Hard truths about travelling to Thailand, right now

[webfact]

Hard truths about travelling to Thailand, right now

By The Thaiger

 

 

OPINION

 

Just a year ago, you could book a flight, booked a hotel, and in many cases, just arrived to receive a visa-on-arrival stamp in your passport. A few hours later you were sitting on a beach sipping colourful drinks out of tall glasses. Just one year later and being a tourist in Thailand is very difficult, if not impossible for most.

 

At this stage it is a mind-numbing challenge to come to Thailand unless you have very deep pockets, an urgent need, or fall into a smattering of categories currently allowed by the Thai government. Even if all that applies to you, there is an almost endless number of hoops you will have to jump through to be approved for travel to Thailand right now.

 

Currently, as of the start of October, the government only recognises certain visa types to re-enter the country. But, as the evidence shows, even if you are eligible in theory, there are limited entries of people allowed back into the country. For example, the holders of Thailand Elite visas have been ‘officially’ able to re-enter the country since the start of August. But in practice, according to a source at Thailand Elite, not more than 50 people have actually successfully returned up to date.

 

Around the world, the information from Thai embassies has also been ‘lumpy’ with different officials, in different countries, providing conflicting information about the same visa products.

 

But the sticking point, with just about every visa, is the mandatory 14 day quarantine period at a state approved facility. This includes government approved hotels as well, but these hotel quarantines (ASQs) come at a high cost. And of course, you’re cooped up in a room with little access to outside activities during that time.

 

Even the newly launched Special Tourist Visa is very special indeed. Applicants require plenty of cash and have to have the intention coming for at least 90 days, with the option of staying for up to 270 in total. But when you add the compulsory health insurance, only provided by Thai companies, doing all your bookings through the government’s private travel company Thailand Long Stay, flying on specially chartered flights, etc etc, the costs start to stack up. And you haven’t even bought a beer or had a massage at this stage!

 

To call this ‘tourism’ is a misnomer. The dribble of high spenders, people prepared to fill out all the paperwork and pay for the pleasure of coming to Thailand, will do nothing for Thailand’s broader tourism industry and re-open the 1000s of shuttered hotels. 1000s of other businesses, connected to the Thai tourism juggernaut, remain in tatters.

 

Even if you’re a tourist, with the best intentions to visit ‘safe’ Thailand’, officially free of Covid-19, what precisely are you going to do here? If your intention is to head out on an island tour, hit the red light districts or choose from a spectacular list of hotels, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed.

 

There are few tours running right now, the red light districts – at least in Phuket, Samui and Pattaya – are not very ‘red’, and many hotels, again in the popular tourist zones, remain shut. Ok there’s still plenty to do and you’ll probably be able to get some great bargains with eager hotels and taxi drivers. But the ‘Thailand’ you were probably expecting is not currently operating.

 

For now there’s a world of difference between the ‘almost back to normal’ areas and the ‘almost deserted’ locations around the country. Bangkok, in all but the really touristy areas, is pretty much back to its chaotic, busy self. Even Pattaya is having bursts of activity on the weekends but the weekdays are tough for the popular ‘sin-city’. Chiang Mai tourism is doing it particularly tough right now with a smattering of domestic tourism doing little to keep the northern city alive. Phuket’s west coast beach towns are almost completely bereft of people. Businesses in Koh Samui are facing extinction. Hua Hin is surviving on a trickle of weekend traffic from Bangkok.

 

Some of the places you’d really like to visit may be inaccessible for now, or not even open.

 

At some stage, hopefully sooner rather than later, the Thai government will have to re-open its borders and find a way to ‘manage’ the Covid-19 situation rather than remain in a travel bubble of its own making. The longer the government doesn’t re-open to something akin to general tourism, the harder it will be to re-boot the former Thai tourism powerhouse.

 

You would think with a compulsory wearing of face masks, some diligent respect for social distancing and constant reminders of good hygiene and hand washing, most of the risk factors for Covid-19 can be mitigated. Testing before travel and upon arrival also provides an extra level of defence. There are well established ways to avoid a virus beyond the blunt tool of simply closing borders.

 

Sure locals, who have been living inside this Siamese Bubble for 6 or so months, will also have to manage their own prevention with potential new cases coming into the country. The recent complacency will have to be replaced with a new vigilance.

 

The mandatory 14 day quarantine, clearly a major sticking point for many travellers, has been cobbled together to appear as little more than a money-making exercise for a select group of wealthy hoteliers, rather than a well-grounded public health policy. Appointing a government-owned private company as the intermediary for travel arrangements also smacks of turning Covid travel into a profit centre for a single business entity. The 10 room guesthouse in Patong and the bike tour company in Chiang Mai are making nothing from this exercise.

 

The two reoccurring themes behind every announcement about possible re-openings are “fear” of a new wave of Covid-19 and “we’re just waiting for a vaccine”.

 

Whilst the Thai government’s success in containing Covid-19 relatively early is something to be proud of, it has been replaced with an irrational fear to develop a useful, science-based plan to re-open the borders.

 

And while the hopes for a Covid-19 vaccine are shared by millions, the history of successful coronavirus vaccines is not good. In fact there has never been a workable vaccine for any of the five other coronaviruses. The urgency and clear need for a vaccine for Covid-19 has forced scientists to fast-track their development and testing, and clinical trials are currently underway. But, even if they work they will only be partially successful and many people simply won’t get the vaccine, either through choice, poorly-informed fears or lack of access. So waiting for a vaccine could be a LONG wait… it simply may never happen.

 

Thailand’s travel and hospitality industries, and they ARE industries, are in a perpetual limbo. Whilst everyone is happy to see a development like the Special Tourist Visa, it is not even a remotely sustainable model for Thailand’s tourism industry beyond the immediate short-term.

 

It’s time to replace fear with professional management of this inconvenient virus.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/hard-truths-about-travelling-to-thailand-right-now

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-10-06

 

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[ukrules]

I have a feeling nothing will change until the population are vaccinated.

 

[champers]

Very good summary of where tourism is; or more accurately isn't; now. The future will be bleak unless and until there is a radical shift in strategy.

[Kadilo]

Hellelujah. At last, a well constructed sensible article that summarises exactly where Thailand is at this time. 
 

Let’s hope it gets read by the right people who are making some of these these ridiculous decisions and common sense will take over not just for the sake of those wanting to return, but for the good of the Thai people who will be the ones who will ultimately suffer as a result of it. 
 

Shutting the borders indefinitely is not a long term answer. Nor are the ridiculous overpriced money making ASQ’s and Insurance policies. Sure it will squeeze a few baht out of desperate love sick ferangs who will pay anything to return but it won’t solve the real issues and kick start the tourist resorts back into life. 
 

They need to find a way of managing the Virus, not running scared from it, and they need to start soon before they kill off not only tourism for good but endless numbers of Thailand’s poorer people. 
 

 

[thaitero]

"useful, science-based plan to re-open the borders" to millions of tourists.????

What country in the world has done this ?

 

As i see borders are open and closed with so many changing rules in western world that copying from there is not the answer,,

[Rob CFC]

A great article, bad a sad read at the same time. So many livelihoods have been destroyed and Thailand’s tourist sector is almost at the point of no return now. I hope for the sake of the Thai people common sense prevails and the government find a sensible way to open the borders and kick start the tourist trade.

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 

It’s time to replace fear with professional management of this inconvenient virus

Well written article that exposes the shortcomings of the current stance and silly schemes flowing from it ..

They are looking down the barrel now as we enter the last quarter and need to get real to ways of managing C V so that tourists can return in numbers the industry needs .. carrying on with all the daft idea's they have been churning out will only ensure it's deconstruction ..  

[ourmanflint]

The Thai government have backed themselves into a corner with all the fear mongering, they have nowhere to turn having spent the past 7 months vilifying foreigners as plague carriers. Slowly but surely everyone is beginning to realise that the dream of a vaccine coming along to save the day is nothing but a distant pipe dream.

Now they have to try to unwind every policy statement they have made since the pandemic began and try to open Thailand up on a science not fear lead basis which will be very very hard to do

[meechai]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I have a feeling nothing will change until the population are vaccinated.

 

That may come soon after a vaccine for Common Cold because.........as also stated above.......

 

Quote

the history of successful coronavirus vaccines is not good. In fact there has never been a workable vaccine for any of the five other coronaviruses.

 

[Somtamnication]

The hard truth is that it will take years to be close to what tourism was. It will never be the same. These people don't understand that.

[thaitero]

The hard truth is that mass tourism is over. People should look ahead not dreaming "old times",,

[Grumpy John]

I read the other day 38 have died this year because of dengue fever with 60.000 effected.  Many thousands die on the roads each year and little is done to curb that.  The flu takes many many people each year.  People die from diabetes, cancer, lung disease, suicide.  So,  to those in power and to us normal people death is an everyday thing, it happens everyday for whatever reason yet the Wuhan China virus is being treated differently.  Why?  Is it a power game?  Prayuths much loved emergency decrees seem to be coming every month on a regular basis now.  Honestly I am finding it hard to understand how they can destroy the economy and effect many millions when only 59 have died.

[simon43]

I'm surprised that those holding Elite visas have not demanded financial compensation.  Imagine buying a visa for 1 million baht and then being refused entry into the country.  Sounds like fraud to me ....

[steven100]

Although very descriptive, the article tells nothing new imo.  We already know all about everything that was mentioned.  

 

 

[steven100]

3 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I'm surprised that those holding Elite visas have not demanded financial compensation.  Imagine buying a visa for 1 million baht and then being refused entry into the country.  Sounds like fraud to me ....

It's got nothing to do with fraud,  just because one has an elite visa doesn't exempt them from having the virus. It's not the governments fault that a virus impacted everyone regardless of their visa situation.

[Puchaiyank]

It is frustrating!  If it is any consolation,  most of the world is in some form of lockdown and movements across borders are almost non-existent. 

 

I am afraid lockdowns are the norm for the immediate future. 

[baansgr]

UK has social distancing, mask wearing and other practices in place yet had over 20,000 new cases a few days ago. Tourists won't wear masks in bars and restaurants, they won't distance and within a few weeks of open borders 10s of thousands new cases will be reported.

[bartender100]

Thailand has no immunity in the population, still has Covid to come IMHO

[kingdong]

18 minutes ago, steven100 said:

its got nothing to do with fraud,  just because one has an elite visa doesn't exempt them from having the virus. It's not the governments fault that a virus impacted everyone regardless of their visa situation.

so due to unforeseen circumstances thai eite is going to refund the fees made by all the punters who partook in the scheme?

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, champers said:

Very good summary of where tourism is; or more accurately isn't; now. The future will be bleak unless and until there is a radical shift in strategy.

Or, large numbers of people have been inoculated with a proven successful vaccine and can show some sort of verifiable vaccination certificate.

 

A few days ago further good news on the Oxford vaccine and comments that vaccination could be happening within 3 months. Thailand has already bought rights to millions of doses of this vaccine.

 

My guess is that when large numbers of folks have been inoculated globally the powerful/ruthless local owners of large areas of the tourism industry will demand that folks, with a vaccine certificate or folks with a vaccine certificate from specific countries be allowed to book airline tickets and come in without quarantine. Plus seems to me these rich powerful operators also have strong political clout and they will use it. 

[kingdong]

1 hour ago, Rob CFC said:

A great article, bad a sad read at the same time. So many livelihoods have been destroyed and Thailand’s tourist sector is almost at the point of no return now. I hope for the sake of the Thai people common sense prevails and the government find a sensible way to open the borders and kick start the tourist trade.

bit off topic,but so,s londons tourist trade.

[ThailandRyan]

16 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

Thailand has no immunity in the population, still has Covid to come IMHO

That is the belief of many. In fact it may be a prime reason this government is so scared to even remotely release it's Iron fisted grip on the country.  However, we will never truly know the extent to which the virus itself has infected the population as there has been little testing completed on the people here.  If you do not test on a at least random basis and or voluntary basis you will never have an idea. This country believes it's Covid image of defeating and keeping it at bay is more important.  Looks can be deceiving as even a drunk will find out when he ends up with a LB instead of a real princess in his bed.

[alfalfa19]

does not seem to be much point in visiting thailand in the near future.  for most people, their vacation is 2-3 weeks.   i personally would not want to spend the bulk of my vacation, or even its entirety, holed up in a thai mandated hotel,   after paying pretty big money for the health insurance and the hotel, where one will probably be gouged mercilessly.  oh well,  i hear there are other places with the things people travel to thailand for. 

[Average man]

Government is using virus to weed out small business so the people with big money can consume them . Government does not care about people that are of no profit to them .

[Captain Monday]

 

The truth is Thailand is more open than many countries, can't get in unless you are essential.

But anybody, anybody willing to do pre and post flight testing and 14 days hotel quarantine should be let in NOW without restriction. The risk just isn't there to keep up with this nonsense.

 

As for the Superman Tourist Visa, doubt it will really take flight!

• GPS wristbands (Does a suitable model even exist?)
• Criminal checks, financial statements for children not old enough for a bank account
• Redundant compulsory health insurance, charter flights, months of prepaid hotels

 

 

[motdaeng]

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

The hard truth is that it will take years to be close to what tourism was. It will never be the same. These people don't understand that.

i do not agree, for sure it will take time ... btw. how did thailand recovering from the 2004 tsunami? 

[crazykopite]

It’s a crazy situation and only the other day I was being told about a farang in Koh Samui prison for drug offences who has now completed his sentence being detained there as they won’t release him because of the virus this is what I have been told it’s only rumour but if it’s true it’s a very sad state of affairs and I would hope the British Embassy will get involved , if it is the case no one should be detained further just because of this virus maybe the tabloid could investigate. Sadly I see the current government being so incapable that they have brought the country to its knees when it comes to tourism and I cannot envisage seeing any sign of recovery for at least another 12 months if this is the case there will be millions more unemployed. The proof of the pudding was seen in September as 1,000s of tourist flew out back to their homeland worried that after 26 September they would be classed as overstayers and possibly put in detention if caught during this crisis it was they who were contributing to the economy by renting properties , buying food in other words they were keeping their local community in survival mode . I have seen for myself the islands of Samui and Phangan absolutely decimated and I fear that this is only the start . I have now stopped shopping in the Makro, Big C and Tesco instead I am using the little stores owned by the locals and yes I might pay 10 baht more but they need it as the big organisations can afford to take a hit . It’s time government brought in people of experience to handle this situation being an ex soldier no military organisation around the world has any type of experience to cope with economies that is for those who have years of experience in the financial industries already we have seen resignations of financial ministers and I ask myself why they resigned was it a case of doing an audit during the first weeks in office only to see the crippling debts they would have to answer to if I were a financial minister I to would be unwilling to take on responsibility of an issue that I had not created . 

[ThailandRyan]

20 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

i do not agree, for sure it will take time ... btw. how did thailand recovering from the 2004 tsunami? 

The Tsunami, only hit a small Area in Thailand, which was rebuilt quickly, and was just a blip on the radar as far as tourism was concerned.  Here is Covid and the shutdown of an entire country as well as the world.  You can not compare the two at all.

[crazykopite]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

I have a feeling nothing will change until the population are vaccinated.

 

So nothing will change as most civilised countries will refuse to pass law that every citizen must be vaccinated they would have riots on there hands you only have to look at compulsory wearing of face masks there were 1,000s upon 1,000s demonstrating around the globe in protest.

[2 is 1]

20 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

i do not agree, for sure it will take time ... btw. how did thailand recovering from the 2004 tsunami? 

They rebuid! So much different case! People not afreid new tsunami! But many afreid covid if there not coming protection (vaccine). And people not come back if it's not easy! Already long flight, nobody don't want extra restriction! Domestic travel going to increase in every coundry!