News Forum - Countdown to February 1 – opening Thailand’s tourist floodgates?

[Thaiger]

The Test & Go program of the Thailand Pass is set to start again on February 1. Test & Go Version 2.0. In this reboot you will need to book an extra pre-paid SHA+ room, and PCR test, for Day 5 of your stay, in addition to the original version of Test & Go when you only had the one test and room booking on Day 1. Since December 22, when the original Test & Go program was shelved, the Sandboxes have filled the arrival void, with 7 days of SHA+ prepaid hotel bookings in a designated province or region […]

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[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

19 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The Test & Go program of the Thailand Pass is set to start again on February 1. Test & Go Version 2.0. In this reboot you will need to book an extra pre-paid SHA+ room, and PCR test, for Day 5 of your stay, in addition to the original version of Test & Go when you only had the one test and room booking on Day 1. Since December 22, when the original Test & Go program was shelved, the Sandboxes have filled the arrival void, with 7 days of SHA+ prepaid hotel bookings in a designated province or region […]

The story Countdown to February 1 – opening Thailand’s tourist floodgates? as seen on Thaiger News.

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The best way to expedite the opening of Thailand with restrictions similar to it's neighbor is to not participate in Test and Go. 

Anyone who goes through Test and Go after February 1st will only be reinforcing the belief that there is a demand. 

Sit tight and let your silence send the message. 

[WR2]

The mask requirement is the stupidest thing ever.  So I have to wear a mask outdoors, far from anyone else, never close to anyone long enough to possibly transit the virus, but as soon as I sit down inside a crowded restaurant I can take off my mask?  Stupid.  There's no scientific basis for an outdoor mask mandate, and that's not even considering that cloth masks are proven to be useless, and surgical masks nearly useless in any situation.  So yeah, count me as one of those who will not return until the outdoor mask wearing charade is over.

[palooka]

You can open the floodgates but there is no flood.

Think their are a lot fewer genuine tourists and that number is going to be spread over many more countries now.  Few families will take on the potential nightmare of Covid in a foreign country.  Few single people will risk Covid and a lot of hassles and bare entertainment for their trouble.

Thailand you are flogging a dead horse until  it is hassle free and the "entertainment" is open again and yes that may be "sex tourism" but it is money coming in. Go back to basics, it works.

[Manu]

8 minutes ago, WR2 said:

The mask requirement is the stupidest thing ever.  So I have to wear a mask outdoors, far from anyone else, never close to anyone long enough to possibly transit the virus, but as soon as I sit down inside a crowded restaurant I can take off my mask?  Stupid.  There's no scientific basis for an outdoor mask mandate, and that's not even considering that cloth masks are proven to be useless, and surgical masks nearly useless in any situation.  So yeah, count me as one of those who will not return until the outdoor mask wearing charade is over.

Understandable. If you cannot bear it, do not come, you will go mad. I see everyday situations beyond any human rationality. The maddest one, and it is a true story, happened a couple of weeks back, I saw a young couple with the mask on...doing some kayaking just off a quasi deserted beach. That alone is enough to drive you mad.

[Artemis080]

13 minutes ago, WR2 said:

The mask requirement is the stupidest thing ever. 

Actually, the most stupidest thing ever is tourists wandering around here thinking that the mask mandate is beneath them. So probably for the best.

[Fanta]

I am all for border closures, restrictions and steps taken to minimize the impact of Covid. That said, when compared to Singapore and other countries, some tourists considering a first time trip to Thailand must be concerned that the triple testing and mandatory accommodation requirements indicate a country with a Covid problem that after 2 years is still not under control or it’s just a blatant milking of the Covid cash cow. Compound this with the treatment of some tourists who have caught Covid in Thailand and it should make any buyer beware.

[Grumpish]

Floodgate? Dripping tap maybe.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

25 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Actually, the most stupidest thing ever is tourists wandering around here thinking that the mask mandate is beneath them. So probably for the best.

Having to wear a mask would be the least of my concerns.

[TiT]

I wouldn't mind wearing a mask indoors, but the outdoor thing is where I draw the line.

[Prosaap]

I dont mind the mask i stay here now need to go back about 3 weeks so when i come back i need a neg test before i fly one on arivial with a hotel night then i can go 5 day to my house then have to book a hotel 1 night with a test again if i have it or not have it i can return to my house i know most things not make sense to us and are clear for the genius thai people but this must even have them thinking it is weird

[Cabra]

Quarantine is quarantine. 1, 2, 7, 14 days... It's not a draw for anyone. The flood comes when quarantine ends. Simple.

[Saltire]

I personally think with alll the adverse pubicity of what hapens to a positive tested tourist, it will be more of a trickle.

Majority will be same as before, people who work, live or have Thai family.

Still more hoops than a box of Cheerios for me. I fancy a visit home but will wait till I am sure I can get back in first.

 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

Hope the Philippines opening is a resounding success, and Thailand might learn something. 

[JJJ]

Oh there’s only a few cases of people testing positive and getting ripped off by an unscrupulous hospitel? The total number of positive tourists has been quite small. But don’t worry nothing needs to be done about that. 

Meanwhile there’s thousands of arrivals and just a few supposedly positive tests where they couldn’t contact the person. (Somehow the Israeli guy miraculously rid himself of all traces of covid by pcr test in just a few days).

Yet arrivals need to pay hundreds extra for a 5th day hotel. Crush tourism and charge tourists for the governments own neurosis.  

If you’re a tourist, don’t come. Go somewhere that actually welcome you rather than measuring your wallet to see how much they can milk. 

[Jason]

When the Omicron surge comes, test and Go will be the first program to be suspended....again

[pascal]

well, Philippines will open the country next month as well, i do not know yet the conditions to entry, but if it is less hassle than Thailand i bet Philippines will collect a lot of tourists. this said the covid condition there are not really reassuring .

[yasar]

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Edited January 29 by KaptainRob
Please post in readable English, not copy paste of a translation.

[Sean1]

I really think that the Thailand Pass,additional testing on arrival&day 5 should be scrapped!

Simply arrive with your negative test/proof of vaccination&passport. Mask up as required and enjoy your holiday!

[vlad]

Feb 2nd TAT statement, due to the Successful roll out of our new Test & Go 10,000 tourists came through the Airport yesterday. A TAT  spokesman predicts 100,000 visitors before the start of March 555.

[LoongFred]

2 hours ago, JJJ said:

Oh there’s only a few cases of people testing positive and getting ripped off by an unscrupulous hospitel? The total number of positive tourists has been quite small. But don’t worry nothing needs to be done about that. 

Meanwhile there’s thousands of arrivals and just a few supposedly positive tests where they couldn’t contact the person. (Somehow the Israeli guy miraculously rid himself of all traces of covid by pcr test in just a few days).

Yet arrivals need to pay hundreds extra for a 5th day hotel. Crush tourism and charge tourists for the governments own neurosis.  

If you’re a tourist, don’t come. Go somewhere that actually welcome you rather than measuring your wallet to see how much they can milk. 

Where do you plan to stay? You need to stay somewhere so it might as well be the place where you get tested. I don't understand unless you sleeping on the beach or a cheap room. 

[Michael0510]

The pre-departure test should be an ATK. The test-on-arrival is ok. The test on day 5 doesn‘t make sense, especially as travelers have to stay in their hotel room again for hours. The test on day 5 is an indicator about local infections. 

 

[BIGGLES]

I've said many times on this forum that all these hoops, restrictions etc will not bring back tourist numbers in anything like the authorities  predict. What will is:

One negative PCR test taken in your country of departure.

Travel Insurance of your choice.

Money. 

Valid Passport.

ABSOLUTELY 100% NOTHING ELSE.

GOOD LUCK TO THE PHILIPPINES. 

Thai authorities, take your head out of your a..e and wipe the s..t from behind your ears and take note of the PHILIPPINES. 

[SkylineGTR82]

38 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Where do you plan to stay? You need to stay somewhere so it might as well be the place where you get tested. I don't understand unless you sleeping on the beach or a cheap room. 

From my side I can tell you that I am "forced" to spend the 5 days in Bangkok, for example. Why? Because I avoid tourist places and I mainly travel to Thailand to visit my friends again after almost 3 years. (Songkhla) And there is no SHA+ hotel or anything like that where I can do the 2nd test. That might work for the "normal" beach vacationer, but not for me. Nevertheless, I have booked for mid-February and really hope not to have a "bad" experience.

In retrospect, it was a big mistake on my part to postpone my flights and not to have entered the country on January 23rd. Especially since I had an approved Thailand Pass. However, I canceled due to the discussion about the January 10 deadline. So it would at least have been possible to do the 2nd test in Songkhla or Hat Yai. Bad luck...

Edited January 29 by SkylineGTR82

[palooka]

6 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Hope the Philippines opening is a resounding success, and Thailand might learn something. 

They'll learn that the tourists went the Phillipines instead and had a fantastic time.