21 minutes ago, LennyW said:

I can see a problem after the bars, clubs etc. do finally open, you get 1 Covid cluster case stemming from an entertainment venue and BOOM!! the knee jerk government will just blanket shut everything again for months!

You are so right, let's just have large music festivals instead. No cluster fork there,

4 hours ago, webfact said:

More than 50,000 tourists have now visited Thailand since the country opened to tourism on November 1

Wake up. Only a small fraction of that 50k were tourists.

 

Daily average arrivals will continue to taper, unless entry obstacles are eliminated & restriction on alcohol & partying are lifted..

4 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Just tell the missus you're going to a mates place to play cards.  I've played cards most Thursday nights for over seven years.

 

Nobody I know owns a pack of cards.  ????

But when she eventually finds out the ducks will have a feeding frenzy

5 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Unless a decision is made very quickly and in tablets of stone, tourists are not going to gamble on coming or just wait to see what happens......they will go elsewhere and the Christmas/New Year season will be lost.

Gone already .... they deserve it. 

2 hours ago, ftpjtm said:

I considered reconsidering my decision to cancel my plans to travel to Thailand based on the lower number of COVID cases, but based on the uncertainty of the possible early reopening that may or may not happen...

 

Still not coming to Thailand, TAT!

Don't believe the low numbers. Testing here is among the lowest in the world.

The boomeranging, flip-flopping yo-yo brigade never stops flapping those yappers! ????

4 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Yep.....I think you are correct.....especially with covid tests/Thai Pass/Test&Go to organize on top of the usual stress of making big holiday bookings.

Which people see no reason to go through anyway when there are countless other options. As the current number or arrivals now is proving, whether they are tourists or not.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

More than 50,000 tourists

The media need to stop using the term "tourists". I read that the majority of "visitors" were expats returning now that it is easier and cheaper to do so! 

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

It's all but lost already; who would still be planning something for the Festive Season or New Year by now ?    I wouldn't dream of leaving my 'planning' until this late in November but maybe they think that we are like Thai's and don't think much about anything after tomorrow !

Indeed a case of  Damage Done  . Plus given the track record of governments putting countries on their red list with making a task of getting home within 48 hours at an inflated long haul airline cost or face 2 weeks quarantine in a <deleted> hotel at a cost of £ 2 k . Imagine a family of four having to face that . That is a potential nightmare that only the foolish would consider.

Decisions,    in Thailand, like a bar girls underwear, on again, off again, on again, off again.

Now is not the time to lift the ban on alcohol. Thailand is just starting to get a grip on the Covid epidemic. Europe right now is recording record numbers of people infected with Covid. Opening up bars and entertainment venues that serve alcohol will encourage these Europeans to come to Thailand. This would only make the situation worse in Thailand. Better to wait until the winter is over in Europe and wait until next summer to open up the bars and other venues. Better safe than sorry.

Reading the Pattaya News earlier today, they state there 2,270 people still under medical care/supervision, and a total of four cases out of 2,270 were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumonia. 

 

So all of the restrictions are in place as we have 4 seriously ill people. 

. They say more than 50k tourists have arrived since Nov 1st! No that's not the case. Most of those 50k are Thai and expat returnees. Hua Hin has so far seen 8 tourist since November 1st. The reality is about 5 to 10k tourists have arrived since Nov 1st, so we're on course for up to 15k tourists this month compared to 3.7m in November 2019. Great job TAT and Thai Govt. Marvellous. Looks like the industry will be safe in your very capable hands. 

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The concept of ultra timid cowards taking an action like this almost seems unfathomable at this point. The destruction of the tourism industry is nearly complete. Why stop now? 

 

It has already been reported that a high percentage of these so called tourists, are returning expats. Only a few thousand tourists have subjected themselves to the stupid risks involved. 

 

Out with the backward geriatric fools. In with the forward thinking youth. ASAP. 

The change will probably come sooner than we can imagine. 

Beneficial for all? That's yet to be seen....

 

Forward thinking might be welcomed in the present form that it presents itself, but might take on a disguise that manipulates just the same. 

Who knows. 

I guess, we'll see.

4 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

Yes so long as the bar owners have a pulse they will continue to "discuss it" 

 

Indeed. And once that pulse has faded, discussion will turn to the urgent need to regenerate those areas. Someone ( or more likely several ) will point to Cambodia     ( Sihanoukville) and their casino cities as a shining example of how to cater for wealthy (gambling mad) visitors from not too distant very large countries with close links...

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will consider reopening bars earlier than planned after the number of new COVID-19 infections fell to the fewest in four months.

The falling infection rate has absolutely nothing to do with this flip-flop. A slow realization of complete failure is the reason.

A post using a trolling image has been removed. 

7 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

I start most night's out with a chaperone on each shoulder. One has wings and the other is red and has little horns.  The one with wings has no staying power whatsoever and bails very early - he might be of German extraction.

Or French if he gives up that easily 

7 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Have something similar, but both of mine are red with little horns from the off.........the reason I am not allowed out on my own I guess.

Not allowed out............what, like when you're a child and mummy says no ?

Grow up man.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will consider reopening bars earlier than planned after the number of new COVID-19 infections fell to the fewest in four months.

Ha ha ha ha ha.
They can't keep the story straight.

 

I've met a few, all familiar faces, most are regulars from cold climes who usually over-winter here.  14 days quarantine and they didn't come, change to 1 day and here they are.  I've yet to meet anyone I'd consider a tourist.

Loy Krathong at local temple should have under the law been shut down. It of course wasn't. At a guess 5,000-10,000 (quite possibly more) people at the temple over the night. Shoulder to shouler in many spots. Lots of people eating, drinking and shouting because it's loud and mask wearing, well you can guess how that was. Just more madndess. Bars closed.

6 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Fingers crossed the reopening will be sooner than currently published, it must have been a big kick in the goolies for bar owners, restaurants & customers alike when they hit us with the mid  January date.

a few bar owners i know in CM hope the bars stay closed. They dont have to pay rent now but if the gouvernment decided to give the green light the meter will be running again. But no tourist to bring in the money.

11 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

I've met a few, all familiar faces, most are regulars from cold climes who usually over-winter here.  14 days quarantine and they didn't come, change to 1 day and here they are.  I've yet to meet anyone I'd consider a tourist.

I know a bunch of US friends who came here for 1 month every February.
I wrote the them with the current update on all thing New Normal.

Although these guys are all independent business owners and are pretty da*med well off - they're not the "Well Heeled" snotty-rich types that Thailand is courting.  They're just good-old boys who want to have fun.

They ain't coming this year for sure.  Not until New Normal becomes Old Normal.

Any early pattaya opening could easily end in another closure especially if bangkok visitors flock into town, have to be open for at least a month before i return

No 1 day AQL and test on arrival

If it happens not Dec 1st, I suspect it will be Dec 5th, the late mans Birthday?  it is after all in Thailand respect and honoring the man? ????  that should be a good excuse?

3 hours ago, Stefanix said:

Is this really a good idea? Been in The Robin Hood a few days ago. They are open since Nov. 1st, because they are obviously a restaurant. Hm. It was quite noisy there, people shouting at each other to be understood and without masks. This must be the ideal environment to spread the virus. Leaving the pub, everyone puts on the mask in the heat. Does this make sense? I mean I was happy to have a pint of Guinness. But has time already come for a full opening? Shouldn’t we be careful to not turn around the positive trend?

Indeed, IMHO "opening" any country that hasn't fully vaccinated 80% of its population is preposterous. Airlines should enforce a policy where only fully vaccinated passengers are flown only between countries that have achieved that 80%.

????

7 hours ago, asiasurfer said:

Again a typical flip-folp thingy... ???? I hope they do open soon. Cannot wait to listen to live music again with a stiff drink in my hand. Don't really care about the girly bars or clubs. 

Yes, it will be an interesting few weeks when they do open up but it won't last, at the first sign of an uptick in infections which is inevitable they will flip flop and revert to how it is now.

 

Stale news.

Where I am the bar owners & the police are just about back in full swing.

Same in lower Sukhumvit, beer bottles in full display from 10 am & the "girls" are getting some lady drinks