When will Thailand open to Tourists- question/speculation?

[reader]

I'm beginning to come around to conclusion that authorities really don't want any of the nonsensical plans they've put forward to actually succeed.  It's their way of trying to persuade those who lost jobs that they're "trying" to do something to restore tourism.

File under "we feel your pain."

[anddy]

8 hours ago, z909 said:

Most of the other requirements make no sense at all.  

Like I've said recently in a similar context, making sense is not a staple of Thai policy and bureaucracy. That's a simple, if annoying, fact.

Leads to reader's very realistic assessment:

2 hours ago, reader said:

I'm beginning to come around to conclusion that authorities really don't want any of the nonsensical plans they've put forward to actually succeed.  It's their way of trying to persuade those who lost jobs that they're "trying" to do something to restore tourism.

File under "we feel your pain."

Giving small bits of hope (like 1200/month is even a "bit" of hope LOL) to appease the affected, only to report failure due to circumstances that were "unforeseen" and/or "beyond our control". Something like that. So that complete despair will not take over. Sadly the truth is, they don't care  

[Guest]

It does rather look like the authorities don't want tourists.  Obviously they don't care about the working people, but  I'm still surprised, as some of them or their chums must be losing money as a result.  Or are they playing a long game & hoping to buy assets at a distressed price ?

The BKK post is reporting cases of covid for people in quarantine on a regular basis.  For example, 9 today.  

They also report no transmission in the community, so it seems quarantine is effective.

So anyone who genuinely wanted to restart some tourism could design an easy to use visa scheme with quarantine. 

 

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, z909 said:

 Or are they playing a long game & hoping to buy assets at a distressed price ?

 

Possible, after all there's saying ' never waste a good crisis ".

I know what I'm talking about as years ago I bought my condo at tail end of recession. Seller was happy that he received ANY offer

[reader]

4 hours ago, z909 said:

Or are they playing a long game & hoping to buy assets at a distressed price ?

The wealthy will scoop up those empty condos and other properties, using the guise of keeping the people safe as cover.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

500 Elite Card members cleared to enter

About 500 Thailand Elite Card members have been approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to visit the country, according to Thailand Privilege Card Co (TPC).

Of the total, 52 card holders, mostly from Germany and Britain, have already entered the country, said Somchai Soongswang, president of TPC, a state-owned enterprise that operates the Thailand Elite Card programme under the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

In August and September, the company received 900 new membership applications a month from foreign investors and entrepreneurs, compared with 400 a month before the pandemic.

This group of foreigners has an average spending of US$100 per person per day and can boost the national economy, Mr Somchai said.

There were 2,674 new members added, up 24.8% year-on-year, thanks to the outstanding performance in September and October.

Mr Somchai said the company had a yearly net profit of more than 200 million baht.

"The company wishes to rebound from a cumulative loss of 555 million baht [as of Sept 30, 2019] within the next two years," he said.

As of Sept 30, the number of Thailand Elite Card holders was 11,132. Most come from China, Japan, South Korea, Britain and the US.

Markets with the highest growth rate in the fiscal year were China (up 52%), followed by the US and Germany (44% each), France (31%) and Britain (29%).

[Jasper]

I heard they are putting price up for the cheapest 5year elite card from 500,000 THB to 600,000 because of the great demand.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, reader said:

This group of foreigners has an average spending of US$100 per person per day and can boost the national economy, Mr Somchai said.

I would think the average board member here spends over $100 a day in Thailand and doesn't have an elite card.   We can also boost the national economy.    I'll even take 14 days quarantine, as long as there is a no strings attached >90 day visa.

However, why pay THB 600,000 for an elite card that doesn't even guarantee entry rights ?      

I don't see how the card makes sense for so called "middle class" people with enough money, but not enough to throw away.     If I had $10million plus, then using THB 600,000 as small change to get a holiday might just be interesting.   Maybe that's what's elite about it.   Just expensive enough not to make sense for most people.

 

Also, it's less desirable in the absence of entry rights for all the hookers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.   They need bait to attract the fish. 

 

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, Jasper said:

I heard they are putting price up for the cheapest 5year elite card from 500,000 THB to 600,000 because of the great demand.

market economy at work

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, reader said:

 

500 Elite Card members cleared to enter

 

This group of foreigners has an average spending of US$100 per person per day......

who calls those cheapies "Elite' ? 

[10tazione]

20 hours ago, reader said:

From Bangkok Post

500 Elite Card members cleared to enter

[...]

This group of foreigners has an average spending of US$100 per person per day and can boost the national economy, Mr Somchai said.

[...]

If 500 people is all it needs to boost the economy, Thailand must be doing really great ... No need to open the country for us cheapos anymore.

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, 10tazione said:

If 500 people is all it needs to boost the economy, Thailand must be doing really great ... No need to open the country for us cheapos anymore.

The government seem content to focus on one variable at the expense of all others. 

The protests suggest that some of the youngsters take a different view about the state of the economy.    As predicted on this forum a few months ago.

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

Weighing the consequences

As pressure rises to reopen tourism with laxer measures, operators are growing hopeful

What is the real cost for tourists when planning an outbound trip to Thailand in the Covid-19 era?

Apart from sufficient budget for a quarantine facility, which for the most luxurious trip can be as high as 300,000 baht per person, tourists must consent to dedicated extra time for a 14-day quarantine -- a condition that only allows people who don't have time and money constraints to visit the country.

While high-net-worth travellers may agree to spring for vacation here, their visits will be just a drop in the ocean when compared with 1.9 trillion baht Thailand recorded last year from foreign tourist receipts.

According to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the upscale market or those earning over US$60,000 a year made up less than 20% in the past five years as officials struggled to generate a healthier portion of high-end travellers.

In the past, the TAT avoided mentioning the targeted number and stressed the importance of the revenue goal instead, but volume was always in the limelight.

Last year, when foreign tourist arrival numbers nearly hit 40 million, major revenue sources came from short-haul markets in Asia.

Since the strict lockdown was eased in the second quarter, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) has repeatedly called for a shorter quarantine period or, ideally, no compulsory quarantine to attract intra-regional travellers who don't want to spend two weeks in confinement for their four- or five-day trip.

To be specific, the association pointed to a few potential markets, the likes of China and Taiwan, that are considered low-risk countries.

[vinapu]

in meantime people who normally would be waiting tables, manning receptions, selling trinkets and busing tourists around with all that free time tourist void created  can and do  attend rallies demanding structural changes to  a country

[reader]

From The Thai Enquirer

Thailand to open skies to ten foreign airlines

The Ministry of Transport said on Tuesday that it would allow ten foreign airlines to gradually launch regular flights to Thailand as the pandemic situation has improved but all passengers must follow the guidelines made by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The flights are considered semi-commercial and all incoming passengers must go through the mandatory quarantine measures (ASQ) for at least 14 days. The airlines are as follows:

1. Emirates Airlines EK 384 (daily).

2. Qatar Airways QR 830 and QR 836 (daily).

3. Etihad Airways EY406 (daily).

4. Cathay Pacific Airways CX 653 (four flights per week starting from October 7).

5. Singapore Airlines SQ 976 (three flights per week starting from October 16).

6. Lufthansa Airlines LH772 (three flights per week starting from October 16).

7. Swiss International Airlines LX 180 (three flights per week starting from October 17).

8. Austrian Airlines flight OS 025 (three flights per week starting from October 17).

9. EVA Air BR 211 (two flights per week starting from October 25).

10. KLM Airlines (starting from October 25).

For domestic airlines, there is currently no updates on opening routes to neighbouring countries.

The first foreign tourist group

On Tuesday, a group of 41 Chinese tourists from Shanghai will arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport at 5 p.m. under the Special Tourist Visa (STV), Yuthasak Supasorn, the Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said.

There will also be another 100 STV tourists from Guangzhou to arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport on October 26.

“Upon arriving, all foreigners have to spend 14 days in Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) before traveling in the country with the use of the tracker application,” he added.

 

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, reader said:

 

“Upon arriving, all foreigners have to spend 14 days in Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) before traveling in the country with the use of the tracker application,” he added.

 

I wish them fun filled vacation as certainly the whole scheme is devised to ensure

[Gaybutton]

51 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I wish them fun filled vacation as certainly the whole scheme is devised to ensure

I'm sure it will be fun filled for them - both of them . . .

If I wasn't already living in Thailand, would I even want to go to Thailand under these circumstances?  Not a chance.

[Guest]

Bear in mind that the northern hemisphere winter is on it's way.    

For anyone who can spend several months in Thailand,  2 weeks in a fairly priced and good quality quarantine hotel would be an acceptable price to pay, as long as we get a visa that lasts for many months.  

That would be fine with me & I think there are other members keen to make a long winter trip.  

However, they do need to delete all the pointless bureaucracy & pointless restrictions.  

It needs to be test, quarantine, test and NOTHING else  [other than perhaps a quick on line visa, rather like they used to do in Cambodia].   

Then work on making everything easy.    For example, where departure airports offer a rapid test of suitable quality, they need to discuss it and reach some agreement so the output is accepted in Thailand.  

[Gaybutton]

7 hours ago, z909 said:

That would be fine with me & I think there are other members keen to make a long winter trip.

Aren't there any warm places to go other than Thailand?

[vinapu]

56 minutes ago, Gaybutton said:

Aren't there any warm places to go other than Thailand?

Venezuela comes to mind

[PeterRS]

15 hours ago, Gaybutton said:

I'm sure it will be fun filled for them - both of them . . .

If I wasn't already living in Thailand, would I even want to go to Thailand under these circumstances?  Not a chance.

Dont all of us on this and other gay forums tend to regard these circumstances from our own rather narrow viewpoint (mine included). We forget there are loads of rich people around the world for whom spending a few months in a hot climate getting away from winter cold is not something they might just consider - they do it all the time. My brother knows of one Scottish couple who are rich and who have spent more than 20 years coming to Phuket for 5 or 6 months every winter. No idea what accommodation they book but I know they pay for it since they do not own property there. 5,000 baht for a room would be nothing for them. Even 15,000 baht and more for a villa with its own pool. 

In normal times the Banyan Trees, Six Senses, Mandarin Orientals and their like are packed with those for whom money seems no object. At least some will surely be prepared to accept the restrictions and return for their annual months away.

Not a pleasant thought for those who have to scrimp and save, though.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Gaybutton said:

Aren't there any warm places to go other than Thailand?

If we want somewhere that's warm during the northern hemisphere winter, most countries can be fitted into one of 3 categories:

1   Countries with entry restrictions.   Thailand, the rest of SE Asia,  Australia etc

2  Countries some of us don't want to go to, like the Middle East, Africa etc.    One should not imply ALL members have the same view, but I'd bet quite a few board members would reject Afghanistan (for example). 

3  Countries that allow entry & might be of interest, but have high covid infection rates (at present).   e.g. Some Latin American countries.

 

There are a handful of options that don't quite fit the 3 categories, such as Madeira, Cyprus etc.

 

3 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Dont all of us on this and other gay forums tend to regard these circumstances from our own rather narrow viewpoint (mine included).

When discussing the tourism issue, it's very much with one eye on my own view point & there is no shame in that.   Also, you don't have to be super rich to spend months in Thailand.  

Then as a side effect of enjoying ourselves on holiday, it redistributes some of that money to hard working & deserving people in lower income countries.

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, PeterRS said:

... We forget there are loads of rich people around the world for whom spending a few months in a hot climate getting away from winter cold is not something they might just consider - they do it all the time. ....... 

In normal times the Banyan Trees, Six Senses, Mandarin Orientals and their like are packed with those for whom money seems no object. At least some will surely be prepared to accept the restrictions and return for their annual months away.

 

those are not normal times, in fact it's  unprecedented year, at least when comes to travel as all previous pandemics were well before mass travel time.

Very rich are also mostly in high risk group and may be less inclined to travel those days until they find a way to bribe virus to jump on somebody else.  

[Gaybutton]

4 hours ago, z909 said:

Countries with entry restrictions.   Thailand, the rest of SE Asia,  Australia etc

It seems to me tourists would have to want to go to Thailand very badly just now.  Right now Thailand does have warm going for it, but at the price of a mountain of paperwork, insurance, expensive quarantine for two weeks, and all followed by very little left open to attract tourists.  Along with that the possibility of a second wave Covid outbreak, meaning Thailand might forbid international flights, stranding people again and the possibility of home country's borders closed or quarantines once you arrive home.

As an added bonus, you would get to walk into serious political unrest going on in Thailand now too.

For me, all of that would be a thanks, but no thanks. 

[TotallyOz]

Personally, if I were not already in Thailand, I think I'd be taking the trip. Why? Bars are full of boys and light on customers. It is heaven on earth! Literally!