Suvarnabhumi: Incoming experience for tourists improves, hotels face sanctions if they can't deliver

[KhaoYai]

Simple answer but they've already scrapped the part that was most beneficial - scrap Test & Go and just make vaccine certificates compulsory and re-introduce the pre departure PCR test.

 

Covid is rampant across the country in any case and will continue to be so until it burns itself out. A few positive passengers aren't going to make much difference but it makes no sense at all to let people into the country who are positive (unless your a quarantine facility of course). I'm more worried about catching Covid in Thailand than taking it there with me .

 

Although I don't like paying for PCR tests, I will probably get a PCR test before I go next time whether its required or not - I'd rather know my status before I fly than arrive in Thailand and get locked up.  Yes, you can get infected on the flight but I think its unlikely that you would then test positive less than 24 hours later.  The ATK is not taken seriously and very easy to manipulate in any case - so that's a waste of time.

 

Pre-departure PCR and fully vaccinated would make much more sense and probably get the tourist industry going again much faster.

 

Overall, the hotels wouldn't lose out but the cash would be spread out more fairly - those tourists are going to have to stay somewhere.

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, VBF said:

Make it a condition of getting a visa too.

Most travelers do not need a Visa. 

[n8sail]

I flew in this past Monday morning from the USA, only flight arriving at that ungodly hour, and it was the fastest I have EVER gotten through Swampy...  and I've flown here more than 30 times now.

 

That said, I was in business class so maybe the 5th person off the plane, and baggage was out first as well.

 

I can see how the hotel pickup would cause problems, the system is completely inane, designed by some absolute moron.  I stayed in Ravindra hotel in Na Jomtien, (which was pretty unimpressive for the nearly 10,000 baht this all cost!), so I figured I should go to the counter with 'R' on it.   Nope, not there.  Okay...  I'll just ask as there's basically no one there.  That worked, and I ended up at the very last counter.  Had to wait 10 minutes before the woman walked us all outside to our respective vehicles.

 

If there were even twice as many people it would have been a total nightmare.   Idiocy.

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, natway09 said:

The Governments "over the top restrictions" for Covid made the hotels close & many never to return.

Now getting slowly back to some sense of normalcy the hotels that survived coming on stream 

& just because the airport has problems threatening to take their licence off them.

Just sort yourselves out & get  some official taxis certified to carry.

Had 2 years to sort out what was pretty obvious what was going to happen.

Typical Government

Yes, that's what happens when you get tinpot soldiers with an unelected (by the electorate) PM with probably average Thai IQ's running the country.

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, richardhead said:

The ordeal took over 2 hours (and TAT wonders why tourists aren’t coming to Thailand)!

Make up your mind!   Obviously, tourists are coming to Thailand, if they weren't, there wouldn't be this temporary problem!

[Rimmer]

A couple of poff topic posts have been removed also replies

[metisdead]

An off topic post trolling about the 2019 election has been removed.

[Mr Meeseeks]

21 hours ago, apetryxx said:

SHA+ is a racket anyway. Get rid of it!

A total and utter nonsense.

 

Go-go bars certified as restaurants. 

 

Exposes those in charge as the utter buffoons they most certainly are.

[grego49]

On 4/21/2022 at 11:09 AM, Dancer57 said:

Rollocks

I arrived yesterday morning and it was still a rugby scrum with some complaining of waiting over an hour for their transport.

I went to the R counter and was told by a surly attendant that my hotel was not there.

Was directed to another lady who eventually got me sorted.

I live in Thailand and this is my 3rd time to do this, but it must be very frustrating for genuine tourists

 

Same when i arrived monday went to L for my hotel and was told to go to A then told go and sit down,absolute chaos,

[jonclark]

23 hours ago, richardhead said:

I recently was at the airport on a Saturday evening waiting for my friend to arrive.  What I witness was a Cluster <deleted>.  There were 5 counters each with a billboard where 250 hotels had their logo taped to a billboard.  Passengers were never notified as to which counter their hotel was located so every passenger exiting customers, with their baggage, was stuck inside of a small areas searching to check in for the ride to their hotel.  And what made matters worse, once you found your hotel, you were told to wait behind the billboards so they could collect the other passengers traveling to the same hotel.  The ordeal took over 2 hours (and TAT wonders why tourists aren’t coming to Thailand)! An analogy would be having no display as to what counter you check in for your flight, but having to go thru all counters before you find the right one AND then waiting at that area until all passengers had checked into flight, before you could leave the area.

 

Hello, Thailand! Is there Anyone home with a brain?  This is what happens when you teach children at an early age NOT to ask questions in school, just do as you’re instructed.

 

Notice that in the attached photo, the Arrival board is turned OFF (because there aren’t any flights arriving).  This was only 1 flight arriving on a Saturday night.  The photo was taken in the first 30 minutes once passengers entered into this area.

Judging by your photo if you had a friend turn up at the airport to collect you, you could probably just walk right through that mess, get into the car and drive off and no one would challenge you. Out of there in 30 seconds. 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, grego49 said:

Same when i arrived monday went to L for my hotel and was told to go to A then told go and sit down,absolute chaos,

Quite possible....  Until your ‘Test&Go’ hotel reports that you never met their driver. 

 

And then a ‘man hunt’ is announced because you escaped quarantine, social media becomes rife with all the ‘faux-outrage’... the hysterical drama-queens on Asean-now comment that you have given us all a bad name and should be deported and black-listed !!!!... ????

 

 

--------

 

But, there is a way !!!....    there are always gaps. 

IF you already have a Test&Go approval it still possible to switch your Test&Go hotel...  Just cancel one and book another. There is nothing stopping you from doing this. 

So.. whats to stop you from just cancelling and never booking another anyway ?

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Test & Go will be scrapped from 1st May (for vaccinated individuals). 

 

Thailand Pass will continued as a requirement and will require the submission of: 

- Vaccination certification 

- US$10,000 insurance (lowered from 20k).

 

(It will be officially announced soon)

[VBF]

12 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Most travellers do not need a Visa. 

That was why I sad "Make it a condition of getting a visa too."   Those who apply then know immediately.

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, VBF said:

That was why I sad "Make it a condition of getting a visa too."   Those who apply then know immediately.

Well if it is a condition for 'all travelers', as you suggested, adding it to Visa requirements as well is duplication. Anyhow, redundant discussion now....

[Durian ong]

Ah...I missed the good old days..min 2hrs at airport going through immigration and customs, Q to buy sims, Q for taxis, Q at 7s...glad its back. 

[audaciousnomad]

On 4/21/2022 at 9:35 AM, inactiveposter said:

So some hotels might lose their privileges? That’s not a solution. That leaves more travelers stranded. How about daily fines instead as a first step?

Better: Just drop the program altogether. If they intend to categorize covid as endemic this year, then the first step would be to stop all this gatekeeping.