The hard truth about traveling to Thailand
Only about three quarters of a year ago you could – even last minute – book a flight to Thailand and reserve a room in a hotel. In many cases you could get a stamp – an “Entry Permit” – in your passport on arrival and a few hours later you could be sitting on the beach with a drink in your hand. Now, several months later, a tourist visit to Thailand is very difficult, if not impossible, for most.
Pailin Chuchottaworn, head of the economic recovery steering group, emphasizes once again that the government must reopen the country to prevent the economy from collapsing. The lockdown has been eased six times, but that will not improve the situation unless the country reopens, but with precautions.
'Tourism is the face of Thailand'
Opinion: No matter how much the GDP of tourism is for Thailand, tourism is Thailand's face to the world. With this opinion, one Rick from Udon Thani sent a letter to Pattaya News, which published it on its Facebook page this morning.
Many thanks for the statements of support and advice on the first open letter. I'd like to show the sequel just to let others know how it doesn't end well.
Reader Submission: Open Letter to Those Concerned in the Thai Government
A Dutch translation of the open letter we sent to The Phuket News, among others, this letter was also posted on September 14, 2020.
September looks promising in Bangkok and given the increase in traffic, many roads are back to pre-Covid situations and I see restaurants catering to Thai customers busier again. Bangkok and the surrounding area is quite large and my question for readers living in Bangkok is whether they experience this as well?
Ministry of Finance stops transferring 5.000 baht assistance
The Ministry of Finance will stop transferring 5.000 baht assistance for the corona crisis at the end of this month. According to the ministry, more than 56.000 people have not received their payments due to remittance problems.
Domestic tourism for foreigners residing in Thailand
I regularly browse the internet to find interesting articles on all kinds of media and in newspapers, magazines and the like, which I can use to inform the readers of Thailandblog. As if there is no corona crisis time, I do indeed regularly come across tourist stories about unspoilt beaches with relaxing resorts, beautiful mountain walks, interesting bike rides, good and also exquisite restaurants and the like. Excellent material for people who are preparing a holiday in Thailand.
Whether or not compulsory medical insurance for foreigners?
The idea of mandatory medical insurance for foreigners in Thailand is not new. In 1992 the plan was to introduce this as a condition for a retirement visa.
In addition to existing corona measures, Schiphol has three new disinfection locations where travelers can disinfect their personal belongings, such as telephone, passport and keys, with UV-C light. Travelers will find the three so-called 'Sanitising Service' points at Schiphol Plaza, in Lounge 2 and between Arrivals 3 and 4. This means that visitors, arriving, departing and transferring travelers can use the service points.
Pattaya expects catastrophe due to foreign tourists staying away
Several leading Walking Street entrepreneurs, from seafood restaurants to bars, have warned of a "total collapse" of Pattaya's tourism industry if the Thai government no longer allows foreign tourists to enter the country.
Crisis? New ideas at Tulip House in Pattaya!
Today we spoke to Mathieu Corporaal of Tulip House at the Dutch Brigde Club Pattaya where we can play bridge three times a week.
Bank of Thailand: Commercial banks in Thailand are sound
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has confirmed that all commercial banks in the country are financially sound.
Budget airlines receive help from the Thai government
The Thai government will make 24 billion baht in loans, on favorable terms, available to airlines hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The condition is that no staff may be dismissed.
Schiphol is making significant losses, hundreds of jobs lost
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Royal Schiphol Group airports and for the aviation sector as a whole are unprecedented. In the first six months of 2020, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol recorded a 62,1% decrease in passenger numbers to 13,1 million (HY 2019: 34,5 million).
Bus companies, a forgotten group during the corna crisis
More than 100 tour buses are standing still on a piece of land off Sukhumvit Road near Boonsamphan and other places in the Pattaya area. But of the group, tour operators and drivers have been hit hardest by the corona virus. Thai tourists don't need buses and there are no more Chinese and Indian groups to fill them.
The Covid-19 crisis has hit the elderly in Thailand extremely hard. Seniors suffer the most from the massive decline in employment, which will force most to continue working beyond retirement age or fall into poverty.