General Reports

[Pimpampoumpipo]

I've been getting the feeling over the past two years or so that Thailand is no longer interested in encouraging foreigners into their country. I suspect they are using the pandemic to accomplish their aim.

That's what a number of people are saying and that's what I've been thinking for a while.

I now think the Thai government is very feverish and just doesn't know what to do.

All his changes of mind, sometimes several times a day, during all these months, seem to me to show that they would like to open the borders because the more time passes, the more quickly the economy sinks.

On the other hand, they are prisoners of their zero goal, of their pride in being the good students of the WHO and they have surfed so much on this theme and have so scared the population that the Thais no longer want to 'foreigners.

Finally, all of Asia is closed. It is even the only subcontinent to be still completely locked, unlike America, Europe, the Middle East and even Africa where many countries are already open or are in the process of opening up. It is complicated for them to take the risk of opening up, of having covid cases in the eyes of other countries in the region.

The result is a schizophrenic atittude. They would like to open but at the same time they set up walls of crazy entry conditions and almost impossible to cross.

And everyone is unhappy....

[Turgid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiU9SppsvJs&t=65s

It's probably easier to go to the moon with SpaceX (and maybe cheaper)

I've been getting the feeling over the past two years or so that Thailand is no longer interested in encouraging foreigners into their country. I suspect they are using the pandemic to accomplish their aim.

[DazeUp]

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.

Wouldn't everyone on this site suddenly agree and even promote the quarantine rule. This would solve the sex tourist issue for them. They should just make the quarantine city Pattaya and no one here would be complaining.

But how would they solve the issue for the other 90% of tourists? The truth is, even if they opened their borders their are not to many people out their thinking about real vacations right now. Countries that have opened tourism are empty, not too many people keen on risking covid for their whole family for another vacation, that is if they had the money for a vacation his year.

Only tourist group keen on coming to LOS is us. Guys willing to take the risk of barebacking a working girl would have no problem risking covid. Unfortunately, the Thai gov is not interested in us or our providers and figuring out solutions for us.

[Franciscass]

The only people who would be remotely interested in this new visa will be.

Long term 3 to 6 month visitors who.

Have an agency do paperwork re visa application insurance quarantine booking embassy visits etc etc.

Have access to advanced rapid result testing where they come from.

Most likely own a high end holiday home here.

Have their own Gulfstream.

Haven't had Thai pussy since early 2020.

[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.