Is the 2nd night of quarantine on the SQA++ program a real deal breaker?

[spidermike007]

I give the administration some credit for reinstating the test and go program. However, asking for the 2nd test after 5 days is enough of a hurdle, without asking for a 2nd night of quarantine. Sounds like a real deal breaker to me. I spent nearly 3 hours in a hospital getting my 2nd PCR test. Some tourists were there, and they were not happy with the waiting times, as they were on vacation. Now, they are requiring a 2nd night of quarantine? In the middle of someone's trip? Seems overly timid, highly paranoid, very controlling, and rather unnecessary. After all, the tourist has already gotten a PCR in their home country, subjected themselves to the test and go system, gotten another PCR in Thailand, days later, taken out Covid insurance, and now this? 

 

Tourism alone contributed to 20% of the GDP, and I suspect it is gone, baby gone. There is likely trillions of dollars worth of tourism infrastructure here, and the authorities do not really seem to care. No support for the industry. Nothing.

 

I would estimate if they were going to get 100,000 tourists a month from the old style test and go, the addition of the 2nd night of quarantine (at great expense, as we paid 9,000 baht for the 1st nite, as a couple) might reduce the numbers to a rather anemic 40,000 tourists a month? Any thoughts or guesses?

Edited January 30, 2022 by spidermike007

[clivebaxter]

I think you answered your own question, 3 pcr tests in 7 days is over the top and most tourists will not take the risk of a positive ending up in quarantine which their $50k insurance will not pay for.

[Robin]

"Seems overly timid, highly paranoid, very controlling, and rather unnecessary"

Just about sums up Thailand under the present government.

Not the way to attract tourists, but is that what the Junta really wans?

[sirineou]

Don't worry, it wont last. I give this latest version of the T&G a month at best before it is adjusted again.

[calbts2]

The dominoes are falling all around Thailand. The Philippines just eliminated all quarantine and arrival tests for vaccinated travelers as they have come to their senses.

 

Watch what Vietnam does as that in my opinion will be key in forcing Thailand to get rid of all of these useless tests/quarantines/insurance as so much face will be lost. These other countries will get their tourist industries recovering faster while Thailand's reputation and self inflicted economic damage deteriorate further.

 

My prediction is by July(maybe sooner), Thailand's hand will be forced into opening up 100% which includes all land borders.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by calbts2
spell

[grego49]

20 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Don't worry, it wont last. I give this latest version of the T&G a month at best before it is adjusted again.

We live in hope,,,

[connda]

38 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Now, they are requiring a 2nd night of quarantine? In the middle of someone's trip? Seems overly timid, highly paranoid, very controlling, and rather unnecessary. After all, the tourist has already gotten a PCR in their home country, subjected themselves to the test and go system, gotten another PCR in Thailand, days later, taken out Covid insurance, and now this? 

 

Tourism alone contributed to 20% of the GDP, and I suspect it is gone, baby gone. There is likely trillions of dollars worth of tourism infrastructure here, and the authorities do not really seem to care. No support for the industry. Nothing.

 

I would estimate if they were going to get 100,000 tourists a month from the old style test and go, the addition of the 2nd night of quarantine (at great expense, as we paid 9,000 baht for the 1st nite, as a couple) might reduce the numbers to a rather anemic 40,000 tourists a month? Any thoughts or guesses?

Edited 7 minutes ago

Not to mention the 100+K bill you're going to be handed after being incarcerated in Covid Jail quarantine if your PCR ever returns positive plus the 10+ days of lost time.
The only people I personally can see coming to Thailand are those like you and I:  Those of us with family or those of us who have homes and assets in Thailand. 
Why a 'tourist' would subject themselves to the expense and well as the uncertainty of being forcefully locked up?  There are way too many other vacation locations to travel to that do not have these types of draconian regulations and unnecessary expenses.  I can not fathom what draws anyone here given the regulations, expense, uncertainty, and the fact that most of what people used to come here for has been destroyed by government edict. 
This place is a shell of its former self.  I drive through Chiang Mai and all the vibrant little shops, markets, as well as Walking Street are - Gone!  <poof>.  Most of our personal friends who had businesses in Chiang Mai have gone out of business, and the stretches of boarded up shops in the Thapae/Loi Kroi/Changklan/Old-Town area is simply a testament to government over-reaction and lunacy.  "Little business not essential!"
As long as people are forced to wear face masks, take multiple Covid tests, adhere to draconian mandates regarding movement and business operations (like shutting down certain selected segments of society and businesses), and cringe fearfully every time Dr. Yong and friends take the podium - this will never end and tourism will never return except for the trickle of vacationers who can't grasp that Thailand is nothing like its former self. <period>

[sirineou]

9 minutes ago, grego49 said:

We live in hope,,,

As other countries open up, Thailand will have to change it's travel policy to remain competitive 

 

In the Philippines two days ago: . 

" Travelers who have received both doses of an approved vaccination and are coming from one of more than 150 destinations that do not require a visa are welcome to visit next month."

 

" Travelers will need to present a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure.

No quarantine measures will apply to fully jabbed tourists arriving in the Philippines, although all travelers must self-monitor for symptoms for seven days after arrival"

https://www.thenationalnews.com/travel/covid-19-travel/2022/01/28/philippines-reopening-to-vaccinated-travellers-from-february-10-including-from-the-uae/

[Jeffr2]

It's a ridiculous policy.  I did a lot of travel last year and in the 10 countries or so I visited, only a PCR test before departure was required.  If that.  A few had NO requirements if you were fully vaccinated.

 

Time for Thailand to wake up and open the doors to fully vaccinated tourists.

[GeorgeCross]

what i don't understand is why thailand tightens its policy when numbers are high in country and loosens when the numbers go down!

 

shouldn't that be the other way around? i mean keep covid out when thailand is very low on cases not let them flood in.. and vice versa lol

 

or maybe this whole policy is nothing to do with health at all and more about optics.. ????

 

 

[Oblomov]

30 minutes ago, calbts2 said:

The dominoes are falling all around Thailand. The Philippines just eliminated all quarantine and arrival tests for vaccinated travelers as they have come to their senses.

 

Watch what Vietnam does as that in my opinion will be key in forcing Thailand to get rid of all of these useless tests/quarantines/insurance as so much face will be lost. These other countries will get their tourist industries recovering faster while Thailand's reputation and self inflicted economic damage deteriorate further.

 

My prediction is by July(maybe sooner), Thailand's hand will be forced into opening up 100% which includes all land borders.

 

 

I think you're dead right - it's beyond silly as the only way forward is simply to reopen, spend the revenue wisely (that's a laugh but it would help) and accept our world as it now is, and not how we rather wistfully whish it was.

[yogi yogi]

phillipines is open now no rules.  time to bail.

[connda]

13 minutes ago, calbts2 said:

The dominoes are falling all around Thailand. The Philippines just eliminated all quarantine and arrival tests for vaccinated travelers as they have come to their senses.

 

Watch what Vietnam does as that in my opinion will be key in forcing Thailand to get rid of all of these useless tests/quarantines/insurance as so much face will be lost. These other countries will get their tourist industries recovering faster while Thailand's reputation and self inflicted economic damage deteriorate further.

 

My prediction is by July(maybe sooner), Thailand's hand will be forced into opening up 100% which includes all land borders.

 

 

I believe you are correct about other surrounding countries opening sooner and taking the market share of tourism away from Thailand.
I disagree that Thailand will "open up" as the people at the top driving this agenda are elite power junkies.  It wasn't that long ago that Thailand was a feudal state with the people at the top lauding over the peasants.  That form of governance is still cherished imho and making the little people dance to the elite's tune is built into the fabric of this country.
The elite envision Thailand future as a country of masked, obedient plebs who bow down and obey rules.
Unfortunately that's never going to be conducive to foreign tourism.
Here's one sure sign that Thailand is about to open up.
When you see the talking heads, game show actors, and talk show host finally take off their mask - then Thailand will begin opening back up.  As long as those people are masked and muzzled - things ain't gonna change.

[spidermike007]

49 minutes ago, connda said:

Not to mention the 100+K bill you're going to be handed after being incarcerated in Covid Jail quarantine if your PCR ever returns positive plus the 10+ days of lost time.
The only people I personally can see coming to Thailand are those like you and I:  Those of us with family or those of us who have homes and assets in Thailand. 
Why a 'tourist' would subject themselves to the expense and well as the uncertainty of being forcefully locked up?  There are way too many other vacation locations to travel to that do not have these types of draconian regulations and unnecessary expenses.  I can not fathom what draws anyone here given the regulations, expense, uncertainty, and the fact that most of what people used to come here for has been destroyed by government edict. 
This place is a shell of its former self.  I drive through Chiang Mai and all the vibrant little shops, markets, as well as Walking Street are - Gone!  <poof>.  Most of our personal friends who had businesses in Chiang Mai have gone out of business, and the stretches of boarded up shops in the Thapae/Loi Kroi/Changklan/Old-Town area is simply a testament to government over-reaction and lunacy.  "Little business not essential!"
As long as people are forced to wear face masks, take multiple Covid tests, adhere to draconian mandates regarding movement and business operations (like shutting down certain selected segments of society and businesses), and cringe fearfully every time Dr. Yong and friends take the podium - this will never end and tourism will never return except for the trickle of vacationers who can't grasp that Thailand is nothing like its former self. <period>

Great points. Thanks. I agree. Thailand has to figure out a way out, from behind the wall of cowardice and fear. The officials are behaving like scared little children. After all, this is not the Zombie Apocalypse. Not even close. With Omi it is barely the major concern it once was. 

 

The destruction of the tourism industry is now almost complete. Good job Prayuth. You will be remember for generations. For all the wrong reasons. Perhaps a hundred years from now, at the university level, they will have history courses that teach about the Prayuth Destruction. And the long road from a proud 22nd place in the world, to a lowly 82nd.

 

Indeed, a very sad thing to witness. Granted, for many of us expats it is fine. Cheaper hotels, smaller crowds, lower prices on condos and rent for years to come. But, my heart goes out to the Thai proletarians. Not easy being poor, in Thailand, these days. 

[Tony M]

I suspect that, as soon as they realise how much money will be lost at Songkran time, all the requirements will be ditched.  Songkran is one of the biggest money-makers of the year. So, in the next month or so, all testing and all quarantine will disappear in the greed for April income.

[spidermike007]

42 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

It's a ridiculous policy.  I did a lot of travel last year and in the 10 countries or so I visited, only a PCR test before departure was required.  If that.  A few had NO requirements if you were fully vaccinated.

 

Time for Thailand to wake up and open the doors to fully vaccinated tourists.

Last time I looked, there were around 70 appealing countries with no restriction, others than double vax, and one PCR. Now, that is what a country run by fully mature adults looks like.

 

So, as you say, why would a sane tourist choose Thailand?

 

Most of the incoming will be returning expats or people traveling for what little business remains here. 

[The Hammer2021]

11 minutes ago, Tony M said:

I suspect that, as soon as they realise how much money will be lost at Songkran time, all the requirements will be ditched.  Songkran is one of the biggest money-makers of the year. So, in the next month or so, all testing and all quarantine will disappear in the greed for April income.

It's not greed it's need.

[peter zwart]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

It's a ridiculous policy.  I did a lot of travel last year and in the 10 countries or so I visited, only a PCR test before departure was required.  If that.  A few had NO requirements if you were fully vaccinated.

 

Time for Thailand to wake up and open the doors to fully vaccinated tourists.

Even the rule of being vaccinated can be dropped as we know that the vaccine only works for about 4/5 months. Or they have to adjust the rule into "vaccinated not longer then 4 months ago". Wonder when we will see that vaccination is also not one of the requirements anymore.

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, peter zwart said:

Even the rule of being vaccinated can be dropped as we know that the vaccine only works for about 4/5 months. Or they have to adjust the rule into "vaccinated not longer then 4 months ago". Wonder when we will see that vaccination is also not one of the requirements anymore.

Absolutely not.  They won't drop the rule, luckily.  Your posting misinformation as vaccines last different amounts of time in different people.  Depending on the jab, etc.

 

Get the jab and get us out of this mess.  Or stay home.

[Jeffr2]

39 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Last time I looked, there were around 70 appealing countries with no restriction, others than double vax, and one PCR. Now, that is what a country run by fully mature adults looks like.

 

So, as you say, why would a sane tourist choose Thailand?

 

Most of the incoming will be returning expats or people traveling for what little business remains here. 

We left last summer as it was too depressing here.  Everything closed.  Went where they music was playing!  Going to do it again shortly.  Not 100% sure where as things change so quickly, but will have a decision soon.

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, yogi yogi said:

phillipines is open now no rules.  time to bail.

Not true.  If jabbed, easy.  If not, complicated.  As it should be:

 

https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/covid-19/arrivingintheph

Unvaccinated, Partially Vaccinated, Unverified

• Negative RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin
• Facility-based quarantine until the release of the negative results
• 5th day swabbing
• Self-monitor for any sign or symptom until the 14th day from arrival

[ezzra]

The thing is that the people who comes up with these idiotic edicts have no idea what tourism is all about and what tourists want, they are not tourists and non of their friends and family probably aren't so they come up with these silly rules so to be seen doing something but this something is all wrong and no one tells them that and so the madness continue...

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

or maybe this whole policy is nothing to do with health at all and more about optics.. ????

Why were they circulating a story about the 6 foreign guys who "went missing" then their covid tests came back positive like they were dangerous criminals, when there must be so many Thais wondering around with covid as we speak and contact tracing is a thing of the past?  No joke, I saw a Thai person had shared a post on Facebook that had their names and pictures with red and black scary graphics and a number to call, as though they were dangerous murderers at large.

[peter zwart]

29 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Absolutely not.  They won't drop the rule, luckily.  Your posting misinformation as vaccines last different amounts of time in different people.  Depending on the jab, etc.

 

Get the jab and get us out of this mess.  Or stay home.

Your posting misinformation: If its information that you dont want to read/hear its maybe misinformation for you but its already proven that the the vaccine losing its power dramaticly after a few months. No matter which one. 

 

Get the jab and get us out of this mess.  Or stay home.: 

Non of the above. Get a life.

[Captain Monday]

It is not a deal breaker, for me but I cannot see why any real tourist would come to Thailand under these conditions. Just go elsewhere. Clearly a face saving band-aid or blatant money grab, with no public health purpose whatsoever. What was a deal breaker was the proposed Charming Chiang Mai program. Where you were to be kept outside the city at certain hotels and forced to purchase tours dragging you around to various SHA++ attractions on sealed routes.

Edited January 30, 2022 by Captain Monday

[HashBrownHarry]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

Don't worry, it wont last. I give this latest version of the T&G a month at best before it is adjusted again.

How do you think it will be adjusted?

 

My thoughts are the day #5 test will be scrapped pretty soon, certainly hope so as it's very inconvienient.

[HashBrownHarry]

2 hours ago, yogi yogi said:

phillipines is open now no rules.  time to bail.

PI is <deleted>.

[Kinnock]

Family in UK planning to visit Thailand for a 2 week vacation.  I waa explaining the entry system, and when I got to the part about the second test on Day 5, there was silence on the call ..... then they all decided to go elsewhere.

[Jeffr2]

2 hours ago, peter zwart said:

Your posting misinformation: If its information that you dont want to read/hear its maybe misinformation for you but its already proven that the the vaccine losing its power dramaticly after a few months. No matter which one. 

 

Get the jab and get us out of this mess.  Or stay home.: 

Non of the above. Get a life.

Well aware the vaccines lose power, but not dramatically after a few months.  And not the same for every jab, nor every person, nor every variant.  I've got a live and doing my best to protect others. 

[bkk6060]

I agree its weird.  Get your tests then mix with the public then come back for another test in 5 days?

Seems just too risky to get a huge load of tourists.  I also think the insurance requirement will be permanent for any entry in the future.