Tourists on the new Special Tourist Visa will have to arrive on charter flights

[Trujillo]

Who takes 90-day holidays? Or 270-day holidays? 

[VBF]

6 hours ago, Chivas said:

What a load of bollacks.....

Oh now come on Chivas.......don't hold back....say what you really think! ????

[VBF]

Just now, Trujillo said:

Who takes 90-day holidays? Or 270-day holidays? 

Well actually, I and many other people who've retired do - most UK winters.

However, perhaps your question might be "Who wants to be told to take 90-day holidays with no option?"

[kingofthemountain]

3 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Charter flights? What air line is going to fly special flights for 100 people?

Thai airways is so desperate at the moment that i am sure

they will be more than happy to fly special flights even for 10 people

[spidermike007]

More dreaming, by folks with their heads in the clouds, who harbor a terrific misunderstand of the level of desirability their nation has to the world. 

 

Thailand is basically finished in terms of tourism. Done. Toast. The longer they wait, and the more ridiculous the requirements become, the more the planet will shun Thailand. 

 

There is one very important lesson these airheads need to comprehend. Thailand needs international tourism twenty times more, than the tourists around the world need Thailand! 

 

More hotels and tourism related businesses are collapsing daily. This will continue. The crisis has barely begun. And they will finally figure this out at some point in the future. And it will likely be way too late.

 

Why aren't they coming back? Don't they realize we are #1? Don't they realize we are the center of the universe? What happened? 

[VBF]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Good point. Maybe time for a poll to see which members are genuine, wannabe 90-day tourists and which ones are simply spinning their wheels online while their washing machine goes through the final rinse cycle.

Might one point out that this forum is NOT solely for the benefit of Expats in Thailand.

It is also of great use to those of US who are frequent visitors to the country, looking to have the freedoms to stay for 30, 60, 90, whatever days and travel as we always have in the past. This "Special TV" with all its onerous conditions is of almost zero use to us.

[VBF]

4 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Its a start at least. From small acorns.....

 

I see it as just a toe in the water to get ready for more easing, little steps. By Jan things will be easing

would be great if you and @Poet were right on that. We live in hope......

[terryofcrete]

Mischief ! Thou art afoot methinks ...money is changing hands already . There is a pie here to be sliced.

 

[sandyf]

21 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Charter flights? What air line is going to fly special flights for 100 people?

An airline will receive the same revenue from a charter flight whether it is empty or full. The institution that charters the aircraft will foot the bill and depending on the circumstances try and recover the outlay.

Recently many governments using charter flights have not attempted to recover the outlay and provided free repatriation flights.

[MRToMRT]

26 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Charter flights? What air line is going to fly special flights for 100 people?

Thai. It will be an extension of the repatriation flights. Everyone in together. 

[paahlman]

6 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

It could be more if there were more ASQ hotels. For some reason it is hard to get approved, particularly in Phuket. It should not be that hard, particularly in hotels with open air stairs.

You guys are missing something... If you have a rental its sufficient.. Or have a lease contract somewhere.... A hotel is not enough, but a rental seems to be. Which is good for villa renters I would guess. At least they say" asq hotels OR lease, rental contract, condo ownership or house papers like the housebook or/and title deed."

 

So seems to be not impossible not to stay in a hotel designated by the gov.

[LivinLOS]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

No they will more than likely be chatered Thai airways specific flights, get ready to pay some money its the only way the 14,400 estimated for the year will spend what TAT estimated at 12.3 billion Baht. Does not take much of an immagination.

And 1200 people from all around the globe, how do they consolidate that into viable flights.. 

 

Currently schedule flights, including a daily from Ethiad, are bringing in COE applicants, makes no sense to interrupt or complicate that working solution. 

I suspect it was merely terminal 'need to have something to say' -ism. 

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

Surely most airlines flying into Thailand (I understand some European ones as well as Emirates will have flights to Bangkok) can bring in tourists, even if they are only in transit. Am I wrong?

I landed at BKK a couple of weeks ago from Krabi and shortly after both an Emirates and Qatar flights landed from Samui.

I saw the passengers disembark and the amount of luggage would indicate they were unlikely to be domestic travelers. Possibly repat flights.

Saw several middle east and european aircraft at the international gates as we taxied in.

[Elkski]

40 people a day?  Even if on one charter from somewhere that is going to be a costly flight ticket.   Or is this a polite way to say those with private jets or chartered small jets same as they once mentioned.  

Why  the must stay 90 days?  How is  that enforced?   I call BS.   This is just to let a few rich buddies a visit

 

[Jackcwba]

They don’t like giving out tourist 60 days out at the best of times because they think your working illegally so you can imagine the hassle they will give you when you come here for 270 days 

[Mywayboy]

8 hours ago, DLock said:

 

I missed that "minimum" of 90 days.

 

And now another gem of :

 

 

....ha ha ha...so Thai Airlines misses out on even these well - healed  1,200 tourists.

 

Well thought through Cha Cha.

Not going to work this one

[digger70]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

T

8 hours ago, webfact said:

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, said that the move was an important first step to reopen the country to tourism.

Tourists on the new Special Tourist Visa will have to arrive on charter flights

First Step , in Quicksand    Going Nowhere in a hurry.

[DrTuner]

The committee fees for these harebrained ideas are probably 100x of what those 1200 (that will never arrive) would ever bring in. 

 

Just forget about it. Either open or stay closed, the Thai "solutions" are useless.

[DrTuner]

But have to give them credit though, finally they are targetting quality tourists.

 

Those with their own Gulfstream jet. Bill Gates will no doubt be rushing in to spend two weeks in appointed jail cell, just to see those marvellous hanging wires again.

Edited September 17, 2020 by DrTuner

[Skeptic7]

8 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Three words come to mind: ill-conceived, convoluted, unworkable

From these 3 words, 1 word comes to mind: THAILAND. 

[Blumpie]

It's actual comedy reading this daily bile.  

Good they have so few tourists coming in - that's who's coming too.  Very very few.

Bring heaps of cash.  This charter flight will be expensive too.

[Clarkey611]

Ring up the till Moriarty!

[uncle_tom]

The Thai government is still far detached from reality..

 

For years, largely due to the government paying homage to the vision of the late King, who wanted Thailand to exist without dependency on overseas nations; the importance of tourism to the Thai economy has been massively understated.

 

With the exception of some small island states, I can't identify any nation on the planet more economically reliant on tourism than the LoS.

 

The UK, for whom tourist spending is very much a sideshow to the economy, nevertheless attributes 10% of GDP to that sector. In Thailand, it is probably safe to estimate that tourism is several times as important, yet officially it is only listed as 9% GDP - allegedly less in percentage terms than the UK, and in cash terms, a whopping seven fold less.

 

At a pinch I could accept that the cash value of UK tourism might be marginally greater than Thailand's, but it is clear to me that tourism, and the trickle down from tourism, is probably closer to 40% of Thai GDP rather than 9%.

 

So the key question now, is when will the impact of this really hit home, and kick the Thai government out of it's complacency..?

Edited September 17, 2020 by uncle_tom

[sambum]

4 hours ago, DLock said:

 

I missed that "minimum" of 90 days.

 

And now another gem of :

 

 

....ha ha ha...so Thai Airlines misses out on even these well - healed  1,200 tourists.

 

Well thought through Cha Cha.

"well - healed"? Is that a deliberate typo? (implying that these 1200 have recovered from any "illness" they may have had)

[BadSpottedDog]

There may be a few people who will consider this a viable option. But it's not going to be nearly enough to get any kind of economy going. 
While Thailand did well as far as COVID numbers, staying shut down forever, will never allow citizens and expats to develop a 'herd immunity'. As for a vaccine .... a western vaccine trial was shut down because of adverse reactions, including paralysis (which will most likely be common).

 

The only way out of this is to treat the sick with the available & successful therapies, and open up. The consequences of continuing this isolation will be more devastating than if Thailand stops making it either impossible or unaffordable to enter.

Additionally, there are many WORKING foreigners living here, who need to go out of the country for visa! These people contribute to the economy and are a lifeline for the country suffering from lack of tourism, even though they are not wealthy. Why are they not considered? Thai govt is not considering all the foreigners who call Thailand home.

Edited September 17, 2020 by BadSpottedDog
additions

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Don't forget the 18,000 baht for the three Ovid-19 tests at the customers expense.

Is that what these test really costs? What is the mark up, about 99%? Another excuse to increase Cha Cha and his Generals billions fortune.

[vermin on arrival]

1 hour ago, paahlman said:

You guys are missing something... If you have a rental its sufficient.. Or have a lease contract somewhere.... A hotel is not enough, but a rental seems to be. Which is good for villa renters I would guess. At least they say" asq hotels OR lease, rental contract, condo ownership or house papers like the housebook or/and title deed."

 

So seems to be not impossible not to stay in a hotel designated by the gov.

No you most definitely will not be allowed to quarantine at your private residence. You most go through ASQ. The rental or ownership agreement will make it possible for you to apply for the visa.

[raccos21]

Superb! I am eagerly waiting to see how this is going to work and what their next strategies is going to be. In the past few months they came up with many policies and strategies but none of them seemed to work according to their expectations because most people realize that these all are just rip-off.
Instead they should extend tourists’ visa for those who are stranded here — so at least they still can make money from them — rather than chasing them away.

Good luck!

[Naamblar2014]

I'll be flying in on my private charterGulfstream G650ER. Then I'll travel to quarantine in my Bugatti Veyron. Oh wait, I think I'll just go somewhere better.

[shackleton]

Why bother talking about this type of Tourist coming its not going to happen pie in the sky

Only people who would resort to this would those trying to get back in 

Ie those who have a place here or family