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From Bangkok Post The Test and Go scheme and Thailand Pass registration are expected to be scrapped by June 1 if there is no surge in infections or fatalities during the Songkran festival in April, says the Tourism and Sports Ministry. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Thai tourism has to move forward after opening the Phuket sandbox in July 2021. "Thailand started like a rabbit, running quickly last year as we reopened to visitors. We cannot let the country fall behind as many nations are opening borders and have fewer restrictions than us," Mr Phiphat said. Mr Phiphat said the upcoming Songkran holidays will be a critical test for further easing of rules. The number of daily cases, including results from ATK tests in April, has to remain stable. An acceptable rate might be 50,000-60,000 cases, while the fatality rate should stay below 100, he said. The viral caseload in April could lead to the cancellation of the Test and Go scheme and Thailand Pass from June 1, he said. Mr Phiphat said if the country fully reopens and returns to pre-pandemic norms, there would be no need to require RT-PCR test results from tourists. However, an ATK test should be administered the arrival day to maintain confidence locally and prevent uncertainty, he said.

I agree. The posted information should be viewed as informational but not gospel. I'm in the process of verifying requirements of two transit airports in different countries I pass through en route to BKK. I know others who doing the same thing but on different routing. Check, double check and confirm your understanding with the airline. And after that's done, don't let down your guard. Requirements can change at any time before departure. Check again five days out to be sure nothing has changed.

From Thai PBS World Thailand to bar use of digital assets for payments for goods, services Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a set of regulations to be applied to digital assets operators, which take effect on April 1st, barring them from using digital assets as a means of payment for goods or services. The regulations are intended to control the use of digital assets as a means of payment, to prevent cybercrime, money laundering, data leaks and any threat to financial stability and the economic system. The use of digital assets for investment is not affected by the new regulations. According to the regulations, all digital assets operators are barred from providing services or acting in a way which is deemed as supporting or promoting the use of digital assets as a means of payment for goods or services, such as advertising, and from persuading people to use digital assets as a means of payment. Businesses will have until the end of April to comply with the new rules. The prohibition covers the opening of e-wallets or the provision of tools or systems to facilitate the use of digital assets as a means of payment for goods or services. In case a customer of a digital asset operator is found to have used their digital assets as a means of payment, the operator must immediately warn that customer to stop the practice, as it is deemed to contravene the operator’s regulations. The operator may suspend providing services to such a customer. The regulations cover digital asset exchanges, cryptocurrencies, digital tokens, digital asset brokers and traders.

From Richardbarrow.com / The Nation Tourism and Sports Minister said if the number of Covid-19 cases does not increase after Songkran he will ask the Cabinet to allow vaccinated foreign arrivals to switch to ATK tests on the first day of their trip from 1 May onwards. “If the government approves [this move] and the situation improves further, the ministry will propose lifting all travel restrictions on June 1," he said, adding that this means fully vaccinated foreign tourists would be able to enter Thailand freely.

And when the war ends, they'll be looking around for a better place to park their cash. And when Thailand eliminates the Thai pass and test-and-go, tourists will again flock to its shores, the hotel bargains will gradually go south and the baht will reverse it's slide that began last June. Although these numbers have very likely increased in over last few years, investors continue to buy their bonds. They're evidently confident in the ability of these nations to meet their financial obligations. Brazil at first glance may seem to be the outlier of the group. However the ever increasing numbers of board members choosing to return there are apparently propping up confidence in the economy. 😉

It's becoming an increasingly good time to visit Thailand if you're drawn by bargains in accommodations and favorable exchange rates. According to Bloomberg, the baht is under pressure from a rare, back-to-back current accounts deficit. From Bloomberg The pandemic has robbed Thailand of tens of billions of dollars it used to generate annually from the millions of foreign tourists. A gradual rebound in tourism with the lifting of most border controls is now at risk from flight disruptions and payment difficulties for Russians, once again leaving the nation’s currency vulnerable to a sell-off. Thailand’s status as a net oil importer is fueling a trade deficit and inflation, muddling the outlook for an economic recovery, said Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist at Bank of Ayudhya. The lender, a unit of Mitsubishi Financial Group Inc., has cut Thai growth forecast this year to 2.8% as it sees a hit from low tourist arrivals and supply disruptions from the war, he said. “It will be a double-whammy for Thailand as it faces rising inflation and a slowdown in the economy,” Somprawin said. “Tourism will be affected as it’s not only Russians who will not travel, as the sour sentiment and falling income will discourage others too. Thai economic outlook is worrisome.” Thailand’s tourism will not return to the pre-pandemic levels -- 40 million visitors and more than $60 billion in revenue -- without the Chinese, who made up almost 30% of the travelers. While the country has lifted most of the curbs on visitors, Covid tests on arrival and the paperwork to secure a pre-arrival visa are seen discouraging holidaymakers even as more tourism-reliant countries open up. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-22/thailand-faces-current-account-blowout-on-oil-tourism-risks

Judging by an artist's conceptions of what the futuristic changes will look like (one of which shows the since razed Dusit Thani Hotel in the background), I think this has been in the works for quite some time. From The Nation Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday unveiled computer-generated images of Lumpini Park as it will look after an upgrade is completed in 2024, in time for the park’s 100th anniversary in 2025. The images published on Facebook show the new and improved 360-rai (0.57 square kilometres) park, equipped with dedicated bicycle and jogging lanes that connect with nearby Benchakitti Park. All cables and powerlines have also been buried underground to create an unobstructed view of the vast green garden in the heart of Bangkok. Lumpini Park in Pathumwan district has been the green lung of the concrete metropolis since it opened in 1925. Paths that stretch for 2.5km around the park are popular with morning and evening joggers while ornamental lakes surrounded by lawns make perfect picnic spots. The park is open from 4.30am to 9pm and sees 15,000 to 20,000 visitors every day. The improvement project will be divided into three phases, starting with an infrastructure upgrade, said the BMA post. “The second phase will add more facilities and create learning areas, while the third will develop unused areas in the park.” Facilities to be added include the six-storey high Lumpini Corridor that will serve as a new scenic point in Bangkok, seamless paths for wheelchair users, additional parking areas and water retention areas to reduce the chance of floods during rainy season.

Thai health officials last month predicted that new Covid cases would begin to decline in mid-March and that seems to be what's happening. Today 21,382 new cases were reported, continuing a downward trend that began several days ago. Although this doesn't mean things cannot still revert, it's encouraging for those of us who hope to arrive by mid-year.

From The Straits Times Thailand's higher production costs may soon be passed on to consumers The war in Ukraine has increased production and manufacturing costs that could soon trickle down to consumers already feeling the brunt of higher energy and consumer goods prices since late last year. Thailand's headline inflation rate rose 5.28 per cent in February from a year earlier, which was stronger than expected and the highest level since September 2008. Thailand's trade with Russia and Ukraine makes up just US$3 billion (S$4.08 billion), with total exports and imports amounting to a mere 0.5 per cent and 0.9 per cent of total trade respectively. But prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, prices of jasmine rice, palm oil, rubber and live pigs had been on the up, as Thailand attempted to recover from pandemic-induced disruptions and a weak economy.

Actually I intended the photo above to serve as a euphemism for these other types of "squids".

From Channel News Asia HONG KONG: Hong Kong is set to resume international flights from the United States, Britain and seven other countries, the government said Monday (Mar 21) as it announced a loosening of some of the world's toughest COVID-19 restrictions. The quarantine period for arrivals from abroad will also be reduced to seven days. The flight bans, known as a "circuit breaker", would be lifted from Apr 1. These were put in place after the highly transmissible Omicron variant emerged in January, with the restrictions initially covering eight countries deemed high-risk - Australia, United States, Britain, Canada, France and India, Pakistan and the Philippines - and later Nepal.

From Bangkok Post Race to end restrictions After plaguing Thailand for two years with physical and economic ailments, the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to be downgraded to an endemic from July 1, marking a significant step towards full economic recovery. Businesses, notably entrepreneurs in the tourism and service sectors, welcome the state plan to redefine the scope of the disease, but more tasks to restore the economy are needed, ranging from efforts to stimulate tourism to measures to deal with higher energy prices. Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said tourism will definitely benefit from the declaration of Covid-19 as endemic because it should lead to further easing of travel rules, which could help stimulate the economy. However, the July declaration date is almost four months away, which is too long for tourism operators struggling to maintain their business amid a lack of foreign visitors and slowing domestic demand because of the economic downturn and higher living costs, said Mr Chamnan. He said it is too late to wait for July to scrap the Test & Go scheme because countries need to be prepared to seize travel demand now to win a heated global competition. "Thailand used to be a first mover in terms of a reopening plan, but the country is going to face losses as it is slated to be one of the last ones to fully reopen now," Mr Chamnan said. The government needs to accelerate its plan and drop every travel restriction by Songkran as a gift for Thai New Year's Day, he said.

From CNN (CNN) — The closure of Russian airspace to some international carriers, including many in Europe, has forced airlines to seek alternate routes. For some flights, such as those linking Europe and Southeast Asia, that's especially problematic since Russia, the world's largest country, stands directly in between. The problem is best illustrated by Finnair's flight from Helsinki to Tokyo. Before the invasion of Ukraine, planes from Finland's national carrier would take off and quickly veer into the airspace of neighboring Russia, crossing it for over 3,000 miles. They would then enter China near its northern border with Mongolia, fly in its airspace for about 1,000 miles, before entering Russia again just north of Vladivostok. In addition to the polar route, Finnair can also reach Japan by flying south of Russia -- over the Baltics, Poland, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan to China, Korea and then to Japan. It's longer, but if wind conditions are particularly favorable it can be used, resulting in a similar flight time. Then, fuel consumption data, together with navigational fees, is used to estimate the cost for the flight. "After that, we need to check what kind of terrain we are flying over. For example, to see if the elevation at any point of the route requires special planning, in case we lose an engine or pressurization -- something that is always considered when preparing a flight," Kohvakka says. Once the new route is approved, the focus shifts to aircraft equipment and the associated processes and regulations. Among them is one called ETOPS ("Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards"), which dates back to the 1950s, when aircraft engines were less dependable and more prone to failing. ETOPS is a certification provided to aircraft that determined how far a plane with only two engines could fly from the nearest airport, in case it needed an emergency landing due to engine failure. "We need to have a suitable airport where we can divert to within a certain time limit," says Kohvakka. Continues at https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/north-pole-air-route/index.html

From Richardbarrow.com Only 26 international arrivals tested positive yesterday although the number of people coming to Thailand is increasing daily. This month so far, only 0.73% tested positive compared to 2.25% in February and 3.73% in January.

For squid lovers (and who among us is not), a picture is worth a thousand words. From the Pattaya Mail Pattaya hopes to hook more Thai and foreign tourists with a Squid Festival April 29-May 1. Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome and his deputies met with Kachondej Apichattrakul, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office and Boonanan Pattanasin, president of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association at Terminal 21 March 17, to discus and plan the fishy event.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Strong rumours circulating last week that a provincial governor’s edict had softened the 11 pm closing time – to allow a full extra hour of indulgence and frivolity – were shown to be very wrong after police raids at the Jomtien Complex. Police major Kongpol said that concerned members of the public had alerted the authorities to serious breaches of the licensing laws which could well compromise the government’s health policies. Officers visited every bar, checking paperwork and ascertaining that the safety and health executive’s certificates on display were not forgeries. Management, hosts and imbibers were reminded that 11 pm remains the closing time and that the British loophole of “drinking up time” is not a phenomenon found in the Land of Smiles. The Jomtien Complex is a (mainly) one street venue for open-to-the-street gay bars of which about ten are currently open. A police statement after the raids stated that they had been ordered to stop service at 11 pm in accordance with national and local decrees. Bar owners said everyone takes these raids with equanimity as they are “part of the scene”.

From You Tube Hà Nội to a big step forward towards getting back to normal as the capital’s famous walking street reopened to pedestrians. Families and tourists flocked to Hoan Kiem Lake to enjoyed the sights and sounds… traffic free! In fact the only vehicles on the road where toy cars driven by excited children who have waited almost a year to enjoy this thrill.

From Chanel News Asia YANGON: Myanmar will resume international passenger flights from Apr 17, the military said on Saturday (Mar 19), lifting a two-year ban on foreign tourists. The Southeast Asian nation closed its borders to visitors in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to prevent rising infections. "We will open all international flights on Apr 17, and can fly as regularly," said the National Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease, citing falling COVID-19 infections. Visitors will be required to quarantine for a week - undergoing two PCR tests - and must be fully vaccinated, according to the health ministry.

Just what the hotel, and some of the rooftop deck, will look like when the renovations are complete have been released by the the owners and The Standard Hotel. Contrary to earlier reports, the pool will not be on the roof deck. From Coconuts Bangkok The hotel space inside King Power Mahanakhon has been somewhat of a mystery since the retail brand joined the project in 2018 and rebranded or flipped much of the assets inside, including a previous hotel scheduled to occupy the bottom third of the tower. Now, the brand has announced what will take its place: The Standard. The American hospitality brand already owns a successful property in Hua Hin — a 199-room airy low-rise building near the beach — but has said the new Mahanakhon property will be its flagship product in Asia. It certainly looks like one. If the pictures are anything to go by, the hotel’s surreal art deco interior looks like it was pulled from the set of a Hollywood movie, replete with all the bold, colorful outlines, curved shapes and zig-zaggy forms that defined the design movement in the 1920s and 30s. Crafted in part by Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon, who was listed by Wallpaper magazine as one of the top 100 most influential creators of the past decade, and the in-house design team at The Standard, which itself has won several interior design awards, the hotel’s bold color pallet, rounded accents, art installations and lush greenery combine to create an unquestionably unique-looking hotel among a domestic market that is saturated with them. The Standard hotel portfolio has come to be known for its swanky poolside venues, and The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is no slouch in that category either. Here, the pool sits on the west side of the building (nicely tucked inside one of those Lego-style depressions in the hotel’s facade) and faces Silom Road towards the river. It’s enclosed in plenty of green, too, so guests have the option of soaking up the shade or keeping out of the burning sun depending on the day. Continues with photos https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/check-out-the-surreal-art-deco-interior-of-the-soon-to-open-the-standard-bangkok-mahanakhon/

Yes, much of the additional charge reflected cost of the pcr test. The Centre Point locations and Le Meridien were among the small minority of hotels that included the price of the pcr test in their posted prices.

Agoda has many listings but don't get fooled by some of the ridiculously low prices that turn out to be too good to be true. The Quarter Silom initially showed baht 746 for Test and Go package. But when I clicked on "select your room" it showed an additional baht 3,532 in taxes and fees.

From Coconuts Bangkok The father of a university freshman killed during a university hazing ritual has refused to accept half a million baht in compensation from the upperclassmen responsible for his son’s death. Ekachai Chonphakdi, whose son Padyot “Prem” Chonphakdi died Sunday after being beaten while intoxicated, told reporters that he turned down the parents of the the seven students when they approached him yesterday. “Could I get my son’s life back?” the 55-year-old man said he told them. He wants justice from the criminal justice process instead. Padyot was the sole victim of a hazing ritual at Rajamangala University Technology of Isan where first-year students were forced to drink excessively then beaten. Prem died on the way to Fort Sunaree Hospital. An autopsy found bruises to his lungs and chest. His body is to be cremated Monday at Wat Noi in Nakhon Ratchasima. The seven students have been charged with assault. Police said additional charges are forthcoming as the families of two other students injured during the hazing plan to press charges.

What? I was talking about the Easter Bunny. Where's your proof, Tasso?

Yes, it's possible to get around the requirement in certain defined circumstances. Conditions that could affect a passenger's need for a per-departure test: Requirements of the country of departure Requirements of the air carrier Requirements in transit country (if applicable) Requirements in destination country. Any of these conditions are subject to change at any time. The one thing all travelers want to avoid is arriving at the airport and inadvertently not having all required documents.