STV not available to UK travellers - only ‘low risk’ countries able to apply

 

File photo: REUTERS

 

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the new Special Tourist visa will only be available to tourists from countries deemed to be at ‘low risk’ from COVID-19.

 

The Thai authorities are yet to clarify exactly which countries are ‘low risk’.

 

However, correspondence shared by popular blogger Richard Barrow suggests it does not include the United Kingdom. 

 

On Saturday, Richard shared a screenshot of an email where a British applicant of the STV was told that the new visa is not available to travellers from the UK.

 

 

The special tourist visa (STV), which is now being delayed again, is not an open invitation for all foreigners to come to #Thailand. They will only accept applicants who come from low risk countries. This Brit was told by the Thai Embassy in London that he couldn’t apply. pic.twitter.com/FQvNnUt3Ea

— Richard Barrow in Thailand ???????????????? (@RichardBarrow) October 3, 2020

 

While the STV may not be currently available to British nationals, Thai media reported over the weeked that there has been lots of interest in the new visa from elsewhere.

 

Bangkok Business News quoted the deputy spokesman of the Thai foreign ministry as saying that there was huge interest at embassies and consulates around the world in the much hyped Special Tourist Visa. 

 

But they gave no details as to the actual level of that interest.

 

The visa has been promoted as a long stay option for visitors to Thailand now that the country is beginning to open again post-pandemic. 

 

Tourists must have certificates to show they are Covid-19 free before they travel and must pay for one of two types of state quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.

 

In addition, after this they must show payment for hotels or proof of condominium or other property ownership if that is where they are staying.

 

They must also have local accident and health insurance to the tune of 400,000 baht inpatient and 40,000 baht outpatient.

 

And a policy for Covid-19 insurance in the sum of at least $US 100,000. 

 

Despite all this paperwork spokesman Natthaphanu Noppakhun said interest worldwide was rife. 

 

The first group of foreign tourists are due to arrive in Thailand using the STV later this week.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-10-05

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Thai authorities are yet to clarify exactly which countries are ‘low risk’.

Still have to do 14d quaranten, so why does it matter where you're from? 

Tonga and Vanatu are definitely low risk countries. But I doubt, they want to swap their beaches with those in Thailand.

Bloody funny... dream on... 

My Thai friend said " Brits are cheap gits" only spend money on booze. Luckily I am a dual national, will use my low risk residency which is in ???????????????? 4got

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by mickymouse1

28 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Still have to do 14d quaranten, so why does it matter where you're from? 

Yeah and all have less than 3 days old covid test + 100k $ insurance! And fit to flight paper!

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by 2 is 1

30 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Still have to do 14d quaranten, so why does it matter where you're from? 

Because the STV and it's choice of the countries eligible are purely political.

 

The scheme was created to make the people believe that the government does something to rescue the tourism industry, while their agenda is more the opposite. It's about willingly ruining the industry for making it a bargain for Chinese investers. So, of course, it's the Chinese who are allowed to come firstly.

 

Also note that it is well known that there is always a lot of symbolism involved in the politics of China, and the Thai government follows the wishes of it's friends.

 

Back in March China praised it's Thai friends for beeing the last who did not blame China on the crisis and who kept the borders still open for Chinese tourists. And today, you can be sure that China told Thailand not to open the borders for anyone until the first Chinese will come. So, because of this symbolism, China told Thailand to let nobody in before the first tourists (or investors) from China are ready to come. 

 

Also, it's quite clear that these Chinese who come are hardly real tourists. No normal Chinese tourist could effort the time and cost of the scheme. They are long stay investors, and they will stay a very long time.

 

As I wrote in another post, still the list of countries eligble obviously is:

 

1. China

2. n/a

 

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by Flying Saucage

This Barrow post has caused a mass of idiotic replies in Facebook. My understanding is the "visa" is not available to anyone applying directly through ANY embassy as of yet. Applicants have to be pre-cleared through MFA by a tour company only.

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

STV not available to UK travellers

C'mon! Why should Xi allow Thailand to let in tourists from the UK so quickly, after the British government so naughtily complained about what China is doing right now in Hongkong? 

 

Xi is very sensitive guy, and now surely he is quite sulky 

36 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

This Barrow post has caused a mass of idiotic replies in Facebook. My understanding is the "visa" is not available to anyone applying directly through ANY embassy as of yet. Applicants have to be pre-cleared through MFA by a tour company only.

He's always stirring things up. 

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by Kaopad999

Doesn’t matter what they say very few tourists if any are going to come to Thailand due to the strict regulations . As for these Chinese who are coming in over the next 48 hours they are not tourists they are business people who have no doubt been given every available hospitality available in order to pass them off as some sort of tourist . Have these ministers never heard of the well known phrase  “ Pigs Can Fly “ if not maybe if they look at the picture it will help them to understand 

7 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

He's always stirring things up. 

I agree. And I don't know why he does it. The idiotic vitriolic replies that his "friends" make his threads make, make ThaiVisa threads look like tea with the vicar on a Sunday afternoon.

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by MRToMRT

No guilo allowed... ????

It's OK, Britain will be one of the first countries whose over 50's population will receive a Covid vaccine. We will be fine

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Still have to do 14d quaranten, so why does it matter where you're from? 

Agree, it doesn't make a lot of sense and expect they're appeasing the overwhelming number of Thais (plus a lot of farang) who aren't keen on the borders reopening.

Also can see Thailand going without quarantine for safe countries before year end, as others have already done.

In Japan, South Korea, Australia, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, the chances of someone having Covid-19 would now be less than one in 30,000 compared to about around one in 1,000 in Europe and US (Germany and Canada are one in 4,000 and the Nordics would be even less). Vietnam one in a mill and China one in 8 mill.

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Still have to do 14d quaranten, so why does it matter where you're from? 

just guessing but lets say they take in 10K tourists from high risk countries and 30% test positive..

 

this happens daily until all quarantine hospital beds are full (because they cannot clear to fly back)

 

now lets say they take in 10K patients from low risk countries and 0.05% test positive

 

the latter would be a far more sustainable model

 

or its a a big conspiracy to allow china to cheaply buy up thailand!

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by GeorgeCross

28 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

He's always stirring things up. 

What utter nonsense. He is merely reporting on things. Not his fault if idiots do not fully read posts before replying with rubbish statements, like yours for example.

I do believe the Chinese vultures will be the first to arrive as the tourist industry crumbles into dust.  They fully plan to have a part of china's  population live here someday.  

They must also have local accident and health insurance to the tune of 400,000 baht inpatient and 40,000 baht outpatient.

 

And a policy for Covid-19 insurance in the sum of at least $US 100,000.

_______________________________________

 

So all these 100+ Chinese arriving on an AirAsia charter flight on Thursday will be able to produce the above?

"Despite all this paperwork spokesman Natthaphanu Noppakhun said interest worldwide was rife"....

.oh my word! a Thai spokesman uses words like'Rife'!!!!......or was it rooof wrooof!????????!

1 hour ago, Flying Saucage said:

Because the STV and it's choice of the countries eligible are purely political.

 

The scheme was created to make the people believe that the government does something to rescue the tourism industry, while their agenda is more the opposite. It's about willingly ruining the industry for making it a bargain for Chinese investers. So, of course, it's the Chinese who are allowed to come firstly.

 

Also note that it is well known that there is always a lot of symbolism involved in the politics of China, and the Thai government follows the wishes of it's friends.

 

Back in March China praised it's Thai friends for beeing the last who did not blame China on the crisis and who kept the borders still open for Chinese tourists. And today, you can be sure that China told Thailand not to open the borders for anyone until the first Chinese will come. So, because of this symbolism, China told Thailand to let nobody in before the first tourists (or investors) from China are ready to come. 

 

Also, it's quite clear that these Chinese who come are hardly real tourists. No normal Chinese tourist could effort the time and cost of the scheme. They are long stay investors, and they will stay a very long time.

 

As I wrote in another post, still the list of countries eligble obviously is:

 

1. China

2. n/a

 

 What a stupid post. Many Scandinavians are using this visa and its not just for Chinese

36 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I agree. And I don't know why he does it. The idiotic vitriolic replies that his "friends" make his threads make, make ThaiVisa threads look like tea with the vicar on a Sunday afternoon.

make make make make make make . . . and so on  ??? 

I don't get it. Thais fly in from all over the world. No test at point of departure required. Significant proportion test positive either on arrival or later on in quarantine.

 

So, many coming from high risk countries. What the hell is the difference? Foreigners come with a full set of docs showing they are Covid free, have insurance, expensive hotel booked, somewhere to stay thereafter, and have legitimate reason to enter thailand. Who do you think is a safer bet to arrive Covid free and remain so throughout quarantine? Unless of course the unfortunate foreigner catches it off an infected Thai.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

But they gave no details as to the actual level of that interest.

Because whatever they say is b/s that's why

21 minutes ago, Elkski said:

I do believe the Chinese vultures will be the first to arrive as the tourist industry crumbles into dust.  They fully plan to have a part of china's  population live here someday.  

 That's it, if they can't expand by force, they will come as tourist but never leave. Thai's through we were bad. 

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by vandeventer
miss spell

I would not deem China to be a " Low Risk Country " at all.

There are still isolated outbreaks of Covid19 in the Country along with reports of Bubonic Plague, H1N! and Chicken Flu.

Hardly safe at all., and thats the stuff we know about.

The list of safe countries will basically be their neighbours in East and South-east Asia: China, Hong Kong (same same, as Chairman Xi will tell you, lol), Taiwan (sorry, but Chairman Xi says no way!), Japan, South Korea, Singapore and perhaps Malaysia. That basically covers four out of the five countries that send most tourists here, hopefully even the idiot Tourism Minister isn't going to suggest allowing Indians in at present, and that's enough to revitalise the industry. Not the Gogo Bars in Pattaya and Patpong, of course, or other farang-centric places, but they're way down the list of priorities I should think. 

 

Another thought occurred to me: there have been numerous posts from disgruntled condo and house owners who are stuck in their home countries and feel that property ownership should entitle them to priority in returning here. Dream on, folk, the whole idea is to stimulate the tourism industry, in other words, hotels, bars, restaurants and tourist attractions. Since people who own their home here are unlikely to spend anything in hotels or on tourist attractions, and will probably eat and drink at home a lot, I don't see them being any sort of a priority to be allowed back in. I might be wrong, but that's my take on matters.

19 minutes ago, Elkski said:

  They fully plan to have a part of china's  population live here someday.  

You really should look past the xenophobia.

In the early 1930's about 12% of the population in Thailand were Chinese nationals.

3 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I would not deem China to be a " Low Risk Country " at all.

There are still isolated outbreaks of Covid19 in the Country along with reports of Bubonic Plague, H1N! and Chicken Flu.

Hardly safe at all., and thats the stuff we know about.

Yes, and also China is hardly an epitome of honesty and transparency. Why should anyone believe their official numbers? 

A very good decision by Thailand, to protect the people already in the country and their citizens. Good Job!

1 hour ago, AsiaCheese said:

Your profile says that you've only been a forum member since 17th August, and that you live nowhere. At the same time, you (make it sound like you) have all the details on why China is so bad. Are you being paid for this?

I reckon I have all the details that I need that China is not a country to be trusted and which has several elements to it that are thoroughly dislikeable. I am not paid for holding unflattering opinions of China as a country. Don't see why other posters would be either.