Leisure travellers unlikely to visit Thailand until next year

[Orinoco]

3 hours ago, Pravda said:

That 29yo also turned out to be a ladyboy. I wish I was joking. The post was quickly removed after some of his new found love pictures were posted. 

 

Oh they will come in droves. The power of ????

Come on, we can all make mistakes, LOL

 

[prakhonchai nick]

I'm here..have been for a long time..........and now just trying to find a restaurant to go to where I can have a beer with family and friends without having to look over my shoulder constantly for signs of the BiB! What hope for tourists?

[TheFishman1]

I have friends in the states that wanted to come they tried to fill out that COE and finally after hours they totally got frustrated and heading to I thinkGreece I need to get rid of that tie pass and all the other <deleted> just for somebody to come here if you’re fully vaccinated TIT

[Kiwisailor]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

  Greece . a country of 10 million, opened up this summer  to vaccinated tourism, and required only a negative test, In the there month summer season they had 7 million tourists. and very little imported covid by tourists. 

Probably not a great example to pick

[Kiwisailor]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

  Greece . a country of 10 million, opened up this summer  to vaccinated tourism, and required only a negative test, In the there month summer season they had 7 million tourists. and very little imported covid by tourists. 

Probably not a great example to pick

[geisha]

From what I’ve heard from friends and on social media, the news about the Thailand Pass being so difficult to obtain , and the “ tourists” stressing , not knowing if their holidays are going down the plug are enough to put potential visitors off, or going elsewhere where the rules are simple regulations. The app is definitely not working, some are getting their QR code immediately and others not at all, with less and less hope of traveling. 

[grain]

There are just too many potential traps for the genuine holiday makers. Who in their right mind would come to Thailand for a 2-3 week Xmas, or annual leave, holiday when they could give a false positive covid test and get slammed into hospital, or be declared a close contact and locked up because a covid-infected Thai was in the seat behind them in the plane. Or they find a restaurant that serves them a beer with their dinner and along comes plod and they get arrested and locked up and fleeced. 

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, PoorSucker said:

Northern Finland is nice during Christmas.

Yep all the mosquitos have gone.

[Cake Monster]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Indeed. Thing is though BritMan, they automatically think people will come in droves despite the major hassles and everything being closed, because it’s Thailand and the whole world loves it right. Total delusion. World has changed, prices up wholesale and most don’t want to travel even without restrictions. Thailand will have to do A LOT to woo anywhere near previous figures post pandemic panic. 

Many " Leisure Tourists " just dont want to travel to Thailand alone.

A large number seek the S E Asia " Experience " by visiting different Countries on their Vacation, for the different Cultures, Foods Etc.

This will not be an option for these kind of Tourists until there is free and easy access to whichever Countries they wish to visit.

Until then, they will just stay Home

 

[alex8912]

49 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Finally, a sense of realism sets in.

 

A regular tourist without any special connection to Thailand simply won't be motivated enough to go through the Thailand Pass process and pay extra money for Covid tests etc.

 

There's a reason why Thailand introduced visa exempt and visa on arrival in the past - anything that needs to be done before the trip, including applying for a tourist visa, is off-putting to many if not most potential visitors. The Thailand Pass is arguably even worse.

What I saw on the Los Angeles Thai consulate website should make it even more difficult to come. The  basic Tourist Visa ( just 60 days) takes "15 working working days" to possibly get. THEN you can apply for Thailand Pass which can take 7 working days ( or it seems longer now) so that means about 6 weeks before arriving you have to plan at bare minimum. That is INSANE!  Even the description on how they want you to upload 2 photos is a complete joke. 

[bullseye66]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Until there are no entry requirements and all entertainment is open, there will be no (or few) tourists.

No medical tests.

No documents (beyond a passport).

No insurance.

No forced bookings in special hotels.

No restrictions on tourist activities (free to drink alcohol with friends round your pool, etc.)

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs all open and selling alcohol.

Correct

[DefaultName]

Entertainment needs to open.

And.

Things need to be stable; entry requirements not continually changing, and what's open guaranteed to STAY open.

 

I'm here, but if I wasn't, I wouldn't book without the above.  For a working man, leave is too hard to get, and money too tight, to risk on a holiday that might go pear-shaped.

[HappyExpat57]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will not see leisure travelers visiting in any significant numbers until next year

Correction - ya won't see them until you knock off the senseless requirements and open up the entertainment venues.

[khunpa]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

no bars no booze no, bless their cotton panty, entertainment ....why would you bother coming to Thailand?

Well if TAT is correct in their predictions, then the Multi-millionaires like this kind of environment. 

 

Thats why they will soon be coming and investing millions of dollars in overpriced real estate, to get long-term visas.

 

 

[eastlight]

1 hour ago, oslooskar said:

That's when the mosquitoes take time off to celebrate the holidays.

Holidays? 

[Nabby]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Until there are no entry requirements and all entertainment is open, there will be no (or few) tourists.

No medical tests.

No documents (beyond a passport).

No insurance.

No forced bookings in special hotels.

No restrictions on tourist activities (free to drink alcohol with friends round your pool, etc.)

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs all open and selling alcohol.

Which is why it's going to be more like 2023 or 2024 until they return in significant #s. China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan not having any of it. Asia will be the last to "live with Covid."

[Gold ticket]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

no bars no booze no, bless their cotton panty, entertainment ....why would you bother coming to Thailand?

Shouldn’t that be...

...why would you bother coming to Pattaya?

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, PoorSucker said:

Northern Finland is nice during Christmas.

Best Christmas I ever had, with reindeer passing by outside, making homemade presents to give out, and I still have friends there over 50 years later,

[Bangkok Barry]

28 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

What I saw on the Los Angeles Thai consulate website should make it even more difficult to come. The  basic Tourist Visa ( just 60 days) takes "15 working working days" to possibly get. THEN you can apply for Thailand Pass which can take 7 working days ( or it seems longer now) so that means about 6 weeks before arriving you have to plan at bare minimum. That is INSANE!  Even the description on how they want you to upload 2 photos is a complete joke. 

Amazing how difficult they make it and how long it takes for them to give you permission to come and fill the hotels, bars and restaurants and spend your money. It is so insane that it must be official government policy to kill the tourist industry. There can be no other explanation. 

[PoorSucker]

28 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Best Christmas I ever had, with reindeer passing by outside, making homemade presents to give out, and I still have friends there over 50 years later,

Hmm, I was born in Northern Finland 54 years ago..

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will not see leisure travellers visiting in any significant numbers until next year, a leading figure in the tourism industry has predicted.

It might take that long to sort out the "New Thailand Pass" and get the app sorted out.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Pravda said:

Looking at some expat Facebook groups, some already came and are already looking for advice about their stunning new 29 year old fully tattooed virgin.

 

That 29yo also turned out to be a ladyboy. I wish I was joking. The post was quickly removed after some of his new found love pictures were posted. 

 

Oh they will come in droves. The power of ????

My ole-man told me ???? can draw you further than gunpowder can blow you.

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

Maybe the gov't can get their Thailand Pass sorted by then.

Sort it by dumping it.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

I noticed over the last couple of weeks some LB's around treetown in Pattaya getting very angry loud and rude (more so than usual), I think the reason is they are being generally ignored by farangs and getting no business - I've actually heard them say as much in Thai as they hang around the area talking, they are now resorting to throwing insults at people which won't do anything to improve their situation 

More predators than prey... 

[Pierre Hanot]

The regime is too unreliable and unpredictable.  People won't be fooled that easy  !  Everybody knows too well what part of tourism is the money maker . Until then People will stay home or select a more appealing country to spend their money ????. That might also be the case for the " Leisure travelers " .

Who wants to go to bed at 9pm after a day at the  beach  ?? 

[paul1804]

 I really wish Thailand officials would stop all these pointless predictions, get your people vaccinated, lift the visa requirements to double vaccinated, maybe a PCR test 72 hours prior to flying and that's it. Then you will get tourists, yes some will have or get covid but most will not, they will spend their money , have a good time and Thailand will start living again. Covid is not going away and you can thank your Chinese buddies for their contribution to that!!! 

[PoorSucker]

6 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

maybe a PCR test 72 hours prior to flying

As long as this is not regulated it's just a piece of paper.

[Chad3000]

Article tacitly acknowledges it's just expat returnees and the assorted lost sex tourist.

 

High season will be done in a flash. Gone are good times when every month was high season.

[paul1804]

1 minute ago, PoorSucker said:

As long as this is not regulated it's just a piece of paper.

Well if that's what keeps the authorities happy so be it!!

[PoorSucker]

4 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

Well if that's what keeps the authorities happy so be it!!

My test one and half month ago in Sweden was to spit in a tube at a beauty parlor.

Made the Thai authorities happy.

 

Guess I can reuse it, just change the date in Photoshop.