I think that they have thought this through. Think about the potential number of visitors. In November 2019, there were 3.3 million tourism arrivals in the kingdom. How many people will now start to arrive, in 12 days? How many people will be willing to travel? How many countries allow quarantine free return right now? ASEAN contributed to about 2/3 of visitors to Thailand. How many ASEAN countries allow home return without quarantine? Answer, as of today - none of them.  So that pretty much rules out nearly all visitors from ASEAN countries. Do I need to go on?

This November 1st opening does not mean that the country will fill up with visitors overnight. I suspect that here will be a slow and gradual increase of people over several months as countries round the world vaccinate more of their people and relax their own rules for entry. Likewise, as time goes on, Thailand will have vaccinated more of its people.   When that happens, and as economies begin to pick up, the arrivals will return.

 

The big question for me is will we ever get back to the numbers we were used to seeing?
 

(https://www.mots.go.th/mots_en/download/TourismStatistics/6_62Dec24Nov2019article_20191224133042_1.xlsx)

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

I think about 60% f the population of Thailand is xenophobic anyway . They want Thailand for the Thais only .

Thai rak Thai , 55 , we've seen to what that leads ...

But Thai don't rak Thai , remember the clashes in BKK between the yellow and red ( shirts ) ?

Thai , they mostly love themselves only , and they are always right anyway ... they think .

Foreigners are only tolerated for their money .

 

It is the remaining 40% that are nicer and mostly better educated .

A limited education produces a limited mindset .

Thai , they mostly love themselves only , and they are always right anyway ... they think

I usually ask anyone that comes out with that old chestnut:-  "Who invented the aeroplane, the train,  the television, the car, the washing machine etc etc etc, and the telephone that you  spend so much time on talking about "dumb farangs"?

 

An amusing story I heard a while ago involved a motor bike taxi driver who was involved in an accident, and wanted his fare to pay for the damage as "if he hadn't hired him the accident wouldn't have happened in the first place!"  

I think a more interesting survey would be who are these tourists who are going to come  and from where ????

The bars in Pattaya will be looking more towards the foreign  tourists coming  not the domestic ones 

 

4 hours ago, henry213 said:

Why is it always "Thai people" Why not Thai's? i'm british and we say Brits, never add the people at the end as we already know what we are ????,   Always hate hearing Thai people, Thai people, Thai people.......Worst is when they say "We Thai people"............. irritating, Makes them sound stupid...............

 

 

 

Oh sorry the news....Well stay shut then i don't care.....................???? I'm looking forward to 6 month in Tbilisi Georgia from Nov, with 0 anything to get in there with NO!! restrictions and you get one year visa plus way cheaper than silly over priced Thailand. 

Funny, I have actually been looking at Georgia too, when my visa expires here. Seems so much easier than Thailand.

6 minutes ago, khunpa said:

Funny, I have actually been looking at Georgia too, when my visa expires here. Seems so much easier than Thailand.

Oh yes very easy and Thai's can go too same as most, infact lots of Thai restaurants and massage shops there ????, So home from home if you have lived in Thailand.

The issue is that vaccinations have not been evenly distributed. It is not a complete reopening. They are only reopening to tourists in areas that were targeted for vaccination and will have reached the 70% threshold.

Thailand is the zombie in the room now. Most nations have a lower infection rate than Thailand, per capita, and most nations have falling rates too. With the poor vaccination effort here, and the lower quality of the vaccines, the incoming tourists are taking all the risks. The Phuket sandbox proved that, with 99% of all infections coming from non foreigners. Hah! Gotcha! 

 

Either this is a bad poll, which asked leading questions, or the bad leaders were highly successful in scaring the people into submission, and whipping them up into a state of utter panic of the Zombie Apocalypse. The nation is ready. Open up, and let the people get back to work. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Dave1954 said:

The government stated they would not open up until 70% of the population were fully vaccinated they do even play by there own rules     

I have heard, that 70% of the population in all main tourism areas of Thailand have now been fully vaccinated. The few international tourists, who should leave these tourism areas during their holiday, are not a serious threat to the local population.

7 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Bet they didn't survey the people who work in the travel industry or the entertainment business, or girls who work in bars etc... 

Do you mean barmaids, waitresses, or prostitutes? 

1 hour ago, Bobydog said:

Hear hear, the powers that be only ask the same 1400/1799 people out of ???? Millions!!!! and claim 60% of this or that say.......????????????

This is the commonly accepted number for polls anywhere in the world. 

I, for one, agree that Nov is too early for foreigners to come. 

Thai do not have to fear.

 

foreigners will not come to Thailand.

There are so many restriction to visit Thailand such as 

1. need to be quarantine until the result of the test is  released.. It might take 3 days or more for the test to show up.

2. curfew.. can't go out after 11 pm- all is closed 

3. got to wear a mask all the time

4 liquor and girls are banned no soi cowbow,  patpung and Nana shut down

5 had to buy the useless insurance to enter Thailand

 

not only the air fare from Europe or the US expensive , add on top another $2,000 before you can see Thailand, then youy will need to get a covid test to go home.

 

your 10days holiday is wasted on test 

 

how can you plan a vacation  .better go somewhere else 

 

bet

 

 

1 hour ago, malt25 said:

I'll probably get a negative response to this... But !  "to be honest we dont want you here.." Some of you must live in a different Thailand to me. I've been here permanently over 7 years now. Travelled extensively. Driven over 85,000 km. Lived in a few different places. Mostly up-country. I agree somewhat to your comment if in BKK or Pattaya, but once outside the tourist traps I've always been treated respectfully. I have all the usual dealings with immigration, banks, insurance companies & service providers. I've never encountered a negative vibe. I have excellent neighbours who often drop in to just say Hi & give me their home grown fruit & veggies. I'm wondering if maybe some members have an attitude issue ?

Tourists would be more happily welcomed by the Thais, if less mass tourism were taking place. But unfortunately their leaders have not wanted it that way. Places like Phuket, Pattaya, Samui, Chiang Mai, Hua-Hin and other areas have complete lost their local vibe, which must be a huge pain in the ass for the locals, who are not making a living of tourism. But they should direct their anger towards the local leaders, rather than blaming the tourists for the mass tourism. If you allow building of multiple hotels and resorts, you will also have to welcome the tourists that will be visiting.

37 minutes ago, khunpa said:

Funny, I have actually been looking at Georgia too, when my visa expires here. Seems so much easier than Thailand.

So is Siberia, with better looking women, but think about the weather! 

I thought that "70% vaccinated" mantra died a while ago. It looks like vaccination don't do much with regards to cases, but they do appear to help quite a lot with lowering the risk of death. So of course, bringing more foreigners will increase the risk of getting more infections and possibly introduce another variant in the future, but this must be balanced with the financial needs of the people.

1 minute ago, the green light said:

3. got to wear a mask all the time

4 liquor and girls are banned no soi cowbow,  patpung and Nana shut down

Don't have to wear a mask all the time. 

 

Girls are not banned. I think you mean go go dancers; we don't want that kind of tourist, thank you. 

5 hours ago, henry213 said:

Why is it always "Thai people" Why not Thai's? i'm british and we say Brits, never add the people at the end as we already know what we are ????,   Always hate hearing Thai people, Thai people, Thai people.......Worst is when they say "We Thai people"............. irritating, Makes them sound stupid...............

 

 

 

Oh sorry the news....Well stay shut then i don't care.....................???? I'm looking forward to 6 month in Tbilisi Georgia from Nov, with 0 anything to get in there with NO!! restrictions and you get one year visa plus way cheaper than silly over priced Thailand. 

Perhaps they say "Thai people" because (like about 80% of posters here) they don't know the plural of Thai. It is of course Thais, not Thai's. Just as you would write Brits, not Brit's. 

5 hours ago, henry213 said:

Thai people

"Thai People" continue to address ALL of us as Farang or Aliens. 
That's what I find is irritating!

 

Time for a SuperPoll, where 112% of the thai people believe the country is ready to open.

 

https://www.superpollthailand.net/

5 hours ago, henry213 said:

Why is it always "Thai people" Why not Thai's? i'm british and we say Brits, never add the people at the end as we already know what we are ????,   Always hate hearing Thai people, Thai people, Thai people.......Worst is when they say "We Thai people"............. irritating, Makes them sound stupid...............

It is translated from 'khon Thai'. Similarly, 'khon Jeeen' is Chinese people. 

Farang, btw, don't get called 'khon farang' ???? 

6 minutes ago, kcpattaya said:

"Thai People" continue to address ALL of us as Farang or Aliens. 
That's what I find is irritating!

 

It is the pronoun 'it' bugs me. 

 

It is explained by a kid here -  

 

13 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

So is Siberia, with better looking women, but think about the weather! 

What is not to love about Georgian women?

https://georgianjournal.ge/culture/29199-the-most-beautiful-georgian-women-of-all-time.html

 

They should not open till they are at least 70% fully vaccinated but that will be april songran 2022

The people displaced by tourism are low paid and at this stage are fending for themselves or returning to manufacturing and food producing industry which needs low paid workers to replace the neighbouring countries labour who have left.

Airlines wont fly 1/2 empty planes in 2022, the infrasture hotels etc is in bits and no staff will return unless it is viable and they are fully vaccinated, no tourist will go unless everything is open and not going to close again.

SEA short haul tourists are less vaccinated than EU/UK/US and fewer willing to fly so only expats and those who have commitents or know thailand will take the plunge with easy entry.

Tourism is lost to covid even more so if AQL and testing is required.

I am in Lanszarote entry is easy passenger online locator form and EU cert copies on my phone, everything is open and businesses are coming back slowy still only at 50% but going the right way it will take well into next year for 80/90%.

Survey was probably made with people who have a steady income and job IMO

Don,t worry with the Thailand Pass and Covid insurance for those already vaccinated foreigners will be going elsewhere including some former expats that got sick of waiting for two years to come home.

Sûre the country is not ready.   Everything is close. , can’t drink a beer in a restaurant …  nightlife nothing …

55 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

So is Siberia, with better looking women, but think about the weather! 

So seem a right bore

60% of 1629 people. The survey is laughable. its only 0.0023 % of the thai population.

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Girls are not banned. I think you mean go go dancers; we don't want that kind of tourist, thank you. 

Who is 'we'...... got a mouse in your pocket?

I believe those with GG Bars will want that kind of tourist, and they will come too.

3 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

Maybe time to get a bunch of T-shirts made up that say "I am vaccinated" in both Thai and English

I wonder if they could squeeze that in under the ‘I’ve had a vasectomy' print on my existing T shirt ? 

Well another survey, but it is the international visitor who will have to decide if they want to 

pay extra for the COVID insurance, on top of their travel insurance.  plus money for 2 or 3 nights in Bangkok or

other arrival at an ASQ type hotel, because of having to wait for results of the PCR test or what ever it is.

  Then when the lucky tourist gets to their destination, they find that they cannot free drink alcohol

without a risk of arrest or paying tea money to the local police. No Bars or entertainment places open.

  A risk to the tourist of catching COVID from some unvaccinated worker, who is maybe not a Thai either.

    As is mentioned many times there are many places where the beaches are nice, the weather is okay

and there is not restrictions, and costly add on to pay just to be at the destination.

   Still too much extra charges and risks for me to go to Thailand. Thai government and TAT can do better.

Maybe by January 2022 they will.

Geezer