Thailand targets 3 million foreign tourists this year under phased reopening

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

THAILAAAAAAAAANND here we come !!!

 

hope they will get 300K at least !!

[Road Warrior]

put more water in their whiskey !!!  who are they kidding !!!!!

[Misterwhisper]

Please, please stop! I can't take it anymore... this coughing up of seemingly random arrival numbers every few days by various ministries, the TAT, "experts", "analysts" and what not.

 

Today it's 3 million tourist arrivals.

About 10 days ago it was 8 million.

And then there has been anything in between over the past few months, from 3.5 million to 12 million, and then 15 million and 4 million. And, and, and...

It's like there is a big hat somewhere, filled with hundreds of little paper scraps on which random figures are scribbled; and every ministry and financial research institute is permitted to draw one scrap per week before talking to the press or issuing a statement.

 

There should be a system in place where people who announce these figures are actually held accountable and punished if their "prognoses" don't materialize.

[ChrisKC]

And the band played:

 

"Believe it if you like"

[ChrisKC]

From the number of tourists that actually come, there will be only enough money spent for:

 

a deposit on a new submarine

[Sharp]

16 hours ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

I'd like to know as well, didn't find anything about it.

I think the opening date is the same but first arrivals are 9th 

[BKKTRAVELER]

1 minute ago, Sharp said:

I think the opening date is the same but first arrivals are 9th 

Thanks

[Bkktodd]

17 hours ago, madmen said:

The proposed Phuket opening pushed back to 9 th and from 7 to 14 days and not even close to being approved 

Keep changing quarantine dates at will.  How can you plan any travel.  If you’re vaccinated and had multiple covid tests ...Thailand needs to get over the fear of covid being brought in.  Its here already. 

[newnative]

2 hours ago, Tracyb said:

Chinese tourists coming into Chiang Mai, by the tens of thousands(pre-Covid) prepaid in China for their entire trip.  They spent next to nothing while in Thailand. I guess we call them “penny tourists.”

 

There is no reason to expect any difference when Chiang Mai opens up again to the invading hordes.  Meanwhile, tourist based businesses remain closed, food lines remain long at the giveaway points in the city, and hope remains dim for the future.

 

could it GET any worse?

     Got a big laugh from your post.  First, you say that Chiang Mai used to get Chinese tourists 'by the tens of thousands(pre-Covid)...'.   But, according to you they 'spent next to nothing while in Thailand'.  

     The 'tens of thousands' of Chinese tourists are not visiting CM now and you next describe the current Chiang Mai:  'Meanwhile, tourist based businesses remain closed, food lines remain long at the giveaway points in the city, and hope remains dim for the future.'   Hmm.  Something's not adding up with those two paragraphs.  

     It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the 'tens of thousands' of Chinese tourists were, indeed, contributing to Chiang Mai's tourist economy.  And, Pattaya's, where I am.  Just open your eyes and look around--it's on stark display every day now with all the closed businesses in the tourist areas.  

[RR2020]

Vaccinated  tourists have to stay on Phuket island for at least 14 nights & undergo three swab tests, one on the day of arrival, then the sixth day and finally their twelfth day, before they can depart for other destinations in Thailand.

 

And if on any of those tests you test positive.........you will be forced to go to hospital and pay for 14 days lock up in the hospital before you are allowed to then leave..............

 

Sounds like fun...........how many billion people are coming in July ??????????  ????????????????????????????????????

[wensiensheng]

17 hours ago, kimamey said:

Has the Phuket opening been pushed back to the 9th? I haven't seen that anywhere although I know about the change from 7 to 14 days.

I do wonder where they get these figures from. Not long ago there was talk of 10 million visitors and 6 million were coming from the UK alone.

I saw a post on tv which had an attached announcement in Thai that said something along the lines that Phuket opens on 1st July with first arrivals allowed from 9th.

 

I don’t know if that is official official, or just expected but not yet confirmed, or just not true.

[RR2020]

Before people talk about Chinese tourists.........

 

REMEMBER

 

Anyone entering China (local or foreigner) must do 21 days quarantine.   No exemption.

 

So how many Chinese tourists are going to leave China knowing they have to do 21 days quarantine on return to China ?

 

Billions according to TAT ???  ????????????????????????

[Yewbzee]

16 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

 

More chance of being kicked by a snake than the number quoted jetting in .. what they don't appear to be grasping is the onerous conditions that may be imposed on visitors when they return to their home country .. witness Brit's fleeing Portugal over the weekend after their Gov' moved it to amber meaning those returning after the cut off date have to quarantine for 10 days .. so 3 weeks in Thailand could conceivably mean you being off work for 5 and not getting paid for the 2 you gotta stay home for .. factor in all the tests , insurance and other flaming hoops they'll have you jumping through and the delusion of millions arriving this year is complete .. 

 

 

Exactly, Thailand is still on the Amber list for the UK. I think the government here just assume they open the doors, remove quarantine requirements and the crowds just flock back. Whether or not Thailand is on any country's restricted travel list just doesn't seem to have occurred to them.

 

And what gets a country onto a restricted travel list? Well a rising infection rate and a dismal vaccine roll out for starters.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

I don’t know if that is official official, or just expected but not yet confirmed, or just not true

Not true. There is a thread about it. 

The confusion started from group of 20 USA folk coming 9th.

[fleccer]

 Yes, of course, between the restrictions and the ban on alcohol, your holiday will be very pleasant and unforgettable

[wensiensheng]

The issue that Thailand has with tourist arrivals in the future is that as countries slowly get to grips with the pandemic among their own population by aggressively vaccinating, they will first start to open for foreign travel to similarly vaccinated countries.

 

it won’t last forever, but personally I foresee a period where the world is split into three categories:

 

1. High vaccination rates, can travel to and fro.

 

2 medium vaccination rates, can travel but may be subject to restrictions such as quarantine

 

3. Low vaccination rates, necessary travel only and subject to strong restrictions.

 

the issue Thailand has is that it is trying to jump start tourism without first putting in place the necessary building blocks to make it a success, specifically vaccinations.

 

tourism is important in places like Singapore. You don’t hear about them trying to open to tourists. You hear them talk about vaccinations and see it happen in a controlled, methodical manner. Yet, despite their not talking about tourism at all, they are streets ahead of Thailand in terms of being able to open to tourists, because their vaccination program is streets ahead.

 

TAT should keep quiet. It’s the health authorities who should be front and centre and if Thailand wants to help it’s tourism industry, they should reallocate some tourism budget to vaccinations. In the long run it will help the tourism industry ten fold.

[Raphael Hythlodaeus]

And then there's INFLATION. Brent Crude over $71, up 72% year on year. Air fares?

Edited June 10, 2021 by Raphael Hythlodaeus

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, ChrisKC said:

From the number of tourists that actually come, there will be only enough money spent for:

 

a deposit on a new submarine

Yes, from "Toys R Us".

[PEE TEE]

I just love the stuff that comes out on here pust a big smile on my face Thanks T.V.

[PEE TEE]

Just now, PEE TEE said:

I just love the stuff that comes out on here pust a big smile on my face Thanks T.V.

PUTS

[Misterwhisper]

26 minutes ago, RR2020 said:

Vaccinated  tourists have to stay on Phuket island for at least 14 nights & undergo three swab tests, one on the day of arrival, then the sixth day and finally their twelfth day, before they can depart for other destinations in Thailand.

 

And if on any of those tests you test positive.........you will be forced to go to hospital and pay for 14 days lock up in the hospital before you are allowed to then leave..............

 

Sounds like fun...........how many billion people are coming in July ??????????  ????????????????????????????????????

You forgot to mention that by the 12th day the exotic vacation is usually almost over for the vast, vast, vast majority of European and North American visitors. The bulk of them stay for 2 weeks, a smaller proportion plan for 3 weeks, and only a tiny minority can stay for 4 weeks or longer.

Asian tourists' vacation period generally is even shorter. Ten days is already stretching it in most cases. The typical stay of Chinese package tourists at the height of the boom in 2019 was only 6 - 7 days. If that pattern persists, they won't be here anymore when it becomes time for their third swab.  

[Laughing Gravy]

35 minutes ago, RR2020 said:

Before people talk about Chinese tourists.........

 

REMEMBER

 

Anyone entering China (local or foreigner) must do 21 days quarantine.   No exemption.

 

So how many Chinese tourists are going to leave China knowing they have to do 21 days quarantine on return to China ?

 

Billions according to TAT ???  ????????????????????????

Exactly. Certainly not me and everyone else I know that either calls Thailand home or goes to visit regularly.

[Cletus]

4 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

The way we sometimes get treated here, eg current vaccination, I hope they get no tourists at all, it's what they so richly deserve.

 

Why are you living in a country (not yours) that you so much hate?

[DefaultName]

Are there any figures on how many of these expected arrivals are actually tourists, and how many have family/business interests/live here and are using this as a way back in?

[bullseye66]

It's a game. We know their figures are BS.....they know we know their figures are BS......yet we carry on playing the game.

[ChomDo]

Pretty sure this is going to turn out just like the STV visa, so only expats living in Thailand would use this as a way to return to the country. Hardly too many real tourists would bother coming to Phuket – especially in the summer. In the winter months sure, maybe some will come.

[davidcraig]

We already know that at least a third of the 20,000 who rushed back to the UK from India to avoid quarantine had fake Covid-19 test certificates from corrupt Indian doctors. So, how will Thailand be able to ensure that anyone coming from slightly suspect countries actually have genuine vaccination certificates?

[Clarkey611]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Most of the three million arrivals are expected in the final quarter, with spending estimated at between 240 billion baht to 300 billion baht ($7.7 billion to $9.6 billion), Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor of the TAT, told Reuters.

Here are some numbers for Khun Siripakorn:

 

555555

[AhFarangJa]

Oh please, stop, my sides are hurting from laughing so much. 

[ChrisKC]

This photo is more than a year old. There should be a more up to date one showing the circumstances now to be the same!

 

Is there anybody in Phuket with a camera of some sort at this time?