9 hours ago, tonray said:

The insurance 'Industry' (relatives of high level government ministers) is not going down without a fight....a source of zero risk cash flow is not easy to give up

Yesterday on the news the insurance for covid could not pay out so big thing this insurance 

9 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It's not a joke, it's a weaker variant. You can't blame anyone for taking caution for something that previously put the earth in a world of hurt (literally). We're now coming to terms with it and taking it for what it's worth, opening borders and lessening requirements. The Spanish flu was never vanquished, it merely morphed into something that didn't kill its host.

Governments and media are the virus, get tested for something you don't know you have, its the flu oh sorry covid cured the flu, no one seems to be dying in the homes from self isolation or quarantine or dropping dead in the streets anymore wake up and get on with life

It would be great if it was by Songkran would love to head to Angeles City.  But, I doubt by then.

9 hours ago, Blumpie said:

You will be seeing this more and more as the pandemic is declared over.  Just give it time.  

Omicron is a total joke.  A total utter joke.  

tell that to the parents/relatives of the ones who died and you will see their reaction

I'd wait for how BA.2 variant turns out. Seems to be the next big wave on the horizon. And apparently much worse than anything encountered previously.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/health/covid-ba2-omicron-studies-explainer/index.html

Declare it an Endemic now. 

 

Ask for proof of vaccine and if not vaccinated a PCR test and Insurance cover?

 

 

7 minutes ago, desert dueller said:

I'd wait for how BA.2 variant turns out. Seems to be the next big wave on the horizon. And apparently much worse than anything encountered previously.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/health/covid-ba2-omicron-studies-explainer/index.html

Maybe not, at least according to the data from multiple countries.

 

Quote

Clinical severity data from South Africa, the U.K., and Denmark [...] showed no differences in severity between BA.1 and BA.2

No Real-World Evidence BA.2 Is More Severe

"Some time this year"...... well that narrows it down then ????

I'll be going nowhere until vaccine passports and pcr tests are binned.

10 hours ago, tonray said:

The insurance 'Industry' (relatives of high level government ministers) is not going down without a fight....a source of zero risk cash flow is not easy to give up

I'll wait until 1st April, when the insurance is included in the entry fee. ???????????????? (Sarcasm off, in case it's gone un-noticed , it went on)

 

10 hours ago, tonray said:

The insurance 'Industry' (relatives of high level government ministers) is not going down without a fight....a source of zero risk cash flow is not easy to give up

So silly. Reasonable insurance requirements for foreign travellers in the future would more than offset the current profits most of which are more in the mind of 'farang' paranoids and myth believing Thai bashers. Enforced insurance and enforced payouts are not good business.  Many companies either went bust or could not afford to offer covid insurance.  Insurance companies are based on probity and honesty but are are ready widely distrusted. They need stability not erratic market conditions.

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

Thailand see's other countries are opening up with minimal restrictions and now they don't want to miss out on tourists ...  hence their dropping of restrictions .... Lol    it's purely money,  nothing else   !!!

Your right again, money rules! With the Russian invasion going on interest on barrowed money maybe going up. So it might be a good time to let the doors swing open for the tourist.

Thailand moving to scrap all tourist restrictions this year once the Covid virus is declared endemic

No way.  They can't help themselves.  That taste of ultimate power and control is an aphrodisiac and tastes sweeter than blood to a vampire.  They'll have forms of 'tourist' restrictions for years to come, ones that never go away like masking and tracking and mandatory vaccinations as well as some form of testing..  It never ends here. 
However, those countries which actually scrap restrictions will pick up Thailand market share of tourism.  Those other markets will go for quantity over quality.  Thailand's obsession over wealthy foreigners will only make an equally wealthy subset of Thai businesses reasonably whole again.  Lower and middle class entrepreneurs who used to gain their livelihood in tourism will be shut out for good.  Vietnam, Cambodia, and elsewhere will pick up that business instead.  My prediction is that Vietnam will shine in the near future.

That's all they need to do and tourist numbers will go thru the roof next high season. But they need to scrap the restrictions soon. Not after the summer as it'll be too late for people in Europe who need to plan well ahead. 

10 hours ago, smedly said:

I wouldn't be getting exited just yet - allowing tourists to travel unrestricted is entirely different than removing restrictions in country - don't forget the constantly used Phrase  "New Normal" they kept using at every opportunity for the last 2 years - it is sinister and has an agenda

 

This government is determined  to hold on to power at any cost - lets see where this coes over the next 8 weeks 

 

One thing is clear from the article - Thailand relies heavily on tourism, more than most people on here believe - I always said it accounted for 25% plus of direct or indirect GDP - seems they are starting to realise that now and need the money 

They have been realizing the need for the Tourist Dollar from Day 2 of the original outbreak way back in 2019.

And your 25 % of GDP for Tourism is about right me thinks, if all the peripheral things are taken into consideration.

This is the reason that over the last 2 Years or so, the Authorities have been putting so much Smoke and Mirrors out there over Tourism, and the only thing that has changed now, is the amount of desperation for the Money.

File under "Free beer tomorrow"

Hello ,

 

Nobody,” !   Is saying lockdown for life , But how can you say this with infections rising again !!?? They go from one extreme to another there’s no middle of the road with common sense here in Thailand !! 

Gazete 'endemic' in Fridays publication,
Micks your Uncle.

12 minutes ago, Robert Tyrrell said:

Hello ,

 

Nobody,” !   Is saying lockdown for life , But how can you say this with infections rising again !!?? They go from one extreme to another there’s no middle of the road with common sense here in Thailand !! 

just to reiterate..

21 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

They have been realizing the need for the Tourist Dollar from Day 2 of the original outbreak way back in 2019.

And your 25 % of GDP for Tourism is about right me thinks, if all the peripheral things are taken into consideration.

This is the reason that over the last 2 Years or so, the Authorities have been putting so much Smoke and Mirrors out there over Tourism, and the only thing that has changed now, is the amount of desperation for the Money.

That is correct.

 

Only 25% of GDP, but tourism is a big employer in Thailand. The hotel/tour business employees a lot of higher education graduate, as well as the restaurant/bars/massage parlours provide a lot of job opportunities to less educated Thai general public. Not only that, the booming tourism also provide a lot of fringe business opportunities for street vendors, market sellers, agriculture business opportunities to provide food and flowers...etc. The whole chain of tourism related business provides mass employee opportunities that no other industry can match. If you look at cities like Bangkok, Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya...all important Thai cities are largely built based on tourists. The other 75% of the GDP can not fill the hole of tourisms in terms of job opportunities. When the tourists disappear, so does the hotel/tour company business, then the bar/restaurant business, and eventually trickle down to the street vendors and farmers. It is a huge structural problem any reasonable sociology and economic scientist/bureaucrats would get really worried. Build factories, high speed rails and huge infrastructure project cost a boat load of money and make GDP looks impressive, but those project provide little opportunities for ordinary people in absolute numbers and its sphere of influence in broader economy is actually small when we count the employment opportunities in total numbers. 

 

sure, 25% of GDP, but to loose this part of business, it will paralyse a large part of the Thai society, which should be a bigger concern. Unfortunately, I doubt the Thai hi-so leaders can see through it. And so far I have not seen any responsible academia or technocrats facing the reality and challenge the ruling class to make sure they realise what damage it has done to the society as a whole by putting so many obstacles to attract tourists. 

 

The longer current situation last, the more irreversible damage it could've done. 

12 hours ago, tonray said:

The insurance 'Industry' (relatives of high level government ministers) is not going down without a fight....a source of zero risk cash flow is not easy to give up

Totally agree but I hope they really do scrap ALL requirements

That's like saying we end tourist restrictions when we get world peace

 

I will believe it when I see it...but knowing this govt there is always the fine print

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Your right again, money rules! With the Russian invasion going on interest on barrowed money maybe going up. So it might be a good time to let the doors swing open for the tourist.

And so its 'money' for England and Holland too who are relaxing restrictions? Why shouldn't the Thai economy be allowed to benefit by diminishing covid restrictions? How is that a bad thing? I say Good Luck to Thailand in overcoming the economic suffering that covid has caused. Only Thai haters and Thai bashers would hold any other view.

28 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

That's like saying we end tourist restrictions when we get world peace

 

No it's not. 'Endemic' status is defined by the authorities in consultation with medical authorities- World peace isn't.

13 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

That's a huge step forward......looking forward to that so I can travel around again....

I'm waiting for the five year nomad visa, instead of a TV. Earlier I had the plan to travel in May for three months, maybe I should postpone it till the nomad visa is available. 

13 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It's not a joke, it's a weaker variant. You can't blame anyone for taking caution for something that previously put the earth in a world of hurt (literally). We're now coming to terms with it and taking it for what it's worth, opening borders and lessening requirements. The Spanish flu was never vanquished, it merely morphed into something that didn't kill its host.

I had this and I can say it was nothing else but a flu. Same as with many friends of mine. Fearmongering should stop. Of course, if scared, can always move to China…

Then there's this... 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/dying-covid-unvaccinated/story?id=82834971

12 hours ago, steven100 said:

Thailand see's other countries are opening up with minimal restrictions and now they don't want to miss out on tourists ...  hence their dropping of restrictions .... Lol    it's purely money,  nothing else   !!!

Well, what else could it be, true love.

22 minutes ago, Marvest said:

Then there's this... 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/dying-covid-unvaccinated/story?id=82834971

Which only goes to show that the unvaccinated and SOME "Fully vaccinated people with pre-existing conditions" are the ones in danger.

For the latter, I have sympathy but it's possible that their pre-existing conditions would have killed them anyway, sadly.

For the former group - tough luck, idiots!