Must Read Thailand delays plan to re-open cities to tourists until November

[cyril sneer]

i miss the time when articles had a news source at the bottom

[zzaa09]

8 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

i miss the time when articles had a news source at the bottom

This only applies if it's marketable. 

[treetops]

15 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

i miss the time when articles had a news source at the bottom

Not hard to find the original:

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-thailand/thailand-delays-plan-to-re-open-cities-to-tourists-until-november-idINL4N2QO1UG

[Danderman123]

21 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Has anybody been to Bangkok bars these two months? What's the situation there right now?

Nobody has been to Bangkok bars lately.

[2 is 1]

53 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

Nobody has been to Bangkok bars lately.

No everybody want to go there and drink water ????

[bangkokbonecollector]

2 hours ago, chalawaan said:

Nana and Cowboy were indeed bastions of tourism. Apart from the mongers, foreign couples would invariably drift through to soak in the debauchery, and often have a drink or two as well. 

They claim tourism accounts for a fifth of GDP I think that's grossly underestimated.

 

The vast majority of Thais who worked in it, or supplied it, from drivers to laundry workers, were often in the grey economy, not counted, or considered. The ripple effects of just one major hotel and its suppliers and staff and their families needs and consumption and so on, is also underestimated.

 

Thailand's failure to tackle institutionalised corruption, and formalise labour relations and social security is now burning itself alive. Som nam na.

Good effort

[whatsupdoc]

2 hours ago, Blumpie said:

I submit to all that there are very few people willing to travel right now anyways, so it doesn't really matter. Particularly to a country where COVID is still out of control due to poor vaccination rates.  

Even with good vaccination rates, it will not go away.  It will be there.  

We're open here, and do you know who's coming?  Hardly anybody.  (vaccinated only)

 

Take away 1/5 of a country's GDP and they will suffer.  I think that they are sweeping the true pain under the rug.  

Very few people are willing to travel right now???? Quite the opposite, as for me, I am having holidays more frequent than ever (but am fully vaccinated and currently in Europe where it is now mostly business as usual).

But I get your point: I am absolutely not in a hurry to return to Thailand. Too many hurdles and if many attractions, restaurants and other businesses are closed why would I?

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, whatsupdoc said:

Very few people are willing to travel right now???? Quite the opposite, as for me, I am having holidays more frequent than ever (but am fully vaccinated and currently in Europe where it is now mostly business as usual).

But I get your point: I am absolutely not in a hurry to return to Thailand. Too many hurdles and if many attractions, restaurants and other businesses are closed why would I?

I think that is the point the poster you responded to was making, Thailand is fraught with hurdles and hoops to jump through for the 2 to 3 week traveler.  Now for those that have a family here it is doable but can be fraught with other problems if you test positive, but to think of it the same goes for the 2 to 3 week millionaire who could enjoy sitting on the beach but not having anyplace to truly hang out in the evenings.

[bartender100]

30,000 infections a day in the UK, but most recover in 2 weeks or less, some don't even have symptoms. Life is back to normal, except travel, has been like this for 3 months, cant remember the last time I wore a mask to a pub, restaurant or supermarket.

 

Thailand needs to speed up the vaccinations to have any chance of opening this year, or maybe buying the submarines is more important

[hioctane]

6 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

I don't know what they mean by "opening" Bangkok. 

It means allowing tourists to enter Bangkok directly without the current 14 day quarantine requirement.

[djayz]

Flip flop, flip flop,.... 

[stickyrice2000]

I don't trust this government.  They are not consistence and has no backup plans.  They make up things as situation occurs and can make the tourists suffer on their trip.

[Hal65]

Is curfew going to last until that time too? Any updates there?

[Skeptic7]

14 hours ago, Almer said:

Nana, Cowboy

I'm there dude! ????

[Skeptic7]

More likely The 12th of Never. 

[nobodysfriend]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand welcomed 40 million arrivals in 2019, who accounted for more than a fifth of gross domestic product, but this year is targeting one million visitors.

Thailand is still attractive for it's beaches , temples etc ...

But for the rest , ( nightlife , friendly people , cheap prices for good quality ( food ) , it is no longer .

That has a lot to do with it's policies , not only because of the virus ...

[brucegoniners]

I'm afraid it's all false hope. The chances of things being close to ready in 5 weeks is a pipedream. 

 

But I'd never sell the Thai government short on making a bad decision when it comes to money.

[thailand49]

No plan in place just daily wasteful spinning of dumb ideas and time frame to open. In the end, just push it back, and back and back!

Oh wait is that like kicking the can down the road?????

[dogfish180]

It would be interesting to know how many of the vaccinated 'tourists' that arrived in Phuket sandbox required hospital treatment due to Covid infection. Seeing as Covid is already rife in Thailand, the only issue is hospitals being overloaded with sick tourists? If they are fully vaccinated then they shouldn't be getting sick.........or am I over thinking things ????????????

[crazykopite]

Thailand can forget this year so much BS being spewed out by this hopeless administration and it’s leader

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has pushed back plans to re-open Bangkok and some other major cities to foreign arrivals until November, due to vaccination rates falling short of targets, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Which is the priority to open up properly, something TAT don't understand.

Phuket said it was ready, patently it wasn't and the health authority don't want that happening nationwide.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

So far, 44% of residents in Bangkok have received two doses, government data shows. Overall, Thailand has vaccinated 22% of the estimated 72 million people living in the country.

Dismally poor.

[jesimps]

Oh! What a surprise.

[Danderman123]

10 hours ago, hioctane said:

It means allowing tourists to enter Bangkok directly without the current 14 day quarantine requirement.

So, COE is still required, and can go to Isaan the day after arrival?

[kingstonkid]

Before they open to outside tourism maybe they should open and provide incentive for national Thai tourism.

 

Open travel to Pattaya and Phuket for Thais and those of us in country already.

 

See how that goes before letting airlines start making bookings only to find out there is a problem.

 

I include in opening bars and removing the liquor ban. But do it slowly.

[malthebluff]

It does not say which November 

[Molly Malone]

Oh my giddy aunt fanny, what a MASSIVE SURPRISE = Gov NOT supplying the HEADLINE PROMOTED vaccines they have DAILY promised the people of Thailand!!!

So now they confess that the THAI economy will continue to nosedive through the floor for more months due to GOV incompetence! 

I live in the heart of Bangkok and have all my life, LOVED THAILAND! When I travel out to places like Poonsup Market, about a hour from Siam BKK, you see "virtually everything" is open and the Thai people trying to bounce back financially and God love them for doing so!!!

Yet the THAI gyms remain closed! WHY? Don't the Jetts and Fitness First owners sling enough BAHTS into the pockets of those in power? OPEN THE GYMS!

[IamNoone88]

Just flown Phuket - Bangkok - Isaan - Bangkok - Phuket on business with a Thai colleague. Leaving Phuket is not an issue and neither is arriving at various airports in Isaan.

 

Returning to Phuket is absolute nightmare. No wonder the economy has tanked - nothing can move easily, especially people.

 

Be warned, if you work or have a business in Phuket - the failed Sandox procedure is a mess and not just the vaxxed, covid cert and proof of address (such as a rental agreement). Rental agreements are not accepted.

 

For the returning business owner or employee - the engine drivers of the local economy, you will need the vaxxed cert, covid free, (they don't accept a residential rental contract as proof of address in Phuket), a letter from your employee stating you are employed in the company, even if you are business owner, all company registration documents, proof of office address or business address in Phuket, work permit. You are also best advised to bring social security documents with name of travelers to prove that they are employed.

 

Non of these requirements seem to be published anywhere.... 

 

Local staff have to produce the same - infact their requirements to enter Phuket as a bonafide employee were even stricter.

 

Its take 30 minutes of documents checks at the airline, a mass of photography and discussion and those documents are then sent to the airline office so you can get approved to fly.

 

Then you have to complete the gophuket app ..... which asks you to upload the same documents and also ......... the car or taxi registration numbers of the vehicles you have travelled in and in which province ......

 

The sandox requirements are harsher on the business community than on a tourist. It is a complete mess.

 

Upon arrival in Phuket, they only look at the vaxx cert and glance at one covid test - there is no link between this mass of documents, gophuket and the arrival checks.

 

So ignore the Sandbox hype on the simple vaxx cert, covid free cert and proof of address. The complexity is with your own status upon returning to Phuket and proving that status to the airline - which has no idea how to deal efficiently with each different status.

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

Ok.  Let's says "open" on November 15?  Great then all the closed businesses can suddenly open and all the employees can come back?  Opening for a country that was accustomed to large number of tourists and has been closed for more than a year will take more than 45 days.  I hope someone is planning to ramp the airport(I departed out  of BKK 4 weeks ago and the only place where I  could buy water was at a vending machine), immigration(only one officer working at departures), hotels(I stayed at  a hotel near BKK and was "dead").  

[bristolgeoff]

Nov is the date maybe end of nov.My guess is dec or jan  to save something of the high season