Stop confusing foreign tourists, tourism chief tells government - and make Covid tests cheaper

[webfact]

Picture: TNA

 

The chairman of Thailand's Tourism Business association said that the delay in reopening much of the country from October 1st to November 1st was further bad news for the sector.

 

It had damaged the confidence of potential tourists to the country, said Chamnan Srisawat in comments reported by TNA and hit travel agents hard.

 

He wants to see the time of the delay for a rethink on names, rules and costs to restore some uniformity.

 

Chamnan said that foreigners had been confused by all the names that meant nothing to them - Sandbox, Move On, Recharge even Charming have been bandied about.

 

He wanted to see every area opening under the same banner, with the same rules and the same operating procedures whether it is Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin or Cha-Am. 

 

He said that the testing regime was the number one thing putting off foreigners coming to Thailand. He suggested one 2,000 baht RT-PCR test on arrival then 2x200 baht ATK tests later. 

 

This price should be fixed and the same everywhere, he said.

 

Many foreigners have found themselves with testing bills around 15,000 baht on top of hotel charges, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Difficulty in getting the timing right over bookings for getting a Certificate of Entry (CoE) should also be addressed.

 

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[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

He wanted to see every area opening under the same banner, with the same rules and the same operating procedures whether it is Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin or Cha-Am. 

 

He said that the testing regime was the number one thing putting off foreigners coming to Thailand. He suggested one 2,000 baht RT-PCR test on arrival then 2x200 baht ATK tests later. 

 

This price should be fixed and the same everywhere, he said.

Wow!

 

Who is this guy???? He should be in charge of the whole country.

[AwwYesNice1]

Money #1

[internationalism]

yes, those pcr tests should be far less expensive. In private clinics in bkk you can get them from 2500b within 10h and come with fit to fly certificate.

Tests done in bulk in sandboxes by the government and not for profit should be around 1500b.

ATK tests would certainly lower costs.

Yes, there should be only one name for all this scheme, "sandbox" is already widely used, no point of changing and confusing tourists. All project is under the same rules. Possible details will vary depending on situation in each province

 

[Geoffggi]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

He wanted to see every area opening under the same banner, with the same rules and the same operating procedures whether it is Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin or Cha-Am. 

This is Correct, stop all this segregation and confusion for all prospective tourists - Then grow a pair and OPEN the country this means everything.

[steven100]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

foreigners had been confused by all the names that meant nothing

wow !   if he keeps this up he'll be transferred to an in-active post. 

[Phoenix Rising]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

wow !   if he keeps this up he'll be transferred to an in-active post. 

Absolutely. The current administration is not picked on merit and experience but is solely a product of the old boys' network. Hence the astoundingly inept handling of the pandemic and a total lack of competent leadership from the top. I'm sure you'll agree with me in hoping that the end of the pandemic will bring about a change in leadership as these dinos need to go ASAP.

[Misterwhisper]

You know that you've been living in this country too long when...

 

...you read sensible comments and suggestions made by a local and instantaneously realize that he cannot possibly work for the government.

[BritManToo]

Assume nearly all foreign tourists book their holidays 9-12 months in advance.

Further assume they will cancel their booking if you tighten the entry rules between their booking and their arrival.

 

How hard can that be?

This tourist season is already dead and buried, nobody is coming.

Make your new plans and announcements for the season 2022/23.

 

Furthermore,

If you want COVID insurance, COE, tests, et al, I suggest you provide them free on arrival, rather than try to squeeze more money out of the long suffering tourists.

Edited October 1, 2021 by BritManToo

[RotBenz8888]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He wants to see the time of the delay for a rethink on names

Names on slogans? 

[petermik]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Assume nearly all foreign tourists book their holidays 9-12 months in advance.

Further assume they will cancel their booking if you tighten the entry rules between their booking and their arrival.

 

How hard can that be?

This tourist season is already dead and buried, nobody is coming.

Make your new plans and announcements for the season 2022/23.

Too much like common sense....they don’t recognise that here.

[RotBenz8888]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Difficulty in getting the timing right over bookings for getting a Certificate of Entry (CoE) should also be addressed.

 

Until CoE and quaranteen is completely scraped, there will be no tourists. 

[2 is 1]

Price of test is not issue! Even all get those free that not chance anything! All the time focus irrelevant things and not watch big picture! Fuc.... retard donks!

[beano2274]

how about stop testing on arrival (does not happen in Europe), then a test on day 2 and day 8, if the test on day 8 is okay, then you leave the hotel and do what you want, and get your money back for the extra days that you had to book.

[Cherrytreeview]

Test positive go direct to hospital, still on the Thai monopoly board?

Can someone please confirm this is or isn't the case.

Thanks.

[beano2274]

36 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Test positive go direct to hospital, still on the Thai monopoly board?

Can someone please confirm this is or isn't the case.

Thanks.

I thought you had to go to a ASQ Hotel into quarantine, but maybe that is old info

[GrandPapillon]

nice article, but not going to happen

 

Thais like to keep doing things wrong, it makes them feel safer in their mistakes ????

 

 

[GrandPapillon]

50 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Test positive go direct to hospital, still on the Thai monopoly board?

Can someone please confirm this is or isn't the case.

Thanks.

still they didn't get the memo and why people in Thailand don't want to get tested unless they have serious symptoms

 

their whole operating logic is flawed, and since they can't question their own mistakes or flaws, they will keep doing the same stupid things over and over ????

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by GrandPapillon

[overherebc]

While he's being sensible could he have a word in someones shell like and simplify standardise the tourist visa system.

[ronster]

He will be ignored like all who voice common sense and good ideas !!

[tingtong]

He talks sense.... why is unlikely anything he proposed will be implemented.

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Chamnan said that foreigners had been confused by all the names that meant nothing to them - Sandbox, Move On, Recharge even Charming have been bandied about.

Tourists want to see one thing and one thing only.

Thailand is fully OPEN.

NO restrictions, NO regulations, NO SHA, NO quarantine, EVERYTHING IS OPEN.

[Paul Henry]

The problem is the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. All the B!! S!!T is just to justify their own position. Again this highlights no direct line responsibility and justifying a job they are not qualified to hold. You are better off sitting there looking like an idiot rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

[DFPhuket]

I'm flying from Thailand to Germany on Monday. I had to upload a copy of my (US Pfizer) vaccination certificate to a German government website and print out a document. That's all. No PCR tests. No quarantine. Nothing else.

 

For my return to Phuket I can't get my COE until after I arrive in the EU and upload a copy of my entry stamp, along with my passport copy, re-entry permit, insurance document showing $100,000 (which won't cover asymptomatic hospitalization), SHABA 7 day hotel certificate, prepayment of 2 PCR tests, and flight itinerary. Plus I must download the MorChana app. Then I'll need to find a place to get a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours before my flight departs. After I've done all of that, I can fly to Phuket where I'll have 2 more PCR tests. 

 

Thai hospitality at its finest. 

[Sydebolle]

Mind boggling, how many "experts" are in "tourism" ............ 

[wombat]

There is no confusion.

[Marco100]

This COE , Certificate of Entry , is a real nightmare .... do this , do that , buy insurance , jump on fire , hold on , wait embassy is not open .... c'mon who wants to go trou this for a 2 weeks vacation ??

Only those who live here and are coming back to Thailand . 

[Cherrytreeview]

1 hour ago, DFPhuket said:

I'm flying from Thailand to Germany on Monday. I had to upload a copy of my (US Pfizer) vaccination certificate to a German government website and print out a document. That's all. No PCR tests. No quarantine. Nothing else.

 

For my return to Phuket I can't get my COE until after I arrive in the EU and upload a copy of my entry stamp, along with my passport copy, re-entry permit, insurance document showing $100,000 (which won't cover asymptomatic hospitalization), SHABA 7 day hotel certificate, prepayment of 2 PCR tests, and flight itinerary. Plus I must download the MorChana app. Then I'll need to find a place to get a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours before my flight departs. After I've done all of that, I can fly to Phuket where I'll have 2 more PCR tests. 

 

Thai hospitality at its finest. 

Is it normal that insurance policies won't cover asymptomatic hospitalisation or does it depend on the company?

[observer90210]

Tourists have long being doing their homework before visiting a country.

 

Will all the obvious current sanitary restrictions and hassles, the focus and caution has incresead.

 

No tourist would want to come to Thailand juste to be milked like a golden cow with overcharged insurance premiums.

 

Mandatory insurance for long stay ? Definately yes, for there are people who have abused the Thai health system.

 

But selling the policies at outrageous premiums ? No way. People chose to go elsewhere.

 

Plus what about visitors of long stay from abroad who already have top class medical insurances in their homelands ?

 

Are they waived for mandatory insurance  ? If not, why not ?

[alyx]

This quite a biased article : "Stop confusing foreign tourists"

How about the rest of us ? I mean everybody else is confused ...expats....non. expats....Thai Nationals...