General Reports

[LittleBigMan]

It varies by location, usually you have to go "home" (for whatever that means) for two weeks. Its lessened a lot in the west but was pretty intense for a while. Business people are still doing it and dealing with stuff like being in a hotel for 2 weeks which won't be that different than many other places.


I think you're making FAR too much of the burden of a 2 week quarantine. If you've got to deal with it, people have, and they will.

In all due respect my response is in no way " making too much of it " I was pointing out your remarks to Mr. E, there is a difference being quarantine as a tourist, vacationer compare to what you are now talking about " business " when it comes to Thailand even their government leaders understand this point the reason they are now trying to sell the long term visa program for people who want to stay and by doing so they know you have to have funds the average worker two-six week vacation isn't going to go through all the hoops to get into Thailand and then be quarantine which is what Mr. E is stating and if that is the case I agree with him.

I myself retired leaving Thailand have no problem doing a quarantine in the USA If required and just doing another 14 days returning to Thailand if that was all they wanted that would be fair but it isn't the case here in Thailand. The fact that the leaders keep coming up with nonsense idea is that at person who only has 2-3 weeks isn't going to want to be quarantine they main reason there are no takers unless the place is your home.

[Crocodilexp]

even if the gogo girl said she will quarantine with me in her home for 14 days.

People like you are precisely why they don't let people quarantine at a place of their choosing. If you're in close contact with other people, you might infect them, and there's no point whatsoever to quarantine.

[GrapeMan]

There is a difference? The articles or news I've been seeing and reading that those returning to USA Canada, Europe are returning to their homes not arriving as tourist. My cousin return to the USA And did 14 quarantine in his own home. Majority of the ideas Thailand has are to attract tourist or vacationers and before they can start their trip must do the quarantine.

It varies by location, usually you have to go "home" (for whatever that means) for two weeks. Its lessened a lot in the west but was pretty intense for a while. Business people are still doing it and dealing with stuff like being in a hotel for 2 weeks which won't be that different than many other places.


I think you're making FAR too much of the burden of a 2 week quarantine. If you've got to deal with it, people have, and they will.

[Banana Boi]

People were and are doing this in the US, Canada, and Europe already. 2-week quarantine on travel is fairly standard right now.

The difference is that you are allowed to quarantine wherever you want. In Thailand it is mandatory to quarantine in a designated government facility where prices are jacked up. If I owned a condo in Thailand or a gogo girl said I can stay with her I'm not even allowed to quarantine there, even if the gogo girl said she will quarantine with me in her home for 14 days.

[LittleBigMan]

People were and are doing this in the US, Canada, and Europe already. 2-week quarantine on travel is fairly standard right now.

There is a difference? The articles or news I've been seeing and reading that those returning to USA Canada, Europe are returning to their homes not arriving as tourist. My cousin return to the USA And did 14 quarantine in his own home. Majority of the ideas Thailand has are to attract tourist or vacationers and before they can start their trip must do the quarantine.

[GrapeMan]

I am not saying there are no rich people or businessmen that come to Thailand. I am disputing them willing or able to come to Thailand and sit in quarantine for 2 weeks.

People were and are doing this in the US, Canada, and Europe already. 2-week quarantine on travel is fairly standard right now.

[LittleBigMan]

In general this idea will fail like all the rest! They would be better off just putting out a noticed you visa has ended anyone wants to stay longer just come down before the dead line and pay 1900 baht for another month a quick in and out no research no nothing in and out with a new stamp in 5 minutes.

There is speculation 150,000 people left if everyone stays 150,000 x 1900 = ? Why spend million, billions, trillion promoting all these dead end idea's?

[Ed Setra]

The "special tourist visa" of 90 days is about as worthless as they come. The recent comments by the CP Group chairman that Thai tourism should be only for the wealthy ignores the fact that millions of poor Thais rely on the tourism business in some manner and that the industry makes up over 20% of Thailand's GDP!

The recent student protests will become a revolution if the government fails to recognize the needs of its people. A communist ploy of fermenting revolution to get rid of the monarchy will play in to the Communist Chinese Party's intention on making Thailand a client state or worse a complete take over with the PLA seizing the entire country. When 11 million Chinese tourists come from the PRC, one can easily see how the CCP would relish taking over Thailand.

Must be an election coming up somewhere soon, maybe.

First paragraph is a complete non-sequitur. Surprising for such a supposedly financially educated person. Just shows how political obsession can dull the thinking processes.

As for the second paragraph; wow. I remember when this used to be an information exchange for guys who liked pussy.

[Rodwint2]

The "special tourist visa" of 90 days is about as worthless as they come. The recent comments by the CP Group chairman that Thai tourism should be only for the wealthy ignores the fact that millions of poor Thais rely on the tourism business in some manner and that the industry makes up over 20% of Thailand's GDP!

The recent student protests will become a revolution if the government fails to recognize the needs of its people. A communist ploy of fermenting revolution to get rid of the monarchy will play in to the Communist Chinese Party's intention on making Thailand a client state or worse a complete take over with the PLA seizing the entire country. When 11 million Chinese tourists come from the PRC, one can easily see how the CCP would relish taking over Thailand.

[Mr Enternational]

MrE.

You won't see them around Pattaya or the mongering mass tourism spots of Phuket, Samui etc but there are a small but significant band of reasonably (and some of them extremely) wealthy foreigners who come to Thailand to escape the cold northern hemisphere winter

I am not saying there are no rich people or businessmen that come to Thailand. I am disputing them willing or able to come to Thailand and sit in quarantine for 2 weeks.

[GettingFedUp]

I suspect the whole setup is aimed at just some small VIP groups and business people that are just being given a legit way to enter so they don't have to jump through bribes or bureaucracy or who knows what to get back in and do what they need to do.

GrapeMan,

You've kind of hit the nail on the head. The Ministry of Tourism / Tourist Authority of Thailand blows hot air about stimulating the moribund Tourism sector, but in reality this is aimed at a very small market of individuals.

What business people or VIP groups do you know that have 2 spare weeks to sit around waiting?

MrE.

You won't see them around Pattaya or the mongering mass tourism spots of Phuket, Samui etc but there are a small but significant band of reasonably (and some of them extremely) wealthy foreigners who come to Thailand to escape the cold northern hemisphere winter for 4, 5, 6 months each year. Chinese, Russians, Scandinavians, North Americans. Some are retirees, others may have business interests in Thailand or elsewhere in SE Asia.

There's a reason why the marinas of Phuket are always full of boats. And not cheap boats (or moorings) at that. I know a chap who worked on an Azimut 105 which is usually based in Phuket. The Chinese owner spent around 6 months a year living on Phuket and about 4 days of that on the boat but never stayed overnight because "only fishermen and sea gypsies sleep on the sea". For those 4 days of boating he retained a crew of 6 for the boat on top of the 4 or 5 Thais employed at the villa year round and certainly not at 330 baht per day (the Thais likely 10 times this, the two farang well into 6 digits USD). He had to leave his cushy job when the boat was sold to a Russian. He made the mistake of admitting he understood some Russian and the new owner would never allow any of the crew the opportunity to overhear or eavesdrop his dodgy dealings.

To everyone.

Understand this. Thailand has made its choice to avoid "second wave", renewed lockdowns, etc. And that means anything vaguely like mass tourism is closed until further notice. The vast majority of the Thai population nationally agree with keeping the borders effectively shut. The demonstrators / activists / reformists are not calling for a change to this policy. High season 2020 has been written off. Their country, their rules as they say.

As to the economic impact. It is what it is. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the overall impact of a second lockdown of all but essential businesses versus the tourism effect of the borders closing. A lot of people both here and on other forums display complete disregard for the composition of the Thai economy.

[DanCee]

That is about how many boaters / rafters are allowed to raft the Grand Canyon in Arizona per day. That is a drop in the bucket for Thailand.

Thailand will survive because the 40 people per day they will allow in will have "deep pockets". Their words, not mine. Just as a comparison those 40 tourists per day they will allow in to Thailand need to spend the equivalence of 109,000 tourists per day who visited Thailand in 2019 (39.8 million visitors in 2019). I think we can all do the math here.

Yeah. Looks small if we just focus on the daily number as an absolute and limited number. But this is cumulative, remember visitors under this scheme must stay minimum 90 days and up to 270 days with 2 extensions.

Do the maths now.

[GettingFedUp]

I'm presuming the overpriced flights and ASQ will have to be booked before your visa is approved, what happens then if you go to the embassy and they don't like your paperwork, we all know what its like dealing with these people in Thai consulates or if there is an issue or delay with your test before you fly, I doubt you will get your money back or they will be accommodating in any way.

JohnnyO,

I've just answered a query in another thread which covers this. http://www.internationalsexguide.nl/...78#post2486278.

Short answer is if they don't like your paperwork or you test positive at the required test within 72 hours of departure your cash is gone.

[GrapeMan]

What business people or VIP groups do you know that have 2 spare weeks to sit around waiting?

What do you mean "spare weeks" they are working remotely anyways, they can do that from quarantine in thailand for a couple weeks to get back there to do whatever they need to do. People around the world are dealing with this type of thing.

[Banana Boi]

That is about how many boaters / rafters are allowed to raft the Grand Canyon in Arizona per day. That is a drop in the bucket for Thailand.

Thailand will survive because the 40 people per day they will allow in will have "deep pockets". Their words, not mine. Just as a comparison those 40 tourists per day they will allow in to Thailand need to spend the equivalence of 109,000 tourists per day who visited Thailand in 2019 (39.8 million visitors in 2019). I think we can all do the math here.