General Reports

[Berrys66]

New variant.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...nt-philippines

[Zam007]

Already mentioned that in my post below:

From Article:

Oops! Missed it. Thank you.

[Explorer8939]

Thailand seems to be toying with the idea of a 3 day quarantine if you have a vaccination within the last 3 months. But they only let you out of your room. You're still confined to the hotel property for 7 days (if vaccinated).

I agree. Until quarantine is reduced down to 3 days or less, there's no way I'm wasting my vacation time stuck in a hotel. I don't know if they understand that it's valuable time and money people are spending to vacation there.

But from their perspective, they want guidance from the CDC or WHO to say vaccinated travelers are OK. But no such luck:

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...ese-activities.

The government of Thailand is painfully aware of the impact of quarantine requirements on their tourism industry. That is why they are weighing options to shorten quarantine time.

[SinfullyKorean]

For all those who are contemplating quarantine don't have expectations of hobbying in Thailand to be like it was when you were here in December, 2019. Expect less than 25% of the girls, if that.
The only bright point is after your ASQ your hotel expense will be 25-40% of what you spent on accommodations pre-COVID.
I think a 3 day quarantine is what it should be with a mandatory COVID test again on day 5 and 7. Maybe charge people 5000 baht at the airport to get a vaccine shot for the shorter quarantine option. Countries that rely on tourism need to think outside the box.

Good point. I'm hoping that by Oct, more people will be vaccinated. Bars have already started opening. As more and more Thai people are vaccinated, the country will probably open up more.

Vaccination at the airport cadfnnot work. It takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to take full effect.

I agree 3 days quarantine is probably the minimum quarantine time until CDC says otherwise. For now, CDC hasn't changed their travel guidelines even for vaccinated people. Hopefully, as more data becomes available, they'll review travel guidelines.

We have to keep in mind that vaccines only started going out about 2 months ago. Real world efficacy of the vaccines only started coming out last month. So I think it's reasonable for experts to take time to analyze the implications on travel before issuing more changes to guidelines. They've been criticized for changing / reverting their guidelines in the past.

[Banana Boi]

For all those who are contemplating quarantine don't have expectations of hobbying in Thailand to be like it was when you were here in December, 2019. Expect less than 25% of the girls, if that.

The only bright point is after your ASQ your hotel expense will be 25-40% of what you spent on accommodations pre-COVID.

I think 3 days quarantinewould be my limit. I'd stay for 3 weeks.

I think a 3 day quarantine is what it should be with a mandatory COVID test again on day 5 and 7. Maybe charge people 5000 baht at the airport to get a vaccine shot for the shorter quarantine option. Countries that rely on tourism need to think outside the box.

[SinfullyKorean]

Not sure how credible this statement is, but I'm more inclined to believe that most people are not really used to obtaining visas for places they want to go and are more used to visiting visa-free and visa-exempt places.

If the cost of going to my favorite vacation spot was free, then okay; you got me. I would probably prefer to wear a mask and head over to that vacation spot. Thanks to whoever compensated for that free trip.

But since that scenario is most unlikely to happen, then yeah; I'd probably prefer to stay in my hometown area and do local tourism travel where costs are minimal and save up for that overseas trip and go when traveling is less of hassle and back to normal.

Would that still hold true if this becomes the new normal for the next 5-10 years?

[SinfullyKorean]

I don't know of any tourist who is willing to lose even a single day of vacation in quarantine (based on a 2 - 3 weeks holiday). The only guys I know who are ok with the quarantine are the long stayer who will spend 3 to 6 months or more in Thailand.

I think 3 days quarantinewould be my limit. I'd stay for 3 weeks.

[SinfullyKorean]

I have been waiting to come back to Thailand for over a year, just like so many others. The 2 week quarantine discouraged me and just like someone else mentioned, nobody is willing to waste a day while they are in Thailand for a short vacation.

That said, Thailand has started to consider easing the 2 weeks quarantine.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ine-passports/

Already mentioned that in my post below:

From Article:

Thailand also plans to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for vaccinated foreign visitors to seven days from 14 days currently

Thailand seems to be toying with the idea of a 3 day quarantine if you have a vaccination within the last 3 months. But they only let you out of your room. You're still confined to the hotel property for 7 days (if vaccinated).

I agree. Until quarantine is reduced down to 3 days or less, there's no way I'm wasting my vacation time stuck in a hotel. I don't know if they understand that it's valuable time and money people are spending to vacation there.

But from their perspective, they want guidance from the CDC or WHO to say vaccinated travelers are OK. But no such luck:

The CDC is not updating its travel guidance at this time, Walensky said at a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing on Monday. She stressed that everyone should continue to avoid nonessential trips, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC director cited previous spikes in case counts after surges in travel and the emergence of variants from international locations.
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...ese-activities.

[T Chizzle]

Most people are already used to obtaining visas for some places they want to go.

Not sure how credible this statement is, but I'm more inclined to believe that most people are not really used to obtaining visas for places they want to go and are more used to visiting visa-free and visa-exempt places.

So you would rather be stuck wearing a mask in your hometown, than wearing one at your favorite vacation spot?

If the cost of going to my favorite vacation spot was free, then okay; you got me. I would probably prefer to wear a mask and head over to that vacation spot. Thanks to whoever compensated for that free trip.

But since that scenario is most unlikely to happen, then yeah; I'd probably prefer to stay in my hometown area and do local tourism travel where costs are minimal and save up for that overseas trip and go when traveling is less of hassle and back to normal.

[Turgid]

Maybe my mindset falls in the minority of the tourist population, but I wouldn't want to go on vacation to relax with any sort of restrictions at the moment. For me, if I were to decide to travel abroad for vacation, it has to go back to how things were pre-Covid....

I think it depends on how desperate one is for poontang. If I were in my 30's or 40's I probably would be in Thailand now. However, being on the other side of 60 and having been there and done that many times before I will await more favorable conditions in my travel destination.

[Mr Enternational]

I go on vacation to relax. I mean, is it relaxing to constantly have to wear a face mask for every travel movement I make in public? Is it relaxing to have to go through a bunch of bureaucracy to get some stamp of approval to enter the tourist destination? Again, my mindset might be in the minority when it comes to going on vacation.

Well it sure beats staying home. Complaining about bureaucracy to get a stamp of approval to enter a country? Most people are already used to obtaining visas for some places they want to go.

So you would rather be stuck wearing a mask in your hometown, than wearing one at your favorite vacation spot? Me and my friends have a saying, "The worst day in (fill in your favorite vacation spot) is better than the best day at home. Yeah I think I would go with wearing the mask in Thailand.

[PinkPearl]

Maybe my mindset falls in the minority of the tourist population, but I wouldn't want to go on vacation to relax with any sort of restrictions at the moment. For me, if I were to decide to travel abroad for vacation, it has to go back to how things were pre-Covid.

It has been alleged that Pakistan is now open to tourists without any quarantine requirements. And that those from a certain list of countries are also exempt from the test requirement.

While it has been said that PFP pay for play is widespread there, OTOH Pakistan is uncharted territory for most, sex outside of marriage is apparently illegal & mongering info relatively meagre.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Pakistan

[Zam007]

I have been waiting to come back to Thailand for over a year, just like so many others. The 2 week quarantine discouraged me and just like someone else mentioned, nobody is willing to waste a day while they are in Thailand for a short vacation.

That said, Thailand has started to consider easing the 2 weeks quarantine.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ine-passports/

[Christian G]

Maybe my mindset falls in the minority of the tourist population, but I wouldn't want to go on vacation to relax with any sort of restrictions at the moment. For me, if I were to decide to travel abroad for vacation, it has to go back to how things were pre-Covid.
I go on vacation to relax. I mean, is it relaxing to constantly have to wear a face mask for every travel movement I make in public? Is it relaxing to have to go through a bunch of bureaucracy to get some stamp of approval to enter the tourist destination? Again, my mindset might be in the minority when it comes to going on vacation.
Maybe the majority of the tourist population is anxious to travel abroad and overseas even if there are inconveniences that'll take away some joy from their vacation experience.

I don't know of any tourist who is willing to lose even a single day of vacation in quarantine (based on a 2 - 3 weeks holiday). The only guys I know who are ok with the quarantine are the long stayer who will spend 3 to 6 months or more in Thailand.

[SinfullyKorean]

Maybe my mindset falls in the minority of the tourist population, but I wouldn't want to go on vacation to relax with any sort of restrictions at the moment. For me, if I were to decide to travel abroad for vacation, it has to go back to how things were pre-Covid.

I go on vacation to relax. I mean, is it relaxing to constantly have to wear a face mask for every travel movement I make in public? Is it relaxing to have to go through a bunch of bureaucracy to get some stamp of approval to enter the tourist destination? Again, my mindset might be in the minority when it comes to going on vacation.

Maybe the majority of the tourist population is anxious to travel abroad and overseas even if there are inconveniences that'll take away some joy from their vacation experience.

And if the majority of the tourist population don't have the same mindset as me, then well, I would think that tourism in Thailand might actually start booming again with these potential easing of quarantine restrictions.

But based on just seeing how Thailand operates for the past year, I really don't think any of these gimmicky plans (I. E. Vaccine passports) will have a great impact in drawing back a large number of tourists to Thailand anytime soon or even this year.

My bet would be more towards mid to late next year in 2022 for when potential tourists might decide to travel to Thailand in greater numbers again (like pre-Covid tourist numbers). And it has to be under the same (pre-Covid) easy travel conditions again. (I. E. Just book a flight and hotel / check-in and board plane without hassle / no hassle for arrival without visa or visa-exempted / and that's it. Simple and easy travel.

Simply, when we're no longer mandated to wear masks in public, then I'll start believing that tourism will have a chance to become a thing again here in Thailand. And if this change actually happens this year, then I might have to take back my prediction of next year's return to normalcy.

But if this is going to be the new normal in a tourist destination like Thailand, then I expect the new normal (decrease in) tourism numbers to continue to reflect the current inhospitable state here in Thailand.

I think lots of people are desperate to travel. And also that lots of people don't mind this new normal (wearing masks). It is uncomfortable, but I think people get accustomed to it. In lots of Asia, it was normal to wear masks on a daily basis (I think it was due to air quality). It would get really uncomfortable on hot and humid areas. But I would gladly pay that price to go back to monger heaven.

Who knows, maybe masks / vaccine passports will discourage people from traveling. Thailand probably thought the 2 week quarantine would help tourism, but it barely did anything.