3 minutes ago, mosan said:

So which of the unwanted countries are you from (along with the other guy), USA, UK?  I hardly think they want to hear from people who live in places where wearing a mask and social distancing is a problem... 

Actually think they want to hear from anyone desperate enough to play their silly game. 
 

 

The Thai authorities seem to be under the impression that Thailand is such a great destination that everyone is willing to do whatever it takes and jump through their hoops to get here.

 

The Thai government's triumph of hope over reality has just run into a brick wall.

2 hours ago, Kadilo said:

The ridiculously low number of Elite members (448/7,000) showing an interest in returning tells its own story. People are not willing to be caged up as part of their holidays. 

Hasty conclusions IMHO 

I remember reading statistics from ThailandeElite, and the majority of Elite visa members where using it for very frequent but rather short trips to Thailand (before Covid). So probably few members may be interested in the long stay offer (90+ days) of this STV.

Edited October 8, 20205 yr by Pattaya46

2 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Hasty conclusions IMHO 

I remember reading statistics from ThailandeElite, and the majority of Elite visa members where using it for very frequent but rather short trips to Thailand. So probably few members may be interested in the long stay offer (90+ days) of this STV.

Short tips? With 2 weeks quarantine on arrival?

 

How are they managing a short trip?

Edited October 8, 20205 yr by Kadilo

1 hour ago, mlkik said:

Let people with valid Non - O extensions and re-entry permits paid for in good faith return !

No way would I contemplate this absurd STV.

 

that makes sense to you and me but the government wants to placate the tourist sector and Non O retirement extensions dont tick that box.

 

foreigners are not wanted in thailand while the pandemic exists, STVs only came about to reduce the criticism and complaints from the tourist sector. it's all about domestic politics.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

recent weeks, Yutthasak had said the TAT office in London had been swamped with interest

I'm aghast that in his zealousness to promote this it appears he has sold us some porkie pies .. 

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Short tips? With 2 weeks quarantine on arrival?

How are they managing a short trip?

Uh? Statistics were from *before* Covid-19, of course.

I went for my retirement type O renewal the other day.  I satisfy all criteria and pump millions of THB into the Thai economy each year.  It took an entire day of bank notes and waiting in queues.  The complete disregard for others time is startling.  I cant imagine why anyone would want to apply for long term visas and go through this each year when better options exist in other countries with more courteous and modern immigration authorities. 

40 minutes ago, charmonman said:

... the Thai Long Stay Company that is supposed to be managing this whole thing are completely useless.

Now I'm so shocked and surprised, hold my beer while I'm fainting ...

 

I really didn't expect that! ????

Can't believe making the 14 day quarantine " fun" didn't pull them in. Cooking classes including Tom yum pizza and Yoga followed by a beeline to Pattaya to watch the marching bands 

 

Cant make it up 

2 minutes ago, madmen said:

Can't believe making the 14 day quarantine " fun" didn't pull them in. Cooking classes including Tom yum pizza and Yoga followed by a beeline to Pattaya to watch the marching bands 

 

Cant make it up 

Yea, the 'Quarantine Can Be Fun' idea was hilarious.

 

It's like saying, the iron maiden wasn't as bad as the say it was. It just tickles a bit. Come try.
 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the whole program has been thrown in to chaos following the announcement that arrival of STV tourists would now be delayed until after 25 October, with the announcement being made just hours before the tourists were due to land in Thailand

What happened to those people?

Did they get sent back ?

I'm very sure that a handfull of STV-holders will save the Thai tourism industry...

 

while I'm hanging around in Germany waiting to meet my Thai family somewhen in the far future.

What do I tell when I see my son in tears in Skype, asking "Papa, when will you come back?"

 

So sad, so sad.

To leave Thailand in March to take care my business here in Europe was one of the worst faults I ever made.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

STV: Worldwide interest is low - and few Elite Card holders keen to return

The worlds got other more important things to think about...

Bangla road & Walking street will have to wait.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

But now figures appear to reveal that the expected widespread interest in the STV program has not been forthcoming.

It's over, try again in a few years

Too far fetched to begin with.  And Baht too high anyway.

Instead of focusing on the "zero arrivals" from Scandinavia, let's have a look closer and see how the "rich people" of Hong Kong view this extraordinary generosity of the Thai government.

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3104669/coronavirus-thailand-offers-new-extended-stay

 

"But tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said he expected relatively few Hong Kong residents would travel on the visa, as the application threshold was very high.

....

“It’s a formality to allow travel to Thailand again, but realistically, [this visa] is far from our expectations of forming a travel bubble,” he said.

.....

“The barriers to travel are very high, as applicants for the visa have to fork out a considerable amount of money just to make the trip to Thailand,” Yiu added."

3 hours ago, Forza2002 said:

Somebody is going to have egg on their face, not naming anybody.... Thais and their pathetic loss of face, som nam naa...

Som nam nah? Why the hateful glee from you and people like you? Tell us how you failed here in Thailand which made you revel in its problems and failures and mock and deride their achievements and successes. Its a very odd attitude.

10 minutes ago, lkv said:

“The barriers to travel are very high, as applicants for the visa have to fork out a considerable amount of money just to make the trip to Thailand,” Yiu added."

They don't want anyone to come to Thailand, this is how they get what they want...

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Claims made by the Thai tourism authorities that foreigners are queuing up to enter Thailand appear to be very wide of the mark.

I'm pretty sure that most of us who live here know that if we were to take a bite of the promised Kobe beef filet mignon we'd immediately discover that in reality is nothing but ox sirloin.  

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

The Thai authorities seem to be under the impression that Thailand is such a great destination that everyone is willing to do whatever it takes and jump through their hoops to get here.

 

The Thai government's triumph of hope over reality has just run into a brick wall.

On the plus-side, they won't need a calculator to add up the tourist numbers any time soon.

 

Perhaps the TAT could come up with a new tourism slogan: "Thailand - where there are more islands than tourists".

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Claims made by the Thai tourism authorities that foreigners are queuing up to enter Thailand appear to be very wide of the mark.

 

Not wide of the mark, just straight out lies. 

Who are these Elite Visa holders?  

I thought the EV was a Taksin scam to allow rich but dubious farangs to get into Thailand without the normal I/O checks, so they could continue with their criminal activities in comfort.  

With the world in economic chaos, there must be less scope for these, so they are staying put.

As for genuine tourists, it has been obvious that none will want to go through the hoops set up by Thailand. for their winter break.

Can anyone on TV say what are the entry requirement for Thailand's rival for either tourists (Malaysia,  Maldives, Singapore,) or retirement (Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka.)

 

I have retirement visa and wife in Thailand, and made the mistake of visiting UK in July, thinking that restrictions would soon be easing, but no way am I going to spend the time and money to get back to Thailand at the moment.  

This crisis is showing the true face of Thailand.  The welcoming smile is hidden behind the face mask.

18 minutes ago, Ganesh108 said:

With all the STV hoops, the Thai government seems like Somchai, the taxi driver from Roi-Et, who, despite having zero business, still refuses to switch on the meter and demands 200 Baht for a 60 Baht trip.

There you go. He's decided to drop his prices a bit from last month.

7 minutes ago, Robin said:

Who are these Elite Visa holders?  

I thought the EV was a Taksin scam to allow rich but dubious farangs to get into Thailand without the normal I/O checks, so they could continue with their criminal activities in comfort.  

It's 500k for the cheapest. Hardly oligarch billionaires.

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

What happened to those people?

Did they get sent back ?

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

7 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

I read somewhere that each one paid 175k baht for the package ( flights, ASQ, Visa etc ) x 150 = nice little earner !!

too many hurdles to jump thru, even if the idea of possibly coming to Thailand cross one's mind it will immediately disappear as soon as they see the number and type of requirements, not to mention the appreciated baht, last week it started to move towards 32 vs 1 USD but the last 2-3 days it all went back to typical 31 vs 1 USD, we can't win

19 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

"The first group of 300 (or only 150?) Chinese tourists and businessmen from Guangzhou, scheduled to arrive on the southern island today, will not permitted to travel. It’s been reported in Khaosod English that the Thai government won’t offer them refunds for accommodation, insurance, flights, along with any other costs they had incurred so far to obtain their STVs"

Holy <deleted>!

 

If that is true there will never be another person sign up for a "scheme" from this regime.  That would be the final nail....

 

 

47 minutes ago, Ganesh108 said:

With all the STV hoops, the Thai government seems like Somchai, the taxi driver from Roi-Et, who, despite having zero business, still refuses to switch on the meter and demands 200 Baht for a 60 Baht trip.

This ^^

There is nothing more infuriating getting into a car with such Somchais that say "You rich farang! You like Thai girl! Like boom boom? Farang rich. You rich man!"

It's quite obvious that some in power, just think most foreigners have more money than brain cells and will happily depart with it, within Thai constraints. Most people who want to come back are either wanting to see their other half/families, go to their condos or are sexpats looking for some fun and neither will want to stay in a quantine hotel or pay for weeks in hotels.