Answered6 years ago
What are the current challenges and sentiments regarding visa policies and quarantine rules for tourists in Thailand?
Answer summary
The discussion centers around the impact of quarantine measures on tourism in Thailand, with many expressing doubt that changes to visa policies will significantly improve tourist interest until quarantine is significantly reduced or eliminated. Several comments highlight concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the challenges faced by travelers, including a lack of options for visa runs and the complexities of travel amidst health restrictions. Opinions vary on the effectiveness of the Thai government's response compared to other countries, with some indicating a willingness to visit if vaccination policies are updated.
76 repliesnewest first
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Joann ********************
I wonder if anything will change for the people who get the vaccination prior to going to Thailand
Gabe ********
doubt that
Seán *******
@Joann *******************
Sure hope so 🤞Joann ********************
@Seán ******
me too. Seán *******
Thailand has done a much better job than Europe and USA protecting its citizens and business. I would feel a lot safer traveling in Thailand that Ireland as our response has been pathetic. Good to see logical steps to return to tourism but 14 days ASQ would put me off combined with All the other hooppes to be jumped through if Were reduced Streamline requirements and extended automatically visa to 60 then I will book a trip. Missing the land of smiles 💔
Tony ********
Why would you bother especially when it's also so difficult to leave even to a neighbouring country for a visa run you can't do
Joe ******
Brian *********
Wake up the world is in this together, if you want to penalise us ,watch this space.its your loss
William *******
Now they need to stop allowing bribes so that corrupt factory owners can sneak van loads of migrant workers in with no testing or quarantine. May stop the new flare ups , just my opinion though 555
Jeremy *********
That will fix it .
Kool *******
Stay up to date. All New Years celebrations in Bangkok have been cancelled, as of three days ago. Pattaya just cancelled theirs yesterday.
Luke *******
**************************************************************************
Jay *******
I hear they had another bad covid breakout...
Rob ******
@Jay ******
Its not a breakout . Its a test , Thailand now has decided to test , verses the previous decision to just not record . Its so the people will vaccinate when its offered .
Martin *********
@Rob *****
lol. Exactly. Now they are testing all of a sudden their finding covid
Steve *************
@Rob *****
absolutely correct....it’s all part of the plan-Demic....
Ivan ************
@R**
they have done 1.36 million tests. They almost all come back negative, Thailand has one of the lowest positive rates in the world.Rob ******
@Ivan ***********
They were telling me that in Phuket too.None here while my friend was sick , never appeared as a number . Trust me it’s called selected non testing / non recording .
Chris *********************
@Jay ******
yes 2 people in my provenance has the new strain my daughter's school has closed early looking like a lock down 
Diana *****************
@Jay ******
follow Richard Barrow on fb
Wietse *********
@Jay ******
on a thai shrimp market,they blamed illigal migrants for thatCarl ********
Still won’t make any difference. They can change the visa as much as they like but until the quarantine is gone or max 5 days 95% of tourists will stay away and go else where!
Ruth *******
@Carl *******
And some of us will go to Thailand specifically because they are taking proper precautions. We will go, not just for a short visit, but to stay for longer periods of time.Ruth *******
My reading skills are quite fine, thank you. You made a general comment about tourists. Meanwhile, you’re just a big whiner. If you don’t want to go to Thailand within their restrictions, I’m thinking maybe it’s just not the place for you.
Carl ********
@Ruth ******
you know nothing. What a ridiculous pointless comment! Carl ********
@Ruth ******
if you can read, then I’m sure you will see that this feed is about visa on entry! 
Karim ***************
OP@Carl *******
you’re in the U.K. right? Aren’t you f**king sick of the Boris and his Merry men yet? I would do 30 days quarantine to not have to endure even a week in the U.K.! I’ve been back 3 weeks and I don’t know how you’ve all put up with a year of this bs here. Yep, quarantine is an inconvenience. If you don’t want to spend too much for it because the expense, there are cheap options. But the moment you’re out and free in the land of smiles, definitely will feel worth it. Anyway each to their own... I’m getting away from this hell hole and going back asap
Graham *********
Its all geard to make hotels money....simple test on leaving home country then test again on arrival if they wont then say every 3 days for 15 if they wont so easy all the paper work they wont is crazy
Greg ********
@Graham ********
you have no clue. DelusionalCarl ********
@Robert ********
you have proved nothing... you did not answer my question because you know I’m right! 
Robert *********
@Carl *******
try to stay on topic if you want to respond to me. You said hotels were charging 4 times the nightly rate. I just proved you have no idea what you are taking about. Carl ********
@Karim **************
well surely people should be given the option. Maybe you wouldn’t want to be but im sure many would be! But of Course individual rooms means double money no? Listen we all have our opinions and I’ve spent lots of time in Thailand in the last 9 years and I love the country it’s a magical place but I know how they work. So don’t try and kid me. My point is about the article you shared but people like to come and twist shit. Facts are 15 days quarantine is the key to tourists not going. Have a good night! Karim ***************
OP@Carl *******
you’re in a room for 2 weeks. Do you really want to be in a room with someone else for so long? Do you really want to wank in the same shower?? After your first test, you can go to an outdoor area, while social distancing and see your friend.Carl ********
@Karim **************
haha ok. So what about if it’s two friends who live together? Why can they not share? Karim ***************
OP@Carl *******
you can if you’re married. Thai culture doesn’t like sex before marriage so if unmarried, it’s frowned upon. They do usually give you connected rooms if you’re unmarried.Carl ********
@Robert ********
can you explain to me why two people living in the same house can not share a room? Robert *********
@Carl *******
you have no idea what you are talking about re: hotel rates. Any where from 12-24k baht of the asq hotel fee goes to the hospital and medical staff that they have aligned with to provide the mandatory testing and any medical services. Or did you think that was all free?Do some math and figure out the nightly rate that actually goes to the hotel.
Steve *********
@Carl *******
actually only about 10-15 percent more if you include your food if you eat room service everyday... Lol but who would do that..Carl ********
@Greg *******
how is he delusional? They’re charging 4x the price a night for hotels than in high season and may I add basic hotels too Graham *********
@Greg *******
taxiCarl ********
@Graham ********
I agree and that shows in how you can’t share a room. Graham *********
@Carl *******
..yes cash cow not anything else
Jeff *******
@Carl *******
yepCarl ********
@Jeff ******
surely they will realise this soon 😂 or will they haha Jeff *******
have to admit, the vast majority of tourists i've met are dipshits, so Thailand is lucky i'm not in charge. i'd send e'm ALL to Dubai.
Carl ********
@Jeff ******
I disagree. Dubai is full with tourists! so many people are ready and waiting to travel or go on holiday! The virus isn’t keeping people away the quarantine is.Jeff *******
@Carl *******
nope. can't blame 'em for trying. a lot of people will stay home anyway even if they can go with no quarantine. some are wary of virus, and some are wary of their now-empty bank accounts.
Daniel ******
@Carl *******
agreed Carl ********
@Daniel *****
it’s madness! Take Dubai for instance... no quarantine and its full with tourists!
Giorgio ******
@Oliver *******
That is exactly what I' ve been telling people for months , nobody noticed the village's crematorium being overloaded . Clearly meaning no overdying!Carl ********
@Karim **************
what a whopper you are. We all know why you need to quarantine in Thailand don’t we haha Karim ***************
OP@Carl *******
ok I’ll shut up and let you keep throwing your toys out the pram 😘😘Carl ********
@Karim **************
who’s moaning you 🤡 I’m clearly stating a fact to something you’ve shared. If you don’t like it then don’t share. Idiot. Karim ***************
OP@Carl *******
what are you actually trying to get at? If you want to go enjoy Cancun or Dubai... Go. If Thailand has pissed you off with their quarantine requirements, boycott them. I don’t need to see people constantly moaning and say where else is a better option... If it’s not for you anymore, get over it and go some here else.Oliver ********
@Carl *******
no it doesn't. the ratio of hospitalizations and deaths to cases is quite constant. if nobody is getting sick and nobody is dying, then very few people if any are infected. you can't hide covid.Carl ********
@Oliver *******
and just so you know I agree that if you do not have symptoms you should not have a test, but that means far more people have the virus than they’re letting on! Oliver ********
@Carl *******
thailand has done +200 tests for every 1 positive test result. the first person in the group will (normally) have symptoms but then they test each and every person with any connection to that person, regardless of whether they have symptoms. very few countries in the world come close to doing this number of tests for every 1 positive case.Carl ********
@Oliver *******
you’ve just said the system in Thailand works like this “tested with symptoms” ONLY! So people who are carriers and do not get symptoms are free to walk around spreading! These are your words. You’ve confirmed what we all knew. Oliver ********
@Carl *******
if there were millions of people with covid in thailand, tens of thousands would be being hospitalized, and hundreds would be dying every day. there is none of the latter and hasn't been for 6 months.Oliver ********
@Carl *******
as soon as a few people have covid, one of them will have symptoms, that's when the tracing and testing kicks in. there is no sense testing everyone every day when there is nobody with symptoms.Carl ********
@Oliver *******
so as you’ve just put.. they only “test symptoms” hahaha so basically *****
0s of people walking around Thailand with covid. Thank you for confirming Carl ********
@Oliver *******
are you thick? You don’t need symptoms to carry covid you idiot! What a moron! Oliver ********
@Carl *******
they haven't been tested because they haven't been sick with covid symptoms, and they don't live in / work in / visit the same places as people who have tested positive. if they had they would have been tested. that is how a proper testing regime works. why is it so difficult to comprehend?Carl ********
@Oliver *******
I’m going on what they and there friends say. They don’t know anyone who’s been tested! Tell me why that is? I will trust locals over someone like you 😉Oliver ********
@Carl *******
ok, if "someone" told you it must be true. the reality the rest of us living in thailand are experiencing must be imaginary.Greg ********
@Carl *******
Tell us your super contact. Cite your source or you are a liar. You know knowtCarl ********
@Oliver *******
I speak daily to someone in Thailand and have done all year and there words is zero tests! Believe what you like but you can’t fool me
Oliver *************
@Oliver *******
Agree They Don't Really Want Tourists Back I Agree Oliver ********
@Carl *******
thailand has done over a million tests. for every positive case they have done another +200 tests, which is more than almost any other country in the world. if a country has any meaningful number of infections, they will have hospitalizations and deaths too.Carl ********
@Oliver *******
again I disagree! All I will say is if you don’t test there will be no cases. I’m is testing 100,000s a day which is why there are so many cases! Carl ********
@Andy *****
exactly mate. 
Andy ******
@Carl *******
same situation in Zanzibar. It is packed with tourists and everyone is happy. Oh, and can you believe it - no morgues filled with bodies and no hospitals overflowing with CoVID patients. Strange innit?Greg ********
@Carl *******
it is about risk aversion. Thailand is more risk averse. The people agree with this policy. So? Oliver ********
@Carl *******
thailand could have formed travel bubbles with other asian countries that had the virus under control since 6 months ago if they really wanted tourists back. the reality is they don't. public opinion and the government prefer strict border controls and that will likely continue to be the case until the virus has been controlled globally.Carl ********
@Greg *******
it’s not about market... my point is that no quarantine means tourists! Cancun is rammed with tourists too, why? Because there is no quarantine! Greg ********
@Carl *******
Not the same market demographic thoughActivity
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