It’s official: Thai govt approves plans to re-open to foreign tourists

[crazykopite]

If you’ve been vaccinated there is no need to even do one day in quarantine it’s utter madness no tourist is going to come and spend 7 days in quarantine when they are only here for two or three weeks and let’s face it those who come to Phuket in July how are they going to be stopped hiring a scooter and doing a trip to Samui or another part of the Kingdom has April fool come a day early this year ????????????????

[Pravda]

Australians should feel at home in Phuket. 

[sirineou]

4 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

lets just say the situation is as fluid as the covid rate in the US, presently starting the 4th wave. With more states removing mask mandates and folks gathering with no regards to health combined with the virus's tendency of striking down younger people this is far from over. Don't count on Thailand relaxing anything with a country heading towards an out of control disease rate. With your CDC head pleading to purposely deaf folks, it doesn't bode well for the future..

All that you say is true , but I don't need count Thailand relaxing anything, already they have relaxed quarantine to 10 days , and now 7 days. 

We want to take advantage and return now, because as we both agree , with people being irresponsible, things could take a turn for the worst , and they might tighten up again.

But as of now , things are relaxed. We are shipping some of our stuff tomorrow, and making arrangement to be there late April , early May (pending  on expedition of paperwork, and taking care of some other business )

[sirineou]

9 minutes ago, wordchild said:

Thanks, yes i understand that, i was really thinking about the future, next year and beyond. As of now we are resigned to no travel outside Thailand at least for this year.

Are kids going to be (effectively) prevented from travelling again until there is an approved vaccine for the under 16s? that could be a couple of years away.

For sure , i would not want to subject my children to a 10 day quarantine.

It has been announced that starting July tourists will be allowed to visit certain areas such as Phuket with no Quarantine. Also starting Octobers the quarantine will be eliminated everywhere.

Of course all these could change if there is a flare up of covid in Thailand,  Lets keep out fingers crossed. 

After we get back to Thailand from the US, me and the wife are planning to go to Greece for vacation in August and return in October when there is no quarantine. But of course we will keep an eye on changing situations and adjust accordingly.    

 

[FritsSikkink]

4 hours ago, Big Yuley said:

So from July if i go to Phuket for say 10 days, after the 10 days can i then travel to other parts of the country?

 

 

Yes

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Yes

you should try qualifying that a little...........................yes?

[FritsSikkink]

3 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

 

 Some muppet thought everyone (well, only gov workers actually benefit) needs a week off for Songkran this year so it'll probably be worse this time.

 

What are you on about with only government workers benefit? Loads of other workers benefit.

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, Bkk Brian said:

you should try qualifying that a little...........................yes?

Was in several other new items over the past weeks.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, Sydneydave said:

So when will non vaccinated tourists be able to visit without quarantine? 

 

I hope never

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Was in several other new items over the past weeks.

What are you talking about, this has only just been approved. If a vaccinated tourist goes to the Phuket Sandbox model then where does it say he can also travel anywhere else in Thailand without quarantine?

[Jimbo2014]

Dont you need to have a vaccinated population to open up like this?... seems that will be sometime next year at the earliest.

[FritsSikkink]

33 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

They missed out one big problem, well, maybe not to them. There are NO PLANES !

There are planes

[sirineou]

Just now, Jimbo2014 said:

Dont you need to have a vaccinated population to open up like this?... seems that will be sometime next year at the earliest.

No because they are talking about vaccinated tourists, that have completed their vaccine regiment for at least 14 days but no more than three months, and present little danger to the general population. 

[FritsSikkink]

4 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

What are you talking about, this has only just been approved. If a vaccinated tourist goes to the Phuket Sandbox model then where does it say he can also travel anywhere else in Thailand without quarantine?

The plans have just been approved but they talk about the plans way before that. 

Like I said the plans where in the news way before they where approved, read a bit more.

[mrfill]

3 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

It will probably include this list.

 

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana and Tanzania.

 

The Ministry of Public Health says they’ll update the list every 2 weeks.

 

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/11-countries-must-still-do-full-14-day-asq-quarantine-when-travelling-to-thailand

 

So nothing to do with number of infections then.

Yesterdays figures show the number of new cases for the entire continent of Africa was 11049. That is less than any one of Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Turkey, India, USA and Brazil, whose tourists will, no doubt, be welcomed.

[Nsp64]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

This a good question. My guess is the other sandboxes would need to have been vaccinated in preparation for their turn so flying to Chiang Mai or Pattaya etc would probably be OK but traveling to a village in issan may not. 

What's a sandbox ????

[sirineou]

Just now, mrfill said:

 

So nothing to do with number of infections then.

Yesterdays figures show the number of new cases for the entire continent of Africa was 11049. That is less than any one of Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Turkey, India, USA and Brazil, whose tourists will, no doubt, be welcomed.

Nothing to do with the number of infections since this program is geared towards vaccinated people. They are worried about variants that might be resistant to the current vaccines available. 

[CharlieH]

Inflammatory remark and response removed.

[Bkk Brian]

14 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

The plans have just been approved but they talk about the plans way before that. 

Like I said the plans where in the news way before they where approved, read a bit more.

I read plenty thats why I'm asking you, show me one article where its confirmed vaccinated tourists arriving in Phuket can then travel to anywhere else in Thailand without quarantine. There are none, simple as that.

[Kadilo]

2 hours ago, Big Yuley said:

 

So BKK is going to be out until 2022 by the looks of things.

I can see the Phuket sandbox working as its an island and can be monitored re people leaving.

 

However, lets take Pattaya for example.

I have a thai phone and Aussie number.

I arrive at BKK, down load required app on my thai phone. 

Travel to Pattaya and check in to my Patts hotel which i have booked for 14 days.

After about 10 days, i say to myself, i want to go to BKK for a few days. Leave thai phone in hotel room in Patts.

Get my taxi driver to driver me to Bkk and check  into hotel for 2 or 3 nights in BKK.

Plenty of ways out of Chonburi to get to Bangkok. 

 

So the Thai authorities think im in Pattaya as my phone is siting in Avani Pattaya but im at Landmark Hotel in BKK and heading to Nana Plaza.

 

I see some problems with that,

Cheers for that. 
just off to buy another phone. 

[Bkk Brian]

26 minutes ago, mrfill said:

 

So nothing to do with number of infections then.

Yesterdays figures show the number of new cases for the entire continent of Africa was 11049. That is less than any one of Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Turkey, India, USA and Brazil, whose tourists will, no doubt, be welcomed.

More to do with the South African strain

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists who intend to visit the aforementioned destinations will still have to undergo quarantine but only for 7 days rather than the 14 days mandatory quarantine needed previously.

Still a non-starter then.

[Brett2k3]

Need clarification on kids not  vaccinated coming with adults been vaccinated

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

From 1 July, vaccinated tourists will be able to visit Phuket without the need to quarantine.

Makes sense... as long as the population of Phuket has been inoculated 100%.... and anyone who travels there and wishes to go elsewhere in Thailand Thais or tourists..

[AussieinThaiJim]

5 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Sounds great. Pity Australia aren't vaccinating anyone under 70 until June, with 12 week wait for 2nd dose. 

 

Think I'll do the 10 days quarantine and get the vax in Thailand

The role out of vaccinations in Aus is dismal. 40-60% of the vaccinations in each state!  Wait for 3 months for the second vaccination? I don’t think 10,000 Baht from a Thai private hospital sounds too bad!

[natway09]

Putting the chicken before the egg here a little aren't they ?

Better to wait 1 month (or two) & have a vaccination drive first otherwise all the good work will probably come to nothing.

Not negative, just a realist

[HashBrownHarry]

5 hours ago, ozfarang said:

 

Exactly what I am going to do, leave in May

 

Not waiting for the totally shambolic rollout of the vaccine here in Australia for the saving of 3 days quarantine

How do you know when the vaccine will be available privately to buy in thailand?

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

and a point I have made before, what about the 30% of Phuket that is NOT vaccinated? Without the vaccine being available privately, we know most if not all foreigners will be in that boat.

I did see a post regarding a previous government release on vaccinations in Phuket and who would get them, and it was pointed out that the vaccinations were only for Thai nationals.

 

So there is still element of danger for the poor old expat, unless private vaccinations can be sought and bought.

[ozfarang]

5 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

How do you know when the vaccine will be available privately to buy in thailand?

I don't

 

I will wait, got plenty of time as I will be back home in the place I want to be with my family

[Goldpanner]

Can Thai's still move around the country without restriction?