Thailand reopening: There are no foreigners and no foreign flights at all - at least in the north

[webfact]

Picture: Thai PBS

 

The chief of Thailand's northern hoteliers' association was forced to admit on Sunday that there were no foreign bookings at their hotels.

 

Today - Monday November 1st - was hailed as D-Day for Thailand's grand reopening as advertised by the government of Prayuth Chan-ocha and his optimistic tourism authorities. 

 

But it looks like the dampest of damp squibs at least in terms of expectations in the north.

 

La-iat Bungsrithong told Thai PBS that there were 100 SHA and SHA+ hotels who had bought into the reopening plans in Chiang Mai.

 

But they had no foreign bookings.

 

Right now the city of Chiang Mai would have to make do with domestic tourists on government stimulus packages, she lamented.

 

News from the airport in the northern Thai capital was just as grim.

 

There was not a single foreign origin flight due today, tomorrow, the next day or the next.

 

They just hoped that Jeju Air would fly in from Incheon on Friday.

 

Other airlines have expressed an interest but they have made no firm commitments. 

 

Again, domestic flights between 70-102 a day will have to take up the slack from the missing foreigners.

 

Earlier Prayuth attempted to woo nationals from an enlarged quota of 63 "safe" nations.

 

But so far - if the north is anything to go by - his goals of filling up Thailand with foreigners champing at the bit to visit the kingdom look to have been optimistic. 

 

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[CamaroZL1]

What a massive shock this is.

 

So unexpected. I thought hundreds of thousands would be swamping the airports and ASQ and SHA hotels.

 

????s

[kevin612]

Well, at least people need to observe what happens first, then make their decisions. We don’t want to be blind tourists, aren’t we?

[smedly]

It has been repeated on here for weeks that very few foreign tourists are willing to put up with their nonsense requirements that seem to be designed to gouge money before anyone sets foot in Thailand never mind when when they arrive.

 

Think again Prayuth 

 

Take a long hard look at "Green" requirements in the UK and you might get some idea of how it should be done 

 

Oh and Thailand is not open - popular  tourist destinations like Pattaya are 90% shut and shuttered with no sign of that changing any time soon.

[Gottfrid]

A expected, then! With that comment I mean the expectation from normally intelligent thinking individuals.

[ftpjtm]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

There were 100 SHA and SHA+ hotels who had bought into the reopening plans in Chiang Mai.

 

But they had no foreign bookings.

Hmm, perhaps the gleeful respondents TAT identified in their polls assumed that Thailand reopening didn't involve quarantine hotels and closed entertainment venues?

[NanaSomchai]

30 minutes ago, CamaroZL1 said:

What a massive shock this is.

 

So unexpected. I thought hundreds of thousands would be swamping the airports and ASQ and SHA hotels.

 

????s

There we go, as I said in another thread; Massive loss of face incoming.

 

I give it two weeks tops, about 15 days until they start dropping the ASQ/SHA bullsh!t, THEN and only THEN people will start flying in again... eventually.

 

[NanaSomchai]

15 minutes ago, smedly said:

It has been repeated on here for weeks that very few foreign tourists are willing to put up with their nonsense requirements that seem to be designed to gouge money before anyone sets foot in Thailand never mind when when they arrive.

 

Think again Prayuth 

 

Take a long hard look at "Green" requirements in the UK and you might get some idea of how it should be done 

 

Oh and Thailand is not open - popular  tourist destinations like Pattaya are 90% shut and shuttered with no sign of that changing any time soon.

As I said in another thread; Massive loss of face incoming.

 

I give it two weeks tops, about 15 days until they start dropping the ASQ/SHA bullsh!t, THEN and only THEN people will start flying in again... eventually.

 

It's either that or Prayuth's head will start to roll, the Thais are fed up as well with the goons poor decision choices...

[mahtin]

Pigs have no wings and hens no teeth.

[hioctane]

I suspect more will be flying into areas with alcohol first. How can you realistically reopen to the world without reopening domestically?

[cheapcanuck]

Most tourists are not confident with Thailand government.  The government has been all over the map with rules and regulations that just don't make any sense. Couple that with the bars not being open, alcohol restriction, curfews and quarantines which complicates things. The average tourist just want a no hassle holiday. It will be a little longer before Thailand gets that. So don't expect tourist numbers to sky rocket to pre covid numbers.

[harada]

An inactive post for this bloke.

[babyjesus]

So tourists got vaccinated so as to significantly reduce their risk of hospitalization and death, but have to buy expensive insurance that covers Covid only.  I think they will look elsewhere.

[kelboy]

Surprise Surprise...

[khunPer]

In my modest opinion - and based on what I read in travel forums - Thailand is still too difficult to enter for normal tourists, so the seek other options; the foreign arrivals will be some of the usual snowbirds and visits due to family reasons...????

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, mahtin said:

Pigs have no wings and hens no teeth.

And a rocking horse does not Schitt

[Tropicalevo]

47 minutes ago, babyjesus said:

So tourists got vaccinated so as to significantly reduce their risk of hospitalization and death, but have to buy expensive insurance that covers Covid only.  I think they will look elsewhere.

Rules changed last week.

50,000 USD for 'general' insurance. Not Covid specific.

[SmartyMarty]

Get rid of the insurance scam, open the bars and clubs........you'll get the tourists back even if it is gradually.

[kotsak]

1 hour ago, harada said:

An inactive post for this bloke.

Wasn't he already? ????

[markeewan]

2 hours ago, babyjesus said:

So tourists got vaccinated so as to significantly reduce their risk of hospitalization and death, but have to buy expensive insurance that covers Covid only.  I think they will look elsewhere.

The travel insurance requirement of $50,000 USD is not just for Covid, it is Health Insurance in the more general sense.

[sqwakvfr]

Went to Airport Plaza today.  It was packed. I would estimate 99% locals. Saw a few foreign faces here and there.  The big even today looked like teenagers getting vaccinated in the town hall portion of the mall.  Otherwise another Monday in Chiang Mai.  November 1, 2021 "The Grand Re-Opening"???  Well, maybe it will be better on December 1, 2022??  The local economy will live and die with how much locals spend or not spend.  

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, kelboy said:

Surprise Surprise...

0 Bookings for CM It might have something to do with the amount of covid cases here.

[Kaopad999]

just open the country up properly. as long as people here have had their chance to get vaccinated then i don't see why there should be any restrictions 

[TheFishman1]

 Yeah it’s some friends that want to come to Chiang Mai once they read through the thia pass  They decided to pass TIT

[Kaopad999]

2 hours ago, SmartyMarty said:

Get rid of the insurance scam, open the bars and clubs........you'll get the tourists back even if it is gradually.

exactly. people won't want to come here if all the entertainment venues are closed and tourist can't even buy a glass of wine with their meal 

[Guderian]

Meanwhile, in other news, all three of the foreign tourists who have booked to stay in Pattaya this month are still being told that they must book a two-week stay in an ASQ hotel...

[Straight8]

Too many requirements at present will deter most from even considering Thailand a destination when many other places have less restriction, not to mentioned the additional cost. Eff that!!!

[stephenterry]

4 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Went to Airport Plaza today.  It was packed. I would estimate 99% locals.

And if any government minister reading these posts, considers that foreign tourists would be bringing in Covid instead of Thai locals packing malls, and at BigC ,Tesco and all hypermarket operations, they should open their eyes and minds to the realism that it is Thais plus a minority of other country citizens spreading Covid here. 

 

And why would any sane tourist even want to visit Thailand right now with all these dystopian restrictions in place?  Opening up the country - bull<deleted>e.  

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Oh for heaven's , give the 7,000 tourists arriving today at BKK a chance to get through the nonsense 1 night and test and go before all 7,000 travel up to Chang Mai to fill the hotels

[newnative]

   No foreign tourists want to stay in SHA hotels--or do all the other tedious and expensive things required.   Numbers will be very low until they are all eliminated.