Thailand eases more COVID-19 curbs, ready to welcome back tourists from 1 November 2021

[Eloquent pilgrim]

Having to quarantine while waiting for test results on arrival, albeit for only one night, won’t encourage people; but needing to buy Covid specific health insurance for the entire duration of your visa remains the biggest prohibiter.

[kiwikeith]

3 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Don't expect rush of international tourists until all restrictions lifted especially quarantine on arrival.

Just listening to the news today on RNZ national , about Israel now having dosed 4 million with a third booster as ,hospital and infection numbers went up when they opened up.

Singapore having experienced similar.

So if this trend repeats itself in Thailand the road may well be a rocky road for some time.

But I do not think tourists will flood back in for some time, they will be watching this unfold and I hope it goes well, at least they are giving it a go.

[Bluetongue]

As I've said before the insurance will be the last to go. As another poster has said withing a couple of weeks they will work out not many are coming, they will drop the one night and the test. I think they may try and hide the insurance by making the airlines charge it, its potentially the biggest brown envelope one mustn't forget.

[Rinrada]

Ref Insurance ..just noticed this.. From a Mr Naruechai Ninnart, Director of the Protection of Thai Nationals Abroad Division, Department of Consular Affairs.   At the moment, only Thai Nationals are not required to have Medical insurance as their medical costs will be covered by the National Health Security Office or Social Security office...OK...understood....( However)

"We will work with the Public Health Ministry and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration  to extend the Exemption to Foreign Residents who already have Medical Insurance in Thailand," (possibly Roojai? )

For foreign travellers, they have to make sure that their insurance policy does not only specify Covid-19 health coverage. It should cover other kinds of sickness as well as hospitalisation expenses.

The CCSA will meet today ( last week) to discuss the Health Insurance Exemption Issues for Foreign Residents. ?

[Harveyboy]

bars clubs entertainment venues cannot sell alcohol  Enough said   stay home

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Having to quarantine while waiting for test results on arrival, albeit for only one night, won’t encourage people; but needing to buy Covid specific health insurance for the entire duration of your visa remains the biggest prohibiter.

I know the insurance issue is a pain, but I would rather have covid insurance than not , imagine the bill you would be stuck with if you got sick.

They could put a health tax on entry to cover all medical expenses, which would not be to bad, I would happily pay 5k, the problem is that all the fingers jambed in the till would be arguing on the divy up.

[HOAX]

WOW!!! Hold on guys, aren't they going a bit too fast this time? Is the human species ready to go from being served beer in non-transparent containers to transparent containers in just a single day? You'd think they take it step-by-step, but no, they completely floored the gas pedal here. This has to be the greatest achievement in human history since Jesus managed to feed 5,000 people with just 5 loaf of bread and 2 fish, and still had 12 baskets full of leftovers.

[Percy P]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Now that they are here Just what are they going to do???

Travel, go to places of provinces to suite there requirements .They know the situation here before they set out from there country. I have now problem getting what I want. Have no complaint.

[wombat]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Now that they are here Just what are they going to do???

no bars no booze no, bless their cotton panty, entertainment...why would you want to come here?

[marokai]

2 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

Just listening to the news today on RNZ national , about Israel now having dosed 4 million with a third booster as ,hospital and infection numbers went up when they opened up.

Singapore having experienced similar.

So if this trend repeats itself in Thailand the road may well be a rocky road for some time.

But I do not think tourists will flood back in for some time, they will be watching this unfold and I hope it goes well, at least they are giving it a go.

Totally wrong...

The numbers here in Israel are down for at least a month from 7000-8000 cases then to 600 cases today 90% of them non vaccinated.

[TechnikaIII]

So, the province Nakhon Sawan, where my home is located, is a "Red zone" area.

Does this mean I can return but there is some sort of curfew?

Or I can't return?

..

I guess it's not the same as a "Red light" area, because that is, by default, the entire country. 

[Eloquent pilgrim]

1 hour ago, kiwikeith said:

I know the insurance issue is a pain, but I would rather have covid insurance than not , imagine the bill you would be stuck with if you got sick.

They could put a health tax on entry to cover all medical expenses, which would not be to bad, I would happily pay 5k, the problem is that all the fingers jambed in the till would be arguing on the divy up.

Well, if you’d be happy to pay over 200 NZ dollars to walk through immigration into a country where most of the entertainment venues are closed, you might find yourself in a very small minority, my Kiwi chum  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[DefaultName]

Why can some places in the Blue Zone serve beer, but not others?

[Farangus]

2 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

I know the insurance issue is a pain, but I would rather have covid insurance than not , imagine the bill you would be stuck with if you got sick.

I have always traveled to Thailand with health insurance. I bought it from my country and it cost me less than $ 20 (it was health insurance that includes active sport). Now Thailand offers me to buy an insurance policy for $ 140. The difference in price is very noticeable...

Edited November 1, 2021 by Farangus

[AllanB]

Are these people for real, do they know anything about the tourist business, do they know anything about business, do they know anything at all? Who in their right mind is going to want to visit Thailand if they cant have a drink, or in these uncertain times, in an uncertain country, run by uncertain people?

 

Here in Europe, things are pretty normal now, with an odd mask wearing in some shops, so why go half way round the world to Thailand?

[bill hill]

dear tourist-although you just had a clear pcr test just before you flew to thailand, and flew here with a plane load of clear pcr test people, we the thai govt want to make some more money off you by making you take another test on arrival & quarantine that we initially promised you would not have to do.

we will also give you another test at 6 days after you have mixed with our infected population--then maybe we can extract more money if you are positive so we can confine you in our nice expensive asq hotels and also charge you for a few more tests

[VBF]

1 hour ago, Farangus said:

I have always traveled to Thailand with health insurance. I bought it from my country and it cost me less than $ 20 (it was health insurance that includes active sport). Now Thailand offers me to buy an insurance policy for $ 140. The difference in price is very noticeable...

So assuming you're a tourist, continue to use your travel insurance, making sure it includes Covid. I don't understand the problem. My annual travel insurance will (when I choose to renew it) cover Covid, along with everything else and it's unlimited.

Now, where there might be a problem is "will it cover me if I'm asymptomatic, tested positive and whisked into hospital??"  That I would have to check.

[coolcarer]

1 hour ago, Farangus said:

I have always traveled to Thailand with health insurance. I bought it from my country and it cost me less than $ 20 (it was health insurance that includes active sport). Now Thailand offers me to buy an insurance policy for $ 140. The difference in price is very noticeable...

Hospitels need to charge an outrageous price to care for you even if you have no symptoms for two weeks.

[hackjam]

39 minutes ago, AllanB said:

so why go half way round the world to Thailand?

Desperation for a ride maybe?

[Farangus]

1 hour ago, VBF said:

Now, where there might be a problem is "will it cover me if I'm asymptomatic, tested positive and whisked into hospital??"  That I would have to check.

I see some airlines (like Emirates) claiming travel insurance including quarantine due to asymptomatic covid. Somebody knows, can this option be used for Thailand Pass?

[Pdavies99]

What a real mess! Far worse than earlier!

 

Dark red, red, orange, yellow, blue, strict zones, very strict zones, can go here, but not there etc! Can drink in restaurants, but Bars closed, early bed times, masks on or off?

 

Quarantine yes or no?  Expensive arrival Taxis, crappy expensive ASQ Hotels.

 

High price testing before and on arrival and again later and maybe again on leaving. A mess even to just get to Thailand.

 

Insurances required,  (I bet they will refuse UK Equity & Law Insurance, but will accept Thai issued same company Insurances! etc!!)

 

Tourist tax just to leave.

 

App tracking.

 

I dont want to live in my hotel room in Bangkok etc, I want to visit Koh Chang, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Hua Hin, Pattaya, stay at friends homes sometimes! Buy some Thai etc friends a beer at a local dive etc, Fat chance of that!

 

Wait, wait! Am I in a red, dark red, blue. orange, yellow zone, whats the time, is this a bar or a restaurant, have I had my tests, is my app tracking me, uh oh I see a guy in white hospital clothes staring at me, ambulance arriving, on the spot temperature testing, road cordoned off, sprayed down with bleach!  Get my wallet out!

 

And this is for a holiday?  No chance!

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Pdavies99

[johng]

2 hours ago, bill hill said:

dear tourist-although you just had a clear pcr test just before you flew to thailand, and flew here with a plane load of clear pcr test people,

Don't forget that Thai nationals don't have to test before getting on that plane !!!

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Phuket “buried” at no. 10 on TAT List.Second biggest Tourism Earner pre- covid to Bangkok so put it at no. 2 after no.1 Bangkok. Many tourists may not bother to scan the whole lost and may assume Phuket not listed ?

[RobU]

BBC News has this as front page news on the UK website

Thailand reopens to vaccinated tourists from over 60 nations - BBC News

 

'Tens of thousands of travellers are expected to arrive in Thailand today as the country reopens to tourists after 18 months of Covid restrictions.'

Edited November 1, 2021 by RobU

[Blumpie]

Ha ha ha did anyone read those opening rules?  I mean it is as clear as mud.  

Im not buying insurance that Thailand insists on from them.  Get bent.  

[JCP108]

Saw photos of the airport on the site that can't be named. Funny thing: the airport workers are wearing PPE suits (gown, hair cap, mask, gloves). One thing to know about wearing PPE is: unless you take it all off after you interact with each person and suit up again with new items, they are USELESS. I have worked in the medical field for two decades. You can get fired from a hospital for walking out of a patient's room without taking your items off correctly and walking into a second patient's room. If a person with a gloved hand asks for, and touches, my passport then touches another person's passport with the same glove, that's the same as all of that happening with no glove. 

[JCP108]

I'm seeing lots of reports online of troubles with the new ThailandPass. Apparently, when it asks for documents, you can only upload a .jpg. It won't accept .pdf. Also, in places, it asks for more than one piece of information but will only allow you to upload one file. So, you have to combine them yourself before uploading. Also, the file size is limited to 2 mb apparently. Many people reporting that at the end they get errors when uploading. 

[Towny]

9 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

Is insurance easy to obtain? Friends have told me that coverage over 60 yo is difficult

I’ve just secured mine for 60 days at a cost of 5,400 baht from Axa Sawsadee travel insurance company

[spidermike007]

New normal is a disgusting and despicable term. Utterly revolting. 

 

The confused, muddled, inconsistent and highly selective, idiotic policies continue to bring Thailand to its knees. The country would benefit hugely, if only there were some adults making decisions, and not fearful children, with a puritanical bent. 

 

Beer does not cause Covid!

 

With policies like these in place, expect tourism to continue to fail. 

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, johng said:

Don't forget that Thai nationals don't have to test before getting on that plane !!!

Currently, Thai nationals must have a negative PCR test before getting on a flight to Thailand, except for thr Alternative Qarantine scheme.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Puccini