Thailand to allow long-stay tourists in island of Phuket from October

[ThailandRyan]

I figured out there Tourism model.  Here is how it will work out:

 

[stuarty]

1 hour ago, NE1 said:

So how does it work then. Who decides which hotels people stay in ?

If you have one family staying in one room , does that mean the cleaner can only clean that one room ,

 

and as it states in the report "staff will have to stay in the hotel too."

So the cleaning ladies don't get to go home to feed the kids at the end of their shift ?

and won't see the kids and the old man for weeks on end ?

 

 

Then she can see me.....

[MRToMRT]

2 hours ago, mehrdad said:

Who would be will to go on such a journey? 

Me! And many of us who are stuck outside Thailand away from homes and our life. 

[yang123]

2 hours ago, CapeTown said:

It should begin immediately by readying its health and testing sector. Then opening to China, which is completely safe and is one third of all foreign overnight visitors.

????????????

[Lionrock2312]

2 hours ago, Sundown said:

Thanks, this will be the funniest topic for the next few days ????

Not really because it's just full of people who think they are funny but they aren't

[Travelanimal]

Honestly no one is so stupid to waste money on qurantine . This thing will only benefit people who want to come back on different types of visas which aren't allowed at the moment . For normal tourist this is a NO 

Expect 20 to 30 foolish tourist and good amount of other visa categories to come in

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The Phuket News article on page 3 of this thread has quite a few more specific details, hopefully accurate, compared to the more general OP Reuters report.

 

For example...from the Phuket News:

Quote

 

Tourists will be allowed to go to certain areas around the hotel, but not more than one kilometre, and they must stay in the area for 14 days.

 

“After the 14 days, if they want to go out of Phuket, they have to stay in the hotel for seven more days,” he said.

 

“Before coming to Thailand, they [tourists] have to be tested first, and they will be tested again on the last day of the 14-day quarantine. If they want to go out of Phuket, they will be tested again on the 21st day of quarantine,” he explained.

 

 

So it sounds like a minimum of 21 days in your original hotel and surrounding area bubble. But at least it doesn't mean people are going to be locked only in their room all the time.

 

So presumably there will be misc. available services in the areas immediately surrounding the designated hotels... bars, massage, etc... Unless they specifically decide to pick places that are isolated from normal local Thai businesses.

 

The other thing missing from both of these reports is any mention of who these packages will be offered/available to?  Anyone from any origin country, or only low-CV countries or what? And will they still have to go thru the current whole Thai Embassy/Consulate application and paperwork process?

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[zzzzz]

Quote

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will allow foreign tourists to visit for longer stays from October, a senior official said on Friday, as the government tries to revive a key economic sector that has been devasted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tourists will have to stay for at least 30 days, with the first 14 days in quarantine in a limited vicinity of their hotel, before they can visit other areas, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-thailand-tourism/thailand-to-allow-long-stay-tourists-in-island-of-phuket-from-october-idUKKBN25H11R?fbclid=IwAR1Vh0WTEH8TLBueOb2fHrwRbLj_WwXrF8-yvM-b71Nbtz7N9UAdDdaEQaU

 

Nothing about $100,000in insurance
Nothing about covid free certificate 72 hours
Will they need visa in advance or will they bring back the 30 days visa exempt?
All countries>(will they allow Americans /Brazilians in?

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by zzzzz

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The Phuket News article on page 3 of this thread has quite a few more specific details, hopefully accurate, compared to the more general OP Reuters report.

 

For example...from the Phuket News:

 

So it sounds like a minimum of 21 days in your original hotel and surrounding area bubble. But at least it doesn't mean people are going to be locked only in their room all the time.

 

The other thing missing from both of these reports is any mention of who these packages will be offered/available to?  Anyone from any origin country, or only low-CV countries or what? And will they still have to go thru the current whole Thai Embassy/Consulate application and paperwork process?

 

Ok I think I got it now, so basically you will be in one of these, but at the beach

[alyx]

2 hours ago, Sujo said:

And the other half in quarantine in their home country. There is you 4 week holiday gone.

 

I will pass.

At least quarantine back home is at home ...not that it changes the length though

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Ok I think I got it now, so basically you will be in one of these, but at the beach

 

Perhaps a bit like a Phuket version of the space station on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"...

 

There's life inside that people can enjoy.... But if you casually venture outside into "outer space," you're gonna die.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe, this is the first time where the Thais have envisioned a "quarantine" situation for foreigners where they're not pretty much exclusively locked and isolated in their own rooms, particularly at the outset.

 

But just wait and see what happens when the the first wacky farang goes rogue and escapes off the reservation. There's gonna be hell to pay...

 

Ahh... and possibly the most important question for potential guests that remains unanswered -- will hotels and other establishments inside the bubble be allowed to serve ALCOHOL???

 

I believe I've heard, that in private hotels in the ASQ program, the answer is no alcohol for ASQ guests. True?

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[AbeNormal]

we will lock you up charge bt500,000 for it then boot you out 

 

and if you test positive for covid 19 we will throw away the key and keep charging you bt30,000 a week for the pleasure 

 

555

[AbeNormal]

1 hour ago, 2long said:

Will they be able to mix with other guests in communal areas of the hotel? Because if Guest A arrives on Day #1 and 13 days later meets Guest B who just arrived, the whole quarantine thing falls to pieces. And all staff will not be allowed home at all!

Incredible!

not allowed out of room

[Searat7]

Time to address those with retirement visas too...now that Elites have been taken care of.

[ukrules]

Last year they were telling many people 'you stay too long in Thailand' now they're demanding it ????

[Issanman]

I will gladly play the game. Just tell me how to get back there!

[ukrules]

I've been suggesting for years that they issue a 6 month visa with a 6 month permit to stay so people can come to Thailand on an extended holiday for the winter.

 

Various laws would need to be changed to do this but if they change them then lots of people would come for longer than the usual 90 day period before they need to leave the country and do a 'visa run' in order to extend their stay for the entire winter.

 

Think of the northern European countries where the winter starts early and ends late, they have plenty of money, 1000's of them own holiday homes here and come every year yet they're still stuck on this 90 day maximum stay nonsense unless they get retirement visas when they're not really retired and living here full time.

 

In Hua Hin and plenty of other places many such people come every year and I've noticed some of them have been cutting trips short to fit inside the 90 day window in recent years, they can't be bothered to 'border run' any more - it's too inconvenient, especially from a place like Hua Hin which doesn't have a nearby border.

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by ukrules

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

Nothing about $100,000in insurance
Nothing about covid free certificate 72 hours
Will they need visa in advance or will they bring back the 30 days visa exempt?
All countries>(will they allow Americans /Brazilians in?
 

 

I think the only one of your questions answered in the two news reports here is the one about pre-flight COVID testing:

 

Quote

“Before coming to Thailand, they [tourists] have to be tested first, and they will be tested again on the last day of the 14-day quarantine. If they want to go out of Phuket, they will be tested again on the 21st day of quarantine,” he explained.

 

I'm guessing, the medical insurance requirement will remain unchanged... but that's just a guess. Nothing in either article on that one way or the other.

 

[sebastion]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I've been suggesting for years that they issue a 6 month visa with a 6 month permit to stay so people can come to Thailand on an extended holiday for the winter.

 

Various laws would need to be changed to do this but if they change them then lots of people would come for longer than the usual 90 day period before they need to leave the country and do a 'visa run' in order to extend their stay for the entire winter.

 

Think of the northern European countries where the winter starts early and ends late, they have plenty of money, 1000's of them own holiday homes here and come every year yet they're still stuck on this 90 day maximum stay nonsense unless they get retirement visas when they're not really retired and living here full time.

 

In Hua Hin and plenty of other places many such people come every year and I've noticed some of them have been cutting trips short to fit inside the 90 day window in recent years, they can't be bothered to 'border run' any more - it's too inconvenient, especially from a place like Hua Hin which doesn't have a nearby border.

 

I would have thought Hua Hin would be the closest city to any border

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, AbeNormal said:

not allowed out of room

 

The Phuket News report says you're wrong about that.

 

Quote

 Tourists will be allowed to go to certain areas around the hotel, but not more than one kilometre, and they must stay in the area for 14 days.

 

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, alyx said:

At least quarantine back home is at home ...not that it changes the length though

No, at home its still in a hotel, at extra cost.

[Mark Nothing]

Just an empty attempt to appear to be doing something to restart tourism.  With all the unpleasant requirements attached only the most dedicated will attempt travel.  But officials now have clean hands.  We "tried".

[alyx]

1 minute ago, Sujo said:

No, at home its still in a hotel, at extra cost.

What do you mean ? 
when one is quarantined in Europe ( at least two countries ) the 14 days or so are done at home. Unless one is a tourist 

[sammieuk1]

Who's going to try it out first? it sure won't be me ???? 

[AbeNormal]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The Phuket News report says you're wrong about that.

 

 

and the locals around the 1km area will all be wearing PPE 

 

yes I can see that working

 

and what about foreigners who live there for years

 

the whole concept is unworkable 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, AbeNormal said:

and the locals around the 1km area will all be wearing PPE 

 

yes I can see that working

 

and what about foreigners who live there for years

 

the whole concept is unworkable 

 

I didn't opine whether their plan is workable or not...

 

I just said, their plan as reported would NOT require the quarantined guests to just stay in their rooms. They'd be able to roam around outside within certain limits.

 

[Albert Zweistein]

8 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

There is so much negativity on TVF that you aren't seeing the big picture. Assuming that this goes ahead, and it likely will, it'll be taken up by thousands and thousands of people. And yes, details will still need to worked out.

 

I can't speak for Phuket, but on Samui there are approximately 10,000 people who spend the winter on the island; they have money and want to come back. On a personal note, I have had approximately 15 friends from the 'Snowbird' group who have already asked me when and how they can return. How many people spend the winter on Phuket in a normal year?

 

if you were in Northern Europe, Russia, Canada, etc, wouldn't you want to spend your winter in Thailand? The land of tropical islands, hot chicks, great food, beaches, etc?

 

Think it through...

 

Barring a massive increase in numbers of virus cases in Thailand, this will go ahead and it is a good thing; thousands and thousands of poor Thai people will get an income, businesses will be saved, and hopefully enough people will be able to generate enough income to see them through until next year when a more proper tourist season can occur.

 

This is a very good thing.

 

 

If you were in Northern Europe, Russia, Canada, etc,  ?wouldn't you want to spend your winter in Thailand?

Ever heard about the Carribbean ?

[CHAZ1]

Ill thought out scheme which will not work.

[Jack Hna]

Be interesting to hear more. Maybe there's a way for amnesty to crash that party from the inside and if there is, that's a big wad of people. What's the Phuket appetite like they could clean up by getting all amnesty people in.