Finally! TAT proposes end to quarantine for foreign tourists and simplification of area requirements

[EricTh]

How are they going to ensure that tourists don't go outside the designated areas? That's almost impossible to control except for inter-province travel where bus ticket issuers can check their passports.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by EricTh

[Maha Sarakham]

Yeah, so this will all change by tomorrow.  Tune back in for a complete reversal.

[newnative]

   Still way too complicated and impractical.   Just be fully vacced and you're good to go--anywhere.  I do agree with the guy that all the wacko names for all the wacko schemes should be consolidated into just one wacko name--hopefully one without meaningless letters.  (Is it STV or SVT or TVS?)   

[drenddy]

Sealed routes is not gonna work in a huge city as Bangkok.

They tried this in other places, to no avail.

 

Unless you are China, of course.

 

The interesting part would be which tricks they will use in order to scam incoming tourists.

[drenddy]

1 hour ago, Maha Sarakham said:

Yeah, so this will all change by tomorrow.  Tune back in for a complete reversal.

Yes, we wait for Dr Google Yong.

[champers]

7 hours ago, madmen said:

In a post by Richard Barrow on Facebook it also says the cost of covid test to be halved. 

So a drop from the current 8k. 

 

Also stated in this morning's Bangkok Post. Is that an admission of price gouging?

[Marco100]

8 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Double jabbed people are not immune, not according to any science I have seen anyway. You can catch and transmit covid, the vaccine reduces the chance of death or hospitalizations should you catch it. 

You are right , but so what ? 

Probability are that you will catch it any way as from the pandemic stage we are going in to the endemic stage ....

[Marco100]

I think that if Tourists are double vaccinated  with 72 H negative covid test, the hole procedure to enter Thailand should be simplified starting from the COE ... 

[drenddy]

Big questions :

 

Will they require PCR on arrival?

What they will do in case of positive test/close contact to a positive?

 

Cheers, Mr Prayuth, it's time you bring happyness to farangs, not only thais.

[tomyami]

if your double vaxed why go to places that require a test

Have'nt been tested since and wont unless I have syptoms

Countries with lower rates of vacination are not open like higher.

In precovid 2019 businesses and residential rents where already contracting due to high baht and Thai's tourist fatigue, the ext rules 24h reporting after travel was hitting the longtermers.

There needs to be a new approach I was treated like a leper in march now i am fully vaxed i want my trip to feel it was worth it...

 

[charmonman]

9 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Double jabbed people are not immune, not according to any science I have seen anyway. You can catch and transmit covid, the vaccine reduces the chance of death or hospitalizations should you catch it. 

Double jabbed foreigners are no more likely than double jabbed Thais to become infected or spread the virus, and less likely than unvaccinated Thais. So what's the point of all this quarantine/sandbox/sealed route rubbish? Just let fully vaccinated people in as normal <deleted>!

 

[drenddy]

Regarding Sandbox infections and opening the country.

 

It is safe to say, given nearly all Covid cases are Delta, and if we look at studies who shows that people get positive earlier after exposure, with a peak time of 3.71 days, that those poor souls got infected on the island.

Of course, positive at arrival means exposure before travel.

 

With this in mind...I want to ask TAT and dear Prayuth, how are you gonna protect me from infection, because it is me, who is at risk, not the locals?

 

 

Remember, na, we will bring 475766357788765436899987536788221567 THB into the country.

[charmonman]

I'm glad someone at the TAT is finally displaying some common sense, but they need to figure out a way for tourists or expats vaccinated outside of Thailand to get on this new vaccine passport so they can at least go to a goddam restaurant while in Thailand! 

[Stargeezr]

spidermike007, I enjoyed your long post, and agree.  October first, Thailand will open up and maybe

there will be a rush of expats headed back without quarantine.    Likely there will be other tourists

escaping the early Winter. October 15 or so the surge of COVID will be large, and we will have to see

how TAT and the government reacts to that.    November first and in December there will likely be

more tourists as it will be Winter. If Thailand keeps vaccinating their population, maybe by January there 

will be enough people vaccinated that at least there will be fewer dying if they catch COVID.

  I understand just how desperate Thailand is to get tourists back with all their money, but things could

go sideways badly in October and November if people get too relaxed and do not stay cautious about COVID.

 Personally I do not want to go back at the start as there are so many places closed and a lot of places in

the cities and towns will look depressing. I would rather wait until COVID is more under control and the

survivors have gotten their businesses running .

Geezer

[khunpa]

Instead of all these confusing rules and plans, why don’t they just:

 

1. Buy all the vaccines needed (proper ones)

 

2. Force EVERYBODY over 12 years old to get vaccinated and do it ASAP. All resources put into it.
 

…and then just open the country to normal life for everyone who is vaccinated.
 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by khunpa

[yimlitnoy]

10 hours ago, dabhand said:

I believe the 8k is the cost of 3 tests.

Then they should replace the PCR antibody tests by an antigen rapid test approved by WHO which cost less than 250 bht for each test.  I wanted to go to Samui but when I found out about the 3 tests at 9000 bht then I changed my plan.  There are also the health insurance and COVID $100,000 USD insurance that is stopping us to travel. I was quote at $7000 a year for both insurance, I am only 70, I have never been sicked.

[AndresSP]

Vaccination certificate, pre-flight PCR, maybe COVID insurance and full freedom of movement. 

 

Anything else, especially upon arrival, and no genuine tourist would touch such a "vacation" with a ten-foot pole.

[Bkktodd]

12 hours ago, at15 said:

hope quarantine will be reduced for unvaxxed !!

Why should it be……?  Why reward bad behavior. Get the damn vaccine especially if you are coming from countries that have easily obtainable and free vaccines.  Otherwise sit in quarantine 14days like I did even whilst double vaxxed

[Bkktodd]

1 hour ago, yimlitnoy said:

Then they should replace the PCR antibody tests by an antigen rapid test approved by WHO which cost less than 250 bht for each test.  I wanted to go to Samui but when I found out about the 3 tests at 9000 bht then I changed my plan.  There are also the health insurance and COVID $100,000 USD insurance that is stopping us to travel. I was quote at $7000 a year for both insurance, I am only 70, I have never been sicked.

You only need insurance to cover your stay. Plan to stay a year in Sami?

[Bkktodd]

2 hours ago, drenddy said:

Regarding Sandbox infections and opening the country.

 

It is safe to say, given nearly all Covid cases are Delta, and if we look at studies who shows that people get positive earlier after exposure, with a peak time of 3.71 days, that those poor souls got infected on the island.

Of course, positive at arrival means exposure before travel.

 

With this in mind...I want to ask TAT and dear Prayuth, how are you gonna protect me from infection, because it is me, who is at risk, not the locals?

 

 

Remember, na, we will bring 475766357788765436899987536788221567 THB into the country.

How you ask?  The same you do in your own country.  Wear masks, wash hands, and socially distance.  You can get COVID just as easily in the USA or UK the locals to lazy to get vaccinated 

[bermondburi]

10 hours ago, alyx said:

Sorry but this is not a step in either directions: they are just renaming/rebranding a very difficult path for those who want to get back to Thailand and an impossible one for the real tourists. Those who have come back and will come back under this plan are not regular tourists. Sincerely, I do not see the difference between the ASQ and the sandbox from a financial point of view, nor withstanding the three tests imposed ... although I reckon that it is better to spend a couple of weeks outdoor 

Difference is anyone can do ASQ, only 70 countries eligible for Sandpox.

[cplgil]

15 hours ago, at15 said:

hope quarantine will be reduced for unvaxxed !!

Hope they Ban and remove all unvaxxed !!

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, drenddy said:

Sealed routes is not gonna work in a huge city as Bangkok.

They tried this in other places, to no avail.

 

Unless you are China, of course.

 

The interesting part would be which tricks they will use in order to scam incoming tourists.

Been scamming tourists forever.

Why should this special time be any different. 

[cplgil]

3 hours ago, Bkktodd said:

Why should it be……?  Why reward bad behavior. Get the damn vaccine especially if you are coming from countries that have easily obtainable and free vaccines.  Otherwise sit in quarantine 14days like I did even whilst double vaxxed

100% Agree!!

[bangkok19]

We are now into week #3 of September...  and the weekly "thought bubble" from the TAT is........

 

At least they are consistent with their 'way-off' predictions, knee jerk reactions and aforementioned "thought bubbles".

There's an almighty gap between optimism and realism.

Unless you are desperate to visit family or loved ones, what's the attraction of spending your "hard earned" (if you still have a job) on an overpriced plane ticket to come to the (former) Land Of Smiles so soon?   

No 'smiles' in sight...  just those masks. 

You would definitely need a hotel room with a view because the closest thing to a "holiday" would be sitting in your room with your mask off, looking at that view!  Of course you can go there for the beaches, but when you walk off the beach, what then?  Shopping?   Please!!!!!

Not too much fun...  for this year anyhow.

 

[meechai]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Foreign tourists will have to stay in the confines of an area rather than quarantine, he said. 

May have already been said as I have not read all but........

 

This is dumb! Just open to vaccinated or not but to confine them to say Chiang Mai...yet all they come in contact with them......  like Thai locals etc Can still roam Thailand??

Makes no sense right? Can those that are not limited to areas but in contact with tourist not also carry the virus or not?

 

Just either open or not but these stupid half measure do not give anyone confidence you know what your doing

Edited September 14, 2021 by meechai

[zzaa09]

8 minutes ago, meechai said:

May have already been said as I have not read all but........

 

This is dumb! Just open to vaccinated or not but to confine them to say Chiang Mai...yet all they come in contact with them......  like Thai locals etc Can still roam Thailand??

Makes no sense right? Can those that are not limited to areas but in contact with tourist not also carry the virus or not?

 

Just either open or not but these stupid half measure do not give anyone confidence you know what your doing

They do need to open to freely travel where you wish. 

I'm imagining that any of the current plans will be changing up before long. 

 

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

17 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Double jabbed people are not immune, not according to any science I have seen anyway. You can catch and transmit covid, the vaccine reduces the chance of death or hospitalizations should you catch it. 

Being fully vaccinated dramatically reduces the probability of being infected as well as the American South has demonstrated. 0% is a tall order and rarely achievable but the good isn't the enemy of the perfect. We are just gonna have to learn to live with it. 

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, Thai Visa Member 999999 said:

Being fully vaccinated dramatically reduces the probability of being infected as well as the American South has demonstrated

And a few other countries seem to defy. Israel gets a mention... and even the UK with 81% of over 16s double vaccinated, they still turn up around 30,000 new infections daily. 

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

11 hours ago, newnative said:

   Still way too complicated and impractical.   Just be fully vacced and you're good to go--anywhere.  I do agree with the guy that all the wacko names for all the wacko schemes should be consolidated into just one wacko name--hopefully one without meaningless letters.  (Is it STV or SVT or TVS?)   

Go down to your local consulate and tell 'em you've come for a STD.