Thailand Nov 1 reopening to go ahead providing COVID-19 situation remains stable

[cape]

4 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

If the hotel stay is cancelled then i,am interested.have the jabs.Don,t mind the psr test for flying.Always have travel insurance just don,t know that cost yet.Wait and see and dec or jan maybe the right time

"Open" means quarantine is reduced to 7 days and you can wander round the restricted area. So it's Phuket Sandbox extended to these other areas.

It won't achieve much. The difference in tourist numbers will come when the COE (Certificate of Entry) requirement is removed.

COE covers quarantine and insurance - no tourist in prepared to forego a week of their holiday allowance and cough up hundreds of dollars for insurance against a non-existent risk.

Incidentally, ou pay the hotel in advance and even if COE is dropped, it isn't refunded, you've lost that money, maybe €2,000. I have checked this..

 

[BadSpottedDog]

1 hour ago, nchuckle said:

Exactly- when the COE requirement first came in it was an uncertain fraught and stressful process. While that might have improved ,you can imagine how prepared Thailand would be to cope with any significant uptick in demand based on their appalling record. Travellers of a normal tourist nature simply won’t live with that risk and faffing.

COE still is an uncertain fraught and stressful process. I see so many people on the FB groups panicking because they're flight is coming up soon, and there's issues with, or no response about their COE. 

[Spellforce]

So the final new rules wont be published in the Royal Gazet before 2nd or 3rd november.
The time people do in that order: book plane, book hotel => COE ... dont expect to see some new tourists before end of november in Pattaya

And if there are stil:
- mandatory insurance

or

- COE

or

- curfew

or

- bar closed

or

- masks mandatory everywhere even outside

 

... then the high season in december/january wont happen at all and much more buisness will close ????

[Spellforce]

... and I forgot in the "no go" conditions:
- ban alcool in bars and restaurants

or

- max gathering people < 50 people

[EVENKEEL]

I must be the only one looking forward to a week in Pattaya when I return.

[bolt]

11 minutes ago, cape said:

"Open" means quarantine is reduced to 7 days and you can wander round the restricted area. So it's Phuket Sandbox extended to these other areas.

It won't achieve much. The difference in tourist numbers will come when the COE (Certificate of Entry) requirement is removed.

COE covers quarantine and insurance - no tourist in prepared to forego a week of their holiday allowance and cough up hundreds of dollars for insurance against a non-existent risk.

Incidentally, ou pay the hotel in advance and even if COE is dropped, it isn't refunded, you've lost that money, maybe €2,000. I have checked this..

 

Sorry COE is Permission to enter, nothing to do with quarantine

you need an COE to enter Phuket sandbox.

 

COE will remain

[bolt]

Just now, EVENKEEL said:

I must be the only one looking forward to a week in Pattaya when I return.

I’m with you and waiting for middle to end of November, by then the Pattaya sandbox or whatever they call that should be ready

·         COE

·         Valid Visa

·         COVID insurance

·         SHA+ Hotel

·         2 PCR tests paid for in advance

[Deli]

4 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

As time goes on more and more areas of Thailand will be authorized to offer the Sandbox SHA stay. It will be good for the expats who work on rotation and can stay at a hotel close to home. I know some are die hard opponents of the SHA system, but it just means you have a limited supply of hotels and may have to pay more for SHA stay. What really baffles me are the tourists who bring their infant children here.

SHA+ Hotels are as cheap as 500 Baht /night. If you have your own home on Phuket, or a Mia Chao, you don't even need to sleep threre. It's all rubbish and smoke and mirrors.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Deli

[bolt]

5 minutes ago, Deli said:

SHA+ Hotels are as cheap as 500 Baht /night. If you have your own home on Phuket, or a Mia Chao, you don't even need to sleep threre. It's all rubbish and smoke and mirrors.

not entirely true

SHA+ proves that the staff gave been vaccinated, so it shows that there’s a level of control, instead of letting arrivals stay anywhere they want.

Note.

Before you are issued with an COE you must agree to follow the rules, and part of the rules are to use SHA+ business only during your stay for the 1^st 7 days.

 

Whether you decide NOT to follow the rules is UP 2 U

[RichardColeman]

Unless it is just getting on a plane - and maybe a commitment to do a lateral flow test on arrival - then nobody, NOBODY, is coming in mass to help fill the Thai coffers.

 

These daft restrictions for entry will soon start to diminish when they see that another high season is about to be a disaster after everyone that needed to come has already arrived and people are going elsewhere

[Midwit]

3 hours ago, stigar said:

In korat the owner and his family of a shoppingmall didnt use masks...now 3 of this family get covid.The mall have to close down.

If only they would’ve had a paper mask on for 16 straight hours. That would’ve stopped it for sure. 

[AMFWolfie]

6 hours ago, Fujionrye said:

What does reopen mean?

 

What about for those people who live in a "Sandbox" area. When can we expect to avoid all these hotels and quarantine at home like the UK?

[EVENKEEL]

38 minutes ago, bolt said:

I’m with you and waiting for middle to end of November, by then the Pattaya sandbox or whatever they call that should be ready

·         COE

·         Valid Visa

·         COVID insurance

·         SHA+ Hotel

·         2 PCR tests paid for in advance

And, the 40K/400K Ins for visa duration.

[Snow Leopard]

How long does it take to get the COE in London? Anyone done it? 

[Chad3000]

1. Nothing has changed therefore - Thailand has always 'been open'.

 

2. So many mixed messages. Every day another 180.

[bolt]

3 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

How long does it take to get the COE in London? Anyone done it? 

I've had 3 COE'S NOT from London, but another place and it took average 3-4 days. so plan 7-10 working days and you should be fine, 

they will speed up your application depending on you actual travel dates.

[bolt]

8 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

And, the 40K/400K Ins for visa duration.

not true 100kUSD Covid Insurance was 11.5k Thb for 12 months OA visa 

Edited October 10, 2021 by bolt

[Rhacsyn]

1 hour ago, Percy P said:

But where from.

Agree with the original poster. There are many flights and i have also flown to Thailand three times in the last twelve months, with a fourth pending on 1st November. Two from London and two from Dubai for me.

[plahgat]

I won´t be going until the bargirls are back and GoGo bars open! ????

[Cherrytreeview]

1 hour ago, GeilGeilertzen said:

I lived in Thailand now for way over 20 years and are in my second marriage, have 2 kids and a third one on the way. We have employed Thai staff for over 20 years.  I don’t know about you and what you know that I don’t know about Thailand. 

You want a medal?

Surprised your not on your ninth marriage.

 

[mikosan]

7 hours ago, Fujionrye said:

What does reopen mean?

 

Yes, precisely.  Almost certainly no pubs or bars, maybe alcohol allowed in restaurants, which actually makes a mockery of not allowing the pubs and bars to open.  But this is Thailand and this puritanical government seems dead set on completely crushing the pub and bar industry, thereby causing even more suffering to many of the population, who are already poor beyond belief.

[welshguy]

Im waiting until the restrictions to enter Thailand are all lifted.

 

When will this be? God knows! Certainly not me!

 

Surely to god, those "in charge" in Thailand, must know, the vast majority of tourists arent going to return until these restrictions are lifted?

 

A holiday is "meant"! to be a time for you to de-stress", yet Thailand, continually keep coming up with preposterous "restrictions/plans/sand box this/quarantine that/hardly anything open/blah blah blah".

These "restrictions" etc, are also changed/altered etc, on a seemingly daily basis...and they expect millions to come , after having to do all the nonsense above?  Yeah right!

 

Ive booked a 4 week holiday in the Canary Islands (granted not as hot as Thailand!, but much better than winter in Blighty!), for January/February 2022............IF Thailand is "properly" open by then? I will go there in February.

 

I however, think it wont be open "properly", until this time next year....By then.....It could of course be "too late" to save Thailands tourism industry.

 

Ive been visiting Thailand for nigh on 40 years now.  so Im well aware of what goes on, the "face saving" etc. etc.  Im still amazed though (yes! even after 39 years!) of the utter tripe that comes out of these peoples mouths!! Amazing Thailand indeed.

 

People WILL choose other destinations worldwide, to spend their holidays in ..Thailand is not the be all and end all of "Tourism" . I know that, millions of "tourists" worldwide know that. Such a shame those clowns in charge, in Thailand dont know that, and think people will jump through various hoops., just to be allowed entry into  Amazing Thailand.

 

I love Thailand, I HOPE it re-opens soon...I somehow doubt it though. I think this time next year, "may" be O.K.  Of course though, anything could and will! happen by then....Thailands tourism is "teetering on the edge" for its survival, What it sure as hell doesnt need! , are the ridiculous restrictions, just to enter the country, thats before they even jump on the pane at their airports in their own country!

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, bolt said:

not true 100kUSD Covid Insurance was 11.5k Thb for 12 months OA visa 

Very nice, thank you.

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The proposed reopening of Bangkok and other major tourist destinations in Thailand will go ahead on November 1, providing the COVID-19 situation does not worsen.

Interesting choice of words here 'does not worsen'.

 

I wonder if they're referring to the COVID situation here in Thailand or in the places where people are flying in from.

 

What will they do if say the number of COVID cases in Europe doubles in October and then doubles again in November.

Will the proceed as normal?

 

[bullseye66]

1 hour ago, cape said:

"Open" means quarantine is reduced to 7 days and you can wander round the restricted area. So it's Phuket Sandbox extended to these other areas.

It won't achieve much. The difference in tourist numbers will come when the COE (Certificate of Entry) requirement is removed.

COE covers quarantine and insurance - no tourist in prepared to forego a week of their holiday allowance and cough up hundreds of dollars for insurance against a non-existent risk.

Incidentally, ou pay the hotel in advance and even if COE is dropped, it isn't refunded, you've lost that money, maybe €2,000. I have checked this..

 

Yup. Until all restrictions are lifted no large numbers of tourists will visit.

[Snow Leopard]

44 minutes ago, bolt said:

I've had 3 COE'S NOT from London, but another place and it took average 3-4 days. so plan 7-10 working days and you should be fine, 

they will speed up your application depending on you actual travel dates.

Cheers

[KhaoYai]

I'd be interested to know how these new 'Sandboxes' are going to work and what they will achieve.  Preventing/Monitoring travel in and out of the box is relatively easy with an island but how do you do that in Bangkok for example?  They may be able to track foreigners through their phones but what's the point of that if those foreigners can mix with Thai people who will surely travel in and out?

 

Granted, they will no doubt have to check in with the hotel daily but what's to stop a 'tourist' leaving their phone in their room and travelling outside the Sandbox for the day?

 

These measures may bring back some of the tourists but there's a hell of a lot of hotels to fill. To be able to open and provide a decent level of service, hotels will have to bring back most of their staff - how will that make a profit if the occupancy rate is 25%.  I suspect a lot of hotels will simply stay shut.

 

Its about time they stopped mucking around and opened up to vaccinated tourists without quarantine or stay closed.

[10baht]

8 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Meanwhile, the government expects 15 million foreign tourists to visit Thailand in 2022, generating 650 billion baht in revenue.

Never happen there chief while you insist on COE's. How hard is it to grasp?

[geisha]

6 hours ago, bolt said:

How can the costs be minimum 15,000 thb

That’s not correct, I’ve found a booking for 7 days on AGODA quarantine package for 7,800

 

This is a mess as usual

 

Don’t know the details, but does it state government approved hotel ASQ or SHA+ ? 

[Benmart]

"Mr Thanakorn also gave an update on the Phuket Sandbox, which has been hailed a success.".

Using what metric to measure this "success"? A Smoke and Mirror display, backed up with a vinyl chart and stock photos? A La-La-Land Nonsense Generator-Tabulator? A TAT Distortion Device with the usual Reality Impairment Module?