Plan on the table to allow Europe’s ‘snowbirds’ into Thailand for up to 9 months

[webfact]

Plan on the table to allow Europe’s ‘snowbirds’ into Thailand for up to 9 months

By The Thaiger

 

 

Another day, another ‘plan’ flown up the pole to see if it will catch some wind. This time a prominent health provider claims the government is developing a new ‘visa’ for sunseekers. If adopted it could allow foreigners to stay in Thailand on a long-stay visa for up to 9 months. Nothing has been finalised as yet but Boon Vanasin, the chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group, says the special visa would help reboot the country’s devastated tourism industry.

 

Although Thailand has allowed domestic travel, and provided stimulus packages to encourage Thais to travel, there is currently no plan in place to allow foreign tourists back into the country.

 

Thonburi Healthcare Group is the country’s third largest private hospital firm, which runs hospitals and retirement homes.

 

In this development of the original “Phuket Plan”, long-term visitors would start their ‘holiday’ with the mandatory 14 day quarantine, plus testing, in Phuket. Then they’d be clear to roam around the island for their third week. After 3 weeks on the island the visitors would be free to travel to other parts of Thailand. Dr Boon says he has “direct knowledge of the government’s plan”. He said members of the government were keen to start the program before the northern winter kicks in.

 

Dr. Boon has good reason to hope the government plan is approved – around 90% of the Thonburi Healthcare Group’s customers before the Covid-19 border closures were international.

 

The ‘longer’ short-term visa would offer a partial lease of life to the country’s tourism and hospitality industries – both almost obliterated after 5 months without any foreign visitors. Thailand, which last year attracted nearly 40 million foreign visits, has attracted zero tourists since the borders were closed in early April. Tourist magnets like Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui have watched their economies almost vanish despite the government’s best efforts to promote domestic tourism.

 

The new plan being studied in Thailand would, in theory, make it possible for millions of ‘snowbirds’ from Europe’s northern climates, who usually spend their winters in warmer Mediterranean and Caribbean climates, to look at “safe” Thailand as an alternative this year.

 

Dr. Boon claimed his company had been contacted by European retirement communities that could realise up to 50,000 seniors heading to Thailand for the coming northern winter. He says the government should target the retirees and high-income earners who could value-add during the visit to the country.

 

“Many seniors don’t want to spend their time in a cold harsh winter. They want tropical weather.”

 

Thai Airways International said it would operate at least two such flights a month starting in late November to connect Phuket with countries including Denmark, Germany and the UK.

 

But it’s unclear if the government either intends to allow so many foreigners into Thailand at this stage, or even if they have the capacity to handle the numbers safely and ensure that registered hotels are able to track the guests. The week the CCSA announced they were considering plans to lift the border gate to allow long-stay visitors and foreigners who own property in Thailand. But they acknowledged that this would only be “hundreds” of people and not solve the country’s tourism woes.

 

More than 6.7 million Europeans visited Thailand in 2019 , contributing some 461 billion baht to the economy. The European contingent made up 17% of Thailand’s total foreign visits and 24% of foreign spending. The expedition to places like Phuket and Koh Samui became a regular ‘winter’ break lasting 2 weeks to several months for the Northern European visitors.

 

 

The Thai PM has acknowledged the parlous situation for the country’s tourism destinations and the millions of people that are not only unemployed but now running out of savings as well. Whilst there appears to be some urgency to officially announce some sort of pilot scheme, no firm details have been announced about any of these travel bubble or limited-access plans.

 

HERE‘s all the latest FAQs about coming back into Thailand.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/plan-on-the-table-to-allow-europes-snowbirds-into-thailand-for-up-to-9-months

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-08-31

 

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[Mung]

There have been so many plans and so many tables, the waters are officially muddied 

[samsensam]

Then they’d be clear to roam around the island for their third week. After 3 weeks on the island the visitors would be free to travel to other parts of Thailand.

 

how are they going to know which tourists are which? which tourists have been in thailand for more than 3 weeks? which foreigners are tourists and which foreigners are long term residents, retirees, employees? will they have police checks all over the country continually stopping and checking foreigners? it's a mad plan.

[RichardColeman]

A simple un-hoopy un-quarantining apart from in my house, inexpensive return to my wife would be a nice plan

[expat1010]

What a joke. Most western tourists and snowbirds are not going to jump thru stupid hoops just to come to Thailand. Sure the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese will but they are very close by. The westerners will just go somewhere else that is easier and warm; Columbia, Panama, Bahamas, Dominican, Cuba, Red Sea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cabo etc.. There are lots of warm places with beaches as nice or nicer than Thailand. I suspect many will just stay home and tough it out this winter until a vaccine becomes available.

Edited August 30, 2020 by expat1010

[Justgrazing]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Many seniors don’t want to spend their time in a cold harsh winter. They want tropical weather.”

but what they don't want is treating like they are some sort of diseased dog kept in a quarantine kennel .. 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Justgrazing
Sp

[edwardandtubs]

Great idea - kick out the current long-stay tourists and replace them with others. Does that mean as I'm in Thailand now I could do a visa run to London and fly back to Thailand straight into quarantine?

[Kadilo]

11 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

but what they don't want is treating like they are some sort of diseased dog in a quarantine kennel .. 

Spot on. It’s not exactly a welcoming party is it?

 

A prisoner for 2 weeks stuck in a hotel, let out for a weeks Parole all at your expense, not forgetting the testing. Then you can (Hopefully) finally make it to your destination. 
 

There’s the best part of a month gone of your summer break and a large chunk of cash. 
 

Will people suffer it? Maybe some who are desperate to see their separated families but I can’t see the uptake of people just looking to escape the winter months back home for a bit of sun. 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Kadilo

[Krungbin]

Nobody will be interested as long as a quarantine is imposed on arrival. As easy as that...

[thaitero]

Quote

CCSA announced they were considering plans to lift the border gate to allow long-stay visitors and foreigners who own property in Thailand

So is there any link to this "owning a property" plan ? 

So many plans,,,I think i missed that one but if true that maby one for me,,

[ukrules]

Finally something I agree with and have been suggesting over the years.

 

Will it be approved by the central government? That's anyones guess.

 

The Chinese are locked away in China with quarantines on the way back in. Aus and NZ have travel restrictions I believe - they're not allowed to leave which is nuts!

 

Their only hope is the holiday home owning Europeans who come every year, I wonder if they will bother coming or just wait until next year?

 

Staying put / doing nothing is often the best thing to do in a crisis, especially if you're on home ground.

Edited August 30, 2020 by ukrules

[meechai]

Dream on
Dream on
Dream on
Dream until your dreams come true ????

Edited August 30, 2020 by meechai

[ezzra]

You go tell a real snowbird she's going to get locked up for some weeks, jebbed and tested for a virus and "holiday" under a prison like condition, i think they'd rather stay with the snow then jump though hoops for such a "bargain holiday"...

 

Beneath its snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring

When I was young, my heart was young, then too
And anything that it would tell me, that's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life's the thing that I can't win

Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could, you know that I would fly away with you

The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break my heart again should I decide to stay
So, little snowbird, take me with…

Anne Murray

Edited August 30, 2020 by ezzra

[Grumpy John]

So, someone asked Prayut what was plan "Z"....to which he replied 'Use an alpha character with a number added'!  

[bkk6060]

I know several guys keeping contact who would be willing to do the 2 weeks or 3 of quarantine as they usually stay here for 6 months.  But, they have some money. Those who cannot afford it or in some way have being controlled issues, will probably have to stay home.

[scubascuba3]

The thing is, many snowbirds have a retirement extension

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

Then they’d be clear to roam around the island for their third week. After 3 weeks on the island the visitors would be free to travel to other parts of Thailand.

 

how are they going to know which tourists are which? which tourists have been in thailand for more than 3 weeks? which foreigners are tourists and which foreigners are long term residents, retirees, employees? will they have police checks all over the country continually stopping and checking foreigners? it's a mad plan.

 

No problem, it was done in the 60's very successfully.

 

The Thai authorities have recently seen the newsreel of how it was achieved.

 

Everyone gets a number:

 

And is monitored from here:

 

Anyone not eligible to leave, but trying to, will be rounded up and returned by one of these:

 

Same bloke who sold them the bomb detectors managed to source the technology for them.

 

They've handed over the money and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their latest toys.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Enoon

[Blumpie]

All over the news here today is alerts for flights with COVID positive cases and mass quarantines for thos

 

 

I mean really, these guys are trying, just trying to tourism alive.  Yes       dream on

[Destiny1990]

These plans about an easy simple longterm visa if we own a property here and the 9 months straight forward  sunseeker visa are very good initiatives but such visas should have been launched 6 years ago. Now there is corona so nobody is interested anymore..???? 

[cardinalblue]

New simple plan - keep them out as currently or resume normal operating procedure...

 

Enough of this BS planning...start with 3 week quarantine in Phuket and then only allow up to 9 months yet paying for a one year visa? 

 

tell me again why tourists are dying to come to thailand rather Vietnam or Indonesia?

[FarFlungFalang]

2 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Spot on. It’s not exactly a welcoming party is it?

 

A prisoner for 2 weeks stuck in a hotel, let out for a weeks Parole all at your expense, not forgetting the testing. Then you can (Hopefully) finally make it to your destination. 
 

There’s the best part of a month gone of your summer break and a large chunk of cash. 
 

Will people suffer it? Maybe some who are desperate to see their separated families but I can’t see the uptake of people just looking to escape the winter months back home for a bit of sun. 

 

 

At least this island only has a 2 week sentence the island in this story has an indefinite sentence.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-31/coronavirus-covid-outbound-international-travel-ban-morrison/12605404

[heybuz]

All these plans are basically the same plan. 55

[steve187]

2 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

but what they don't want is treating like they are some sort of diseased dog kept in a quarantine kennel .. 

but coming from a high risk country, you are like a diseased animal, if you must travel then expect some restrictions

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Great idea - kick out the current long-stay tourists and replace them with others. Does that mean as I'm in Thailand now I could do a visa run to London and fly back to Thailand straight into quarantine?

get a long term visa, no need for border runs then, i think the days of repeated border runs to stay long term in Thailand are numbered, plenty of options for long term visas for people that are allowed.

[josephbloggs]

25 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

tell me again why tourists are dying to come to thailand rather Vietnam or Indonesia?

Seeing as neither Vietnam nor Indonesia are allowing visitors (Indonesia already said they won't open up this year) tell me again how tourists would even go there?

[yellowboat]

We love you.  We hate you.  We need you.  We don't need you.  Thai immigration is a business run by morons, and it is really showing that now.   They discouraged frequent visitation to the country, which was / is something the last coup leader, the Shinawartas, Vietnam and Malaysia didn't or don't do.   

 

I was crossing a land border a few years ago, and the immigration officer tried to sell me a visa I didn't need.  With Malaysia and Vietnam, why is Thailand even relevant anymore?

Edited August 31, 2020 by yellowboat

[american2]

Thailand does like to label people.  Why only Europeans?  Why only the aged.  I think you could fnd a fair number of Canadians and a sprinkling of Americans that are Snowbirds.  Many tourists from all groups/nations are not retired and would enjoy a visa allowing them to stay for longer periods during their countries cold weather.  What requirements would these visa's have regarding insurance and discretionary income.  Maybe it would be agreeable enough that I and others might change their O or OA visa's.  Open the door, see what happens.

[bestie]

I really don't get it. People have to leave Thailand because of their Visa situation, even if they want to stay as long as possible and on they other side they looking now for those people, who want to stay as long as possible. It burns my mind. Many already left and made other plans of course some will coming back, but I still don't get it.

[alex8912]

3 hours ago, expat1010 said:

What a joke. Most western tourists and snowbirds are not going to jump thru stupid hoops just to come to Thailand. Sure the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese will but they are very close by. The westerners will just go somewhere else that is easier and warm; Columbia, Panama, Bahamas, Dominican, Cuba, Red Sea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cabo etc.. There are lots of warm places with beaches as nice or nicer than Thailand. I suspect many will just stay home and tough it out this winter until a vaccine becomes available.

I think you are wrong about Japanese and Koreans coming and doing 14 days plus 7 days. NO WAY!! Even if they are “ snowbirds “ which I highly doubt. On another note. If you have to do 14 days plus 7 why does it matter if you are coming from Brasil or USA or Canada or wherever??  Makes no sense.

[Poet]

Only those separated from a loved one will consider 3 weeks in Phuket quarantine.

Even among those, many will not be able to afford it, on top of the other requirements and presumably more expensive airfares.

This snowbird plans indicates that some realization of this is emerging among the Thai. Clearly, 3 weeks of quarantine is easier to swallow if your entire trip will be half a year or more, but it will still be a deal-breaker for most.

Realistically, though, nothing approaching mass tourism will return unless an effective vaccine arrives (highly unlikely) or Thailand decides to properly isolate the vulnerable and open the doors wide.

Whatever happens, the industry will struggle for the next few years. To minimize the damage, they need to:

1. Add an automatic six-month extension to all foreigners currently in Thailand. They represent no additional biological risk and will continue spending money, filling the gap left by missing tourists.

2. Return to the pre-coup Tourist Visa system that encouraged longer stays.

3. Introduce 6-month and 12-month Remote Worker visas, as Georgia and The Bahamas are doing.

4. As many universities around the world will be conducting this year's classes online, introduce 6-month and 12-month Remote Student visas.

5. Remove the recent restrictions on Education Visas, helping that Thai industry to recover too.

6. Introduce 6-month and 12-month versions of the Elite visa.

7. Reduce the retirement age to 40, as it is in the Philippines.

8. Replace all Immigration Officers with soapy girls.

 

I have said for years that Thailand could be making a lot more money if the government could get over its borderline-retarded understanding of business and obsession with becoming a five-star destination, something it will simply never be. Thailand is a compromise, one that many of us have been happy to make over the years, but it isn't that amazing, there are limits to how many hoops most people will jump through to come here.

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by Poet

[american2]

New simple plan - keep them out as currently or resume normal operating procedure...

 

Enough of this BS planning...start with 3 week quarantine in Phuket and then only allow up to 9 months yet paying for a one year visa? 

 

tell me again why tourists are dying to come to thailand rather Vietnam or Indonesia?

 

Costa Rica, Belize and Panama are decent options.  Friendly people, English is common  and visa requirements not restrictive.  South America also decent options