residents, Thai citizens, some business, and healthcare sector travelers.

Now, the Tourism Association of Koh Samui has come up with the following plan according to the Bangkok Post:

1. Only visitors on Thai Airways operated flights would be allowed to enter the country (often the most expensive airline to fly to Thailand).

2. Guests would be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival to Koh Samui.

3. You would then be required to quarantine for the 7-days inside your room and not allowed to roam through the resort/hotel facilities even if your test is negative.

4. Between 7 – 14 days, you are allowed to use hotel facilities outside of your room/suite, but not allowed to exit the hotel grounds.

5. After 14-days, you could leave the hotel grounds but only with a unique wrist band.

6. You need to exit Thailand within 30 days of your arrival (the maximum allowed to stay without a visa).

Conclusion

This is probably the craziest idea from tourism operators that I have come across. Are they this detached from reality?

How can anyone even remotely think that tourists would entertain this kind of a hassle to “vacation” in Koh Samui when you are essentially a prisoner for the first 14 days and then allowed to roam with a special wrist band attached?

 

I understand that some of these hotels are becoming desperate due to lack of revenue, especially in Koh Samui that is an expensive destination within Thailand to fly to because Bangkok Airways owns the only airport (and I would assume charges monopolistic prices to other airlines).

It is unclear when Thailand is going to reopen again for international tourism arrivals. It isn’t easy to see this taking place anytime soon. Plans like the one above won’t generate any meaningful results even if miraculously implemented

[ajarnmarc]

An issue us expats have to or should be considering is when they open up the boarders again, the locals will go back to placing their fear/ concerns back upon us expats. Confusing us for the tourist that yes could be infected. 

I'm only now starting to see some fake smiles presented when they view my presence, in the months past that certainly wasn't the case, I was simply the dirty foreigner the government labels us all to be. At least with the boarders closed, the local kinda relax some, very small, but to some degree, they are able find it acceptable to be in the same area as I or my associates. The longer the boarder stayed closed, the more the Thai's can figure out if we are any worth to their economy, since we for sure are not valued for our personality, that much has been made perfectly clear in 2020, if no time before...? Once the boarder open again we will also hear non stop about how if you not like go back where you came from from the expats that want the country to themselves. All in, the boarder closed is the safest way for the expats here to have any chance to enjoy the country we for now call home. I still have plans to exit this façade country, once the boarders open in the countries I do wish to relocate to, so for all the power keyboard warriors out there, save you energy, I'm not interested in what you might have to write. 

[ronaldo0]

Clown school daily update !! ????????????????

[Seeall]

4 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

Yeah! Where you need TAT if don't have tourist! Also don't have any sport activities! 

If no tourists....  and TATS costs ????  hmmmmm

[whitfield]

Obligatory test within 72 hours of departure.  A test at the arrival airport, stay in your hotel room until result of test but must be within 12 hours.  That would eliminate 99% of the risk.

[tribalfusion001]

It's fairly obvious that they will need to open the doors to tourism soon, all those hotels need to be filled for high season. They will have to test at the airport and ditch the 2 week quarantine.