Prohibitory pricing of 'new test & go' starting February

[HashBrownHarry]

38 minutes ago, treetops said:

There are 3 "J" offerings.  The J Inspired Hotel, The Hotel J Residence and The Hotel J Pattaya all on the same site I believe.  I think the poster you quoted would have been looking at the first one:

 

 

On this site:

 

https://asq.in.th/

 

As you can see it includes airport transfer.

I contacted the hotel directly.

 

I've always found this best, it gives you an idication of how responsive they are at responding to e-mails / Whatsapp / Line etc.

 

J Hotel were very good fyi.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, mjakob007 said:

not to throw it all away for almost nil value

10k is nothing to them

[herfiehandbag]

16 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Sure Thailand will be gutted you're not coming.

Taken as an individual they probably don't care.

 

But, given the dire straights of the tourist business, and the widespread dependence upon it for many families finances, if it is a common reaction it will be a problem.

 

Still, I am sure you will be alright,eh?

Edited February 1, 2022 by herfiehandbag

[Happy Howard]

16 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

J Hotel in Pattaya is 9800 baht for collection at Suvarnabhumi, tests on day 1 and 5 and room on day 1 and 5, that's ok if you ask me.

A good hotel, my wife's sister stayed there in December under T&G ver1.0

[HashBrownHarry]

1 minute ago, Happy Howard said:

A good hotel, my wife's sister stayed there in December under T&G ver1.0

Yeah, my brother did as well.

 

As mentioned, they're also very responsive with e-mail or messaging which is important for me.

[Polar Bear]

7 hours ago, mjakob007 said:

I am struggling to find hotels offering days 1 & 5 in one booking.

I can only find one day bookings and cheapest is 5k, and for a reasonably ok hotel, thats closer to 10k a night.

https://thaiest.com/blog/aq-hotel-1-night-packages

 

Even if one accepts the price for first night, as that includes airport transfer etc, I struggle to find justification for 5th day test & go @ 5k and climbing to 15k for acceptable hotels.

This site breaks down the prices into various packages, including Day 1 & Day 5 combined and separate. I ended up booking with the hotel directly, but the price was the same (Day 1: 4,250, Day 5: 3,350) whether I booked through ASQ or direct, or whether I booked 1 & 5 separately or together. 

https://asq.in.th/ 

[huyuli]

Here are some budget options.

https://asq.in.th/pattaya-test-and-go-2-day-hotels

https://asq.in.th/chiang-mai-test-and-go-2-day-hotels

 

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

16 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

I'm sorry but i don't know how to decipher this mess, what on earth do you mean? who's Jack?

 

Jill's husband. Do try to keep up........????

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, HashBrownHarry said:

5 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

But then, as I'm not arriving from overseas I don't need to be escorted like a prisoner to my hotel (do they still do that, or has it been dropped?) and I don't need to take any tests despite me being triple-vaccinated. Visitors to the country are being gouged. Welcome sir, special (high) price for you tonight.

So what's the your point of posting??

 

Nothing or merit here at all.

What's the point? This bit - Visitors to the country are being gouged, which is the subject of this thread. What is the point of many of your postings, other than to needlessly argue with others. Nothing of merit in them at all.

[sawadee1947]

16 hours ago, EricTh said:

Which country provides free PCR-test for non-citizens?

All EU countries If necessary

[HashBrownHarry]

4 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

What is the point of many of your postings

Do you make a point of reading them all - lol.

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

7 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Do you make a point of reading them all - lol.

 

 

Not any more. I'm blocking you.

[HashBrownHarry]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Not any more. I'm blocking you.

I'm gutted - lol.

[daveAustin]

Barmy. And all this over a cold that is already everywhere in Thailand! Don’t think it’s a case of intentionally screwing tourism any more—they could do that by simply closing borders—more so incompetence, gouging and that Thai trait of not wanting to give an inch. Expect a revert to T&G 1 in a couple weeks. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by daveAustin

[daveAustin]

3 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Not any more. I'm blocking you.

Did that a while back but find myself having a peak every now and then. ????

[Lacessit]

I do not understand. Anyone - Thai or farang - can travel freely within Thailand, e.g. Chiang Mai to Bangkok or vice versa. If they want to avoid the requirements of air travel, they can just get in a car. AFAIK there are no checks on their status - vaccinated, unvaccinated, infectious, whatever.

Yet when vaccinated travelers come into Thailand, they have to jump through multiple COVID hoops. Is Thailand trying to kill off international tourism?

[The Hammer2021]

18 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

He will be one of hundreds of thousands, maybe they just don't care?

Who are 'they'

How much control do 'they' exert?

What do you suggest 'they' do?

[tlcwaterfall]

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I do not understand. Anyone - Thai or farang - can travel freely within Thailand, e.g. Chiang Mai to Bangkok or vice versa. If they want to avoid the requirements of air travel, they can just get in a car. AFAIK there are no checks on their status - vaccinated, unvaccinated, infectious, whatever.

Yet when vaccinated travelers come into Thailand, they have to jump through multiple COVID hoops. Is Thailand trying to kill off international tourism?

You are 100% correct. Thailand also like to have complete control over foreigners whether they are living in Thailand or simply visiting. Thai pass is a clear example of that and is completely unnecessary. There is clearly enough money in the trough for the powers that be to feed upon without any regards to tourism anymore.

[ivor bigun]

the familly want to come over soon ,staying one night in a hotel they can live with ,but the test on the 5th day ,no way they will have to leave us and go back to an overpriced hotel for the rest of their time here ,so Thailand is losing thousands of pounds they would have spent .

[JayBird]

I double checked, and one needs to keep in mind: Double the cost if there are two of you.

 

Cheapest I could find in Pattaya at a hotel I never saw, would be ~20k THB for 2 people.

 

Not sure how many tourists want to pay a surcharge of 20k THB.  (This in itself could cover the cost of a trip to KL for 4-5 days).

 

It's obviously a 'cash grab', as no one will be using the hotel room as a hotel room.  Just a very expensive waiting room till they get their results before they check-out and head to their actual destination.

 

But all that is still minor in comparison to what happens if a result comes back positive:

You (and your partner) will be sent to an ASQ/Hospital/Hospitel/whatever, where you will enjoy an extended stay (at your expense).  And this could be a *LOT* of money.

 

The real concerning bit here is, if you catch it on day 5, it could mean you caught it *IN* Thailand on Day 1.

 

Therefore, I would recommend the following approach:

1) 10k THB/person as a 'fee' to come to Thailand.

2) Spend the first 5 days in strict quarantine at home to avoid the slightest chance of contracting enough to test positive.

 

An option for returning expats, not very enjoyable for Tourists.  This rule should be lifted before tourist season starts in October or so.

 

 

[JustAnotherHun]

5 minutes ago, JayBird said:

I double checked, and one needs to keep in mind: Double the cost if there are two of you.

 

Cheapest I could find in Pattaya at a hotel I never saw, would be ~20k THB for 2 people.

You should check again

[alex8912]

4 hours ago, treetops said:

3 to 7 days is mentioned during the application as they confirm with the hotel (hotel should respond within 24 hours) and DDC will verify your vaccination certificate before pass is issued.

It only says 3-7 days in TP web site.  Many many reports last time went over 10 days last time with TP version 1. 

[connda]

33 minutes ago, JayBird said:

I double checked, and one needs to keep in mind: Double the cost if there are two of you.

 

Cheapest I could find in Pattaya at a hotel I never saw, would be ~20k THB for 2 people.

 

Not sure how many tourists want to pay a surcharge of 20k THB.  (This in itself could cover the cost of a trip to KL for 4-5 days).

 

It's obviously a 'cash grab', as no one will be using the hotel room as a hotel room.  Just a very expensive waiting room till they get their results before they check-out and head to their actual destination.

 

But all that is still minor in comparison to what happens if a result comes back positive:

You (and your partner) will be sent to an ASQ/Hospital/Hospitel/whatever, where you will enjoy an extended stay (at your expense).  And this could be a *LOT* of money.

 

The real concerning bit here is, if you catch it on day 5, it could mean you caught it *IN* Thailand on Day 1.

 

Therefore, I would recommend the following approach:

1) 10k THB/person as a 'fee' to come to Thailand.

2) Spend the first 5 days in strict quarantine at home to avoid the slightest chance of contracting enough to test positive.

 

An option for returning expats, not very enjoyable for Tourists.  This rule should be lifted before tourist season starts in October or so.

 

 

To keep it in perspective, the average salary for a great many Thais, especially young people just starting off, is 10,000 THB per month.
Yet, here's Thailand forcing foreigners to cough up 10,000+ THB per person to get through the door.  Then heaven help you if you pop positive on a PCR test. 

Really, again.  Unless you live here - why bother coming here at all just to be ripped off?

[Petey11]

20 hours ago, EricTh said:

Which country provides free PCR-test for non-citizens?

Pretty sure UK does if you have symptoms, but then the UK doesn't force PCR tests on fully vaccinated visitors and even a positive ATK does not require a follow up PCR now.

[MrJ2U]

For some its just out of their financial picture.

 

For many it's the cost of doing business to get to where you want to be.

 

Seeing family, girlfriends,or just stunning Thai freelansers can sometimes trump the initial price gouging.

 

The biggest problem is testing positive and being forced into an extremely pricey public hospital.

 

 

[Kalasin Jo]

I booked and paid for the full 7 night quarantine package, the insurance, the flight and got the Thailand Pass before they changed to this. I'm arriving, provided I get a negative PCR before I leave, on 6th February. So I'm rolling with that and will see what they say and what happens when I get to the hotel in Bangkok. I'll stay there from day 1 through day 5 anyway now as it's paid for. May be I'll be allowed out of the room? Maybe I'll be allowed out of the hotel? May be I'll get vouchers for the meals? May be I'll get one day's refund?  May be I'll test positive there and get carted off to hospital? Who knows?! It's risky, it's crazy, but I need to get to my wife and Thai home now. It's been 18 months away.

 

[ivor bigun]

Just now, Kalasin Jo said:

I booked and paid for the full 7 night quarantine package, the insurance, the flight and got the Thailand Pass before they changed to this. I'm arriving, provided I get a negative PCR before I leave, on 6th February. So I'm rolling with that and will see what they say and what happens when I get to the hotel in Bangkok. I'll stay there from day 1 through day 5 anyway now as it's paid for. May be I'll be allowed out of the room? Maybe I'll be allowed out of the hotel? May be I'll get vouchers for the meals? May be I'll get one day's refund?  May be I'll test positive there and get carted off to hospital? Who knows?! It's risky, it's crazy, but I need to get to my wife and Thai home now. It's been 18 months away.

 

yes ,no problem for you ,but would a tourist go through this?

[JayBird]

2 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

You should check again

I did and can confirm my findings.

 

Note: This is for 2 people for Day 1 and Day 5.  Perhaps you thought I meant only one day?

 

[JustAnotherHun]

5 minutes ago, JayBird said:

I did and can confirm my findings.

 

Note: This is for 2 people for Day 1 and Day 5.  Perhaps you thought I meant only one day?

 

No.

 

Green Park Resort, Pattaya:

Day 1&5 7.750 THB

Additional person:

Day 1&5: 5.000 THB

 

So the start price there is 12.750 THB. Included is airport transfer and 2 PCR tests

 

[Kwarium]

Yes, the pricing is ridiculous. Paying 8,800 Bt for Day 1 as a couple. The hotel price was previously just under 3,000 for two. Day 5, even in Issan near our home, is only slightly less.

 

Thai citizens are getting no break from the regime or from the hotels. Someone said it is “their country”. Yes, “they” being the idjiots in power and control.