Tourism sector pushes for less fly-in requirements

[webfact]

 

By Erich Parpart

 

The tourism sector has advocated for the removal of the Thailand Pass registration system. However, the government said the system will not be canceled, but other restrictions could be eased in March.

 

“The Thailand Pass system cannot be lifted because it’s a data center for important information on tourists which can be used to trace them when they travel in Thailand,” Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn was quoted by Krungthep Turakij on Monday.

 

Thailand Pass is a state registration system where all visitors planning to enter the country must register before entering the country. The system was put in place in July 2021.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/37681/tourism-sector-pushes-for-less-fly-in-requirements/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-02-22

 

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[NanaSomchai]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

“The Thailand Pass system cannot be lifted because it’s a data center for important information on tourists which can be used to trace them when they travel in Thailand,” Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn was quoted by Krungthep Turakij on Monday.

There we go.

 

They are finally admitting this has nothing to do with health or safety concerns at all, it is all about controlling and tracing the masses or hordes that are entering the Kingdom each and every year.

 

And this time, for all you deniers out there, you heard it from the horse's mouth, the Tourism and Sports Minister himself.

 

My advice: if you haven't already, sell everything, recoup your assets (or your losses) and get ready to pull out of Thailand at any time.

 

Welcome Thailand Police State 2.0 sponsored by the CCP aka Chailand!

[KhaoYai]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Thailand Pass system cannot be lifted because it’s a data center for important information on tourists which can be used to trace them when they travel in Thailand,” Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn was quoted by Krungthep Turakij on Monday.

Is that so?  Well perhaps Mr Ratchakitprakarn can tell me why nobody even tried to contact me when I failed to upload the results of my second PCR test on my last visit?

 

As I reported in another thread, the MorChana App would not work correctly.  It informed me I had notifications but when I went to them, there was nothing there.  I tried countless times and eventually gave up.  I presumed that as the authorities had my phone number and the address where I was staying, someone would contact me to find out why I hadn't uploaded my PCR test results - at which point they would hopefully be able to give me an alternative way of reporting.

 

I half expected the police to turn up at my door - nothing. I also thought I might be called out at immigration when I left - nothing. So, as for their ability to trace tourists - they don't use it, its simply a box ticking excercise, created for political reasons rather than protecting public health.

 

I eventually managed to upload my (negative) test results when I returned to the UK and the App started working.

 

Another thing with the Morchana App - I don't know if others had this problem: It kept on telling me to complete my passport details - the number was missing. Each time I tried, it wouldn't accept it - again, I gave up.  Do any Thai Apps work?

[Jingthing]

Thailand Pass.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The tourism sector has advocated for the removal of the Thailand Pass registration system.

I wish them well with that. As few restrictions as possible, if none is wishful thinking. Problem is that the airlines are not going to make it easy, and the responsibility for imposing restrictions seems to have been foisted onto them by governments, so IMO they will be more rather than less restrictive, given they might have to pay to return those passengers not permitted entry on arrival.

[daveAustin]

So by the sounds of it, it’s here to stay, covid or no. Millions of tourists? Trillions of baht? Good luck with that. Pathetic and amoral. 

[bokningar]

“The Thailand Pass system cannot be lifted because it’s a data center for important information on tourists which can be used to trace them when they travel in Thailand,” 

 

In his job description it must say " Scare people away from visiting Thailand"

And he is doing a good job  

[Lucky Bones]

52 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wish them well with that. As few restrictions as possible, if none is wishful thinking. Problem is that the airlines are not going to make it easy, and the responsibility for imposing restrictions seems to have been foisted onto them by governments, so IMO they will be more rather than less restrictive, given they might have to pay to return those passengers not permitted entry on arrival.

I think the airlines will make it incredibly easy to fly outbound.

What happens on your holiday and returning inbound will be the least of their probems. Money in bank for them.

25 vaccines and a mask.

[mrwebb8825]

I hear a lot about this ThaiPass for Tourists but is it needed for someone like me planning a 2 week visit to the states and returning here to Thailand?

I'm already planning on getting a reentry permit to continue life on my non-O married extension.

If it's needed, can it be applied for from Thailand?

[pokerface1]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thailand Pass system cannot be lifted because it’s a data center for important information on tourists which can be used to trace them when they travel in Thailand,”

You don't know where I am right now and so your system a complete failure. Up until 5th days stay at the hotel you have what you started with the TM 30 information to go on.

I expect the TM30 and other info. with be uploaded onto the Thai pass system and that is why they will keep it going.

In any case does it really matter if they know where I am? doesn't bother me at all.

[Karma80]

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

I hear a lot about this ThaiPass for Tourists but is it needed for someone like me planning a 2 week visit to the states and returning here to Thailand?

I'm already planning on getting a reentry permit to continue life on my non-O married extension.

If it's needed, can it be applied for from Thailand?

All travellers, no matter the visa type, need a ThaiPass. That includes visa holders with multi entry permission.

You can apply from within Thailand before you leave and use the Re-entry to Thailand application option.

 

Personally, I'm waiting for a few weeks to consider travel outside Thailand until they drop the additional test etc, which seems enevitable at this point.

[sirineou]

Flying to Greece this April, airfare already booked, don't even need a covid test with the Thai international vaccine certificate app. I just read that the UK is removing all covid restrictions. More and more countries are relaxing covid restrictions. If Thailand want to get it's fair  share of the tourist dollars better start doing the same, or be left behind.  

Edited February 22, 2022 by sirineou
typo in the word fair

[tlcwaterfall]

3 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Is that so?  Well perhaps Mr Ratchakitprakarn can tell me why nobody even tried to contact me when I failed to upload the results of my second PCR test on my last visit?

 

As I reported in another thread, the MorChana App would not work correctly.  It informed me I had notifications but when I went to them, there was nothing there.  I tried countless times and eventually gave up.  I presumed that as the authorities had my phone number and the address where I was staying, someone would contact me to find out why I hadn't uploaded my PCR test results - at which point they would hopefully be able to give me an alternative way of reporting.

 

I half expected the police to turn up at my door - nothing. I also thought I might be called out at immigration when I left - nothing. So, as for their ability to trace tourists - they don't use it, its simply a box ticking excercise, created for political reasons rather than protecting public health.

 

I eventually managed to upload my (negative) test results when I returned to the UK and the App started working.

 

Another thing with the Morchana App - I don't know if others had this problem: It kept on telling me to complete my passport details - the number was missing. Each time I tried, it wouldn't accept it - again, I gave up.  Do any Thai Apps work?

They want to track all the foreigners but they are simply not smart enough to do it. Give them a few more decades and they may have progressed beyond Windows XP as well.

Edited February 22, 2022 by tlcwaterfall

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The tourism sector has advocated for the removal of the Thailand Pass registration system. However, the government said the system will not be canceled, but other restrictions could be eased in March

No lessons learnt then.

[NanaSomchai]

44 minutes ago, tlcwaterfall said:

They want to track all the foreigners but they are simply not smart enough to do it. Give them a few more decades and they may have progressed beyond Windows XP as well.

Track us, chase us, fleece us, scam us,. that's all they know.

[RichardColeman]

The problem is that the guys in charge think that Thailand is so special that tourists will put up with clap trap for a holiday. I know people coming here - NONE are coming for a holiday. If they do not stop this nonsense soon, then airlines are about to tell them exactly what they can do with the landing slots for another year

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

The problem is that the guys in charge think that Thailand is so special that tourists will put up with clap trap for a holiday. I know people coming here - NONE are coming for a holiday. If they do not stop this nonsense soon, then airlines are about to tell them exactly what they can do with the landing slots for another year

 

Yes, that's the next problem.  There will have been a surge with expats, those visiting family etc. The airlines will probaly have taken Re-Opening MK2 on board and made up their schedules accordingly - indeed the larger airlines are back to 2 or 3 flights per day from Manchester. But expect some rapid re-scheduling/cancellations when bookings drop to 50% or less (possibly already have).  That could play havoc with your Thailand Pass and PCR test timings. Fun times ahead maybe.

[MSMU1993]

Thailand Pass is probably here to stay - just like those registrations systems used in Australia, etc...but if soo - get rid of the stupid TM 6 form.......No matter what is used, rest assured...it won't work well....

[NanaSomchai]

2 hours ago, MSMU1993 said:

Thailand Pass is probably here to stay - just like those registrations systems used in Australia

Yes and yes.

 

That is as long as those at the top won't be "removed" from power and remain in office.

Also as long as the ongoing mindset will be essentially that allowing us to enter Thailand is actually doing us a favor.

 

If you want to grasp and understand more the Thai mindset I suggest you watch the movie "The Cave" (the documentary version from National Geographic) where at one point the English and American scuba divers were explicitly no longer allowed to dive in by the authorities, let alone enter the caves any longer.

 

The foreign rescue team members even were openly threatened with possible potential legal action should the kids trapped in the cave not make it out alive while on their watch.

 

I'm sorry to say this and even for myself it is an incredibly hard to swallow pill after 10+ years spent in Thailand, but it is what it is; to the Thais we will always be inferior to them, we simply are not Thai, we lack what they would call the "Thainess", we are not blessed, we are not believers, we share very little common values with them (if any at all), we will always be "the farang".

 

And as soon as things turn sour, fingers will always be pointed at us, in our direction we will even be called "dirty farangs" by their ministers, there will always be double pricing, no equality of any kind, the "farang must pay" mindset will always be prevalent, trust me when I say this:

 

Now that they have the Thailand Pass (and the TM30 before and the 90 days report where we MUST REPORT like if we were fugitives), the Thais have shown their true colors, to them we are defiling their holy land the very minute we land in the Kingdom of Siam. They only tolerate us because of the monetary incentive we bring to their society, once you run dry, they're no longer interested in you.

 

They really are convinced that allowing us to roam freely in the Kingdom (so we can part away with our riches) is doing us a favor.

 

Thailand Pass is their fashioned way to do us that favor with strings attached (monitoring and tracing us 24/7).

 

Thailand is dead.

Edited February 22, 2022 by NanaSomchai

[samtam]

8 hours ago, NanaSomchai said:

There we go.

 

They are finally admitting this has nothing to do with health or safety concerns at all, it is all about controlling and tracing the masses or hordes that are entering the Kingdom each and every year.

 

And this time, for all you deniers out there, you heard it from the horse's mouth, the Tourism and Sports Minister himself.

 

My advice: if you haven't already, sell everything, recoup your assets (or your losses) and get ready to pull out of Thailand at any time.

 

Welcome Thailand Police State 2.0 sponsored by the CCP aka Chailand!

I think it's the insurance scam scheme that is proving quite attractive to someone with influence, benefitting hospitals, hotels, hospitels etc. Someone will wake up to the counterintuitive results.

[baboon]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

The problem is that the guys in charge think that Thailand is so special that tourists will put up with clap trap for a holiday. I know people coming here - NONE are coming for a holiday. If they do not stop this nonsense soon, then airlines are about to tell them exactly what they can do with the landing slots for another year

They might as well save some money and pollution by shutting up shop at Suvarnabhumi and moving everything back to Don Mueang, then...

[Virt]

I just installed the Thailand pass.

 

Now they can track me all they want.

 

All the way to Italy, Spain or Greece.....

[Boomer6969]

9 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I eventually managed to upload my (negative) test results when I returned to the UK and the App started working.

Yes this is a known issue, which they will address by enforcing the use of a Thai based VPN.

[ChrisY1]

12 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

I think the airlines will make it incredibly easy to fly outbound.

What happens on your holiday and returning inbound will be the least of their probems. Money in bank for them.

25 vaccines and a mask.

Yes they have.....18K+ BKK to SYD return, SIA

[TooMuchTime]

Were they not able to track previously?

 

They have passport details on arrival, hotel bookings, and registered SIM cards?

 

Really no point for exact GPS position every 5 minutes which it seems to be what they want.

[zzaa09]

23 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

You don't know where I am right now and so your system a complete failure. Up until 5th days stay at the hotel you have what you started with the TM 30 information to go on.

I expect the TM30 and other info. with be uploaded onto the Thai pass system and that is why they will keep it going.

In any case does it really matter if they know where I am? doesn't bother me at all.

Mai phen rai.

They always know where you are regardless. 

The game.

[pokerface1]

9 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Mai phen rai.

They always know where you are regardless. 

The game.

No they don't not until facial recognition cameras are up and running. Which could be the next step of course. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/22/2022 at 1:12 PM, sirineou said:

I just read that the UK is removing all covid restrictions.

Yes. I saw it on Al Jazira yesterday. According to what they said, everything is going, even having to isolate if infected- all personal responsibility.

If only NZ government was as enlightened.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

No they don't not until facial recognition cameras are up and running. Which could be the next step of course. 

So long as they have your phone card details they do know, apparently, given that most carry one with them always.

The cameras are still having problems, according to what I've heard.

[pokerface1]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

So long as they have your phone card details they do know, apparently, given that most carry one with them always.

The cameras are still having problems, according to what I've heard.

That's a good point in my case my wife has my Sim in her name. So I'm slightly u traceable. 555