Tourism Council Urges Scrapping of Thailand Pass

[CG1 Blue]

Getting rid of T&G was a huge step toward getting tourism back, removing the risk of Covid jail at huge expense if tested positive. 

TP is a hassle, and might just sway the decision of some travellers who are choosing between two destinations. It would help if it is scrapped, I'm sure. 

 

I have a bunch of friends who are itching to book a trip to LOS, and when T&G was scrapped they started making plans.

 

That was until the story this morning about the Phuket hotel owner in trouble for breaking the 11pm curfew rules. That reminded them Thailand is far from back to normal!

 

They'll wait until the government stop clamping down on fun. 

[Percy P]

7 hours ago, malibukid said:

when Thailand becomes a first world country, dreamers

So does every tourist country.

[BangkokReady]

11 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Take a right step and let anyone who wants to travel come without registration/approval.

With no Chinese market, they should be targeting their cores customers, their bread and butter tourists, mongers and backpackers.  Remove almost all restrictions and firmly instruct immigration to be very relaxed about who they let into the country.  Get some money coming in!

[BangkokReady]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Why the continued need for Covid insurance?

I thought the new "extra price per head" was to cover insurance on arrival for every traveler?

How about every country adds on a covid premium to travel, then agrees to take care of any tourist who needs treatment during their holiday?

[NHPT]

9 hours ago, Thailand said:

Helped a friend fill out an online ArriveCAN for his entry to Canada, he was simply returning home..

 

A pia and that is what Thai Pass + insurance is. Scrap both and maybe next year a few tourists will come.

ArriveCAN is simple but he fact that you needed to "help" a friend with it kinda explains the frustration people have with Thailand Pass. ANY additional steps to gain entry to any country will have people going elsewhere.

[Jotho]

Thailand pass in its new form could well work if it was possible to apply for pass 6-8 months or more in advance.. Only having option to apply a few weeks prior to your travel is simply not good enough as it makes it almost impossible to plan and purchase tickets at a much lower price.. You could of course gamble and purchase those tickets months in advance, but if you dont get approved for Thailand pass the first time then you often dont have time to apply again.. Very badly designed as it could work fine if changed and was able to apply in plenty of time.

[Canadian Snowbird]

Until the travel and entry requirements return to pre-covid times, it just isn't worth the extra hassle, cost and risk. I used to spend 5.5 months each winter in Thailand but have not been back since having to leave end of March 2020 when covid shut everything down. I missed spending winters there compared to freezing my nards off in Canada the past 2 winters, but I'm not going to make plans to return until the Thailand pass and added insurance are also removed. I still have concerns that the current Thai gov't could just as easily flip flop again and slap the test and go BS back on again.

[Chongalulu]

15 hours ago, AMFWolfie said:

Interesting regarding travel/medical insurance. Spoke to an insurance company only yesterday https://www.goodtogoinsurance.com/ for European cover for the wife, absolutely no problem, then, because they are one of the very few who have no upper age limit, I enquired for me. They said their maximum cover was only 93 days which is fine for a 90 day trip but they have removed Thailand from their list of World Wide Cover!! Wouldn't give a definitive reason but cautiously hinted the restrictions in place leading to too many claims!!

 

The Thailand Pass insurance/medical requirement may now only be $10,000 but for over 65 or 72 in some cases, it may as well still be $100k or more because few companies apart from AXA Thailand (providing no pre-exisiting medical) will provide cover for any extended period unless you are prepared to pay in excess of £700 - £1200 for a policy. 

 

Would be interested if anyone staying for six months in Thailand and six months in their own country in the over 65 group take out travel insurance or medical insurance and with who, or do they simply not bother or take out a 30 day cover just to get over the Thailand Pass issue!!

This insurer is part of Tif group and has had some publicized opprobrium for very bad handling of claims. A couple of years ago I encountered a very obstructive process from a claim I made on a skiiing holiday when resorts in France were suddenly shut down. It was only my dogged persistence that eventually caused them to finally pay up. Avoid ! 

[mtls2005]

19 hours ago, John Drake said:

Insurance industry doesn't want to let go the Covid insurance scam. Face it. That is the reason the TP continues to exist. 

Meh.

 

Quite the uniformed quick take, given the number of insurance companies here which have gone bankrupt on COVID policies.

 

 

But yes, it seems like the only purpose of thaiPass is to verify insurance, and maybe vaccination status. Airlines could perform this check at departure.

 

 

The 300 baht increase in the passenger service charge from 700 baht to 1,000 baht is claimed to be in part to cover the uninsured.

 

 

The tourism lobby is already asking that thaiPass and insurance be dropped. I assume these will be ~ July 1 latest? 

 

 

 

 

[relax33]

Think the Thai Tourism Authority (TAT) needs to do a refresher course on marketing ..
What Consumers want is convenience, not hassles like the Thai Pass.

They like freebies n perks n certainly do not like the idea of being scammed or over-charged (like having to pay for covid insurance when it's not required in many civilized places ) as this is seen as an insult on their intelligence ..
 

Walt Disney likes to say that the trick to making consumers part with their money is by making them happy.
They will happily spend beyond the 10k usd required for the petty insurance (like many had done in pattaya n BKK) if you have the nous to inspire them to do so.
So the trick is to look at the big picture n not sweat on earning the small $  ...

[Sydebolle]

And if you are at it, maybe you scrap the present government - or at least move them from the open window to make space for some fresh political air ...........