Beach resort on Phuket
The Thai government has plans to gradually allow tourists back to Phuket. This mainly concerns hibernators. According to the Bangkok Post, many Thais are not enthusiastic about the plan, they are afraid that new Covid-19 infections will arise and that the Thai healthcare system will be overloaded.
The tourism industry, however, is urging the government to allow tourists back in. Phuket and Koh Samui in particular are begging the government to revive tourism. Entrepreneurs fear that otherwise many hotels will close permanently and mass layoffs will follow.
According to Tourism and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Phuket can serve as a test area for a cautious start of tourism. Foreign tourists must then remain in a designated area of about one square kilometer for 14 days before being allowed to move freely throughout the province. The tourists are allowed to travel to other areas in Thailand if they test negative for the virus after those 14 days. However, if they stay in another province, they must be quarantined for another seven days.
Foreigners who wish to travel to Phuket under these conditions must first obtain permission from the Thai embassy in the country of origin. They must test negative for Covid-72 19 hours prior to travel and hold US$100.000 (3,1 million baht) health insurance.
Foreign tourists are expected to be allowed to visit Thailand from October 1 and about 100.000 tourists are likely to use it.
Source: Bangkok Post
Yesterday in the Chiang Rai Times a report that a government spokesperson said that this will not be introduced for the time being. In order to stimulate the evonomy, Thais should go on holiday in their own country.
'A deputy government spokesperson said the Phuket Model of welcoming foreign tourists would not be implemented in the near future. The spokesperson also said Thai people should go on vacation to help the local economy.'
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/southern-thailand/no-green-light-for-phuket-model-allowing-foreign-tourists-into-thailand/
“Thai people should go on vacation to help the local economy” ??? With what money? Their economy is in tatters. Many factories closed, less employment, many Thais have large current loans for their beautiful new cars and houses, sometimes far beyond their means, etc…. And the wealthy Thais go on leave elsewhere anyway and know the political way to avoid quarantine.
I don't think tourists will use it en masse. The feeling of freedom is precisely one of the experiences sought in a vacation. For the many stranded 'farang' abroad, I think it is a good opportunity, depending on the price tag, to finally be able to go home. At least that applies to me. There is a recent government ruling that returnees (with a place of residence in Thailand and a Visa past) will be given preference if this continues.
We shall see!
I don't think many people will come to Thailand with the conditions that are now being set (if it's all right because they often change their mind there).
Anyway, I'll wait a while.
Dear Mark,
You are crazy if you still want to travel to Thailand under these conditions (quarantine, costs, paperwork, etc.).
Furthermore, traveling is a risk of becoming infected.
I would just stay where you are and in a while you will have a vaccine and then you can go wild again.
I've been in Thailand for ages and I'm not complaining, but I will be in line for the vaccine in due course.
Piet
Dear Piet, Before you stand in line to take that vaccine, I advise you to first look at YouTube again: Research into the HORROR ingredients of the covid vaccine. I think that at this moment you still think that the government and the pharmaceutical industry have your best interests at heart, but believe me that the government/politicians and pharmaceuticals do not care about your health. It's about POWER and MONEY and for those people you are exactly the good believing sheep. I'm sorry to say this and I have nothing personal against you. Open your eyes.
Assuming that most Thai people already living in Thailand have never taken a Covid-19 test, I don't quite understand this fear for incoming tourism.
Unlike the Thai resident, only returning Thai and tourists are required to quarantine and submit to further strict controls.
The vast majority of Thai residents who have never made or seen an actual test are already allowed to drive freely throughout the country to support the tourism industry, which in my view is a much greater risk than those few tourists who now only enter the country under strict measures and multiple checks.
They won't see me on those terms, although we are there every year before the winter, very unfortunate
A LOT of Thais not enthusiastic? I wouldn't know what kind of Thais they are? The ones who have enough money, surely? The bars, the hotels, the catering industry and everything that revolves around it is in ruins. Tourism… I don't think I need to go into this further. The ministers here... same idiots as in Belgium, the 14 day quarantine, who will agree to come to Thailand if you even have 1 month of vacation, for example? I have friends who came from Belgium and therefore went through 14 days of quarantine because they had not seen their family for 5 months, and even have a home here, which is simply absurd. That they do a test here upon arrival and that they know where you live, right? We won't talk about the costs of the hotel you have to stay in, right?
Well,
Something has to be done, because here in Chiang Mai it is doom and gloom.
According to my wife, at least 1 in 6 people in our street is unemployed.
In the “City” as they call it, many shutters are closed
There's just nothing left. The big blow falls in September (according to experts) and that is short.
Why is a Corona test not enough if you visit Thailand soon and then wait in a safe hotel where you will hear the results. If the test shows that you do not have Corona, then travel freely. Based on current plans, I would have to quarantine for a month as I usually travel to Bangkok and Hua Hin. Clearly too much of a good thing for a stay of 2 months. Unfortunately….
That is probably why there are demonstrations in various cities against the corona measures and the paralysis of tourism. How many people live directly and indirectly from tourism in Thailand who are now unemployed and have to continue without state support?
I think that all those rules from the Thai authorities (read government) mainly have to do with "weighty doings" and status. The ordinary man / woman in TL is hit hard by the corona pandemic, but this government is mainly there to feed the very wealthy Hi So upper layer.
What exactly the real motives are will undoubtedly remain a question.
Even my partner, who normally doesn't talk much about the government, clearly has doubts about the right decisions.
The “doctor” who calls out not to let tourists in, of course has sufficient income, just like the others who are mainly against it.
I had hoped to be able to "work from home" during quarantine, so that I could organize my intended wedding for 3 weeks afterwards.
Just hadn't taken into account that a work permit also seems to be required for that.
This will not continue with that, so keep biting on. If it turns out that there is still no money coming in, it will open more “automatically”.
The article above talks about:
hold US$100.000 (3,1 million baht) health insurance.
Does anyone have any idea if a Dutch health insurance policy meets that US $100.000 requirement.
Should something extra be taken out there?
But where?
hold US$100.000 (3,1 million baht) health insurance
The Dutch insurance is not of much use to you. There is no special corona insurance and no numbers that they want to see. I have taken out world insurance with an amount for which you are insured, additional document for corona. They want to see numbers and Dutch insurance is unlimited, so no numbers.
Previously, responses have been posted on this forum from readers who have received an insurance statement from their Dutch health insurer in which the Covid risk is covered up to the stated amount. In a conversation with the embassy in The Hague, I was confirmed that there are numerous insurers that do this.
Unfortunately, my insurer (AON with Zilveren Kruis as risk carrier) did not get much further than the meaningless statement that all risks are covered. Since the embassy found this insufficient, I went to an insurer who does issue the statement. Of course this is a waste of money. With a view to January 1, I want to switch insurer. I wonder if there are readers whose health insurance company has issued a statement that meets the requirements of the Thai government. Does anyone have experience with the OHRA?
I would like to take advantage of this. I have insurance for a visa for one year. Don't spend money for my pleasure. But just think that way as long as I'm with my family again. However, for example, you are not told which airline you can fly with. And talking about small groups. Then I think I already know. Everything programmed on Thai Airways. If I still have a flight owed and can fly for free. It will be complicated before a holiday. For holidaymakers, in but not yet out. First a health declaration and test and payment.
Do not worry. Thai Airways goes bankrupt.
The fear of the (barely present) virus is apparently so deep that people are willing to die for other reasons (poverty, suicide).
Preferably no tourists and rice on the plate; rather no street protests because the virus can spread there.
I have never heard such collective nonsense in my life.
Thailand (read Prayut) can want anything, but the population really notices that there are no 40 million tourists and with them the necessary money. It is estimated that 20% of GDP comes from the tourism sector (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand), that money is now largely disappearing and that certainly has an impact and the longer it takes, the worse it gets.
The Thais can go on holiday as often as they want, but they will never make up for staying away from foreigners (in a financial sense). Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world, with Phuket and Pattaya receiving 10 million visitors a year. That golden egg is really not going to destroy Thailand.
I see it mostly as political. The government seems to want to show off nice figures (which are completely unbelievable, but good). If there is (hopefully) a vaccine or medicine next year, the tourists (and baht they bring) will be welcomed again with love.