PM in talks to reopen Thailand for foreign tourists

[webfact]

PM in talks to reopen country for foreign tourists

By The Nation

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday he was in talks with state agencies on how to open the country to foreign tourists after the Covid-19 situation improves.

 

Being discussed are the timing for reopening and which provinces will be the first to open for foreign tourists.

 

The first phase may only see a small number of tourists allowed into the country and their areas of possible travel limited, he added.

 

The Thai Hotel Association (THA) recently urged the government to reopen the country to foreigners, as hotels struggle with near-zero occupancy rates and some small operators are forced to close.

 

THA chairwoman Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi said the government should focus on specific countries or cities and come up with promotions to bring back tourists.

 

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said Thailand is focusing on online trade and boosting border trade.

 

The ministry's public-private committee will meet next week to seeks ways to boost exports and border trade volume.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30393571

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-27

 

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[Kadilo]

“THA chairwoman Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi said the government should focus on specific countries or cities and come up with promotions to bring back tourists.” 
 

Ooh hello China fancy a holiday?

[torturedsole]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

The first phase may only see a small number of tourists allowed into the country and their areas of possible travel limited, he added.

To save on RSI then I'll quote my earlier post in another thread.  I'll add tortuous to add some glamour.  

[torturedsole]

1 minute ago, Kadilo said:

Ooh hello China fancy a holiday?

With Pattaya down on its luck then it could be reimagined as the finest wet market outside of Wuhan.  Imagine the draw.

[Kadilo]

Sounds like the same story they churn out day after day. 

[yellowboat]

So I go to Thailand, sit in quarantine?  I have a marvelous time when most places for fun are empty?   Then I return home and sit in quarantine again? 

 

Chickens are coming home to roost on the Thai elite.  Country's with middle classes are bouncing back: China and Vietnam in particular.  So cha cha needs to leave and let somebody with experience with nation building, rather than interrogation, take charge.  The youth of Thailand are demanding it. 

[bodga]

Ive got a  cunning plan, why not just build a  big wall round the airport and  fill it  full of  all u can eat shrimp buffet shops, this way they can invite the controlling masters in without bringing their filthy chinese disease with them.

[2 is 1]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday he was in talks with state agencies on how to open the country to foreign tourists after the Covid-19 situation improves.

Its not going to improve! And here it can't improve (nobody infected over 90 days)! Just open coundry to all who want to be quarantine 14 day's! If you think quarantine not enough why even talk about hole thing! Then there is nothing what you can even dream about! Start normal flight , many company flight here now empty, many empty seat available! Even people who really want be whit they familys , come here and spend your "adore money". You are not going to get normal tourist here until you get off quarantine time!

Edited August 27, 2020 by 2 is 1

[nobodysfriend]

Better do not open now . Virus is still surging and no vaccine ready yet . Bad timing .

[Thailand]

Can't wait for the next dumb solution.

 

Tourists are travelling around Europe etc, sailing on cruise liners with  little or no restrictions, that's how they are getting tourists.

 

Or is there still something the ptb are not telling us?

[american2]

Bending to pressure from the Hotel Lobby is a mistake.  Sure Thailand is finally waking to the fact that foreign tourists are a needed blessing.  The Hotel (those 4-5 star venues) are not the only tourist industries suffering.  The patrons of those hotels are unlikely to give benefit to the small vendors, Guest Houses, roadside restaurants, motorcycle and Tuk Tuk drivers.  I don't want to seem uncaring to these Hotels and their complaint.  I do care if they are the only beneficiaries when the government makes concessions for tourists to return.  Thailand your people need Help

[hotandsticky]

5 hours ago, Kadilo said:

“THA chairwoman Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi said the government should focus on specific countries or cities and come up with promotions to bring back tourists.” 
 

Ooh hello China fancy a holiday?

 

 

Until China comes back................................... no one comes back.

[phantomfiddler]

All this is doing is to make Cambodia, Vietnam, and Philippines more attractive, while Thailand will slide into obscurity as a preferred tourist destination ???? Motto of the day.......If it ain,t broke, don,t fix it !

[DLock]

Cha Cha has to stay involved...but he will stretch it out.

Edited August 27, 2020 by DLock

[ChipButty]

I think it's too late for a lot of small hotels and small resorts I can see just in the area where I live already gone under we had lots of small resorts with 10 to 15 rooms some of them I know have huge rents and were already struggling before covid 19.

One resort I know the landlord wouldn't defer the rent now they have had to close down, Jai Rai

[robertson468]

15 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I think it's too late for a lot of small hotels and small resorts I can see just in the area where I live already gone under we had lots of small resorts with 10 to 15 rooms some of them I know have huge rents and were already struggling before covid 19.

One resort I know the landlord wouldn't defer the rent now they have had to close down, Jai Rai

Sadly, many Thai small business men and women do not understand the principles of business.  If there is low demand (like now) you have to drop your prices to be competitive.  We have dropped our prices by over 60% and are 75% full.  Thailand desperately needs Business Schools located in a variety of Districts so that the local people can learn basic business skills.  Even in the good times, one sees a business open and they pump up the prices, or market products that they like, only to collapse and close shortly after.  No folks, you need to market things that the great public wants.

Edited August 27, 2020 by robertson468

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, yellowboat said:

So I go to Thailand, sit in quarantine?  I have a marvelous time when most places for fun are empty?   Then I return home and sit in quarantine again? 

 

Chickens are coming home to roost on the Thai elite.  Country's with middle classes are bouncing back: China and Vietnam in particular.  So cha cha needs to leave and let somebody with experience with nation building, rather than interrogation, take charge.  The youth of Thailand are demanding it. 

Military academy soldiers running a country? An unelected general sitting around a table with other soldiers making decisions? What a joke.

 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai Hotel Association (THA) recently urged the government to reopen the country to foreigners, as hotels struggle with near-zero occupancy rates and some small operators are forced to close.

Drop your prices to a realistic level and the domestic market would increase.

At the moment 5 million so-called cheap offers are on the table and only 660,000 were booked.. wonder why?

[Bender Rodriguez]

extend the amnesty till march 2021

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, yellowboat said:

So I go to Thailand, sit in quarantine?  I have a marvelous time when most places for fun are empty?   Then I return home and sit in quarantine again? 

 

Chickens are coming home to roost on the Thai elite.  Country's with middle classes are bouncing back: China and Vietnam in particular.  So cha cha needs to leave and let somebody with experience with nation building, rather than interrogation, take charge.  The youth of Thailand are demanding it. 

General Cha cha doing an Elvis impression. listen to the lyrics in the chorus. Sums up the general perfectly. 

 

[hlj]

I agree we Thailand should let all the infected people with virus into Thailand. We have been lucky until this happens, then we Thailand will be like all the other badly infected countries.

[laocowboy2]

3 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

All this is doing is to make Cambodia, Vietnam, and Philippines more attractive, while Thailand will slide into obscurity as a preferred tourist destination ???? Motto of the day.......If it ain,t broke, don,t fix it !

Possibly - but all three of those countries are also currently closed to tourists - and Cambodia for one also has a 14 day quarantine (I have a business need to travel there). Not sure about quarantine requirements for Vietnam and Philippines but pretty sure the latter does enforce some sort of restrictions for returning Filipinos and residents (the only ones allowed in at present).

[2 is 1]

2 hours ago, robertson468 said:

Sadly, many Thai small business men and women do not understand the principles of business.  If there is low demand (like now) you have to drop your prices to be competitive.  We have dropped our prices by over 60% and are 75% full.  Thailand desperately needs Business Schools located in a variety of Districts so that the local people can learn basic business skills.  Even in the good times, one sees a business open and they pump up the prices, or market products that they like, only to collapse and close shortly after.  No folks, you need to market things that the great public wants.

Do you think they never learn?! Even in village life, if somebody start grow something new. Everybody follow next year and f up prices! I have never understand why all need grow same fruit! I just demolish 1100 tree of dragon fruits! (good get 100k bth from pole)!So much disease! Few years back get one cut 5000 bth now if lucky 500-1000 bth! If "nok" not eat rest! Now let soil rest and next year plan something else! Maybe sugar can if promice same price than now! Promice 1050 bth/ton! Ok price even little while ago get almost 1500 bth/ton!

Edited August 27, 2020 by 2 is 1

[ourmanflint]

6 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Better do not open now . Virus is still surging and no vaccine ready yet . Bad timing .

Virus is surging in Europe still, true, but the mortality rate is dropping like a stone. Thailand may have already ridden out this storm and it cannot wait until a vaccine is available 

 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2252699-covid-19-is-becoming-less-deadly-in-europe-but-we-dont-know-why

[HaoleBoy]

2 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

Do you think they never learn?! Even in village life, if somebody start grow something new. Everybody follow next year and f up prices! I have never understand why all need grow same fruit! I just demolish 1100 tree of dragon fruits! (good get 100k bth from pole)!So much disease! Few years back get one cut 5000 bth now if lucky 500-1000 bth! If "nok" not eat rest! Now let soil rest and next year plan something else! Maybe sugar can if promice same price than now! Promice 1050 bth/ton! Ok price even little while ago get almost 1500 bth/ton!

Hold out to grow "medical" marijuana that's coming ???? ... 

[Isaan sailor]

A quick look at today’s currency moves, and you can plainly see who they’re NOT targeting...

[Vicki Coghlan]

All Talk and No Action it would seem.  

Thailand! The land of a NO smiles. If Thailand continues with boycotting Tourists then I will eventually boycott Thailand.  

[alyx]

8 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Better do not open now . Virus is still surging and no vaccine ready yet . Bad timing .

From what I have heard, the idea of a vaccine is inept (trust me I wish they could fin one). Reputable scientist wonder how one can come with a sound vaccine when there is none effective against the flue. 

I do really think that there is no good nor bad timing. Whatever decision made it will impact positively or negatively, health wise or economically wise any country

[Cake Monster]

12 hours ago, torturedsole said:

With Pattaya down on its luck then it could be reimagined as the finest wet market outside of Wuhan.  Imagine the draw.

Where are they going to get any Water for a wet market ?

 

 

[ronaldo0]

As long as they hang on to their 2 week jail term in a hotel of their choice before you can go anywhere then nobody in their right mind will come to Thailand for a holiday ! Only people who will entertain it are those that spend 3 months or longer there and even then the quarantine cost and hassle will put them off .
I know of around 10 people that have left for good after years of living in Thailand and know of about 5 more that want to leave but can’t until they sell their properties . This versus the amount I know wanting to come ( 2 )but won’t until the 2 week forced quarantine in a hotel is stopped . 
After being in Vietnam last year for a holiday it reminded me of what thailand was 10-15 years ago and I’m sure it is now more appealing as a holiday destination and a long term place to stay than Thailand.