SURVEY: Thailand opening -- ready or not?

[Scott]

With Thailand opening and 7,000 tourists arriving on Monday, what are your thoughts on how successful it will be.  Choose the option that best expresses your opinion. 

 

Feel free to leave a comment.

 

For further reading:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1237437-7000-international-arrivals-due-at-suvarnabhumi-on-monday/

 

[yimlitnoy]

Get rid of the insurances and PCR test on arrival otherwise nobody will be coming to Thailand.  Cut the requirements, full vaccination is the only requirement that will protect Thailand, make it easy to travel. 

[Kadilo]

It will be a slow bumpy ride in terms of the number of visitors initially, until everyone gets their heads around what is required, which could end up being relaxed further depending on numbers of both tourists/new infections. 

 

Then following this I would expect the numbers start to increase for Xmas/ New Year, at which time the vaccination targets should be met across the whole country so in terms of infection/ death numbers should not be too bumpy. 

 

 No matter what it is time to reopen. The current number of deaths/no. of population does not justify the continued restrictions and effect of people’s livelihoods. 
 

 

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed

[Bkk Brian]

I voted its time to open up, however there's a caveat to that, partial opening, ie in the Provinces that have the required vaccination rates. Personal litmus test for me being are the schools open in that Province? If yes then fine, it means they have vaccinated enough and have put their social and educational welfare first, if not then why on earth would you have tourists coming if you haven't let your own pupils return to school.

 

Had there been another category to vote I would have voted for open up 1st Dec just to allow vaccinations to nearly get there and then less risk.

[KhunLA]

NOT

 

Arrival #s nothing like they project.   Most simply returning and not true tourist.  Along with more unvax'd infected locals returning on fuller flights, with more chance of infections being brought in, and spread by themselves & tourist.

 

ALL JUST MY OPINION ....  take it or leave it.

 

More than a couple infections were detected on the 4th day test on Phuket's sandbox back when, so the potential for new clusters is very real, along with new lockdowns....IMHO

 

IMHO ....1 day is not enough in 'quarantine' at the hotel.

 

 

[shackleton]

No proper tourist is going to come unless restaurants are serving alcohol and not at restricted times like closing 2100hrs 

Would have thought most people go out about 2000hrs-2100hrs for a evening meal 

Still can't understand why Bangkok is  serving alcohol but not in Pattaya and places like  Hua Hin 

[overherebc]

26 minutes ago, shackleton said:

No proper tourist is going to come unless restaurants are serving alcohol and not at restricted times like closing 2100hrs 

Would have thought most people go out about 2000hrs-2100hrs for a evening meal 

Still can't understand why Bangkok is  serving alcohol but not in Pattaya and places like  Hua Hin 

If they announced alcohol can be served in Pattaya from  1/12/2021 today by tomorrow there would be bars opening all over the town. I think they really don't want the 'bars' to be in existence as the bars they were before. Only time will tell.

[cyril sneer]

can we not vote for all 4 options?

[DefaultName]

It's not ready.

But, it will never be fully ready.

Would next week / next month / next year be better?  No way to tell.

At some point they have to pull the trigger.  Is it now?  Maybe. 

 

People are dying of poverty and their futures are being destroyed by the closure.  For them, it's time and past time.

Yes, open, we're ready enough. 

[Caldera]

Still too restrictive for regular tourists, but for those of us who live in Thailand and need to travel somewhere, not having to quarantine on return is a welcome change.

[RichardColeman]

I would imagine the 8 million unemployed Thais with no jobs due to having no tourists for 18 months would vote open no matter what, but they will be sadly disappointed with the arrivals of just the families and the desperate coming due to the nonsensical  hoops to get there - and back. 3 PCR tests for a a couple weeks holiday is ludicrous, and expensive especially for a complete family of adults

[Bluetongue]

I see the majority fudged the question by selecting the "most coming will already be connected to Thailand" option. Faark I did that months ago. I voted "bumpy but go etc" the economy appears to be shattered to me. This won't be the solution, only part of it. Restrictions continue and it is a very modest beginning.

[Tracyb]

Just get on with it.  Ramp up vaccinations and cut the restrictions for travel.  Negative PCR test before boarding for BKK and no testing on arrival.  Eliminate the insurance requirement, too.   

[poskat]

If i was a tourist planning a holiday  in dec or jan, my pkans would  already be set.

I wouldnt have held off iuntil now n the  hope that thailand would be ooen and on full holiday mode

 

I would anticilate that real tourist might start arriving from march onwards

[newnative]

Where's the 'All of the Above' choice?

[Knocker33]

Well if they are not ready now they never will be. How many apps ect have we been through here

[Thunglom]

The tourist industry desperately needs to reopen for the high season.

I think like many governments around the world, they have decided that even if the death rate goes right up, it is a sacrifice they are prepared to make for industry.

I'm not sure the oldrpopulationm inform and some younger folk will appreciate this  a few months down the line....

Edited October 31, 2021 by Thunglom

[HappyExpat57]

All of the above as others also posted.

[brucec64]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I would imagine the 8 million unemployed Thais with no jobs due to having no tourists for 18 months would vote open no matter what, but they will be sadly disappointed with the arrivals of just the families and the desperate coming due to the nonsensical  hoops to get there - and back. 3 PCR tests for a a couple weeks holiday is ludicrous, and expensive especially for a complete family of adults

You would be surprised.  3 out 4 of the people working in the tourist industry that I talk to dont want the country to open. 

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

can we not vote for all 4 options?

Sure, just use all of your niks ????

Edited October 31, 2021 by daveAustin

[Farangus]

It is difficult to choose a specific option, because they are all similar and they all make sense.
I voted for the "not real tourists" option because it’s hard for me to imagine that tens of thousands of ordinary tourists would want to pay a lot of extra money without ever setting foot on Thai soil. An ordinary family of 4 has to pay more than $ 600 just for PCR tests in Thailand (at the entrance and at the exit), + the same tests before the flight, + expensive insurance. And also the lack of entertainment, alcohol and the opportunity to spend a vacation not on the beach, but in an expensive quarantine (even if the insurance pays for it, the vacation will be ruined). At the same time, many will choose other options, simpler, cheaper and safer. It seems to me that even tourists from rich countries will not want to spend about $ 1000 for a family just for the right to set foot on Thai land ...

[Sir Dude]

There are a couple of points worthy of mentioning. Firstly, at some point or another, everywhere (not just Thailand) will have to reopen... otherwise, economic collapse is coming. Secondly, the Thai government dropped the ball on getting people vaccinated, so reopening now, or December the 1st, is a gamble but they have left themselves with little choice. Third, we won't really know where the medium-term goal posts are until the middle-ish of next year once everyone has got double vaccinated, so many will be hesitant to book a holiday as it could go south at either end of a short holiday in swift fashion. You are likely going to get the people who really need to come for reasons other than your holiday jollies for two weeks.

Finally, if there is a cluster or an uptick in cases/deaths all of a sudden, then what happens? Strict lockdown again? What do you do with all the "tourists" that have turned up? Hmmm, an all too possible eventuality which will set things back badly... and with this lot in charge, they probably won't hesitate to do it on a whim, regardless of the consequences to the average Thai/tourist/foreigner in general.

Sure is a gamble, but you have to have a pop at it... and eventually, we are all going to have to take our chances, as we can't live like this forever. On the positive side, maybe it will work okay, and cases will be manageable... who knows? However, the cynical side of me doesn't usually view such topics here very positively these days.

[Majulah]

Thailand opening is the best decision so far. Certainly no way tourists are rushing in even without the need to buy covid insurance as most of the countries around these region are also open to tourisms.

[ukrules]

Tourist arrivals will in no way make any change to what's happening.

 

But that's not the full story.

 

When all entertainment is opened up - that's when it will hit, tourists or not it's still coming.

[geisha]

I think I have an eye sight problem! Did I just read on requirements for entry 1st Nov , Non Thai Nationals ( eligible countries) *  Travelers  are not required to be fully vaccinated against Covid 19 *: ???? This I really don’t understand ! With all the important messages to get people vaccinated especially for travel, you’d think being fully vaccinated was top of the list for requirements ? Certainly is in Europe .

[talahtnut]

Thailand has joined the international covid club, it will never be the same

again, unless people wake up and push back against this nonsense.

 

[Trvlr55]

interesting that all of the available choices are negative, the only difference is the amount of negative.

why not make a positive options??

[CamaroZL1]

On 10/31/2021 at 3:46 PM, yimlitnoy said:

Get rid of the insurances and PCR test on arrival otherwise nobody will be coming to Thailand.  Cut the requirements, full vaccination is the only requirement that will protect Thailand, make it easy to travel. 

Dont forget the sneaky day 6/7 Rapid test you are required to do and upload the results to an app on your phone.

Many people are overlooking this snippet.

 

Just too much garbage to go through .

 

I will see how it is about Feb/March next year.

Hopefully many of these garbage requirements are gone.

 

Fully vaccinated and a PCR test 72 hours before your flight to Thailand and thats it.

None of the other garbage

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by CamaroZL1
spelling

[Mitkof Island]

14 minutes ago, CamaroZL1 said:

Dont forget the sneaky day 6/7 Rapid test you are required to do and upload the results to an app on your phone.

Many people are overlooking this snippet.

 

Just too much garbage to go through .

 

I will see how it is about Feb/March next year.

Hopefully many of these garbage requirements are gone.

 

Fully vaccinated and a PCR test 72 hours before your flight to Thailand and thats it.

None of the other garbage

 

 

I am sure the Smartphone and notebook companies are happy to read  that without one no one will be traveling to Thailand in the future. And lets not forget the website from hell Thailand No-Pass it will be like a lottery for those able to complete the requirements without the site locking and crashing every hour.