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

[herfiehandbag]

Frankly I think that the old days (off the aeroplane, whizz through immigration, pick up your bags and out for a taxi) are gone for good. This Government have now got the taste for controlling tourists, paperwork, registration, tracking etc. What is more those who have influence with this government have moved into the game with providing (and profiting from) quarantine facilities, insurance policies and medical services.

 

They are attempting to reset the tourist industry to a pattern they understand, can control and profit from.

 

Currently the industry is as dead as the Monty Python parrot. There will be no resurrection with this regime in place.

 

No one will come. Simple as that.

Edited December 9, 2020 by herfiehandbag

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

1 hour ago, geisha said:

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. ?

You raise a good point I haven't seen mentioned.   It's true the Thai government may not require It's citizens to show a negative test but the airline they fly with might so it isn't entirely accurate when people say all Thais are returning without being tested.  It depends on the airline you can depart the US on Qatar as one example without being tested as long as the destination country doesn't require the test.  A Thai returning from the US  on Emirates doesn't need a test but would need one for example if departing Hungary or Czech Republic according to this -

 

https://www.emirates.com/us/english/help/covid-19/

[sungod]

4 hours ago, RR2020 said:

 

People "stuck" in the UK are jumping on planes to the Caribbean, to the Canary Islands, to Greece and to loads of hot sunny places where there is NO QUARANTINE.

 

 

Ha ha, Greece, Canary islands, personally I prefer Thailand, all about choice though.

 

Where are you seeing out the winter?

[jerolamo]

What do they not understand and how long time they need to understand why ?

Incredible, but factual.

[jerolamo]

8 minutes ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

You raise a good point I haven't seen mentioned.   It's true the Thai government may not require It's citizens to show a negative test but the airline they fly with might so it isn't entirely accurate when people say all Thais are returning without being tested.  It depends on the airline you can depart the US on Qatar as one example without being tested as long as the destination country doesn't require the test.  A Thai returning from the US  on Emirates doesn't need a test but would need one for example if departing Hungary or Czech Republic according to this -

 

https://www.emirates.com/us/english/help/covid-19/

by the time, you can also be tested positive with Sars-cov-2 virus and never be seek with COVID-19 (most of the positive tested people) and also never propagate sars-cov-2.

But to see this true fact, you need to live in a country who test a lot and where doctors can be free to speak.

[sungod]

1 hour ago, ricorose said:

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?

Then this visa is not aimed at them, think you are on the wrong thread mate, this is the long term STV visa, you are talking about visa exempt for 30 days in which case you may have a point.

[David Garden]

Do they will come ?

Of course everybody know the answer :   NO

But a lot of people still try to play they believe in Santa Claus, maybe because it is Christmas time ?

[Wytchend]

OMG please wake up Thailand? You are not a 5 star country. No one is coming until you remove the quarantine. I love Thailand, & I'm a frequent visitor, but I will not pay for your games. You will get nothing until you open up. Please prove me wrong, but 39,000,000 tourists agree with me?

[MayPutThai]

If it would be sure to get the CoE before booking flight and hotel, it would make it much easier.

Who want to go through that pain in the ass and probably lose the money as tourist if any fly <deleted> can denied your CoE?

[thetravelbee]

My husband and I have been regular visitors for the past 20 years. We spend, on average, 4 months a year. We will never return to Thailand again at least until the country they gets rid of the idiotic and abusive paperwork and remove the mandatory qurantine nonesense. A negative test, a mask and appropriate physical distancing and hand hygiene should absolutely suffice. 

Thailand used to be a very nice and relaxing retreat for excaping european cold winter months. Now it is just sounds like a nightmare, and a very costly one at that. NO WAY!

[P100]

I don't see any significant change. Quarantine. Covid insurance. Visa. Where is the easing???

[Jumbo1968]

2 hours ago, Straight8 said:

Another one not coming back until quarantine is lifted.

And until Thais are also tested prior to the flight, why pay out/waste money to have a Covid test only to be on a plane with people who have not been tested ?

[newnative]

    Ok.  It's just not sinking in.  I suggest they all go to a tattoo parlor and ask to have 'No Tourists Until No Quarantine' tattooed someplace convenient as a reminder.   They might get a few more long-stays with the new policy tweak but no actual tourists on typical 5 to 10 day visits. 

[Jumbo1968]

2 hours ago, The Now Factor said:

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

 

If you return from the Thailand to the U.K. from Thailand no quarantine is necessary as Thailand is deemed a safe place.

[mlkik]

1 minute ago, Jumbo1968 said:

If you return from the Thailand to the U.K. from Thailand no quarantine is necessary as Thailand is deemed a safe place.

But the UK is not safe!

[djayz]

12 hours ago, bdenner said:

Is there anyone within the TAT, or Junta for that matter, have idea what which hand is playing with the 'pud'?

No. Plain and simple. 

[Jumbo1968]

6 minutes ago, mlkik said:

But the UK is not safe!

It’s safe if you stick by the recommendations, wear a mask, social distance and hygiene, unfortunately some Brits don’t appear to understand that.

[lastminutebozo]

What they should do is, empty an island. Get foreign volunteers/paid workers/military run the island. It won't be the same but I bet a lotta people would come.

[SuwadeeS]

4 hours ago, Thaifly88 said:

The baht is where it is for a good reason - Thailand has little foreign debt and a strong economy (apart from the decimated tourist industry which accounts for around 20% if GDP, the other 80% is holding things up) but you’re right , many people cannot afford Thailand anymore.T

The Thai economy is strong??? Sure not.

Over the last 12 month I have seen uncountable shops went bankrupt.

There are millions of unemployed people.

 

Further, all these figures and number from the government....

You can believe, or you don't believe....

[LeoCesar]

Tourists will probably go elswhere I think.

I dont count chinese ppl as tourists.

And we who have home and family in Thailand should be safer to quarantine at home.

I refuse to go to a state chosen hotel thats probably owned by corrupt polititian mafia

family member.

 

[koolkarl]

Take a look at the aqi map for all of Thailand.  Only 3 spots in the very south where the air quality is acceptable.

The rest of the country is slowly getting sick breathing constant air pollution.  Who would want to pay for 2 weeks expensive

quarantine, stick up the nose 4 times, pay for 2 types of overpriced insurance who won't pay a claim anyways and then

breath some of the most polluted air on this planet, all year?  The politicians need to wake up.

[daejung]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Crucially, this means visitors will still have to quarantine for 14 days. 

Tourists will not come back as long as there is quarantine. Only some long term visitors will

[onebir]

11 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

breath some of the most polluted air on this planet, all year?  The politicians need to wake up.

I haven't done an exhaustive check*, but in some places (eg here) the PM2.5 levels are 'only' bad for about 4 months a year.

 

*If anyone knows where to get historical data for city-level averages, please post.

[onebir]

39 minutes ago, lastminutebozo said:

What they should do is, empty an island. Get foreign volunteers/paid workers/military run the island.

Fantasy Island... or ASQ Island?

[lavezzi]

1 hour ago, P100 said:

I don't see any significant change. Quarantine. Covid insurance. Visa. Where is the easing???

 

I can stay in thailand 270 days with STV and not 90 day with TV.

The funny things why was STV blocked from risky country while TV was available

[ChoakMyDee]

7 hours ago, tingtongfarang said:

Reality is tourism was going down

 before covid, They turned it into a place nobody wanted to go...the way they treated tourist they dont deserve any

 

This is true. None of my offshore buddies want to go to Thailand any more. I have a wife and daughter there so I will go back when I can but none of my friends want to come visit any more.

[shdmn]

I currently want to go to Thailand for medical reasons (medical tourism).  The 14 day quarantine is definitely a deal breaker for me.  I am getting it done elsewhere because of that 14 day quarantine.  So thailand is losing thousands of dollars of my business.  There must be hundreds of thousands of people just like me so that adds up to millions and millions of dollars lost. 

 

With all the other restrictions and testing a quarantine is not necessary imo.  I don't care how nice the overpriced hotel is or how good the overpriced food is or how easy it is to order delivery or whatever.

Edited December 9, 2020 by shdmn

[mlkik]

4 minutes ago, shdmn said:

I currently want to go to Thailand for medical reasons (medical tourism).  The 14 day quarantine is definitely a deal breaker for me.  I am getting it done elsewhere because of that 14 day quarantine.  So thailand is losing thousands of dollars of my business.  There must be tens of thousands of people just like me so that adds up to millions and millions of dollars lost. 

 

Drop the stupid quarantine.  With all the other restrictions and testing it's not necessary imo.  I don't care how nice the hotel is or how good the food is or whatever.  You are not allowed to leave the hotel for 14 days and that is no different that prison.

Drop the stupid quarantene ????? How many people have died in the US ? They of course do not have stupid quarantene.

[shdmn]

Just now, mlkik said:

Drop the stupid quarantene ????? How many people have died in the US ? They of course do not have stupid quarantene.

They don't have much of anything in place including competent leadership and that is the problem.  Also, 30% of Americans are obese.  60% are overweight.    Those are major contributing factors.  Something the media has chosen to ignore.  

[madmen]

10 minutes ago, shdmn said:

I currently want to go to Thailand for medical reasons (medical tourism).  The 14 day quarantine is definitely a deal breaker for me.  I am getting it done elsewhere because of that 14 day quarantine.  So thailand is losing thousands of dollars of my business.  There must be hundreds of thousands of people just like me so that adds up to millions and millions of dollars lost. 

 

With all the other restrictions and testing a quarantine is not necessary imo.  I don't care how nice the overpriced hotel is or how good the overpriced food is or whatever.

doubt it