When do you expect to be in Thailand next ?

[Guest]

Best estimate please.

I set the time periods considering this: https://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10635

However, you're under no obligation to trust the Pattaya Mail when answering.

 

I've chosen Oct~Dec 2021, on the assumption that this is when I next want to go there.  Having also been there for over 12 weeks recently.

In the highly unlikely event the UK government is continuing repressive policies stopping us traveling, I would explore the exemptions for education or business purposes.   I expect such restrictions to be gone by then.  

I don't expect Thai restrictions to be a barrier.   The only scenario where Thai restrictions keep me away would be if Thailand has more restrictions than expected, whilst places like Cambodia or The Philippines have no restrictions at all.

 

I'm expecting some members who used to be regular visitors at any time of year to be closely following the Phuket quarantine free option, with a view to traveling in July.

 

[JackR]

Thanks for the link z909. Very interesting.

Am I understanding this correctly that Bangkok will not be open until 2022? It only seems to be referring to those 5 other provinces.

[ichigo]

I'm hoping early 2022. Even if Thailand is open, it really depends on the travel restrictions in my own country whether I can leave for short-term tourism purposes or not.

[TMax]

I'm hoping mid 2022 but not holding my breath, doesn't really matter what the Thais are doing at the moment but getting out of Australia isn't an easy task and upon return it's still 2 weeks quarantine at a quarantine hotel at our own expense. If and when I do get back I will be having a lot of fun to make up for lost time, thinking a lot about 2 at a time

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, z909 said:

I've chosen Oct~Dec 2021, on the assumption that this is when I next want to go there.  

 

this is how I voted and for the same reason - I wish to be there. Do I believe it will happen ? not so sure and obstacles are definitely not on my side. 

[MunichCut]

I have also chosen Oct-Dec.I have even booked a flight.with Singapore Airlines from Germany to Bangkok for 378 euros. But I will fly only if I do not have to make quarantine. Or I just postpone the flight. I miss Thailand.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, JackR said:

Thanks for the link z909. Very interesting.

Am I understanding this correctly that Bangkok will not be open until 2022? It only seems to be referring to those 5 other provinces.

1  Bangkok is already open.  You just need to do quarantine, as I did in December 2020.

2  If I understand the latest rules correctly, if vaccinated, you could fly to Phuket in July, spend 7 nights there and afterwards, you can go to Bangkok, or wherever you prefer.   

If I actually wanted to make a trip in July I'd be reading the rules very carefully in early June, with the intention of making some quick bookings. 

However, I'm actually hoping to make a couple of short European breaks in the summer and expect to make a long winter break in Thailand and/or neighbouring countries in the winter.    

In my case, the biggest barrier to travel is the UK government's stupid travel ban, but in the unlikely event that's still in place in December, I'll be looking to use a study or business loophole. 

 

 

 

[Alsfca]

I have ticket over Christmas 2021. Hopefully I don't have to do quarantine by then, otherwise, I will change my ticket!!!

[spoon]

July phuket model seems to be attractive for those who enjoys phuket/island/beach holidays. Longer term visitor will definitely see this a much better option than the current quarantine options. 

I voted october as well. Pattaya is a much better province to do my 7 days holiday, and going to bangkok after that is easiest. Also, the longest ive travelled before was 2 weeks, so i wont be spending half of that in a place i dont prefer. 

[Boy69]

July Phuket model will be a failor potential tourists coming to Thailand will be restricted to one province especially to the one which was damaged the most, desereated beaches and ghost town tourist areas is not exactly what tourists are looking for.

[Keithambrose]

Personally, I would welcome a deserted beach!

[vaughn]

My current plan (hope) is to spend the full month of December or alternatively January. This really depends entirely on whether Australia will get vaccines in arms, quarantine both on the Thai end and returning home is reduced to a few days or dropped entirely.

I plan to spend my first week or two in Pattaya regardless of the quarantine measures, so if the Pattaya Mail news is what reality looks like at that time i'm fine with that.

I'm also curious about how many of the bars will be open with boys back from the neighbouring countries, so trip reports from people with feet on the ground will help sway my decision.

[Travellerdave]

4 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Personally, I would welcome a deserted beach!

Even better accompanied by a cute boy ?

[tm_nyc]

I am in the US & have been vaccinated so the 7-day quarantine option is starting to look more appealing to me. 

So I am thinking about returning in September, maybe.

And, yes, a deserted beach with a cute guy sounds very attractive!

[numazu]

From OneMileataTime:

• As of April 1, 2021, the quarantine for visitors will be cut from 14 days to 10 days for all arrivals, with the exception of visitors from some African countries
• As “early as next month,” Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and Phuket, will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists, though a seven day quarantine will still be required for those visitors
• As of July 1, 2021, vaccinated tourists will be able to travel to Phuket with no quarantine requirement
• If this proves successful, as of October 1, 2021, the quarantine requirement will be scrapped for vaccinated tourists in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and Phuket
• As of some point in 2022, Thailand plans to lift all quarantine requirements for foreign visitors

I have been itching to go back to Thailand since December 2019.

OK so if in the end this is how it is going to shake up, then I am going to plan a Phuket trip sometime in late July - early August.  Doees anyone know if the gogo bars there are still there? The last time I went to Phuket, the one gogo bar there was pathetic.

If that goes well and they do decide to open up more cities to vaccinated folk without quarantine, then a trip to Pattaya and Chiang Mai would be my next plan in November. 

I'd like to at least go to Phuket as soon as possible, and if they do decide to not open it up in October to other cities, then I would have at least tried Phuket earlier. Like I said I've been wanting to go back all this time, and will go the earliest possible time without having to quarantine.

[spoon]

I believed after 7 days in phuket, u can go to other places in thailand. Sounds like a great option for those who will go on a longer trip.

[numazu]

Thanks @spoon, I was hoping this would be the case. If it is, I could see a million worse things than "quarantining" in Phuket, as long as you have free range to go everywhere in the city.

[W312312]

I am hoping to go around late November, bc I get a few extra days off for Thanksgiving here in the US. I’ve been vaccinated, the only thing making me pause right now is the flight schedules. My options are less than ideal right now, with 40-50 hrs of travel time involved to HKT, Lol. 

[Boy69]

3 hours ago, numazu said:

Doees anyone know if the gogo bars there are still there? The last time I went to Phuket, the one gogo bar there was pathetic.

Ghost town is more accurate term to describe the gay scene in Phuket , many years ago Paradise Complex at Patong beach was the gay area with some gogo bars and lively gay ambiance but even before the Covid crisis it was gone almost completely even the gay beach in Patong  desapeared long time ago. Nothing left for us there .sad.

[faranglaw]

Dear Husband and I are hoping to be in Thailand for three months starting at the end of November.  I was disappointed to read that the Thai government will still require quarantine at that time, as an earlier report had suggested they would end the requirement on July 1st.  I’m interested in reading about others’ experience with quarantine in Bangkok.  Although I share everyone’s frustration with the restrictions in both Thailand our home countries, I note that the countries that have done the best in managing COVID were the ones that locked down early and locked down hard.  New Zealand, Taiwan, and, yes, Thailand come to mind.  There is also a bubble in Canada; the Atlantic provinces have kept their citizens inside a four province bubble and kept others out.  They have very few cases, near zero. 

In early February, Canada instituted a three day $2,000+ hotel quarantine, when the Prime Minister got mad at Canadian snowbirds for traveling, so a bunch of us rushed back from wherever (DH and I were in Puerto Vallarta) before the hotel foolishness started.  Other than a pelican hitting our plane and taking out one of the engines, we got back OK despite some anxiety.  DH thought the row of Canadian Customs agents at YVR was hot.  I just wanted to get the fuck home, which we did, and quarantined happily there for the required two weeks.

If that hotel quarantine is still in place, we won’t be going to Thailand this year either. But I think enough of us will have been vaccinated by then that restriction will be lifted.  

[Guest]

6 hours ago, faranglaw said:

I’m interested in reading about others’ experience with quarantine in Bangkok. 

I did "14 day" quarantine in Bangkok.   15 nights, including transport from the airport, 3 meals a day and 2 covid tests for 50,000 baht.   3333 per day.

There were cheaper options at around 32,000 baht, but if confined to the room for 15 days, I need to be sure of quality.   I read of someone else booking a windowless room for the full quarantine period.

Despite being organized and breaking the day up by walking 5 miles a day, in the room, it does drag on a bit. 

Would I do 15 day quarantine again ?     

Well, yes, in the unlikely event that is required next winter and no other country has more favourable terms.   However, the most likely quarantine scenario is something between zero and "7-day", presumably 8 nights.  

Upon returning to the UK, I was required to quarantine at home for 10 days, due to stupid rules.   With a house, a garden and grocery deliveries from Sainsbury's, that was very easy. 

Here's another example of someone in quarantine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/05/horsing-around-australian-man-creates-paper-friend-out-of-lunch-bags-in-hotel-quarantine

[Boy69]

15 nights at BKK and another 10 days back home... to sacrifice 25 days for a vacation is too much for me I will pass.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Boy69 said:

15 nights at BKK and another 10 days back home... to sacrifice 25 days for a vacation is too much for me I will pass.

At home, I have a house a garden and an exercise bike.  The UK has loads of covid restrictions, so 10 days quarantine at home wasn't that different to normal life at home during covid.    So I don't count that 10 days as a problem.

The 15 nights of proper hotel quarantine in Bangkok was more difficult, but that enabled me to get 12 weeks of holiday in Thailand.   Escaping the UK winter and UK covid restrictions. 

Thailand had some restrictions due to an unexpected covid outbreak, but these were very minimal restrictions compared with the UK.    Other than for a couple of days, the restaurants, coffee shops and shops were open.  Unofficially, massage shops were open and one cold always get a beer at certain bars.  The phone apps worked as normal.  The beach was open the whole time.   Lots of sun.   No rain.   No freezing cold wind.  

Compare with the UK in lockdown !

So overall, that worked out & I'm happy to have done the quarantine and missed the UK winter.

With hindsight, I should have extended the holiday by another 6 weeks, as someone else has done.

 

Now with summer on the way and the UK heading towards reduced restrictions due to vaccination, I wouldn't take 15 nights quarantine.   

In the highly unlikely event that 15 days quarantine were required for the only tropical holiday option next December, I'd repeat the quarantine. 

 

 

[fedssocr]

Getting my vaccination at the end of this week. A lot will depend on travel rules. I am guessing masks will still be required on flights for a long time. Frankly flying 24-ish hours with a mask on doesn't sound like much fun to me. I'm guessing next year at the earliest for me for get to Asia. I'll probably go back to Taiwan first before China invades (hopefully).

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, fedssocr said:

I'll probably go back to Taiwan first before China invades (hopefully).

what this is supposed to mean ? you are itching to go to Taiwan or for China to invade , please clarify