Koh Samui: Foreign tourists set to be welcome subject to rules from July 1st

[grain]

5 hours ago, chalawaan said:

What tourists? Australia is closed, so is New Zealand, India? You're having a laugh. China and the rest of Asia ditto. That leaves some of Europe and some of North America... Both as far away as can be, with every nation operating skeleton/freight air services -at best, for the entire next two years, optimistically, assuming there are no more worse mutations...

That's it. Until the time comes when the WHO declares the pandemic is over nobody is coming for tourism/holidays. For business, family reunion, rejoin loved ones, work...yes these people will take the risks and jump through the hoops. But nobody is going to risk catching covid at airports and on planes, and go through all that expensive and red tape just to sit under a coconut tree for a couple of weeks.

[kiwikeith]

Just now, chalawaan said:

She's not local she's from Kolat!

That's okay as long as she is not from Samui. 

[chalawaan]

1 minute ago, BenDeCosta said:

 

All you have to do is socially distance when you take her back to your hotel, once you're in the room you can do what you want.

In all seriousness, they'll have a mob of Thailands finest doing their version of Samui Vice busting and posing with the thunderstruck/lovestruck pair for all of TV to bicker over. 

[kiwikeith]

9 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

In all seriousness, they'll have a mob of Thailands finest doing their version of Samui Vice busting and posing with the thunderstruck/lovestruck pair for all of TV to bicker over. 

They might need to take all the special BMWs to the island for such a big operation, this could leave them seriously short of undercover volleyball players on other beaches. 

[connda]

On 5/25/2021 at 1:27 PM, spidermike007 said:

This is nothing more than a Field of Dreams. Build it, and they will come. Abandon the foreign market, and they will come back. Abuse them, and they will forgive. 

 

Sorry guys, not the way the real world works.

 

My guess is there are many within this insipid administration, that are fuming at the National Economic and Social Development Council for speaking truth. This is an extremely rare occurrence, when it comes to tourism projections here. 

 

Just got back from Samui. Was discussing this with friends who live there. Alot of debate. My thought is, what would the tourists be returning to? In Lamai and Chaweng especially, 90% of all restaurants have closed permanently. 100% of massage shops and bars are closed. When they are "allowed" to re-open, how many will be able to afford to, and what are they opening to? Who is coming? Will the tourists come to a devastated "island resort" anyway? Will the businesses who have stayed open for an extended period without many tourists want to re-open? Many lost a fortune paying rent and expenses, when only a few domestic tourists trickled in. Now, with the massive failure of the health officials here, things are only getting worse for tourism. They have received zero in the way of assistance from the goons. Nothing.

 

Total, and shameful abandonment, in their time of need. What can one say? If they were being graded on this, Prayuth, Anutin and Phiphat would all get an F, or a 0.1, if that is even possible. 

 

Samui, right now. Images taken a few days ago.

 

 

I expect there will an initial wave of tourists.  The bleeding edge.  They'll arrive with high expectations and then will be bludgeons with The Rules.  Perhaps a few will get excited and then find themselves in jail with the Thai press recording every aspect of their Crimes.  The Bleeding Edge will arrive to be subjected to a red-carpeted gauntlet of bureaucratic red-tape.  They will eventually be released from hotel house-arrest after being poked, prodded, tagged, tracked, traced. photographed, categorized, catalogued, and entered into files, notebooks, folders, and databases, "May I see your papers please?"
They'll be released long enough to look around at the economically bombed-out landscape, take pictures, and relate stories to those back home via social media, and then arrange to get the heck out of the depressing vistage of a country who took it's tourist industry to the woodshed and put a bullet through its head. 
They'll be one initial wave I expect, and then the National Economic and Social Development Council will be spot on.  The next wave won't arrive until the middle of the decade.

[BenDeCosta]

6 minutes ago, connda said:

I expect there will an initial wave of tourists.  The bleeding edge.  They'll arrive with high expectations and then will be bludgeons with The Rules.  Perhaps a few will get excited and then find themselves in jail with the Thai press recording every aspect of their Crimes.  The Bleeding Edge will arrive to be subjected to a red-carpeted gauntlet of bureaucratic red-tape.  They will eventually be released from hotel house-arrest after being poked, prodded, tagged, tracked, traced. photographed, categorized, catalogued, and entered into files, notebooks, folders, and databases, "May I see your papers please?"
They'll be released long enough to look around at the economically bombed-out landscape, take pictures, and relate stories to those back home via social media, and then arrange to get the heck out of the depressing vistage of a country who took it's tourist industry to the woodshed and put a bullet through its head. 
They'll be one initial wave I expect, and then the National Economic and Social Development Council will be spot on.  The next wave won't arrive until the middle of the decade.

 

What on Earth have you been smoking? Where can I get some?

 

Even if the place is "bombed-out", there are still going to be many, many businesses desperately clamoring for each and every tourist dollar, when the tourists do finally return. And maybe, just maybe, because of the poor economy, there might just be some skinny and sexy young things looking for business, because they haven't been able to buy their beloved som tam and khanom jeen for several days.

 

Thailand is not going to turn into East Germany, once this covid rubbish is sorted, hopefully the Thais and the tourists who love Thailand can resume normal operations in the next year or so. If anything, the powers that be will see what a disaster this has been and do everything they can to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

[connda]

On 5/25/2021 at 2:43 PM, spidermike007 said:

 

OK. Here are mid afternoon pics. Hope they are less "worthless" to you.

 

 

Looks like a cross between Omega Man and I Am Legend.  Just add zombies and you'd have 28 Days Later or Dawn of The Dead.

[connda]

5 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

Thailand is not going to turn into East Germany, once this covid rubbish is sorted

Of course not.  ????

 

[connda]

On 5/25/2021 at 2:43 PM, spidermike007 said:

 

OK. Here are mid afternoon pics. Hope they are less "worthless" to you.

 

 

Without people you can tell just how backwards and third-world Thailand really is. Add some bar-girls and you don't really notice the squalor as your attention is drawn elsewhere.  Remove the eye candy and suddenly the place looks incredibly shabby.
Places like Olongapo in the PI never pretended to be anything that it wasn't, ie, a hooker strewn city at the gate of a US Navy base. 
What's Thailand pretending to be? 

[BenDeCosta]

It's terrifying to see those photos, sends a shiver down my spine.

 

There must be thousands, if not tens of thousands of Thai families now, who once were well off and could buy a new car every year, but now can't even afford the basics. It doesn't even bear thinking about. 

 

There are going to be homeless people dying, people dying of alcohol/drugs, suicides etc., but this was never factored in when deciding how to deal with a virus that is "so dangerous that you need a test to know that you've got it".

 

The world has gone mad. It's an absolute certainty that in future years we will look back on this madness and realise that it was one the biggest miscalculations of all time.

Edited May 26, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[BernieOnTour]

They never got it and they will never get it, what excellent chance to boost their tourism they missed,

 

when they last year kept their borders totally locked,

had excellent case numbers and an excellent death rate, when

1) people afraid from Covid tried to find an alternative with low rates

2) people fed up with unscientific, unconsistant rules from their own governments were looking for places with a more relaxed attitude 

 

And now, they are still not getting it -  requesting 2 vaccinations for Samui and Phuket and are adding on top even more rules, like tests and restricted movement ?

 

Did TAT ever hear, that there are endless forums and chats popping up abroad, with people trying to flee from the insanity in their countries and the enforcement of vaccination through the back door?

People looking for longterm stays and even emigration, exactly what they tried to achieve with the special and STV visa?

 

If in villages in Buriram only 30% are prepared to take jab,

what do they think, how high the number in some better informed European countries is?

[Chelseafan]

6 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

So you wait for the results to come in the next day, then the 3 day quarantine comes in, so where do you wait until the next day? 

 

Then after the wait and 3 days of quarantine you can sit in your hotel until you return to your home country. 

During this time you must not be in contact with any local people 

Special rooms will have a beach view, but walking or standing on the beach will be prohibited, as you may come into contact with the beach vendors, who have all left as they had no customer, long time, and are not allowed to talk to tourists from abroad. 

 

Now why can't the TAT be this informative....Thank-you ????

 

 

[cheapcanuck]

As long as there is a quarantine, restrictions in movement, quarantine hotels, etc., etc. the plan is doomed to fail.

[spidermike007]

12 hours ago, connda said:

I expect there will an initial wave of tourists.  The bleeding edge.  They'll arrive with high expectations and then will be bludgeons with The Rules.  Perhaps a few will get excited and then find themselves in jail with the Thai press recording every aspect of their Crimes.  The Bleeding Edge will arrive to be subjected to a red-carpeted gauntlet of bureaucratic red-tape.  They will eventually be released from hotel house-arrest after being poked, prodded, tagged, tracked, traced. photographed, categorized, catalogued, and entered into files, notebooks, folders, and databases, "May I see your papers please?"
They'll be released long enough to look around at the economically bombed-out landscape, take pictures, and relate stories to those back home via social media, and then arrange to get the heck out of the depressing vistage of a country who took it's tourist industry to the woodshed and put a bullet through its head. 
They'll be one initial wave I expect, and then the National Economic and Social Development Council will be spot on.  The next wave won't arrive until the middle of the decade.

 

Very good analysis. What on earth were we thinking? This place is like visiting a post apocalyptic land of sorrow. Huh? What? I don't think so. On to the next destination. 

 

No question Thailand took its tourism for granted for many years. There were countless problems long before Covid, and none of them were being addressed. 

 

So, I have one simple question for Phiphat and Prayuth. You say you want wealthy tourists. You keep droning on and on and on about that. OK. That is a reasonable desire. So, what are you willing to offer in exchange? And what sacrifices is your nation willing to make to attract them? Will you lower your luxury taxes, so they can shop? Will you lower your wine taxes, so they can enjoy a good bottle, without feeling like they were abused? Will you work hard to increase English proficiency? Have you even considered any of these notions, or do you still think Thaikand is the COTKU (center of the known universe)?

 

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. A good place to start would be the submarines. Give them up. you going to do with them anyway? Show the people you care. 22 billion is the official number. But, since the first one is already up to 13 billion, the numbers simply do not add up. As usual. What about experience? Thailand has not had a sub for over 60 years. Who will pilot this sub? Who will maintain it? How much is the projected annual bill for repairs, and upkeep? Do you army clowns care one iota about the people? Just be honest, for once, and admit that you don't. 

 

I have some news for you. Contrary to the opinion of you and your goons, Thailand needs the world 20x more than the world needs Thailand. 

Edited May 26, 2021 by spidermike007

[colinneil]

10 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

have some news for you. Contrary to the opinion of you and your goons, Thailand needs the world 20x more than the world needs Thailand. 

What a totally accurate statement, problem is Prayut and his goons, dont give a rats a##e about anything other than increasing their MASSIVE bank accounts.

[spidermike007]

11 hours ago, BenDeCosta said:

It's terrifying to see those photos, sends a shiver down my spine.

 

There must be thousands, if not tens of thousands of Thai families now, who once were well off and could buy a new car every year, but now can't even afford the basics. It doesn't even bear thinking about. 

 

There are going to be homeless people dying, people dying of alcohol/drugs, suicides etc., but this was never factored in when deciding how to deal with a virus that is "so dangerous that you need a test to know that you've got it".

 

The world has gone mad. It's an absolute certainty that in future years we will look back on this madness and realise that it was one the biggest miscalculations of all time.

 

Will take some time to see how this all shakes out, but it is my opinion that the economic fallout from the insane economic shutdown, is going to be 200 times worse than Covid itself, and the recovery "ramp up" will be long and excruciating. Far longer than they say. It will not just bounce back. In the history of the world, as far as we know, there has never been a deliberate worldwide economic shutdown. I looked at 52 pandemics from the 1350's to 1942. No economic shutdowns, ever. Some ports closed. That was about it. So, why now? It is light years beyond dumb.

 

The "slowdown" will last well into 2022, for certain. And some industries may never come back, or will be a pale shadow of their former selves. No doubt homelessness will skyrocket. Tourism in Thailand will never recover to even close to it's former levels, and that leaves millions out of work.

 

Worldwide, what about concerts? Will people be willing to hang out with crowds of 20,000, at a cost of hundreds of dollars for a crappy seat? Same with sports. Will people be willing to go into a stadium or an arena with 20,000 to 100,000 people close together, and pay crazy money for a seat?

 

Movie theaters? Cruise ships? Will the hordes just start descending on restaurants again, and pay high prices for a gourmet meal? The list goes on, and on and on.

And in the end, hundreds of millions worldwide could end up far poorer than they were before. And tens of millions could end up starving to death, compared to total deaths worldwide from Covid. OK. The rich stay safe and financially secure. And the rest of us? And those of us who are self employed, without fortunes in the bank?

 

Tourism is not returning to Thailand anytime soon. If you think about it, the group that comprised perhaps 70% of all arrivals (lower to middle income Chinese, Malaysians and Indians) are the ones who have been hardest hit by this idiotic worldwide economic shutdown. Tourism in Thailand will never recover to even close to it's former levels, and that leaves millions out of work. Most countries will still be required to have Covid vaccine letters. Plus, will the mandatory health insurance still be required? Will it be even stricter than before? And just what are people returning to, or coming to? Will restaurants be open? How about nightlife? What about the devastated southern islands? 

 

There are so many unanswered questions, it boggles the mind. One thing is for certain. Thailand will be feeling the effects of this for a very, very long time. I am predicting no more than five million tourists a year, three years from now. 

 

[spidermike007]

4 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a totally accurate statement, problem is Prayut and his goons, dont give a rats a##e about anything other than increasing their MASSIVE bank accounts.

Well, one thing is for certain. And if it was not apparent before Covid, it sure is now. They have a nearly non existent concern for the well being of the masses here, who have been affected negatively by Covid, the economic shutdown and the utter, long term collapse of the Tourism industry. 

 

The lack of assistance has been a nightmarish thing to witness. Compared to many other nations, I give this administration an F. 

 

Now, the army is despised like never before. I do not think their reputation will ever recover from this. No respect, boys. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by spidermike007

[BernieOnTour]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand has not had a sub for over 60 years. Who will pilot this sub? Who will maintain it? How much is the projected annual bill for repairs, and upkeep? Do you army clowns care one iota about the people?

 

Actually, I assume, it’s absolutely not about navy warfare !

It is a Chinese built one - not a German one (better adjusted to their shallow littoral waters) or a US one ...

 

It is more like those gifts, the Ayutthaya kings sent to the Chinese emperor to show acceptance of the (in those times) strongest power. (That there might be some bread crumbs from the table in form of some bribes, is a nice icing of the cake ...).

 

The Thais always knew, how to maneuver between stronger powers, staying relatively independent:

in Ayutthaya times the Chinese emperors (unlike their arch-enemy Burma with 4 Chinese invasions), in colonial times between Britain and France and in WW2 between Japan and the Allies.

 

China seems to be unstoppable. All constructed „revolutions“, riots, and wars in the last 20 years did not manage to block their „One Belt, One Road“-initiative.

Even worse: the West drove Russia and Putin in the open arms of China, giving them more options to go around the arteries of global commerce, those sea lanes controlled by the Western Navy’s.

 

 

Covid was a Gift of the Gods for China !

They took it and used it according to the 36 Strategems, every Chinese pupil is taught in school:

 

Starting from their Wuhan laboratory, first keeping quiet, then stopping domestic flights to limit inner-Chinese spread, however still allowing International flights to spread it throughout the world, controlling with their funding the announcements of the WHO, increasing horror with photos from Wuhan,

enticing guys like Gates and the WEF in Davos to jump on the train pursuing their uncanny ideas to grab for bigger influence and money, locking down practically all public life and interrupting economy - not only for a few months, but extended endlessly. Increasing during the presidential race the pressure on China‘s most hated foe, Trump, was a nice add-on.

 

At the same time, China sacrificed a tiny percentage of its population in Wuhan and also somewhat reduced their own production and export, to get the „awareness“ they wanted, and to implement the stupid idea in the western media, a middle-ages style total lockdown would be a good idea to fight a virus spread.

After a few months, the show was over - in China.

They ramped up their production again, when their competitors where strangled by their own national politicians, so they could increase their market share and dependence from Chinese production.

Life getting back to normal in China.

Even making money out of the „pandemic“, by selling test kits, face masks and Adenovirus base to Astrazeneca...

 

Next big advantage is: all competitors and key technologies are now up to be grabbed for a song by Chinese money, their equity capital and profits severely reduced by their own national politicians.

 

So, if you see the Chinese success story and the inaptitude of Western politicians and  you were Thailand

- stuck between the loosing, but still powerful, US empire and the rising empire of the future, China ... -

to whom would you pay the tribute - some submarines ?

Edited May 27, 2021 by BernieOnTour

[churchill]

I think this makes sense for Samui ...

 

I am not sure the Phuket plan to open in July without any quarantine will work , Domestic tourists will be nervous to visit and how many overseas tourists will be tempted ?

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by churchill

[KhaoYai]

On 5/25/2021 at 10:08 AM, BangkokReady said:

 

Is there no plan/budget for getting the islands open again?  Like some micro-loans to get bars restocked and tidy up small businesses (assuming people come at all)?  Surely a restaurant, a dive tour, a massage parlor, a scooter rental, etc., are not super expensive to get up and running, if some of the infrastructure remains?  I've certainly seen many restaurants in bkk packed away to nothing every night and the bars don't look particularly luxurious.  Many things would be a case of taking the tarps off, cleaning the equipment and getting them running again.

There's no plan to even feed the people - never mind one to support businesses.  It might be posible for some businesses to have a quick clean up and get back to it but many will not have paid rents, loans for equipment, vehicles etc. etc.

 

I sincerely hope things return to normal as soon as possible but the longer this goes on the harder its going to get.