Anutin in Samui: PM has told us to get ready for foreign tourists

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

There are different types of 'tourist'.

Friends wih a villa here on Samui have purchased elite visas and are due in Samui 22/11. They are currently in Germany waiting for their flight to Bangkok.

Other friends, again that have villas here, are waiting for STV's when they can get to either Phuket of Samui. They do not want to be in Bangkok for quarantine.

The last group that are trying to get here are 'snowbirds' who come to Thailand every year for the winter. They stay in hotels anyway But not 5* ones.

Obviously, the mass tourists who only come for 2 weeks or less - forget them

 

So these are the elite tourists and not the common tourists. No wonder but there are not many of them.

[Tounge Thaied]

My wife went to a village meeting here in rural Buriram Province. They were told by the village leader that Buriram was preparing to also receive foreigners back in the country. It doesn't sound like the village leader gave much more specifics than that other that to get a feel for the community about this decision, which was positive from the group my wife said, and to state that Buriram would be a designated recieving province. I suspect that select Buriram City hotels are preparing to accept as ASQ hotels. Again no timeline or other specifics... but was meant as a general announcement for future arrivals. 

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Agreed, of course yes if natural children of the foreigner but many expats are not married to partners with children who are not related to the foreigner but live as a family. They still don't qualify.

I understand what you mean, byt family is normally considered marriage or children, others are not legally protected as "family". Non O-A might be a possibility, if 50 years or older.

[khunPer]

56 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

Soieddie the OP was referring to the extension of stay based upon retirement obtained here within the Kingdom, not a Non-Immigrant O based upon family or marriage. Currently the Non-immigrant O extension based upon Retirement is not being admitted to Thailand. To return, the retiree now must apply for the Non O-A to be eligible to proceed for the COE. So the permission to enter based upon a non-immigrant O based upon retirement does absolutely have everything to do with it. Soieddie has a legitimate grievance. If they are letting the Non O based upon marriage in and the Non O-A based upon retirement, why are they not letting the Non-immigrant O based on retirement in? There can be only one answer for this. They are discriminating against this category for whatever reason. 

I'm aware of what was asked, but I don't make the rules, I just gave an explanation of possibilities. Things in LOS might not always make sense – and might even be discriminating – but that's unfortunately how it is.

Non O-A is a possibility, if you are retired and stranded outside.

[Justgrazing]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Anutin Charnvirakul - Thailand's health minister and DPM - told the media in Koh Samui that he had been instructed by the Thai premier Prayut Chan-ocha to ready the holiday island and Phuket for an influx of foreign tourists

 

It's the health ministers brain that is in a state of flux .. and he's been on the herbal green again looking at the goppy grin he's wearing .. 

[jaiyen]

10 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

 

So the 100.000 USD insurance is another Thai scam? 

So if the tourist catches the virus on arrival, which of course Thai authorities would deny that's possible, he is expected to pay for the hospital treatment ?

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, jaiyen said:

So if the tourist catches the virus on arrival, which of course Thai authorities would deny that's possible, he is expected to pay for the hospital treatment ?

The answer is yes the tourist will have to pay, even if only Asymptomatic, as they will be moved from quarantine to an isolation ward at a hospital.

[bluesofa]

11 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

 

It's the health ministers brain that is in a state of flux .. and he's been on the herbal green again looking at the goppy grin he's wearing .. 

If he took his own advice and wore a mask we wouldn't have to see the smirk.

Perhaps he's become a self-declared 'Ai ferang' by not wearing a mask.

[ChipButty]

14 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Is that your opinion or, is it how you think Thailand feels about them. You have to remember that those are the 2 week millionaires who save all year and spend big on their only 2 weeks of vacation.  My daughter and her boyfriend, after 3 years with their companies get 3 weeks off. They spend an Average of 20k usd when they come and visit for 2 weeks but they stay with us so no hotel costs associated.  Still they spend over 500,000 baht while here. They do save all year.  They do not go out to bars but rather enjoy visiting Khao San, And going to the rooftop locations to have dinner and drinks with a view. But I do understand with quarantine, they will not be coming so yes you can forget them.  Yet this group does spend money.

Same with my daughter she would be here tomorrow and she spends a lot of money when she's here, she comes with almost empty suitcases and goes back full with new clothes so where they get that tourist who come for 2 weeks dont spend money, I dont know.

[ThailandRyan]

26 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Same with my daughter she would be here tomorrow and she spends a lot of money when she's here, she comes with almost empty suitcases and goes back full with new clothes so where they get that tourist who come for 2 weeks dont spend money, I dont know.

Yes, they each bring one large suitcase with the two smaller ones inside of it and very few clothes except what they have in their carry-ons.  They go to the Platinum Mall where they would buy all of the newly made styles that the bigger companies in the US are buying at a fraction of the cost.  My future son in law, every year would have a set of suits made for his job and hand off the old ones at the St. Francis mission near where they live near Portland, Or.  They would also pick up stuff from friends and buy certain foods that they can not get back in the US that is sold here.  So to say the 2 week folks are skint is a fabrication in someone's mind.

[madmen]

Sadly they will continue to spew totall nonsense untill a country in SEA opens its borders.. 

Unfortunately Thailand is the only country allowing a way back I think with differing reports on Cambodia 

IMO They are watching Vietnam closely and will drop the hoops faster than a brides nighty 8l

[khunPer]

On 11/3/2020 at 6:50 AM, petermik said:

sideways actually.....I cannot imagine any "tourists" putting up with all the restrictions/regulations that have been put in place.......

Only time will tell, however few hundred "quality snowbirds" seems to be the target – up to one thousand a month for the whole country, according to previous news articles – and that might be extremely possible...????

[Whale]

On 11/3/2020 at 3:05 AM, webfact said:

and something called "COSTE"

Does not work on an apple phone.