Expats’ anger and dismay at dual pricing for rapid COVID test in Phuket

[digibum]

 

9 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

In countries  that can afford it bail outs, loans, subsidies, rescue packages were  organised ultimately to be paid for by all..Phuket and all regions should be getting more help.

 

I think the Thai government should have done waaaay more to help Thai people and businesses, but via organized programs like loans, subsidies to keep employers from laying off workers, etc. 

 

I do not think Phuket's tourism is so strategic to the national interests of the country that they need to take precedence in getting vaccine doses that they should the people who at the highest risk.  I also don't think that the country should take serioulsy most of Phuket's return to tourism proposals that are guaranteed to result in another outbreak. 

 

[digibum]

9 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

It called promotion. Certainly  offering free testing would not have reduced numbers and would I think, have been a good gimmick. Great publicity. A talking point. A smart act of self interested generosity that would have paid dividends...And as for the views of 'half the people on this forum'..I simply could not care less. Perhaps you do.

 

What's your background in tourism marketing? 

 

Being serious, because I've been in charge of marketing for several companies and this doesn't make any sense to me. 

 

The only way this is a viable campaign is if the campaign was part of a bigger campaign and this was a minor part. 

 

Like, "Phuket, Better Than Ever"

 

And that would have been combined with some infrastructure upgrades, maybe in conjunction with various hotels to offer deep discounts, heavy tourist police presence designed to promote friendliness and make people feel secure, coaching local bars and restaurants on how important hospitality is to get tourism going again - giving them signs to put up like they did with the "We're in this together" campaign, etc, etc, etc.  

 

It's not free covid tests.  Nobody is going to change their mind about Phuket based on a free covid test. 

 

Because the comedy of your suggestion is, nobody would even think about it if it was free.  The most people would say is, "Wow, I had to take a covid test when I arrived, but at least they didn't charge me for it." 

 

WOW, what a way to lure them back!!!!!  LOL. 

 

What would have people coming back is people talking about how cleaned up and friendly the place is.  How it seems different, but better. 

 

[digibum]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

And another one who thinks it is only about the money.  Many migrants with no money will have to pay as well just to travel for work.  It is the principle of the entire issue.  Yes what's good for the goose is good for the gander.  Treating g everyone equal during a pandemic trying to reach a location is proper. But then you think those of us railing about the inequity thinks it is about having to spend 500 thb. Nothing further from the truth. Take of your rose colored glasses and she it from a migrant workers perspective.  Sorry you don't think it is also about them when folks post.

 

Actually, no, I don't think it's all about the money.  I think it's mostly a disgusting level of entitlement. 

 

Quote

Many migrants with no money will have to pay as well just to travel for work.

 

What migrants?  Nobody is coming in from Myanmar right now.  This isn't a permanent policy.  It'll likely last no more than a few weeks while the country battles back the third wave.  Any migrants that are needed for work on the island are already on the island. 

 

Remember, Phuket was hosting raging parties just a couple of weeks ago.  They're staffed up for the amount of tourism they're expected to receive in the next few weeks. 

 

Plus unemployment on the island is high enough that if any hotels need extra staff, there are plenty of people who can cover it for a few weeks until things normalize. 

 

Quote

It is the principle of the entire issue

 

See, here comes the entitlement.  You're a guest in the country.  The only thing your visa entitles you to is permission to stay.  It doesn't entitle you to being treated the same as Thai people or to get free stuff that the Thai government is paying for. 

 

A large number of Thais need to cross into Phuket frequently for work (delivery drivers, Kerry Express, hotel workers, etc).  The vast, vast majority of foreigners going to Phuket in the next few weeks while this policy is in place are people with enough money to be traveling for tourism.

 

Maybe it's based on principle for the Thais too.  All these farangs constantly bragging about how valuable they are to the economy because of all of the money they spend, why can't they at least pay for their own covid test?  ????

 

Quote

Take of your rose colored glasses and she it from a migrant workers perspective.  Sorry you don't think it is also about them when folks post.

 

I'm trying to imagine the mental gymnastics it required to make this about migrant workers in order to justify a farang from a first-world country avoiding a $16 covid test to enter Phuket. 

 

It's hard to believe that you intended this to be about migrant workers when you felt compelled to throw in the fact this is about principle.  Principle has nothing to do with migrant workers.  Migrant workers simply can't afford it.  It's only a matter of principle for people who can easily afford it but don't feel they should have to pay. 

 

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, digibum said:

 

Actually, no, I don't think it's all about the money.  I think it's mostly a disgusting level of entitlement. 

 

 

What migrants?  Nobody is coming in from Myanmar right now.  This isn't a permanent policy.  It'll likely last no more than a few weeks while the country battles back the third wave.  Any migrants that are needed for work on the island are already on the island. 

 

Remember, Phuket was hosting raging parties just a couple of weeks ago.  They're staffed up for the amount of tourism they're expected to receive in the next few weeks. 

 

Plus unemployment on the island is high enough that if any hotels need extra staff, there are plenty of people who can cover it for a few weeks until things normalize. 

 

 

See, here comes the entitlement.  You're a guest in the country.  The only thing your visa entitles you to is permission to stay.  It doesn't entitle you to being treated the same as Thai people or to get free stuff that the Thai government is paying for. 

 

A large number of Thais need to cross into Phuket frequently for work (delivery drivers, Kerry Express, hotel workers, etc).  The vast, vast majority of foreigners going to Phuket in the next few weeks while this policy is in place are people with enough money to be traveling for tourism.

 

Maybe it's based on principle for the Thais too.  All these farangs constantly bragging about how valuable they are to the economy because of all of the money they spend, why can't they at least pay for their own covid test?  ????

 

 

I'm trying to imagine the mental gymnastics it required to make this about migrant workers in order to justify a farang from a first-world country avoiding a $16 covid test to enter Phuket. 

 

It's hard to believe that you intended this to be about migrant workers when you felt compelled to throw in the fact this is about principle.  Principle has nothing to do with migrant workers.  Migrant workers simply can't afford it.  It's only a matter of principle for people who can easily afford it but don't feel they should have to pay. 

 

And there he goes again not understanding the concept.  My GF's friends knowing that phukets tourism was restarting were planning on traveling to phuket to see if they could find jobs. They are from Myanmar. So you really think this is about just expats, try again and thanks for playing.  Love the fact that disagreeing with your personal views keeps you whining and moaning here on this forum.  Enjoy your day.

[Grusa]

14 hours ago, digibum said:

 

There's a little secret not too many farangs seem to know about.  There are other places on Phuket other than Patong. 

 

I went to Patong many years ago with my wife and she H-A-T-E-D Phuket afterwards.  Every time something came up and the topic of Phuket came up, she nixed it before I even got the full name out. 

 

But then a few people told her about Phuket Town and Rawai and other places on the island.  She started firing up YouTube videos and checking out websites about the other parts of Phuket and then out of the blue she asks if we can go to Phuket on holiday. 

 

Now she wants to move there. 

 

Seriously, if you hate Patong, get out of Patong.  Try other parts of the island. 

 

Hating Phuket because you dislike Patong is like hating Hawaii because you don't like Waikiki. 

 

I have visited and stayed at many parts of Phuket. My problem is not with Phuket as such - like any other geographical location it is very diverse. My problem is with the Phuket culture - its greed and corruption at every level of society. 

Yes I know there are a lot of very nice people and very nice places. I know many of them. But interaction with the local Mafia is sadly necessary if anything is to be done there.

[digibum]

1 hour ago, TKDfella said:

Entering a country is a little different from going to a different county within a country...or do you disagree with that. And yes, it was made quite clear to me 26 years ago that as an expat when I was in a group meeting at Nongkhai immigration. It was they who wanted to start meetings to hear expat's concerns and it all finished on the second meeting where they lectured us on what rights we did and didn't have.

 

It is only different because we've never seen anything like this before in recent history when widespread global and domestic travel was commonplace. 

 

That's the point I think people are missing.  Population groups can be safe by limiting exposure to infected people.  That's why stopping the first wave was so effective.  They turned off all incoming flow of people and the virus quickly burned out and we had several months with zero new infections (except those caught in quarantine when air travel was resumed). 

 

The same theory applies at the local and county/provincial level.  Several provinces already have mandatory quarantine if you arrive from a red zone.  Phuket has no quarantine but requires a covid test. 

 

Actually, for all of the grief I give Phuket for handling covid stupidly, this was probably one of their more reasonable decisions. 

 

They didn't want to have to quarantine large numbers of people who may not even be in Phuket for the length of the quarantine, so they opted to do a spot covid test which is less effective but is still a pretty decent preventative measure that seems to balance the needs of the people wanting to enter and the desire of the local population to stop the interoduction of new infectious people. 

 

Such is Thailand.  Each province handles things differently.  But, if you've been here 26 years, you should be well-aware of that and I'm not sure why you seem surprised by it now. 

[Henryford]

20 hours ago, digibum said:

 

Yes, I'm trying to imagine telling my Thai wife that I cancelled a vacation that she was looking forward to because I was protesting a 500 baht charge on principle.  LOL.  

 

Though, I would imagine, like most keyboard warriors and justice seekers, he made that part up.  It's the eternal threat of every farang to vote with their wallet, yet they never do it. 

 

How many have threatened to move?  How many have threatened to quit coming? 

 

Yet, years later, they're still on TVF complaining about the same things.  ????

 

 

My girlfriend agreed with me and was more than happy i didn't have to spend 2 weeks in a Government hostel. We will get a much better holiday somewhere else for half the price.

[Stargeezr]

Unless Phuket keeps people from the mail land from coming onto the Island of Phuket, it does not matter

just how many people in Phuket get the jab. The COVID will get onto the island, and if it is one of the variants,

the lot will get exposed to COVID, and masses of oxygen will have to quickly be brought in to the few hospitals on the island.

  Tourism will be a <deleted> shoot for the next 2 years.  I am actually curious of just how many people will be brave enough to

come to anywhere in Thailand until they are sure that they will holiday without a fear of getting COVID.  Getting all the

other diseases is scary enough, especially the STDs.

Geezer

[digibum]

12 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

And there he goes again not understanding the concept.  My GF's friends knowing that phukets tourism was restarting were planning on traveling to phuket to see if they could find jobs. They are from Myanmar. So you really think this is about just expats, try again and thanks for playing.  Love the fact that disagreeing with your personal views keeps you whining and moaning here on this forum.  Enjoy your day.

 

OMG, will your GF's friends have to wait a couple of weeks?  The horror!! 

 

And Phuket's tourism was ramping up several weeks before the third wave started.  In fact, it was a couple of big ragers down in Phuket that spread the virus locally on the island. 

 

Here's what I find a little odd about your story:

• Your GF's friends wait until AFTER many hotels already staffed in anticipation of Songkran and AFTER the third wave is fully raging?     
• A lot of inter-provincial travel has been shut down or curtailed as a result of the most recent covid wave, so what jobs would they be going down there for when tourism is expected to be below expectations and hotels and businesses already staffed up for Songkran?

 

 

[digibum]

10 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

My girlfriend agreed with me and was more than happy i didn't have to spend 2 weeks in a Government hostel. We will get a much better holiday somewhere else for half the price.

 

That's not the option on the table.  It's pay 500 baht and enter or you can't enter Phuket. 

 

I can understand people not wanting to endure the 2-week (or whatever it is now) mandatory quarantine on entering the country, but the fee being discussed here is for entry to Phuket and requires no quarantine. 

[digibum]

4 hours ago, hioctane said:

The Thai government just does a poor job at spinning things. They could have easily said that the Thai National health insurance will cover it. If you are not covered, you need to pay yourself. Instead they always make it sound like Thais vs foreigners.

 

This is probably the biggest thing I would criticize them for.  The Thai government (and often businesses) seem to have permanent tone deafness. 

 

A company like Apple can get a room full of nerds screaming and crying like high school girls in 1964 seeing the Beatles because they made a phone in a new color, yet Thailand can't seem to craft a message in the English language that doesn't end up pissing off their target audience. 

 

Literally, they could announce they were handing out 1,000,000 baht free to every farang and they would find some way to make it sound insulting. 

[ThailandRyan]

35 minutes ago, digibum said:

 

OMG, will your GF's friends have to wait a couple of weeks?  The horror!! 

 

And Phuket's tourism was ramping up several weeks before the third wave started.  In fact, it was a couple of big ragers down in Phuket that spread the virus locally on the island. 

 

Here's what I find a little odd about your story:

• Your GF's friends wait until AFTER many hotels already staffed in anticipation of Songkran and AFTER the third wave is fully raging?     
• A lot of inter-provincial travel has been shut down or curtailed as a result of the most recent covid wave, so what jobs would they be going down there for when tourism is expected to be below expectations and hotels and businesses already staffed up for Songkran?

 

 

It is called looking ahead and trying to arrange jobs for the ucoming months, had nothing to do with Songkran.  On top of that we were traveling also, had made our reservations for Cape Panwa, planned on spending a considerable amount, but then with the travel bans from red zones being put in place it made us cancel until July, that is when her friends were looking at starting jobs when tourism was suppose to kick off.  Your comment is shallow and demeaning and once again selfish and disconcerting in nature.  Try as you may you still feel the need to shame even others which include migrants.  Go on about your day, and I will go on about mine.  Principal reasons is what keeps many from going to certain places and looking to stay in different provinces as they are treated better there.  You think employers hire on the spot without the future in mind, how wrong you are in your view.  Try again and thanks for playing. You have made me laugh extremely hard this morning knowing that someone could get so wound up.  I am far from being wound up, as I am just making a point, the same point over and over again, but to you and a few others I am sorry it embarrasses you folks when someone thinks of others besides themselves.  Try it sometime, you might feel good.

Edited April 24, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[Whale]

17 hours ago, digibum said:

 

Actually, I don't pay taxes in Thailand so it wouldn't even benefit me.  I just think it's fair for the people that work and pay taxes in Thailand. 

 

Not sure that worked out the way you thought it would. 

 

 

Agreed!

[digibum]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your comment is shallow and demeaning and once again selfish and disconcerting in nature.  Try as you may you still feel the need to shame even others which include migrants. 

 

Who am I shaming?  What have I said about any migrants other than the odd decisions made by your GF's friends? 

 

The only shaming I have done is calling out farangs for being too cheap to just pay the 500 baht and <deleted>. 

 

Notice that this story is not about migrants going on social media and complaining.  It's about farangs.  They're the same people that love to brag about how Thailand should kiss their ass because they provide so much economic value to the country but complain like children whenever they get charged a few hundred baht. 

 

Quote exactly what I said about migrants that is shaming. 

 

Quote

You think employers hire on the spot without the future in mind, how wrong you are in your view.  Try again and thanks for playing.

 

I certainly think it's odd that people looking for tourism jobs hoping to start in the middle of low season. 

 

Quote

Hilarious that you believe migrant workers do not work in phuket in many industries and do not travel for work as well.

 

Phuket has very few industries other than tourism that cannot be easily found in other provinces.  If they don't work in tourism, why do they specifically need to go to Phuket?  And if they do work in tourism, why do you feel the need to obfuscate that fact by straddling the line and refusing to say what industry they work in? 

 

Quote

You have made me laugh extremely hard this morning knowing that someone could get so wound up.  I am far from being wound up, as I am just making a point, the same point over and over again, but to you and a few others I am sorry it embarrasses you folks when someone thinks of others besides themselves.  Try it sometime, you might feel good.

 

Listen, based on some of your previous posts on other threads, you sound like someone who is trying to do the right thing.  But that doesn't mean that everyone that disagrees with you is demeaning migrants or being xenophobic. 

 

Your quickness to call people names like "buttercup" and refer to what others say as "hilarious" seems to leave your mind closed to the fact that people can disagree and still have good intentions. 

 

Personally, I think it's not very wise for migrant labor to be going to Phuket for the next few weeks.  Sure, the 500 baht charge is part of it but we also just hit the record number of new cases in a day.  Maybe now isn't the time for people (not just migrant workers) to be traveling unnecessarily.  It's also not a good look for migrant workers if we have a second outbreak that can be tracked back to migrant labor. 

 

Yet, I still don't think it's the government's responsibility to provide tourists, expats, or migrant workers free covid tests.  At this point, the majority of non-Thai people entering Phuket are doing so voluntarily and I don't see a need to subsidize the cost. 

 

Businesses on Phuket will either make do without the migrant workers until the test is no longer mandatory or they'll pay it to get the workers.  Since it probably won't last more than a few weeks, IMHO, that's a decent solution instead of making Thai citizens foot the bill for farangs to go down to Phuket on vacation. 

 

You can disagree with that, that's your right, but let's lay off the name calling and divorce your ego from the subject a bit.  Believe me, no matter how much you claim not be wound up, everyone knows you are based on the tone of your writing, and it doesn't help people see your point of view. 

 

Ironically, the people most likely to agree with your position are farangs who don't want to pay the 500 baht and don't care about migrant workers one iota.  Meanwhile, you're arguing mostly with people that are at least trying to see this from the Thai perspective and may only need nudged to see it from the perspective of migrant workers. 

 

[Agusts]

I haven't read all the 7 pages but not sure what you guys are moaning about, you should get your calculators out...!

 

Phuket authorities are giving you 100b discount...????, most farang come to visit Phuket nowadays are expats, come with Thai girlfriend or wife, so you had to pay 2 x 300b = 600b, now pay 500b...!? Imagine with kids or other Thai family members it could have been far worse... (and as the rich farang you pay for all...)

 

This is how you thank this kindness ....! ????????????

Edited April 24, 2021 by Agusts

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Agusts said:

I haven't read all the 7 pages but not sure what you guys are moaning about, you should get your calculators out...!

 

Phuket authorities are giving you 100b discount...????, most farang come to visit Phuket nowadays are expats, come with Thai girlfriend or wife, so you had to pay 2 x 300b = 600b, now pay 500b...!? Imagine with kids or other Thai family members it could have been far worse... (and as the rich farang you pay all...)

 

This is how you thank this kindness ....! ????????????

I think your confused in your math Sir, with 500thb being a discount.....Thai nationals do not pay.

[Agusts]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I think your confused in your math Sir, with 500thb being a discount.....Thai nationals do not pay.

 

Think about it a bit more, 1 farang + 1 Thai wife now together pay 500b ....

 

In previous announcement they said everybody pays 300b, so together would have been 600b, as I said get your calculator out mate....!!!! ????

[zzzzz]

judging by their numbers on the beach the last week and in Central, its Thai tourists that are travelling to phuket.

 

This 500 baht testing charge is ONLY till the end of the month, even without it, i doubt there would be but a few hundred farangs at most in the past week that have visited and as Songkran is over its DEAD here

 

Judging by the number of Burmese at the government hospital in Koh Sirey this past week, (where they do their medicals) there are plenty of migrant workers here taking advantage of the amnesty to renew their 4 year L-A visas without having to return home

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, digibum said:

See, here comes the entitlement.  You're a guest in the country.  The only thing your visa entitles you to is permission to stay.  It doesn't entitle you to being treated the same as Thai people or to get free stuff that the Thai government is paying for. 

 

A large number of Thais need to cross into Phuket frequently for work (delivery drivers, Kerry Express, hotel workers, etc).  The vast, vast majority of foreigners going to Phuket in the next few weeks while this policy is in place are people with enough money to be traveling for tourism.

Amen. Yet they still complain, ungrateful bar stewards. It must hurt to feel inferior to those you constantly accuse of being inferior. 

[donmuang37]

 I can't believe all the whining about dual pricing. Over 500 baht! It happens in some countries in.the EU, too.  Why do farangs expect the Thai gov't to pay for their Covid test?  Amazing Farangs! ????????????

[TKDfella]

6 hours ago, digibum said:

 

It is only different because we've never seen anything like this before in recent history when widespread global and domestic travel was commonplace. 

 

That's the point I think people are missing.  Population groups can be safe by limiting exposure to infected people.  That's why stopping the first wave was so effective.  They turned off all incoming flow of people and the virus quickly burned out and we had several months with zero new infections (except those caught in quarantine when air travel was resumed). 

 

The same theory applies at the local and county/provincial level.  Several provinces already have mandatory quarantine if you arrive from a red zone.  Phuket has no quarantine but requires a covid test. 

 

Actually, for all of the grief I give Phuket for handling covid stupidly, this was probably one of their more reasonable decisions. 

 

They didn't want to have to quarantine large numbers of people who may not even be in Phuket for the length of the quarantine, so they opted to do a spot covid test which is less effective but is still a pretty decent preventative measure that seems to balance the needs of the people wanting to enter and the desire of the local population to stop the interoduction of new infectious people. 

 

Such is Thailand.  Each province handles things differently.  But, if you've been here 26 years, you should be well-aware of that and I'm not sure why you seem surprised by it now. 

I did not say I was surprised...I'm not...but that doesn't disqualify me from making a comment. (just as many still comment on Thai driving accidents even though it has been going on a few years.)

[BritManToo]

20 minutes ago, donmuang37 said:

Why do farangs expect the Thai gov't to pay for their Covid test?  Amazing Farangs!

Because they want tourists to go there?

Presumably the Chinese tourists as well, and the Cambodian workers.

Why do you want to make this problem only about white people?

 

[KarenBravo]

6 hours ago, Grusa said:

I have visited and stayed at many parts of Phuket. My problem is not with Phuket as such - like any other geographical location it is very diverse. My problem is with the Phuket culture - its greed and corruption at every level of society. 

Yes I know there are a lot of very nice people and very nice places. I know many of them. But interaction with the local Mafia is sadly necessary if anything is to be done there.

You think this is "Phuket culture"?

I've got a shock for you. It's Thai culture. It's prevalent all over the country and is regarded as just another legitimate business strategy.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Amen. Yet they still complain, ungrateful bar stewards. It must hurt to feel inferior to those you constantly accuse of being inferior. 

I certainly don't feel inferior to anyone who has a Thai passport or has to work for a living.

But that doesn't mean I'll let those people try to rip me off, was thinking about a trip to Phuket, but the high air fares from CM always put me off. Cheaper to fly to Vietnam/China/Cambodia than it is to fly to Phuket (not at the moment of course, with all the sudden lockdowns/quarantines I ain't going anywhere).

Edited April 24, 2021 by BritManToo

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, Agusts said:

Phuket authorities are giving you 100b discount...????, most farang come to visit Phuket nowadays are expats, come with Thai girlfriend or wife, so you had to pay 2 x 300b = 600b, now pay 500b...!? Imagine with kids or other Thai family members it could have been far worse... (and as the rich farang you pay for all...)

Not me, my misses can't afford the air fare.

I've always found plenty of available and happy women wherever I travel, no need to pay extra to truck a miserable one around with me.

Edited April 24, 2021 by BritManToo

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I certainly don't feel inferior to anyone who has a Thai passport or has to work for a living.

Sounds like you feel superior to most of the Thai population then, I rest my case. Have another bash ????

[BritManToo]

Just now, Neeranam said:

Sounds like you feel superior to most of the Thai population then, I rest my case. Have another bash ????

I feel superior to almost everyone in the world.

No need for me to bash Thais.

[thmebe]

On 4/23/2021 at 11:49 AM, Pattaya Spotter said:

I can see both sides of this argument...and no one is forced to come to Phuket.

 

and nobody smart would go there anyway...

 

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

37 minutes ago, thmebe said:

 

and nobody smart would go there anyway...

 

 

Ignored...nothing but a negative troll.

[BobinBKK]

On 4/23/2021 at 12:09 PM, WineOh said:

Yes. 

And i'm baffled at anyone who wants to visit an island where the taxi mafia rips you off or wants to harm you, the drinks are 4 x as expensive as the rest of the country and the locals hate you.

 

what is the point in going there.

???? Puke-ket! Never have and never will go there ???? There are far better places in Thailand to visit with wonderful, honest and good Thai people ????