47 minutes ago, stigar said:

Been there several times.Orchard tower is a great place.

I wonder how active/bustling it is post COVID-19. Any insights?

Another unrealistic Thai person in a place of authority that has tunnel vision and no idea what the attraction Thailand is to foreigners. The mixture of upmarket & budget hotels, restaurants and bars sort of caters to a wide cross section of tourists so take out the bars and nightlife and you will loose the vibe that people often come here for. Tourists generally don't come to Thailand for high end shopping sprees, they come for fun and whilst I rarely partake in the bar scene I see these venues as critical for Thai tourism now and in the future. This sector also employs many Thai staff and yes often supports working girls etc etc. Virtually every tourist orientated country I have visited has a bar scene but few as fun as Thailand. 

5 hours ago, RachaRob said:

Family Friendly? So they want to rip off whole families now?

And  who with a Family, and being of sound mind , would take there children to  Country where they are likely to contract Covid, be mauled by a pack of Dogs, cannot swim in the Ocean due to pollution, have no meaningful places to release there energy Etc

If I were a parent, I would certainly not be coming to Thailand, to see my Children shackled by all the things they cannot do.

They cannot spend all day, every Day at a Waterpark.

1 hour ago, drenddy said:

If I remember correctly, the Azores did the same last year, test on arrival and quarantine until result, but at their expenses, not tourists?

 

Anyways, I expect thais live up to their reputation and we shall see ASQ 1 night starting from 10000 THB...That would be nice.

 

And...I would like to ask TAT to stop dreaming about so called high quality tourism.Never gonna happend, because Thailand is a 3rd world country, endemic corruption, double pricing.

They don't have the stamina for being a high quality destination.

 

I was going to say the same in a post I did to this topic but reframed,  what you say is so true!!!

14 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

Another unrealistic Thai person in a place of authority that has tunnel vision and no idea what the attraction Thailand is to foreigners. The mixture of upmarket & budget hotels, restaurants and bars sort of caters to a wide cross section of tourists so take out the bars and nightlife and you will loose the vibe that people often come here for. Tourists generally don't come to Thailand for high end shopping sprees, they come for fun and whilst I rarely partake in the bar scene I see these venues as critical for Thai tourism now and in the future. This sector also employs many Thai staff and yes often supports working girls etc etc. Virtually every tourist orientated country I have visited has a bar scene but few as fun as Thailand. 

I should have added as fun as Thailand used to be LOL

8 hours ago, Enzian said:

The puritans in government see the pandemic as a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform their shame about the "lower orders" into an image of glowing virtue. But reality will intervene, as it always eventually does.

If they think that people are gonna spend the money to look at 5000 temples then these people are living in cloud cuckoo land .. It’s famous for its nightlife with 5% going to see the unclean beaches

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Pretty much what I have been saying all along, that this COVID outbreak will be used to rid the country of its sex-tourism and entertainment business and reputation.

 

As you say though, without a plan b, it won't work.

Exactly.  Covid has been the excuse they wanted, not a valid reason.

Why the money would tourists money bother money coming money with money all these money restrictions money in place and money the TAT money sending money clear money signals money of money whats money most money important

He can say or dream what he wants . If Thailand gets visitors back , and there will be some day , then the public will decide . Again demand and supply ... they not going to close all bars , even if they close all nighttime venues , there will be places where you can drink and enjoy some music and company will be there . It is a "normal" activity in Thailand , and selling for money is very very widespread and accepted among the society .

Unless they keep all bars and massage and karaokes closed , there will be drinking , there will be some kind of paid entertainment and there will be a "nightlife" like before , even if it might be in earlier hours .

This might not be right now , but tourists are wanted , the money is wanted , and supply is plenty of all kinds ( alcohol , cheap hotels , all kinds of people ... you name it ).

9 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT boss rules out going back to the old Thai tourism formula of crowded bars and nightlife.

That's great news.

Thousands of girls who normally do their best to help the tourists to spend their money will now concentrate on us, the "locals". More competition and no more crazy tourist prices. Sounds good to me.

C'mon man

 

You know the thing!

 

This is the real Thailand many tourists (and locals) enjoy.

 

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Thai tourism:

They have been flogging this dead buffaloe for decades, thinking their puritanical view of what they think things should be…

 

can be turned into a viable National Business Model that will paper over the less puritanical business model that caused profits to suport the populace. 

 

They have gotten manufacturing and agriculture-business to be profitable, but not enough to adequately to pay for a population mostly living on the edge. And often shooting their own feet in agriculture sector.

The ‘entertainment sector’ had for decades, post Vietnam war, taken up most of the slack and made it the fun place to visit whether wild social drinkers or the smaller “sexpat” sector. And remember, the local sex industry dwarfs the foreign ‘entertainment’ numbers maybe 80% to 20%.

 

But that always rankled the puritanical HiSo wives, and so their husbands paid lip service to ‘cleaning up the National act’ by spouting public announcements of a “more family friendly tourist market”.
Before sodding of to the Mia Noi’s or ‘private members clubs’.

 

But as a business model ‘family friendly tourists’ will spring the country back to life as Disneyland Happy Families Asia.

 

When you are reading all this contradicting government "orders", then you unvoluntarily think about the future of Thailand.

 

I - i..e. - cannot refuse the idea: what would happen, if Thailand is forced into a war?

My ideas:

• although ruled by a military "leader", he wouldn't know how to react. Because no plan about it.
• the leader would announce an order, shut up all you minions. This is a military problem which can only resolved by us. But it will take some time.
• the leader will order all available submarines into the Mekong to defend the capital and the channels near to his house.
• the leader will call ASEAN to suppoert him, because some important generals are just not at home, but shopping with their family in Peking, Mumbay , Ney York or Paris. It will take some time to return at home. But he urgently needs them. He has already ordered a military first class plane for their returning.
• the leader will ask the parliament to take over the responsability (until the end of the war).
• the leader will promise another election - after the war.
• .............

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Quarantine hotel owners want a return on their investment.

Still don't get it. If I book three weeks in a hotel, why the hell do I need to quarantine for one of them. I'm double jabbed, PCR tests up to my eyeballs. Seems absolutely pointless.

 

Whoa! Who turned up the speed on the merry go round to full throttle??? After reading the OP i'm dizzier than .....

9 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

This is why Thais wear flip-flops.....

 

They make a sound that is just like their decision making process.

Most Thais are the victims of this military junta

There is more fun and freedom in Bahrain or Dubai.

9 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Good luck with that. With European destinations in summer, Dubai and Carribean in winter then there are plenty of other family/luxury/value options closer to home. Thailand is an exotic place that had thrived for decades on the mix of hedonism, freedom and lax implementation of rules. Make it difficult, expensive and less fun then many will simply seek alternative destinations. Maybe he's only got the Chinese or Indians in mind so let's see how that goes.

 

France, Spain (including Canary Islands, Mallorca, ibiza etc...), Greece, Portugal....etc...etc...All open, bars & clubs and you name it... no curfew, no alcohol ban...Prices more than 2 times lower than usual in terms of travel and accomodation...La belle vie! Thailand : sorry but...Go back to bed 

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

The 1 day quarantine... where will the swab be taken? At the airport on arrival or at the ASQ hotel when traveler arrives at the hotel?

 

Hopefully at the airport on arrival so that analysis of the swab can start promptly.

When I arrived last month in Phuket, directly at the airport.

There would be no way every ASQ hotel would be manned by hospital staff for tests.

Three hours later I got my result at my hotel and was free to roam Phuket.

Basically just arrived at hotel showered, unwinded with a welcome gin and tonic and then I was set free.

7 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

 

 

I suppose they'll also be shutting down all the Thai venues, the soapy massages, the karaoke bars, the "pretties" who can be hired for events (and wind up drugged to death)? The TAT sure has their work cut out for them. In shifting their tourism model, they'll also have to somehow shift a deeply ingrained part of their culture.

Since these places have been closed we have noticed that the number of parties at the luxury houses around here have increased drastically. Sometimes 3 or 4 days a week.  We often see a car with 4 or 5 pretties pull up and an hour or so later the Mercedes, BMW, Porches, Audis pull up. They then party all night and some leave at all hours of the night (we can hear the shrill voices of the young girls) with no respect for the curfew. 

CCSA in its daily briefing just said there will be no quarantine and the list of countries is decided but will be revealed next week. Hopefully they've not listened to this idiot.

 

"CCSA finalizing List of origin countries entering and not requiring quarantine. Now it's in the required internal process, and should be released sometime mid-week next week. There will be alot more than 10 countries included in the list."

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Some years ago didn't Singapore close down the red light districts and clean up their image? Tourism nosedived

Yes , I was there then, and clubs survived in buildings, and nice disco bars were in nice hotels the girls dressed beautiful looked beautiful and the service was as good as ever, only Singapore invested in infrastructure and clean streets, no more sack over the drain.

Thailand still wants smelly drains, no bars and hi class tourists, I guess covid could solve the smelly drain problem if your sense of smell was gone.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT boss rules out going back to the old Thai tourism formula of crowded bars and nightlife. He insists the kingdom is instead pursuing a higher quality, more family-friendly market.

This is not any real policy, it is purely a statement that reflects the "snobbism" of the minister. It is a personal wish that has no basis in reality.

Thailand has almost totally lost its income from tourism and thousands of people are unemployed as a result - simply wishing for a 'high end" market is not going to be=ring back these people's livelihoods.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai tourism with crowded pub scenes as his agency plans a shift to a higher quality, higher spending, family orientated sort of tourism in the future.

Thats what the people like.

 

Sitting around at some temple just doesn't cut it.

 

Beautiful Thai girls on the menu with a cheeseburger.

 

"Dinosaur" is an apt name for these morons running the show.

He is the tourism minister and doesn't have the power to ban anything. Just moving his Jaws to sound important. Bar owners especially thai will do what they want however full moon parties are over but who cares. I'm hoping gogo bars make a comeback but I doubt this year 

7 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

This is not any real policy, it is purely a statement that reflects the "snobbism" of the minister. It is a personal wish that has no basis in reality.

Thailand has almost totally lost its income from tourism and thousands of people are unemployed as a result - simply wishing for a 'high end" market is not going to be=ring back these people's livelihoods.

It may not be his wish, but rather a look at things to come in the future, while covid locked down and closed Walking Street, property deals may have been done, we may now see all the night life going into Hotels, big discos and girls controlled by the venues.

All the small buildings will be knocked down, you will have to pay to enter, the rest will become money exchanges and gold shops.

I only saw this in a nightmare last night,  I awoke in a sweat and took 2 aspirin and went back to bed.

Middle of October already and they are still rearranging the deck chairs.  Pathetic.  

yeah like he has suggested what will relace it and the livelyhoods of those effected

this fourm relaying jackass comments is getting more april foolerish by the day.

signing out

3 minutes ago, tomyami said:

yeah like he has suggested what will relace it and the livelyhoods of those effected

this website relaying jackass comments is getting more april foolerish by the day.

signing out

If America had to fight another war in Cambodia, or Laos, Vietnam, R and R could save Nana.

So, 1-2 days of quarantine. PCR tests, CoE. Nothing changed other than knocking off a few days quarantine.

 

Just like I said in my early posts they will never get rid of quarantine or tests vested interests are fixed forever. Endemic corruption.

 

BTW why does some bureaucrat from TAT have any say in this at all???!