When can I go to Thailand again?

[abidismaili]

My March holiday I had to cancel due to corona. I am very eager to go again. Do I understand it correctly from 1 July it is possible to travel to Thailand?

I assume without a mandatory two week isolation? Else pointless to go for me. Waste of my vacation days of which I don’t have many.

I normally never go in summer, but will make an exception this year. 

[vinapu]

8 hours ago, abidismaili said:

 I am very eager to go again.

you are part of very big crowd, rest assured.

 

I never been there in July but my last year's trip in Aug was second best ever out of 20 so you can count on guaranteed fun with less crowds.

[PeterRS]

I would definitely hold off your plans. We assume that some international flights will be permitted to land and take off from Thailand airports from July 1. But we do not yet know which countries will remain on a no fly list. I cannot see flights from countries where covid 19 is still not under control being permitted - but thats a guess. 

Second, as has been pointed out somewhere I recently read, you will almost certainly need a ton of paperwork including medical insurance up to US$100,000, a letter from the Thai Consulate etc. before you can get on a plane. Then we still have no idea if there will be any quarantine regulations remaining in place. The Prime Minister has made it clear there will be no general opening of tourism. The number of flights permitted to land will be strictly limited.

 

[Londoner]

My hopes and expectations change by the hour. There has to be a confluence of four issues for the trip to proceed; the level of infections at home,  the flight itself (including immigration), the situation in Thailand and the availability of insurance.  

I'm hoping  without confidence for October.

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, Londoner said:

My hopes and expectations change by the hour.

and so do governments policies everywhere. it's nobody's fault as situation is dynamic and too many great unknowns still apply but it's better to be ready for grand opening, 

[Gaybutton]

I wouldn't be trying to book any flights just yet.  Even if foreigners are allowed to enter Thailand unimpeded, which currently they are not, there are still quite a few things we just don't know yet, such as:

1.  Even if they are allowed to fly to Thailand, how many airlines will do so?

2.  What will the price of tickets be?

3. Are you willing to risk the possibility of another Covid-19 breakout, and ending up stuck in Thailand if international flights are prohibited again or if your home country won't permit incoming flights?

4. Will your hotel choices be available?

5. Even if the bars are allowed to open again (which by the way may be very soon), will they open again before they can be sure there will be enough customers so they can at least break even?

6. Will the bars have problems getting boys?  Many boys went back home when they lost their jobs.  Now bus fares have gone up considerably due to the social distancing restrictions.  They would not only need enough money to pay the bus fare, but unless something changes the boys are usually paid at the end of the month, which means they would need to have enough money to pay a month's rent and security in advance, enough money for food, personal items, etc.  In short, will the bar boys even be able to afford to return?

7. What will be the social distancing restrictions in the bars?  We don't know yet.  Will the boys and customers be required to wear face masks?  Will there be restrictions on the operating hours?

8. Are you willing to risk arriving in Thailand only to find yourself quarantined for 14 days?

__________________________________________________________________

And then, there's this.  As far as I know, this is the latest information:

Foreigners allowed to enter Thailand on case-by-case basis

May 29, 2020

Under phase 3 of the lockdown relaxation, foreigners with work permits or permission from the Labour Ministry or other government agencies will be allowed to enter the country, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday (May 29).  

“Permission to enter does not cover all groups as we are proceeding step by step,” said deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun at a daily briefing on the Covid-19 situation.

The Foreign Ministry has informed Thailand’s foreign chambers of commerce about the relaxation.

Eligible foreign nationals are invited to submit applications at Thai Embassies in their countries. They must have health insurance and a health certificate. They will also be subject to 14- quarantine on entry to Thailand, either in a state facility or in a private facility at their own cost.

Details of the letter sent to all foreign chambers of commerce in Thailand are as follows:

1. The Royal Thai Government's invocation of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations BE2548 (2005)

(No I) dated 25 March BE2563 (2020) to control the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), closes the entry into the Kingdom of non-Thai nationals, in accordance with the laws on communicable diseases and immigration. However, clause 3 (5) of the Regulation issued under the said Emergency Decree, also allows non-Thai nationals who either possess a valid work permit or have already been granted permission from a Thai government agency to work in the Kingdom, to apply for permission to enter the Kingdom.

2. It is, however, requested that only those in urgent need to enter the Kingdom may submit an application for entry. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the Board of Investment and the Ministry of Labour, will consider all requests for entry on a case by case basis, taking into account urgency and economic importance, among others.

3. The procedure for non-Thai nationals who wish to submit an application for entry are as follows:

3.1 Contact the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate-General in their country of departure to apply for 'Certificate of Entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" at least 10 working days before the date of intended departure. The applicants must present:

(1) copy of his work permits or copy of Ietter of permission issued by a Thai Government agency (in most cases, by the Ministry of Labour) to work in Thailand;

(2) a valid health insurance policy covering all expenditures of medical treatment, including Covid-19 worth at least 100,000 USD.

3.2 The Thai Embassy/Consulate-General will forward the application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. If the application is approved, the Thai Embassy/Consulate-General will be instructed to issue the "Certificate of Entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" and appropriate visa to the applicant.

4. At the port of departure/embarkation (eg airline check-in counter), the approved applicant is required to present (I) a "Certificate of Entry into the Kingdom of Thailand" issued by the Royal Thai Embassy Consulate-General;

(2) a completed and signed "Declaration Form" obtained from the Embassy/Consulate-General; (3) a Fit to Fly Health Certificate' issued no more than 72 hours before departure; and (4) a health insurance covering all expenditures of medical treatment, including Covid-19, while traveling to Thailand in an amount of at least 100,000 USD.

5. Upon entry into the Kingdom, non-Thai nationals will be subjected to a 14-day state quarantine at a government-designated Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facility at their own expenses, and obliged to comply with the government's disease prevention measures pursuant to clause 11 of the Regulation issued under Section 9 of the said Emergency Decree.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30388723

[abidismaili]

Many many Thais depend for their income on tourism. 
I hope the government will not be that strict as indicated above. It will make many Thai angry. Thailand just can’t afford it to be that strict  

How are Thai who  lost their job because no customers in hotels, no customers in massage shops etc managing to pay their rent and food? There is a government program which gives every Thai who lost their job now some money ?

[Boy69]

On 6/4/2020 at 5:47 PM, muscfair said:

 

I went to Thailand in March just before the lockdown but it's boring because all the massage and gay places were closed for at least 2 months.

And unfortunately it will continue to be boring in the near future ...

[Gaybutton]

2 hours ago, Boy69 said:

And unfortunately it will continue to be boring in the near future ...

This has not been mentioned anywhere and I have no evidence of any kind whatsoever to back this up.  It's just a thought on my part, so don't be alarmed - but I can't help wondering if and when the bars do reopen, will the powers-that-be ban taking boys off . . . ?

[GWMinUS]

So sad!! Equally bad to travel to the Philippines. I do not have many hopes to fly there before next year...

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, GWMinUS said:

So sad!! Equally bad to travel to the Philippines. I do not have many hopes to fly there before next year...

look at bright side, it's only 6.5 months and we are in 2021

[Boy69]

3 hours ago, vinapu said:

look at bright side, it's only 6.5 months and we are in 2021

The bright side will be only if a medicine or vaccination will be found till then the future is uncertain...

[ggobkk]

For what it’s worth, two of the Viets I know messaged me about the July 1 reopening. They are in Vietnam and indicated they are going back to Bangkok. 

[DivineMadman]

1 hour ago, ggobkk said:

For what it’s worth, two of the Viets I know messaged me about the July 1 reopening. They are in Vietnam and indicated they are going back to Bangkok. 

Interesting to see how this plays out.  Presumably Laos/Cambodia won't open their borders unless Thailand opens its land borders as well.  And your friends would be coming in on tourist visas or visa-exempt, not work permits.  A lot to happen in the next three weeks.  Fingers crossed.  That would be a big step towards the "old" normal.   

[spoon]

I know some boys in pattaya have work permit, so i guess will be the one coming back sooner but i doubt they can produced insurance coverage as of the current requirement. Interested to see the development of boys returning to thailand as well.

[DivineMadman]

30 minutes ago, spoon said:

I know some boys in pattaya have work permit, so i guess will be the one coming back sooner but i doubt they can produced insurance coverage as of the current requirement. Interested to see the development of boys returning to thailand as well.

I know some Burmese guys who have "work permits," but I thought it was much harder for Vietnamese guys to get those semi-legit work permits (except for the ones who are brought in by their employer for construction, etc.)  That's why I assume the regular Vietnamese guys "working" on the scene in Thailand are not holding work permits.  Interesting.   

The current rules for work permit holders returning to Thailand only apply to people who can make the case to the local embassy that there is some sort of compelling economic urgency for their return.  Of course local embassies can interpret that however they want.  

[anddy]

19 hours ago, DivineMadman said:

The current rules for work permit holders returning to Thailand only apply to people who can make the case to the local embassy that there is some sort of compelling economic urgency for their return.  Of course local embassies can interpret that however they want.

the fine print on Baht notes may hold clues as to what constitutes an economic urgency. Bot sure that source of clues is available to the boys, though

[Guest]

22 hours ago, anddy said:

the fine print on Baht notes may hold clues as to what constitutes an economic urgency

I'm intrigued.    Google didn't come up with any useful answers on the first 2 pages & neither did Duck Duck Go.    What does the fine print say ?

 

As for tourists entering Thailand, from a Thai government perspective I expect they would be quite keen to open up to countries with low claimed infection rates.    Taiwan, China, Australia & NZ for example, whilst discouraging tourists from Europe and North America.

However, there are 2 sides to this.   Currently, anyone returning to China has a mandatory 2 week quarantine & I understand it's longer if anyone sat within 3 rows of them on the plane tests positive for Covid.  The quarantine is in a hotel, for £30 a day.   So I don't see tourists flocking form China to Thailand until that measure is removed.

So when Thailand really decides it needs some tourists, I guess they might extend the list of permitted countries, assuming downward trends in case numbers continue. 

 

[TotallyOz]

The gay Thai massage places are packed with new faces! There are new workers as no money back home in villages. They will be coming to Bangkok. The bars may not open, but there are always alternatives. If you are willing to risk it. I have see a ton of guys on the dating apps and all willing to meet up.

[spoon]

My prediction is sort of right, economic hardship due to covid19 means more guys will enter the scene. Sad reality but i guess if i were there, id like to think im helping distributing the wealth and helping the poor.

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

Ban on overseas entry to stay

From Monday, there will be no night curfew, but strict controls under the emergency decree will continue to be enforced especially on entry into Thailand because Covid-19 is still present in other countries, a senior government spokesman announced on Friday.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said the curfew would be lifted on June 15 to allow local people to travel, because there had been no cases of local coronavirus infection for some time now.

However, the emergency decree remains in effect and the government would maintain controls on all entry -- by land, water and air -- because all new Covid-19 patients were people returning from other countries, he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that when the fourth stage of relaxation takes effect from Monday, he hoped that it will reinvigorate the economy and more people will go back to work.

"I have sympathy for people on low incomes. I believe they will earn more money after the lockdown easing on June 15. The government cannot afford to find money to look after people forever," the prime minister said.

[reader]

I've placed these two items in the same post because I believe they represent two different views about what may actually happen over the next six months or less. One describes two polls of public opinion while the other reflects on the position in which the Bank of Thailand finds itself. I'm inclined to think the latter may be more predictive of how things progress on the ground than the former.

From The Examiner

Thai public says No to foreign tourism and also predicts 1 to 2 years for travel to return to normal

The Civil Aviation Authority is to begin talks this week to open outbound flights limited to business people while the Thai public gives the thumbs down to foreign tourism with 74% saying it will be at least one year before international travel into Thailand returns to normal. Another poll shows over 82% wanting to see pubs remaining closed at this time. The news and negative sentiment is rattling news for foreigners who regularly travel to Thailand or have links with the kingdom.

Opinion polls published on Sunday in Thailand will make dismaying reading for foreigners interested in travelling to the country over the next few months. The first was a Suan Dusit poll which showed 76% saying No to foreign tourism at this time. The same poll showed that a combined figure of 74% of respondents saw external tourism only returning to normal in Thailand in the next one to two years.

The Thai government made it clear this week as it announced the end of the curfew, that tough restrictions will remain on inbound travel into the kingdom. This comes even as the Civil Aviation Authority next week enters into talks with airlines in Thailand on the opening up of international outbound flights.

This all comes as opinion polls published on Sunday show that the Thai public is decidedly against letting foreigners gain access to the kingdom again for tourism.

A commanding three out of four majority or nearly 76% answered ‘No’ when asked if Thailand’s borders should be open again to incoming foreigners.

The survey was conducted in the three days up to Friday the 12th of June as the Thai government floated proposals on travel bubbles with safe countries and began to consider the reopening of pubs and wet massage parlour venues as part of its fourth and final stage of the current domestic reopening process.

Only 24% of those who responded in the poll said the government should open the kingdom to foreigners to allow the country’s hard-pressed and suffering tourism economy to return to normality and begin generating much-needed income.

The Suan Dusit poll had a sample of 1,116 adults from across the country and was conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University in Bangkok.

Acombined total of 74% said it would take at least one year for tourism to return to normal after the virus emergency with 32.7% suggesting it would be two years or even more.

A combined total of 67.3%, however, saw tourism activity returning to normal in the next six months to a year. The biggest block of respondents comprised 41.3% of those polled who said that it would take one year for this to happen while 25.9% envisaged 6 months.

A full 32.7% of people said the return to tourism normality may take two years or more with 20.52 % suggesting two years and 12.18% plumping for over two years.

Another poll on Sunday did seem to indicate that the public was less in fear of the virus with nearly 52% responding that they did not now worry about the threat.

Only 33.29% of people surveyed had some concerns with a further 12.91% expressing real fear of the threat.

This opinion poll was carried out by NIDA or the National Institute of Development Administration on June 8th and June 9th with a sample size of 1,270 made up of Thai people over 15 from a range of educational backgrounds and socio-economic levels.

The poll showed a sharp level of opposition to the reopening of public bars or entertainment venues with 82.2% opposed alongside nearly 79% of who wanted to see massage parlours remaining shuttered.

The opinion polls and recent government pronouncements suggest strongly that the Covid 19 virus has resulted in a shift or change in conditions for many western foreigners who travel regularly to Thailand which will extend at least into the next six months and possibly longer.

========================================================================================================

From The Nation

BOT insists its Bt6 trillion liability will not turn into public debt, but history says otherwise

The Bank of Thailand (BOT)’s obligation worth Bt6 trillion will not translate into public debt as feared by many, the central bank insists, though the explanation it has offered is far from clear.

Chantawan Sutcharitkul, BOT’s assistant governor, said on Friday (June 12) that many people misunderstood the central bank’s balance sheet, which shows it has liabilities worth Bt6 trillion. 

The central bank’s debts come from its normal market operations – when there is liquidity flooding into the market, the central bank issues bonds to manage the financial market and when the market faces tight liquidity, the central bank reduces the issuing of bonds in order to inject liquidity back into the market, she said. 

“The central bank also buys foreign currency when there is a large capital inflow into the Kingdom, so while the bank has obligations, it also has large assets in the form of foreign currencies,” she added. 

“Debts that appear in the central bank’s financial statement cannot be counted as public debts. It is standard practice by central banks across the world,” she said reassuringly. 

However, she did not explain how things are different this time compared to the past, when the central bank wrongly defended the baht, resulting in a financial crisis and a currency debacle in 1997-1998.

At that time, the central bank depleted international reserves as part of a currency war, when speculators began selling out the baht heavily, forcing the central bank to abandon its fixed exchange rate and the country to borrow emergency funds from the International Monetary Fund. The consequence of the huge damages stemming from the central bank’s foreign exchange fiasco and subsequent efforts to rescue financial institutions later turned into public debts. 

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, reader said:

A commanding three out of four majority or nearly 76% answered ‘No’ when asked if Thailand’s borders should be open again to incoming foreigners.

 

If they don't want us, I guess we just won't go spending our money on new sofa bed instead.

But if looks that things are cooling down a bit all over so quite likely another pool in month or two will bring more user friendly results  specially when everybody will sit down calculator in hand  and counts calmly damage closing economy brought on households and national budgets.

[reader]

From The Nation

Thailand will be very choosy about who can visit, insists Anutin

Only countries that have not had a severe outbreak of Covid-19 will be made part of Thailand’s “travel bubble” and the Kingdom will restrict the type of travellers allowed into the country, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday (June 15).

He added that guidelines on the situation will be released by the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and clarified to the public.

“I have spoken with the ambassadors of Singapore, New Zealand, China and South Korea. We have to see which nationalities Thais are happy to welcome, as well as consider the state of the economy and people’s livelihoods,” the minister said.

[Boy69]

3 hours ago, reader said:

From The Nation

Thailand will be very choosy about who can visit, insists Anutin

Only countries that have not had a severe outbreak of Covid-19 will be made part of Thailand’s “travel bubble” and the Kingdom will restrict the type of travellers allowed into the country, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday (June 15).

He added that guidelines on the situation will be released by the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and clarified to the public.

“I have spoken with the ambassadors of Singapore, New Zealand, China and South Korea. We have to see which nationalities Thais are happy to welcome, as well as consider the state of the economy and people’s livelihoods,” the minister said.

In other words very few tourists will be aloud to enter the LOS in the near future