CCSA offers incentives like visa extension to make up for 14 days lost in quarantine

[elgenon]

20 hours ago, SGD said:

So the exemption is still 30 days, only extendable once (presumably) for another 30 days and then that is it.

 

No mention of 45 days or 45 + 30 or 45 + 45 or anything else concerning exemption entry.

 

And before you say it, yes I know how to get a visa but I want to go in the next 2 weeks and over Xmas in the UK, there is zero chance of a passport going back and forth and a visa coming back with it.

Yes, they didn't say a 30 day extension is possible. I wouldn't assume anything.

[Stargeezr]

How about doing like Mexico, and ask for a passport, then thanks the people for visiting

Thailand for how ever long they want to stay  without needing any visa?  Okay  I am

dreaming. TIT.

Geezer

[bermondburi]

I mentioned this on another thread but I'm based in Saudi. To enter saudi you need a negative pcr, on arrival you sign a declaration saying you will download and register with a government app. This registers your quarantine location which is up to you. It could be your home, a hotel or whatever. There is a fine of up to 4,000,000 baht or 2 years in jail for non compliance. After 2 days you go to a government mass testing centre, which is free btw. Wait 1 day for your negative result and then you're good to go. 

 

Seems far more sensible to me. Things have been under control there for months. Cases are stable at around 100-200 a day. There has not been a mass outbreak because the country is open. 

 

I expect some people get corona between having the test in their home country and arriving in the destination country, but the vast majority don't. It's all about managing the virus. Something the Thais don't seem to get. They seem to think they can eliminate it. 

[Miami007]

4 hours ago, mike1967 said:

I'm a bit confused. They say you won't need a visa if travelling from the 56 countries but a VOA is still not available. What is it you actually need?

It depends what citizenship you have.

If a citizen of these 56 countries, you can enter without a visa (like before).. just have to stay in quarantine for 14 days (They are not mentioning changes to covid insurance or negative test before departure - so they seem to be still required)

Some countries used to get VOA at BKK airports. That is not possible. You have to get a visa in your home country

[orchidfan]

5 hours ago, dr_lucas said:

 

What smart wristbands? Has anyone actually got those since November 1st or are they still just in the planning stage? 

And you don't add Mandarin. It's a spoken language using the same Chinese "characters" as Cantonese etc....".traditional" or "simplified"

[Miami007]

1 hour ago, grumpy 4680 said:

                                   Countries with rampant covid crisis.

                              How much madder can a Government get.

         If the corrupt Government officials gave back all they have pilfered, there would be no panic for tourist's to return.

The rampant covid crisis has 2% of the population infected at the moment (as most recovered). Again, 2%, which means 2 people out of 100 you meet on the street.

Plus most infected have no symptoms- in 2019, we called these people healthy.

Everyone is acting like covid infects 90% of the population and kills every infected person.

Learn to live with it and manage it... can't eradicate the virus

[JeffP]

Stepping in the right direction for sure but, average people can I’ll afford 2 weeks spending money on ASQs then have a holiday. It’s not just the money poorly spent on ASQs but even with the visa extension to 45 days, most people don’t have that amount of holiday entitlement. I know it is up to Thailand how it governs itself but, stop chopping and changing from one bad idea to the next. Just an opinion.

[sambum]

"cut down on the fees private hospitals are charging for Covid-19 tests. Private hospitals, which have been contracted to test people in alternative state quarantine (ASQ), have been asking the government for more funds."

 

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

[agood1963]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

CCSA offers incentives like visa extension to make up for 14 days lost in quarantine

But still have the huge quarantine costs , they have opened it up to more countries because no one took the offer up for the STV rip off .

[Jaye Mak Mak]

22 hours ago, RR2020 said:

I see British Airways has  just cancelled all Bangkok flights until 1st November 2021.    Thai Airways remains "shut down".........no point them starting up until the country opens up.

 

BA was never on the RTE approved airline list, so that makes sense.

[Raphus]

All airline companies are waiting for solid news from governments in different countries. Once they fully open to tourism, flights will not resume. Simple.

The government doesn’t see this !!!

[spidermike007]

Total nonsense. Any program requiring quarantine will attract at most, 50,000 tourists per year. The $100 billion (yes, about 3.3 trillion baht!) Thailand takes in from tourism annually reverberates out in countless ways. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. Sorry to inform you, Prayuth. But when you run a nation built upon a foundation that only protects the elite, the super wealthy, those that are well connected, those in power, and a spectacularly corrupt army, and then you reach out to nations that observe the rules of law and order for help, you get ignored, scorned, and ridiculed. Nobody is listening to you these days, much less Interpol. You are NOT a serious man. 90% of Thailand knows this, and most of the world does too. 6 years has proven that time and time again.

This hapless administration needs to develop some courage and initiative. They can't hide from the world forever. Extreme timidity from supposedly tough men is an amusing thing to witness. However, the pain they are inflicting on millions is not. Millions will remain out of work, possibly for years to come. And they are assuming when they finally do open up, the tourists will come flooding in. The old TCU (Thailand is the center of the universe) mentality. Not so. The longer they wait, the harder it will be to get them back. 20 million at most, during our lifetimes. If they are fortunate. That means thousands of hotels will go under. It will have a minor effect on some very wealthy people. But, who will carry the burden of most of this? The common man.

The authorities should be begging the tourists that are here to stay. And others to come. Free, unlimited visas, 10,000 baht hotel vouchers, and free meals. An immigration officer will come to your hotel to renew your visa, to show our appreciation, of your continued support. Half price air tickets for domestic travel. Princely treatment. Thank you so much for helping to rescue our economy and our people. Are these nitwits even capable of learning and evolving? It would appear not. A truly regressive administration.

What can one say? Desperation is setting in. Heads are going to roll. Just returned from Samui. Utter devastation. 90% of the businesses on the beach road were closed, and hundreds of hotels are closed and for sale, at half price. Trillions of baht are going to be lost here. Annually. Tourism will NEVER recover. Not in our lifetimes. Too much timidity. Too much cowardice. Too little juice and creativity. Such small minds.

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. First they need to figure out a way to attract tourism, WITHOUT quarantine. That is fairly simple. A very reliable lab based test in the home nation, with test results before you board the plane. Then a simple antigen test at the airport. It takes 15 minutes for results. Sure, Thailand would have to invest in the test kits. Some general would have to be willing to part with a few million dollars. Each test itself, only cost $5 with the new Abbott test, which is available now.

Then they could get on to reform. Sacrifices need to be made. I do not hear ANY discussion about what sacrifices Thailand is willing to make, to get the tourists, and that multi trillion baht cash cow back.
 

[seancbk]

19 hours ago, batata said:

who is stupid enough to book a 30 day vacation but has the right to enjoy only 15 days out of it  and having to spend the other 15 days in a supervised "jail" and paying for it

Book a 45 day holiday and enjoy the free 15 day visa extension after you leave quarantine.   Simple.

[yeahbutif]

Confused....say a person comes from UK can come for 30days extended to 45.but don't need a visa ?but no visa on arrival.VOA ? So what's do I need?

[Bluedan]

I think they do get it. I dont believe that they are really that stupid. They know tourists won't come as long as quarantine is required.

 

They are paid to pretend that they are doing something. Its a performance for the locals suffering from a shattered economy who are given some hope. Quite often after such announcements are made I hear Thais saying "I heard  tourists will be coming back soon". 

 

 

[Bluedan]

16 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Total nonsense. Any program requiring quarantine will attract at most, 50,000 tourists per year. The $100 billion (yes, about 3.3 trillion baht!) Thailand takes in from tourism annually reverberates out in countless ways. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. Sorry to inform you, Prayuth. But when you run a nation built upon a foundation that only protects the elite, the super wealthy, those that are well connected, those in power, and a spectacularly corrupt army, and then you reach out to nations that observe the rules of law and order for help, you get ignored, scorned, and ridiculed. Nobody is listening to you these days, much less Interpol. You are NOT a serious man. 90% of Thailand knows this, and most of the world does too. 6 years has proven that time and time again.

This hapless administration needs to develop some courage and initiative. They can't hide from the world forever. Extreme timidity from supposedly tough men is an amusing thing to witness. However, the pain they are inflicting on millions is not. Millions will remain out of work, possibly for years to come. And they are assuming when they finally do open up, the tourists will come flooding in. The old TCU (Thailand is the center of the universe) mentality. Not so. The longer they wait, the harder it will be to get them back. 20 million at most, during our lifetimes. If they are fortunate. That means thousands of hotels will go under. It will have a minor effect on some very wealthy people. But, who will carry the burden of most of this? The common man.

The authorities should be begging the tourists that are here to stay. And others to come. Free, unlimited visas, 10,000 baht hotel vouchers, and free meals. An immigration officer will come to your hotel to renew your visa, to show our appreciation, of your continued support. Half price air tickets for domestic travel. Princely treatment. Thank you so much for helping to rescue our economy and our people. Are these nitwits even capable of learning and evolving? It would appear not. A truly regressive administration.

What can one say? Desperation is setting in. Heads are going to roll. Just returned from Samui. Utter devastation. 90% of the businesses on the beach road were closed, and hundreds of hotels are closed and for sale, at half price. Trillions of baht are going to be lost here. Annually. Tourism will NEVER recover. Not in our lifetimes. Too much timidity. Too much cowardice. Too little juice and creativity. Such small minds.

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. First they need to figure out a way to attract tourism, WITHOUT quarantine. That is fairly simple. A very reliable lab based test in the home nation, with test results before you board the plane. Then a simple antigen test at the airport. It takes 15 minutes for results. Sure, Thailand would have to invest in the test kits. Some general would have to be willing to part with a few million dollars. Each test itself, only cost $5 with the new Abbott test, which is available now.

Then they could get on to reform. Sacrifices need to be made. I do not hear ANY discussion about what sacrifices Thailand is willing to make, to get the tourists, and that multi trillion baht cash cow back.
 

I agree with your assessment of this government. But history has shown again and again that these people don't govern for the people and there is only one goal...remain in power and continue to bleed the country dry. Why would they change now?

[Percy P]

But as you my have read there are people in quarantine who have come out positive during there 14 day quarantine . So what you are saying these people wouldn't have been positive if they havent been in quarantine. 

[bullseye66]

18 hours ago, smedly said:

They still aren't getting it

 

It's hard to believe that government ministers running a country can be so delusional 

 

Most people I know come here for a 2-3 week holiday (mostly 2 week), very few can take 4 weeks and for sure not 6 weeks 

 

exception being those who are self employed or retired 

I usually go for 6/8 weeks. And I wouldn't go at the moment to spend 15 days <deleted> about in lockdown in quarentine. I'll save my cash and return when it's open without quarentine. Be it end of 2021, mid 2022...... whatever. That's if anything is left after that length of time shut down of course.

[Donga]

I don't know of any country which has successfully managed Covid to have opened up yet, so Thailand is not alone. Believe Singapore is probably leading the charge in Asia.

Frustrating sure, but not surprising.

Hoping to get back in March/April ????????

[Salerno]

1 hour ago, yeahbutif said:

Confused....say a person comes from UK can come for 30days extended to 45.but don't need a visa ?but no visa on arrival.VOA ? So what's do I need?

 

If, in your scenario, you are British (as in hold a British passport) you have never need a VOA (visa on arrival). A VOA is totally different to what you get which is entry visa exempt.

[hotchilli]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:33 PM, webfact said:

He said the new testing system may offer authorities an incentive to reduce the mandatory quarantine period from 14 to 10 days, though nothing is clear as yet.

It never has been.

[desert dueller]

I think people have got the entire quarantine versus opening of borders slightly mixed up.

 

AFAIK, the current vaccines now being issued in the US and UK, do nothing more than innoculate the recipient from actually getting ill. By definition, they become asymptomatic in the process. However, and most importantly, the current state of info re these vaccines clearly states that the recipients of same remain contagious.

 

So, for a host country opening its borders and exposing its population to foreigners, the innoculation of any arriving visitors is immaterial. They still represent a risk of contaminating the local population - unless the latter has been vaccinated itself to a reasonable percentage level, which depends on the government risk assessment and resulting policy. That could take a very long time.

 

To therefore argue, like some do on this forum, that vaccinated tourists should be immediately admitted to Thailand with or without quarantine is total nonsense. 

 

The only potential impact on the current set of Thai entry rules and regulations of a vaccinated entrant would be to cancel the covid insurance requirement.

 

As to quarantine, since vaccinated visitors would be asymptomatic, any period of compulsory quarantine would be rendered useless as there would never be a determination of any vaccinated person carrying the virus - and thereby potentially contaminating the unvaccinated population. 

 

The upshot of all this is that anyone currently planning to travel to - in our case - Thailand should not get vaccinated in their home country and rather enter Thailand through quarantine, which would determine their ultimate covid status and threat to the local population. Quarantine, in a perverse sort of way, is therefore the option that is most likely to ensure entry to the country.

 

If vaccination, once rolled out, becomes mandatory for resident expats in Thailand in order to obtain local visa extensions, then there is no choice. However, suchg a requirement in the absence of a broad vaccination of the local population to an acceptable government level (80-90%) could have a sting in the tail if such residents leave and subsequently wish to re-enter Thailand.

 

Based on the premise of ongoing contagiousness of vaccinated persons, my take is that an opening of Thai borders with or without quarantine will be at least 12-18 months away - provided the Thai government is acutely and competently aware of what the current vaccines on offer can do and what they cannot do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[djuiiy]

17 hours ago, bermondburi said:

They just don't get it. You can give all the extra time in the world but no tourist in their right mind is going to pay through the nose to spend 15 nights of their holiday in jail. 

 

I'm in quarantine right now. It's shxx. I'm only doing it because I've got 9 weeks off work and I've not seen my family since January. I'm still pixxxd off at losing those 15 nights. 

 

I came on a 777 with Emirates. There were maybe 30 people on the whole plane. 

 

You can dress it up any way you like but quarantine = no tourists. 

Which country have you arrived in?

[bermondburi]

7 minutes ago, djuiiy said:

Which country have you arrived in?

I'm in Thailand right now. Hotel is in Samut Prakan somewhere. 

[Pancho]

Same Same but different.

 

 

It would be good for the government to help the Thai people who are desperate. $$$

[djuiiy]

>I'm in Thailand right now. Hotel is in Samut Prakan somewhere. 

So you must have a family permit. I am willing to do 14 days quarantine simply because my life this year has been mostly stuck in virtual prison in my bedroom on my computer. To be stuck in prison for 14 days would be a nice change of scenery. But I think I'm lacking any way of getting a permit. I don't have a family in Thailand. Could I get in for medical treatment?

Edited December 18, 2020 by djuiiy

[natway09]

This total "news feed" just says,

We know the problems, but at this time we can't fix it.

Mind you, not sure I would know how at this time anymore than they do

[Salerno]

21 minutes ago, djuiiy said:

So you must have a family permit. I am willing to do 14 days quarantine simply because my life this year has been mostly stuck in virtual prison in my bedroom on my computer. To be stuck in prison for 14 days would be a nice change of scenery. But I think I'm lacking any way of getting a permit. I don't have a family in Thailand. Could I get in for medical treatment?

 

Guessing you haven't been keeping up with developments. Plenty of ways to get back in now, where are you from?

[djuiiy]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

 

Guessing you haven't been keeping up with developments. Plenty of ways to get back in now, where are you from?

England. You are right, I've just assumed its not possible for an average person with no special circumstances to get back in. How can it be done? Thanks
 

[Salerno]

5 minutes ago, djuiiy said:

England

 

In that case you can come back as as you normally used to (visa-wise that is, obviously quarantine, COE, health insurance etc. still required), visa exempt is even allowed again (45 days instead of 30).

 

Check with the Thai embassy website in UK and ensure you book allowed flights. Also worth keeping an eye on UK travel restrictions to make sure any insurance will be valid.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Salerno