Another load of rubbish spouts forth which will once again give false hopes to those desperately in need of business...a little longer...a little longer...These officials are fine getting paid a regular wage from government funds, going home to a fine house, plenty to eat and a good nights sleep. How many ordinary people will or are being forced to build make-shift stalls to sell what little fruit & veg. etc they can find. I bet they don't sleep so well.

1 hour ago, robsamui said:

No wonder, then, they they keep making wild guesses about farangs, how much holiday time farangs have and how much money to spend - they don't have a clue about any of it.

They see many booze and sex tourists. Imagine in your home country very many Thais would behave like this. What would the people there think about Thais?! 

20 minutes ago, Donga said:

I get where you're coming, but all a little over the top. Time to smell the roses.

Yes, Thais are proud of their country and lifestyle as are most people about their own country. They are insular and can be frustratingly naive about world affairs, history etc. Teaching my partner who finished school age 15, history and geography and she's an eager student. Found a Thai history book for young students with loads of pictures, from stone age to WWII, which is pretty neat. She loves historical TV series: Rome, Vikings, now into Black Sails.

A lot of Thais have lived abroad, share their experiences with friends and family, and they are all avid internet users. Many of the political and industry leaders were educated offshore.

Meanwhile, I'm constantly amazed how things get done in Thailand, even if I'm freaked out by the current political leadership. It's easy to criticise, though there is often lack of context, some translation issues.

They were never colonised, so don't have the Western background of many Asian countries like India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia. While Japan and China were not formally colonised, they had more Western influence from 17th through to 19th centuries than did Thailand.

It's part of the charm. I love being a guest of a country, which provides so much innocent joy, serenity and not too much political correctness nor myriad of rules. And by and large things work well enough, to enjoy the good life. 

For a variety of reasons (masks, strict quarantines, health volunteers), Thailand is right up there in Covid control (recognised by WHO and John Hopkins University). Most countries that have controlled Covid are still shut.

Tourism will return, but not until the vaccines assure conservative Thais (and farang) that it's safe to do so. Until then we put up with half baked announcements, which this forum seems to track relentlessly. That's the funny bit.

 

 

A rosy picture indeed, however just to pick you up on one point, the reason they were never colonised is because they invariably took the road of appeasement, letting foreign powers come into the country and do what they wanted. a couple of examples; they allowed the british to come into northern thailand in the late 1800s/early1900s and remove/decimate much of the valuable teak forests, and during WWII they basically let japan come into the country and do what they wanted, including committing horrific crimes against the allied prisoners. so, no, thailand has never been colonised but there are two sides to every story.

They were never colonised,

...you might be 'targeting 20,000' but i doubt if you will 'hit' many of them...after all you can't even patrol and keep your own borders under control...you may make up the numbers by illegal means.

Look at these guys talk!

14 day quarantine coming, 14 day going (home country), 28 days staring at the wall for a 56 day holiday (don't forget 14 in quarantine)

Dropped on their heads.  The lot of them!

It seems to me, the only reason there are inane  statements, coming from various agencies etc in Thailand, coming out daily and hourly?......................................................................................................................................................................................................is to give us on this forum something to write and laugh about!! 

 

Im desperate to get back out there....No way will I go though, when there is a 2 weeks quarantine..........Realistically, "maybe" next Winter I "could" return.....In reality though ..Ive no idea!  Just the same as the buffoons giving out these ridiculous statements daily!   Lol!

<deleted> me is it 1st April already?

I'm not going to bother until they've got rid of the cash fever that's eating them up....... I can hang around elsewhere until they're broke....... then walk back in just like before........ 

40 minutes ago, Oldie said:

They see many booze and sex tourists. Imagine in your home country very many Thais would behave like this. What would the people there think about Thais?! 

Stop it......... Thailand is known for what again ?    Prostitution, and it has been for decades, long before most TVF members were even born........  Them's some special rose tinted specs you're wearing.........

2 hours ago, Percy P said:

You'll be waiting a long time though.

Mai pen drai... mi Katoy juut, chorp..

20,000 SURE,

 

It's now easier to run the gauntlet for a C of E. 

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So all these tourists will be coming from the same place?

 

Seems odd.

 

 

It'll be a milk run.Pick up a few passengers in Brussels.A few more in Russia on and on until the plane is full.By the time it lands they'll have done the 14 day quarantine. Saves the cost of a hotel room too. 

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

They all like to keep the grumpy lot on TVF on their toes, they've got nicknames for all of you.

Well, they help to keep us grumpy yet raise a smile at the same time!

I don't know which part of the brain they are trying to use but it's obviously not the right part

1 hour ago, Oldie said:

They see many booze and sex tourists. Imagine in your home country very many Thais would behave like this. What would the people there think about Thais?! 

In case you did not know the majority of the sex industry are made for Thais

Wow. That is exactly 0.5% of the normally 48 million visitors.  I am not sure somchai will get much meat in his rice bowl with those amounts. 
 

It would be nice though if these were the final numbers for the future. ????

9 hours ago, webfact said:

20,000 foreign tourists a month set to come into Thailand

 

Then catch their connecting flights to somewhere decent.

So, as of now - has anyone in Europe/US even managed to successfully apply for a special tourist visa or SETV or have the prospect of doing so in the near future? As far as I know applications are not being accepted from these areas at the present time? Even if we assume 20,000 people per month would be willing to come for a minimum stay of 45 days and spend the first 2 weeks of their trip in quarantine (a big assumption), it's meaningless unless visas are actually available. And then other questions remain....lack of scheduled flights, prohibitive insurance requirements etc. Too many ifs and buts.  

 

My view is that visas won't become available until vaccines are rolled out in the West and I suspect the quarantine requirement will remain in force until Thailand has completed its own vaccination program, given that it may be the case that a vaccinated individual can still be carrying the virus. 

 

Can't see any prospect of real movement for 6 months at least. I do need to get back and can afford to finance a long-term visit and am willing to jump the hurdles, including quarantine. Your average 2-3 week vacationer or backpacker isn't going to do so. 

 

19 minutes ago, khunkarl said:

They see many booze and sex tourists. Imagine in your home country very many Thais would behave like this. What would the people there think about Thais?! 

 

I would imagine 50% of people involved in the sex acts here are Thai. Takes 2 to tango.

 

And most people in other countries already think this of Thai's. Unfortunately mud sticks.

4 hours ago, KamalaRider said:

Anyone believing Thailand has the Covid-19 under control is delusional. The virus is airborne,  just Google what type of complications that poses.

More nonsense being spouted. 

 

From WHO website:

Based on the available evidence, the COVID-19 virus is transmitted between people through close contact and droplets, not by airborne transmission. The people most at risk of infection are those who are in close contact with a COVID-19 patient or who care for COVID-19 patients.

10 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

 

Please, don't use the word easy....

 

Rather: it used to be extremely complicated, now it's a little less complicated but still very expensive. 

Exactly still to much iinvolved

10 hours ago, Traubert said:

All the cheapskates will. No revelation there.

We are not cheapskates - just more sensible than you appear to be

1 hour ago, MarkyM3 said:

So, as of now - has anyone in Europe/US even managed to successfully apply for a special tourist visa or SETV or have the prospect of doing so in the near future? As far as I know applications are not being accepted from these areas at the present time? Even if we assume 20,000 people per month would be willing to come for a minimum stay of 45 days and spend the first 2 weeks of their trip in quarantine (a big assumption), it's meaningless unless visas are actually available. And then other questions remain....lack of scheduled flights, prohibitive insurance requirements etc. Too many ifs and buts.  

 

My view is that visas won't become available until vaccines are rolled out in the West and I suspect the quarantine requirement will remain in force until Thailand has completed its own vaccination program, given that it may be the case that a vaccinated individual can still be carrying the virus. 

 

Can't see any prospect of real movement for 6 months at least. I do need to get back and can afford to finance a long-term visit and am willing to jump the hurdles, including quarantine. Your average 2-3 week vacationer or backpacker isn't going to do so. 

 

I agree with this assessment.

"In an upbeat assessment Jaturon said that the Certificate of Entry (CoE) is now easier than ever to get and can all be done online. "

 

Clearly this senior official hasn't been briefed on all the steps that , if you aren't tech savvy , and don't

have the ability to scan and transmit documents in a timely manner you do not get  CoE .

 

Log onto to Embassy website to upload scanned passport and current visa (if you have a valid visa)

Research a  bunch of insurance providers with back and forth to clarify coverage and acceptable

to Thailand immigration .

Apply for Covid insurance , pay , then scan and upload policy letter to Embassy .

Book Flight , pay , scan and upload ticket to Embassy.

In the meantime begin negotiations with various ASQ's that need to accomodate your specific

arrival date .

Schedule Fit to Fly appointment with doctor but  no more than 72 hours before departure.

Schedule Covid test ,  results no more than 72 hours before departure .

Filter through back and forths with hotels ( I had 7 can not accomodate arrival )

Hotel then sends requirements . Copy of CoE , Insce, flight , Hospital questionaire , 3 days of menu , 

Letter to confirm willingness to quarantine, T8 Immigration form.

Print questionaire ,form  menus ,and letter .

Fill out all forms.

Scan to transmit.

Email scanned copy of CoE,  Covid insce , Copy of Flight ticket , letter , menu's and questionnaire .

Not done yet as still have Covid test result and Fit to Fly .

Doctor does test on required day (within 72 hours) so scan and send .

Now you are on standby waiting for Covid results as they need to go to the lab that can not guarantee 72 hour turnaround .

Results come in 48 hours and you must forward to hotel then print for presentation to airline and immigration on landing along with  T8 form .

 

Easy ? He can  *uc* off.

 

Optimism vs reality ! Certainly only one winner by knockout in the 1st round ????

2 hours ago, The Now Factor said:

It's now easier to run the gauntlet for a C of E. 

What's the Church of England got to do about this ?

28 minutes ago, NeoDinosaw said:

We are not cheapskates - just more sensible than you appear to be

I doubt that, seriously.