Special Tourist Visa: Thailand opens to the world - But will the tourists really come?

[Megasin1]

oh yes, good idea, here i am sat in UK about to get the vaccine fairly soon and instead I will jump on a plane with possibly infected Thais to go into 15 days quarantine and then join a population that is possibly about to have an epidemic.............................can't wait...........................oh hang on, yes i can wait because of fantastic technology like "line" and "whatsapp" I can chat to my daughter most days and to top it, its absolutely free!!!

Its surely no surprise that the STV program hasn't worked, opening it up to anyone won't work either, the Americans like to say "if it isn't broken, then don't try and fix it", but in the case of Thailand there are so many things that do need fixing it makes you wonder what they will do to get themselves out of the mess they have got themselves in. Yes, not many countries have got Covid right but there is a certain self smugness about a country that thinks itself so great that they can just switch the tourist tap on and off as they see fit and then expect millions to flood back in. I personally don't have a lot of time for the Chinese, which has been the case since the video of the 2 year old girl that was run over and everyone just walked by, but I do understand why the Thais would bend over backwards to accommodate them, however China will see through the current smoke screen and not allow travel to Thailand. The Thais seem incapable of understanding that international tourism is absolutely dead, like the proverbial parrot. Not just dead for the short term but dead, deceased, no more. Covid is the tip of the ice-berg, with scientists saying as such, a warning if you like, with even worse pandemics coming and one major one expected every 10 years. At least we still have some personal choices and at the moment mine is to sit, wait and watch a bit longer ????

[ricorose]

2 weeks is almost the half of the amount of days normal western people get holidays for the whole year! Who thinks there want to spend this time in quarantine?

[sammieuk1]

It's not a massive U-turn just the usual O-turn ????

[Mavideol]

just open the damn country, what the heck, there is no virus here or in nearby countries, nothing to worry about (sarcasm intended) and I didn't mention the UK, USA, France, Germany, etc., all of them having new clusters increasing daily infections

 

Thailand saw 25 new cases in quarantine over a 24-hour period

https://news.yahoo.com/south-koreas-coronavirus-infections-second-091303338.html

South Korea's new coronavirus infections at second highest in new wave

https://news.yahoo.com/china-tests-250-000-people-074156196.html

China tests 250,000 people for Covid after new cluster emerges

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00657/

Japan records 2,170 new cases on December 8, and the number of severe cases rises by 6 to 536.

World / Countries / Japan

Last updated: December 09, 2020, 11:16 GMT

 Japan ---- Coronavirus Cases:  163,929  Deaths: = 2,382

 

 

 

[SamuiFan]

As long as the quarantine is in place this will not work.

if people are tested negative when they depart their country, and again test negative on arrival with maybe one, maximum 2 nights’ quarantine, then that may work. 
I just did 14 days’ quarantine - frankly it’s just too long. 

[Expat Tom]

Thailand will have to actually COMPETE for tourism. The current requirements including quarantine is not in the least competitive. Too many other places to go with far less hoops to jump through. Get REAL THAILAND! This is a wonderful place. That is why I live here but there are far too many options for Thailand to be so demanding. 

[Thomas J]

I would say there are two chances they will come in any meaningful numbers.  Slim and None, and Slim already left town.  Consider the hoops you have to go through including quarantine to get into Thailand.  Aside from the expense would a true "tourist" want to spend 14 days locked up in a hotel room. Second, many of the countries also have quarantines.  That means a person coming from lets say the UK would spend 14 days in quarantine in Thailand and upon their return another 14 days in quarantine in the UK.  Not going to happen. 

[Tarteso]

Nothing will ever be the same ... Give the world some time to rethink the ways of doing tourism, the crisis has been global.  Thailand is not different. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Tarteso

[Odisan]

Who on earth keeps coming up with these hair-brained schemes? Serious reality check wanted.

[geisha]

9 hours ago, FarangPumpui said:

I have wife, house in Thailand , money and time to go Thailand for long time but I dont even concider it because of 14 days guarantine and because Thai people can go unchecked to airplane with me.

Good point. If I were thinking of going on this STV, I would definitely not sit with a load of Thais who haven’t been tested properly. Question, aren’t all passengers who board flights in EU or US, Russia obliged to have a PCR test within 72 hrs of traveling. ?

[stigar]

28 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

Thailand will have to actually COMPETE for tourism. The current requirements including quarantine is not in the least competitive. Too many other places to go with far less hoops to jump through. Get REAL THAILAND! This is a wonderful place. That is why I live here but there are far too many options for Thailand to be so demanding. 

I agree with u..thats why my wife will move to norway.Its a win win for us.Not just because of the regulations,its about the whole package compared to live in thailand.Here she can work and make good money.

She love the cold and snow so she asked me many times to move here.Now we agree thats a good idea.Her house and business in thailand will be good taking care of.

[the green light]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

 

 

as for the OP 

 

Thailand just is not getting it

 

no matter what they do nobody is coming here on holiday for at least another year

 

perhaps if they started treating tourists (including expats) properly instead of contempt they might just convince some people to come here, pre covid they were killing it already - people were getting angry and deciding not to come here or were leaving in masses - they need to take a long hard look at what they are doing going forward and what they have done looking back and correcting the negative sentiment they have created

need to roll back all their stupid rules they have applied for the past 2 years.

like .. they are making difficult to get a retirement visa.. with their 800k in the bank, and insurance. It used to be a letter from the embassy for American. 

 

true the baht has to go down to 33 or even 35 to attract people to come.

 

with the 14 days quarantine, they killed the 15-30 days trip to thailand.

A damage has already been done by bad mouthing farang.. tourists want to beloved and liked when they visit a country.. they  will spend money so they want to feel wlecome

 

 

[Straight8]

Another one not coming back until quarantine is lifted.

[mal2018]

10 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Let the Russians in they dont mind spending a few quid

Maybe some might but most are cheapskates who take their own drinks into a restaurant and queue up in Supercheap for boxes of wine.

[moe666]

10 hours ago, kotsak said:

Yeah right.. Have they checked the FX rates recently?

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/chart/usdthb=x

But do you really know the reason for the bhats climb, how about money coming in from countries that no have a 0 interest rate. People want to make some money so they invest in a safe country which happens to be Thailand.

[Magenta408]

They still have not understood that a 14 day quanrantine period is still far too long when some countries  are now talking at a quarantine period between 5-7 days. Even 10 days is far too long. It's a great racket with the cost sharing between hotels and others but few will be willing to pay this amount.

[Millcx]

What happens if you have NHS card that proves you have been vaccinated and when ??

[Fairynuff]

If I can speak as if I was a tourist, I would only be traveling to a country that doesn’t have the hoops to jump even before arriving. So as for a country that insists on quarantine.... definitely not. I believe my opinion would be that of the majority l

[The Now Factor]

 

 

I almost lost my coffee reading the headline.

[Caldera]

They've attracted something like 800 tourists already, surely they can attract a few thousand more... Meh.

 

[mal2018]

8 minutes ago, Millcx said:

What happens if you have NHS card that proves you have been vaccinated and when ??

At the moment? Nothing! It only means that you are a mug for accepting an untested poison.

[dallen52]

Its expensive. 

100k baht minimum. 

Majority of the people returning are retirement or expats. 

Some business people. 

NO incentive to holiday. 

The place is in decay thanks to the government action. 

Ive been 10 months in Melbourne and paying for the double life. 

I had to bite the bullet financially and do it.

$5000 for me.

 

And the visa fiasco and insurance required..

Just <deleted>. 

[The Now Factor]

9 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Countries Without Quarantine – Which Countries Allow Quarantine Free Travel?

 

https://blog.wego.com/countries-without-quarantine/

I can fly to the U.S today no 14 day stint,no restrictions.Thank you very much.

 

[epicking]

as long as there are a quarantine, few tourists will come.
I use to go every 6-8 weeks for 2 weeks. Havent been back since June and not going before there is ZERO quarantine.

[joecoolfrog]

10 hours ago, mlkik said:

Only long stay tourists will come as no short time tourists will pay for 15 nights in quarantene. However the Thai government must keep quarantene as it is essential to prevent a covid outbreak here.

They are now having a problem from Thai workers returning from Myanmar and sneaking back into the country and not quarantening and being found positive.

I am now on my 3rd day in a ASQ in Bangkok and have no complaints as I have just come fro the UK where 60,000 people have died from covid 19.

Fine , but the point is for how long should quarantine stay ?

The Thai administration know they have to open up at some stage next year.

[kotsak]

27 minutes ago, moe666 said:

But do you really know the reason for the bhats climb, how about money coming in from countries that no have a 0 interest rate. People want to make some money so they invest in a safe country which happens to be Thailand.

Yes, which is a double edged sword of course..

 

[MrMo]

It does not matter where they want to go, INTERNATIOINAL "tourists" will go to which ever country offers them the better deal for them.   The outcome on the host country will depend on the controls and restrictions that country enforces.

 

All the host countries need to ensure is that they are protecting the people living under its' banner (be they nationals or "residents") to the best of the country's abilities.

 

I can be dramatically critical of many aspects of the government in Thailand but on Covid they have been brilliant.

 

Sure, many expats wish visits from their families and friends and / or wish to go visit them.   

 

If you can't understand that nature actually creates the conditions under which we live, stop spouting unconsidered, selfish clat-trap rubbish on this site.

 

Just keep people safe.

[mlkik]

14 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

Fine , but the point is for how long should quarantine stay ?

The Thai administration know they have to open up at some stage next year.

Quarantene should stay as long as this virus is a threat to Thailand and the population. If it is only a holiday and you are not returning to your home in Thailand then why not just go elsewhere?

I would not fly in this pandemic for a holiday ,the only reson I flew was to return to my home in Thailand.

[Searat7]

The quarantine time might get reduced but not eliminated until vaccine is available. My big question is what will be the requirements for those from western countries who have been properly vaccinated ?  I think we will have earlier access to vaccine than most Thai people and there is no way I would accept a 15 day quarantine after waiting so long for vaccine.

[Russel]

As long as  the quarantine at expensive facilities and the covid certificate that must be issued 72 hours before departure will remains in place no one will came