Why as a tourist, I am not coming to Phuket yet explained

[billythehat]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Interesting post. You could, of course, go to Cornwall instead. Nice beaches, decent weather at this time of year. No testing, no flights, no spy apps on your phone. Why anyone would even consider coming to Thailand now is beyond me, especially as most businesses are closed.

 

Sir, whilst I agree with you about Cornwall in the summer, the mongering scene is somewhat meagre.

 

The figures quoted by the OP will be prohibitive for many, especially those with families, so fair dues to him for providing the actuals.

 

It bemuses me why people (tourists that is) from the northern climes go to Lalaland in the summer. I always saved my hard-earned for the winter months to go for my fix of temples, culture, and debilitating food poisoning. Great times they were.

[natway09]

Wise decision.

Leave it until next year.

Hopefully by August next year there may be some relaxation of the rules & with a bit of luck

some "attractions" open for your enjoyment.

Stay safe

[ChC1]

4 hours ago, leba said:

but you want to get a cheaper room with your points...

Then i quit reading this BS.

 

 

 

Do you realise you need to spend money to get points? The accumulate points are not free. And the hotel I mentioned wants 34,000 points per night, so that is 238,000 points for the week. Typically you earn 10 points per dollar, being highest level of its member I earn 20 points per US dollar spending. So you can work out how much I have spent in this hotel chain to get the 238,000 points since you are a genius. To make it easy for you, I have to spend TH357,000B [just within this hotel chain] to earn enough points to stay in this hotel for 7 days. Without being the top member, I have to spend TH714,000B to earn the points required.

 

I can't educate you on the frequent flyer program that cheap Charlie could not understand and does not have the resource to take advantage of. But please learn to be a nice man, learn something before you call others BS.

Edited July 6, 2021 by ChC1

[ChC1]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Interesting post. You could, of course, go to Cornwall instead. Nice beaches, decent weather at this time of year. No testing, no flights, no spy apps on your phone. Why anyone would even consider coming to Thailand now is beyond me, especially as most businesses are closed.

 

Your honourable gentleman, of course you are right. But if you follow the British news, you may notice a week in Cornwall at this time of year, we are looking at anywhere between £2,500 (TH100,000B) to £71,000 (TH2,980,000B) depends on the accommodation availability. Then factor in food, drinks and activities, it is cheaper to go to the Maldives. Except Maldives is in red list currently.

 

Plus, have been quarantined in UK for almost 470 days, an overseas trip is on the top agenda for many British residence like me. 

[Espanol]

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Interesting post. You could, of course, go to Cornwall instead. Nice beaches, decent weather at this time of year. No testing, no flights, no spy apps on your phone. Why anyone would even consider coming to Thailand now is beyond me, especially as most businesses are closed.

 

Or, if he is looking for beaches at a tropical island, he can go to Madeira or Canarias. Just a cheap and short travel from home and no requirements at all.

[Deli]

On 7/5/2021 at 8:35 PM, Maha Sarakham said:

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

 

All other places depending on tourism are the same or even worse.

[Airalee]

6 hours ago, ChC1 said:

But if you follow the British news, you may notice a week in Cornwall at this time of year, we are looking at anywhere between £2,500 (TH100,000B) to £71,000 (TH2,980,000B) depends on the accommodation availability. 

And that’s why I never pay attention to the news…

 

[ChC1]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

And that’s why I never pay attention to the news…

 

 

 

Sure, but is any of these accommodation are right by the sea or at least have a sea view? 

[Airalee]

23 minutes ago, ChC1 said:

 

Sure, but is any of these accommodation are right by the sea or at least have a sea view? 

Yes.  

[billythehat]

12 hours ago, ChC1 said:

 

Your honourable gentleman, of course you are right. But if you follow the British news, you may notice a week in Cornwall at this time of year, we are looking at anywhere between £2,500 (TH100,000B) to £71,000 (TH2,980,000B) depends on the accommodation availability. Then factor in food, drinks and activities, it is cheaper to go to the Maldives. Except Maldives is in red list currently.

 

Plus, have been quarantined in UK for almost 470 days, an overseas trip is on the top agenda for many British residence like me. 

Sir, if indeed these were the figures you were supplied with, could you please confirm they were for a location in Cornwall, England and not Cornwall, Narnia.

 

My aunty runs a guest house in Penzance, Cornwall, and informed me that for £71k, she will not only provide a sea view suite but also provide a genuine Unicorn for your exclusive use during your stay.
 

[ChC1]

4 hours ago, Airalee said:

Yes.  

 

Really? I don't see any property are by the beach. Among the 5 properties showing on your screen shot, only the first one seems to be close to the water but requires a reasonable 5-10 minutes drive to the river bank and 20-25 minutes drive to the beach. 

[ChC1]

5 minutes ago, billythehat said:

Sir, if indeed these were the figures you were supplied with, could you please confirm they were for a location in Cornwall, England and not Cornwall, Narnia.

 

My aunty runs a guest house in Penzance, Cornwall, and informed me that for £71k, she will not only provide a sea view suite but also provide a genuine Unicorn for your exclusive use during your stay.
 

 

It is an absurd story. But here we go:

Father-of-three quoted £71k for week's stay in Cornwall holiday home | Daily Mail Online

 

Sorry had to cite from the Daily XXXX. From this article:

[QUOTE]A father-of-three was quoted £71,000 for a week's stay in a Cornwall holiday home and has slammed firms for 'exploiting' families on staycations. 

Conservative councillor Paul Nickerson said a three-bedroom contemporary home in St Ives he was interested in came to a whopping £10,232-per-night when he enquired about a week's stay.[/QUOTE]

 

and

 

[QUOTE]Nurse Donna Brunton from Consett, County Durham, looked into UK holidays after she became concerned that her £2,500 all-inclusive Malta trip might be a no-go.

She said: 'A holiday park in north Cornwall was quoting £3,699 for the four of us to stay seven nights, self-catering in what looks like an upmarket caravan. [/QUOTE]

 

Of course it does not represent the actual market and some of the quotation are selective to reflect the absurdity of the market. But the reality is it does happen, rarely, but exist. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by ChC1

[billythehat]

9 minutes ago, ChC1 said:

 

It is an absurd story. But here we go:

Father-of-three quoted £71k for week's stay in Cornwall holiday home | Daily Mail Online

 

Sorry had to cite from the Daily XXXX. From this article:

[QUOTE]A father-of-three was quoted £71,000 for a week's stay in a Cornwall holiday home and has slammed firms for 'exploiting' families on staycations. 

Conservative councillor Paul Nickerson said a three-bedroom contemporary home in St Ives he was interested in came to a whopping £10,232-per-night when he enquired about a week's stay.[/QUOTE]

 

and

 

[QUOTE]Nurse Donna Brunton from Consett, County Durham, looked into UK holidays after she became concerned that her £2,500 all-inclusive Malta trip might be a no-go.

She said: 'A holiday park in north Cornwall was quoting £3,699 for the four of us to stay seven nights, self-catering in what looks like an upmarket caravan. [/QUOTE]

 

Of course it does not represent the actual market and some of the quotation are selective to reflect the absurdity of the market. But the reality is it does happen, rarely, but exist. 

 

Crivvens, and I bet there was no Unicorn offered in those pricy quotes.

 

There’s me thinking Thailand had become dear…

[ChC1]

7 minutes ago, billythehat said:

 

Crivvens, and I bet there was no Unicorn offered in those pricy quotes.

 

There’s me thinking Thailand had become dear…

 

Well, part of the reasons are the 10 days self isolation requirement by British government for people travelling from Amber countries (which majority of Europe, Thailand and other holiday destinations are). I was talking to my surgeon today, he would like to take his family to Portugal or Spain, but he could not afford to loose 10 days to self isolation after return. Many professional people have the same dilemma. Hence the inflated domestic travel price for school holiday season this year. Too many professional and high income people can not go overseas due to the current rule. The high end holiday let makes a kill by set the price high enough to cater for these time poor cash rich client. But the news are buzzing that this 10 days self isolation rule would be scraped tomorrow. So we have to wait and see. Maybe Phuket will see a surge of British booking once the 10 days self quarantine rule is no longer there. But still, I will evaluate the whole situation accordingly.

Edited July 6, 2021 by ChC1

[rumak]

On 7/5/2021 at 8:52 PM, impulse said:

Funny how 15 minutes in a kayak can take me to places never even seen by the A/C tourism crowd.

 

How much does renting a kayak cost ?    I found that 30 minutes with Noi can also take me to places never seen by many.

[CANSIAM]

20 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Beer goggles a few weeks ago......nearly made a "mistake"...........

I'm sure you like myself, IF we were to make a 'mistake' due to beer goggles, it would be an event to keep to yourself......... lol

[zzzzz]

i am confused>
who cares what a vacation in the UK costs on a thread about Phuket

 

Is there not a UK forum you guys can pollute?

[hotandsticky]

14 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

i am confused>
who cares what a vacation in the UK costs on a thread about Phuket

 

Is there not a UK forum you guys can pollute?

 

 

Pollute?  

 

 

Take a chill pill - it might sort out your confusion - and aggression.

[faraday]

22 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Beer goggles a few weeks ago......nearly made a "mistake"...........

Yes mate, course you did....

 

*Laughing emoji*

[gim12]

your post brought up some good issues...it is not any one requirement that has made going to Phuket  a huge hassle but the burdensome and time consuming accumulation of all the steps, some of which are duplicated,  -eg, why submit a passport as part of the COE when I already had to submit it to get the visa?  its the  process of "I know, lets also add this requirement and hey lets  also require this this and...." to the application that has made it not worth visiting

[Airalee]

5 hours ago, ChC1 said:

 

Really? I don't see any property are by the beach. Among the 5 properties showing on your screen shot, only the first one seems to be close to the water but requires a reasonable 5-10 minutes drive to the river bank and 20-25 minutes drive to the beach. 

One of the properties is 100 meters to the beach.  I already ran the Google street view.    Sorry you get sucked in by sensationalized news stories.   Just face it, you’re wrong.  Better luck next time.

[Exploring Thailand]

Good post, and it certainly looks like the right decision for you not to come.

 

One thing I don't fully understand is your concern about privacy. What data are you concerned about sharing?

[Surelynot]

5 hours ago, CANSIAM said:

I'm sure you like myself, IF we were to make a 'mistake' due to beer goggles, it would be an event to keep to yourself......... lol

Had things progressed a little further definitely.......not a word would have been spoken.

[jomtienisgood]

1 hour ago, Exploring Thailand said:

Good post, and it certainly looks like the right decision for you not to come.

 

One thing I don't fully understand is your concern about privacy. What data are you concerned about sharing?

PIN code. 555555

[chalawaan]

On 7/5/2021 at 5:35 PM, sammieuk1 said:

I could be easily swayed with 3 virgins yet alone 99 

In my long lucky and handsum life I've introduced precisely three virgins to the house of fun. It was no fun at all, they were hopeless, even if willing. 

 

I fail to see the allure myself.

[unblocktheplanet]

My first flight here, Thai Airways gave me a voucher for boom-boom. Not 3 or 99 but included with the smile.

 

They cared about satisfied customers back then.

Edited July 7, 2021 by unblocktheplanet
addition

[ChC1]

5 hours ago, Exploring Thailand said:

Good post, and it certainly looks like the right decision for you not to come.

 

One thing I don't fully understand is your concern about privacy. What data are you concerned about sharing?

As I said in my post:

 It is not the intention I am not happy with, it is who can access the information and how secure the information is makes me worry.

 

So to translate into easy English. I have no objection to have a tracking app and I understand why Thai wants it. But, I don't trust the other end of the information safeguard. The app requests almost all permissions from your phone. That means you are putting your whole privacy on your phone (including your photos on your phone and the control of your camera and address book) to some random IT guys who scored the contracts with the government. And, double that! Because one has to have both Mor Chana and Thailand Plus. So two sets or unknown companies and its employees can theoretically has the ability to steal any information on your phone as they like. Or if hackers hacked into the IT company's data base, they can and have the ability to do whatever they like with the information they collected from your phone or even control your phone through the app. They can peak into your personal emails, they can share your private pictures with anyone they like, And if they are skill enough (hopefully not), they can either spy on you while you are in the hotel bedroom doing unspeakable things, or figure out your credit card credentials. 

 

Here are the permission Mor Chana and Thailand Plus wants:

Camera:

• Take photos and Videos

Location:

• Precise location (GPS and network based)
•  Access Approximate Location (network based)

Storage:

• Modify or delete the contents of your SD card
• Read the contents of your memory card (Why they need these two??)

Other:

• Run foreground service
• Access Bluetooth settings
• Run at startup
• Google Play license check (Why?)
• view network connections
•  Prevent phone from sleeping (power draining exercise)
• receive data from Internet (Why?)
•  Access location in the background
• control vibration (why? They are afraid we use the phone as vibrator?)
• Full network Access (Why?)
• Retrieve running apps (Why?)
• Play Install Referrer API (Why?)
• Recognise physical activity (Mor Chana only, but WHY?)
• Pair with Bluetooth devices (WHY?)
• Access extra location provider commands
• Activity recognition (Why?)
• Use biometric hardware (Thailand Plus only, but WHY?)

 

Again, there is no evidence anyone would do that. But as an average person who worry about online security and privacy, download unknown app is always a concern. Then you read through the permission these apps want, you start to realise it is not a location tracking app, it wants more personal information you wonder if it is necessary.

 

Plus, if you read the review of these two apps in the store, you would notice Thailand Plus is full of 'bugs'. The rating for Thailand Plus is 1.8 while Mor Chana is more mature and has a rating of 4.1 in Google Store.

 

I will reiterate again, I can tolerate with maybe one app, but not two. Both app wants to prevent your phone from sleeping and beeping locations data continuously, you would need charge your phone every 4-8 hours. 

 

Finally, I don't think other holiday destinations like Malta, Dubai, Spain, Portugal, Mexico and others would request you to surrender your privacy to two apps that controls your phone. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by ChC1

[Darksidedude]

For sure i can see your points, as a tourist i dont know why anyone would go through all the hassle but for people that have to get to Thailand for specific reasons such as family or whatever its the best way to avoid having to quarantine for 2 weeks in a hotel

[Espanol]

On 7/7/2021 at 6:11 AM, Exploring Thailand said:

Good post, and it certainly looks like the right decision for you not to come.

 

One thing I don't fully understand is your concern about privacy. What data are you concerned about sharing?

App asks for full access to your camera, pictures and files in your telephone.

 

They can see all your personal documents and pictures.

 

Access to your location should be enough, I don't understand why the need to see my pictures and files.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Espanol

[Exploring Thailand]

On 7/7/2021 at 4:37 PM, ChC1 said:

I have no objection to have a tracking app and I understand why Thai wants it. But, I don't trust the other end of the information safeguard. The app requests almost all permissions from your phone.

 

1 hour ago, Espanol said:

App asks for full access to your camera, pictures and files in your telephone.

 

They can see all your personal documents and pictures.

 

Access to your location should be enough, I don't understand why the need to see my pictures and files.

 

Right, I agree those permissions do seem to be over the top.  A good app will always explains why it needs certain permissions. Also, I share you concern with how the data would be handled. I think incompetence rather than malice would be most likely to lead to a breach of privacy. Look at what happened recently with the immigration booking system.