Its a good idea for the tourist industry, but it stops there. There is so many chances of getting sick traveling to and from. Some of the tourists would arrive or become active spreaders inside the bubble. There is a significant chance you would get sick needing weeks of extensive hospital treatment. This is Thailand, someone have to pay, and good luck finding an insurance company willing to touch the 10+ hour plane trip and stay inside the "bubble".

15 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Nice angle in the photo. When you actually walk on Chaweng that way, on your left side would be one concrete abomination after the other. That in a country where bamboo is everywhere. Fugly.

Perhaps because it's not Chaweng Beach, the photo is Lamai Beach...????

14 hours ago, Swimfan said:

Just call up and have a scooter delivered. Bam and off you go. 

That's probably why the primeminister wants all tourists to wear wristband with GPS...????

–or was it an armband...????

Wristbands, CCTV, they really know how to excite prospective tourists!

 

Seriously, isn't it enough that foreign tourists have to quarantine for two weeks and undergo 2-3 tests? Shouldn't they then be considered "safe" and free to roam the country without silly surveillance measures?

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Unfortunately the only tourists they are wanting are the Chinese ....!!

Not really on Samui, only 15 percent – but other Thai destinations have around 40 percent Chinese guests plus further Asian tourists, for example an additional 10 percent from India – Samui however has 10 percent Germans and 10 percent Brits as 2nd and 3rd in Top-3 (2018 stats), still a lot of Westerners here...????

Look at that lovley  beach

Soon to  be  covered  again in filth  and Chinese

Or is  that  Chinese  and filth?

Good Luck  Thailand

Any idea on the price of the quarantine packages on Samui vs those offered in Bangkok hotels?

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Also, he said, tourists’ movements will be monitored by the more than 1,000 CCTV cameras installed around the island.

Why is it that Thais think that international tourists are interested in vacationing in a panopticon like prisoners in a penitentiary?

Thai Resorts Of The Future

1 minute ago, connda said:

Why is it that Thais think that international tourists are interested in vacationing in a panopticon like prisoners in a penitentiary?

Thai Resorts Of The Future

Well, who knows.  Perhaps if you live in a totalitarian country than a vacation like this would feel 'homey' and comfortable.
So Chinese and Australians should be beating down the door soon to book their Panopticon Vacation Package.


 

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Samui desperately needs the help. Was recently there. More than 80% of the hotels were closed. 

 

Thailand needs courageous leadership. They don't have it. The army are major cowards. ANY person from ANY nation should be welcome starting tomorrow, if they are willing to subject themselves to a 14 day quarantine and pay excessive fees for that two week sentence. There is no downside or risk, and only upside for the nation. No begging from a local consulate should be required. That is utter nonsense. A covid free letter and a booking at an approved hotel. Nothing else. No insurance. No groveling. 

Correct. They were pushing foreigners out before COVID. And now as all Thais with half a brain know. Are using this a excuse to keep white tourists out. This old folks home gov simply doesn't care about tourism. It's all a stage act. Thai people need a election and fast. They need to go.

They are expecting to pass the grade? 55

 

ive seen the state of some of them already on the list so I don’t think these new ones will have anything to worry about! I’ve been in Prisons nicer than these!

1 minute ago, Jackcwba said:

I’ve been in Prisons nicer than these!

 

Visitor or resident?   ????

They could always tunnel their way out.
Anyway - if a quarantine victim escapes he won't get caught if he changes his shirt - farang facial recognition is not a strong point.

For generations, Thailand has been suspicious of foreigners and kept them at a distance. They know little or nothing of the world outside. Their proud national boast is that they've never been conquered or invaded (not true anyway!). They have  raised and educated their people to genuinely think that Thailand is the best nation in the world - the kids chant it in school every morning. And the Thai policy-makers really believe this.

I never thought I'd see the day when they finally had to get involved with the big world outside, and began to realise the truth - but Covid might just do the trick.

 

Thailand is not the best nation in the world, with lines of farangs queued up waiting to pay a fortune to get in. And the Thailand administration are about to find this out.

22 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

At least the tourists are going to get some really nice tan lines ...

 

I didn't realize that the 'Watchman had such delicate hands......????

20 minutes ago, robsamui said:

Thailand is not the best nation in the world, with lines of farangs queued up waiting to pay a fortune to get in. And the Thailand administration are about to find this out.

I honestly think that they – the Thais and their government – prefer Asians in the queue-line, they spend more money a day than farangs...????
Fact: The first STV-arrival is a private jet from China, according to the news...????

 

Edit: But otherwise I agree with your point-of-view...????

17 hours ago, bodga said:

jesus h christ!!!!!!!!!

No. He has no work permit. Somchai is the CCTV repairman and reports that 80 percent are not working.

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

Perhaps because it's not Chaweng Beach, the photo is Lamai Beach...????

Ah. I never did go on Lamai beach. Couldn't find a break between the concrete buildings to go through from.

thailand, the new timeshare SCAM, every year, you do 14 days lockup

2 hours ago, connda said:

Why is it that Thais think that international tourists are interested in vacationing in a panopticon like prisoners in a penitentiary?

Thai Resorts Of The Future

low IQ. haha 

23 hours ago, webfact said:

23 hotels will pass the grade and some 200 tourists will visit Koh Samui initially. 

allowing for couples, that's every large hotel having maybe 6 rooms occupied, whilst probably having to ban all other tourists for fear of contamination ! Hardly a boom and hardly likely to boost any economy !

Actually if those foreigners had more responsible governments able to handle the covid19 in their home countries it would not be an issue when they come to visit Thailand. 

 

Everybody is blaming the government in Thailand but they are protecting their population....that s it.

 

We look forward to see the same management in Europe, USA and others fully infected countries, in doing so the disease could have disappeared within a matter of very few months.

 

The headache for the Thai government is not yet finished, unfortunately they are not in a position to solve the anarchic situations of those foreign countries . 

 

I guess you have to start somewhere, but let's keep this in proportion. Together they are proposing 1000 rooms, so let's say 2000 - 2500 guests. During peak season, Samui usually supports around 60,000 tourists / week, so 2000 are not going to make much difference. 

If they are also to be restricted to their hotels, none of the auxiliary services will benefit. Massage shops, Tattoo Parlors, Independent restaurants and bars, tour operators to other islands, fishing and diving trips .... just 23 big hotels. 

Hardly going to save what is a dying island. 

17 hours ago, claffey said:

Do they actually believe that Tourists are waiting in airport lounges around the world to go on holidays to Thailand! The arrogance is unreal! Nobody in the right mind would be travelling across the world right now...for a holiday. Or would they????

Yes people are going on holiday however I can not see many normal or infact any sane person who will pay vast sums of their holiday money to be incarcerated for 2 weeks where a GPS police style bracelet and now have there every move caught on camera..... Madness

15 minutes ago, David Garden said:

Actually if those foreigners had more responsible governments able to handle the covid19 in their home countries it would not be an issue when they come to visit Thailand.

And it would be pretty easy too. Simply stop testing.

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

There are 'tourists' who live overseas who have property on the island. They usually come here for 3 to 6 months every year.

They will consider any offer that allows them to come to their second home. They will happily pay to stay in a resort for two weeks.

Same for Phuket.

If I was a "tourist" who lived overseas and had property on the island, I would want to stay in that property (which I would presumably own and call it my second home) so I would not "happily pay to stay in a resort for 2 weeks" (which would not be my second home - more like an enforced transit camp!) 

 

The logical way to approach this problem would be to let these well heeled "tourists" serve their quarantine in their own property on the island. I doubt very much that they would want to escape "get away" anyway!

18 hours ago, claffey said:

Do they actually believe that Tourists are waiting in airport lounges around the world to go on holidays to Thailand! The arrogance is unreal! Nobody in the right mind would be travelling across the world right now...for a holiday. Or would they????

Yes they do and here lies the problem they actually belive people still want to come to thailand 

RE - Also, he said, tourists’ movements will be monitored by the more than 1,000 CCTV cameras installed around the island. 

 

* We may assume that they are all installed with the well known 2-step distribution sensor:

 

(1) Incidents involving poor farangs - cameras working,

(2) Incidents involving rich farangs, lokal mafia, thai hotshots and big shots - cameras not working ....

19 hours ago, bodga said:

jesus h christ!!!!!!!!!

100 of the cams might even be working ...

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

There are 'tourists' who live overseas who have property on the island. They usually come here for 3 to 6 months every year.

They will consider any offer that allows them to come to their second home. They will happily pay to stay in a resort for two weeks.

Same for Phuket.

I know more than one well off family which have a second home in Phuket, and are waiting eagerly for months to return, but they plainly refuse to pay for a 2 week prison sentence.

 

They rather stay in their current less favourable location, where they have to pay monthly rent, but at least they have freedom of movement