Thailand tourism situation

[buksida]

Right, all though the place was blacked out when I drove up there at the weekend, they have all looked forward to finally being able to open again, and now the carrot has been painfully snatched away again. Its not just bars and restaurants, many hotels will be bankrupted by this latest lockdown - February is usually the busiest time of the year (at least where we are) and the cancellations are already flooding in.

You know exactly what's coming next, provincial travel ban/curfew/alcohol ban.

[Big Boy]

I've been to Cha-Am for a meeting this morning. We decided to do lunch on the beach. 23rd December, and it was deserted.

268522052_263360802384005_3368161130087798230_n.jpg (130.86 KiB) Viewed 1239 times

[Dannie Boy]

I’m sure it will be busy by the weekend!!

[hhinner]

As I understand it, all the foreign tourists likely to come for Christmas and New Year would likely have had their Thailand Pass etc approved before the suspension. So all that would stop them coming could be home country restrictions, such as quarantine. And maybe flight cancellations.

[Big Boy]

Yes, I've been there close to Christmas other years, and it hasn't been deserted. I agree it will be full by the weekend, but not with overseas tourists.

[Dannie Boy]

Yes, I've been there close to Christmas other years, and it hasn't been deserted. I agree it will be full by the weekend, but not with overseas tourists.

Cha Am beach is far more popular with Bangkokians than tourists

[Big Boy]

I'm not disagreeing, but there should be a lot more overseas tourists by now.

It's usually Thais in the cheap seats + me, and bright red, unwashed farangs on the more expensive sun beds.

[PeteC]

It will be a hot time on the old island tonight! Great YouTube material if anyone films it all.

Tourists flock to Koh Phangan for New Year’s beach party

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/events/ ... each-party (A few photos at link)

Expats and tourists are flocking to Koh Phangan for the legendary Full Moon Countdown New Year’s party on Haad Rin Beach, packing ferries and overwhelming some in the tourism industry after a quiet two years due to the pandemic. While many hostels and hotels remain shuttered, those that are open are reporting to be sold out and in some cases overbooked as travellers who waited until the last minute are paying premium prices of upwards of 10,000 baht for a room for the night.

Raja Ferry, transporting people from Donsak pier on the mainland in Surat Thani, has been packed with tourists. Not only were most of the seats taken, about half of the people on board had to sit on the ground. There was no room for social distancing. Most people took off their masks as it was so hot inside the ferry. And there was no Covid-19 check to get on the island.

Authorities said that to access the main party, the Full Moon Party Countdown on Haad Rin Beach, proof of vaccination or a negative result from an ATK test is needed. Those unable to provide proof will be given an antigen test kit to take on the spot for a fee of 200 baht. That said, there are already thousands of people inside the party zone at the hotels, hostels and resorts along the beach. Hotel owners have not been given any information on how authorities plan to test those people.

The party itself will charge a 200 baht admission fee to enter the beach zone, with the money being used as always to pay for beach cleanups after.

Tomorrow morning’s cleanup may be extra tough though after a bizarre new rule introduced by town authorities banning the reusable buckets that Full Moon Party is famous for and allowing only single-use disposable cups. Normally by 2 am, locals begin collecting buckets from the beach, sanitising them, and reselling them to bars to be reused for the next party, but tonight may see loads of additional disposable plastic littering the beach and sea.

The party is officially allowed to run until 1 am, though local authorities have said that only music must end then, and drink sales and consumption can continue. If last night was any indication, the partying will continue until morning. Street vendors selling buckets and food as well as small bars off the beach continued to operate well into the night last night, while music had to be turned down for the seating and bucket sellers on the beach.

A number of parties around the island also went on last night without incident seeing throngs of people, with popular events like OXA Beach forced to close their entrance gate early after a much higher turnout than expected.

Spirits are high with tourists bursting with excitement for the party tonight and local vendors emerging from a nearly 2 year long hibernation, thrilled to see customers back on the island.

[Ratsima]

I have a friend who lives in Hawaii with his Thai wife. They usually visit Thailand this time of year. Not this year. Too much trouble and expense and too difficult to figure out just what the requirements are. He said, "Maybe June".

BTW - Cha Am has been quite busy beginning yesterday. Today most of the beach parking spots were occupied. The place I normally have coffee in the morning (Raya Cafe) was completely empty yesterday, but quite a few tables occupied today.

[Nereus]

I guess that these people wil not be back again:

'You joking?': Woman's Thailand holiday turns to quarantine horror

https://au.news.yahoo.com/you-joking-wo ... 50654.html

A UK woman's trip to Thailand turned into a holiday nightmare after she returned a positive coronavirus test and was immediately whisked away to hotel quarantine.

TikTok user Megan Meeke and her partner Dyl Murray arrived in Bangkok the day before New Year's Eve, doing a PCR test on arrival.

"[We] were told our PCR on arrival were inconclusive then positive but no one speaks English," she said in the TikTok.

"We were in an ambulance [and] now have to quarantine for 10 days... what is happening?"

Unsure how much it will cost

Ms Meeke, who documents her travels on Instagram and TikTok, has been detailing her hotel stay, admitting she's not sure how much their quarantine will cost.

"I've asked them a couple of times how much [hotel quarantine] is going to cost and they just laugh and walk away," Ms Meeke said in an Instagram story.

"We're trying to get in touch with our insurance and the embassy."

She also said when they needed more water they had to pay in cash and it couldn't be added to the bill.

"We literally got taken from the plane to the situation right here," she said. "I have no cash."

In a comment, Ms Meeks said they had been approved to visit Thailand before the trip.

"I was negative leading up to this trip but it's the risk you take I guess," she said.

Ms Meeks and her partner are scheduled to leave hotel quarantine on January 10.

Thailand reintroduces hotel quarantine

Thailand reinstated hotel quarantine for international travellers on December 21, suspending their Exemption from Quarantine (Test and Go) entry scheme for tourists.

The Sandbox program — which allows vaccinated visitors to travel to Thailand provided they stay within a designated area — has also been paused in all destinations except for Phuket.

[Big Boy]

Exactly. this is why I've been telling every potential visitor that they are bonkers even thinking about coming. We had a few that ignored me last month and generally had a good time, but were hit with a few hidden costs. I'm pleased to say this month's arrivals are not coming, despite a couple already having their Thailand pass.

[Ratsima]

'You joking?': Woman's Thailand holiday turns to quarantine horror

I very much wanted to visit the US this year: relatives and friends unseen for a few years and a 50 year university reunion. But, as Big Boy notes, you'd have to be bonkers to even try to plan international travel for any time in the near future. I'm really not interested in unexpectedly landing in an expensive, alcohol-free, stay-in-the-room-all-day, hotel quarantine. I guess I'm not desperate enough to take the chance.

[Dannie Boy]

'You joking?': Woman's Thailand holiday turns to quarantine horror

I very much wanted to visit the US this year: relatives and friends unseen for a few years and a 50 year university reunion. But, as Big Boy notes, you'd have to be bonkers to even try to plan international travel for any time in the near future. I'm really not interested in unexpectedly landing in an expensive, alcohol-free, stay-in-the-room-all-day, hotel quarantine. I guess I'm not desperate enough to take the chance.

Although to put it into context, up until just a couple of weeks ago, travel to Thailand was looking like an overnight stay in a hotel and subject to a clear PCR test you were free to travel anywhere in Thailand. There was even suggestions that these restrictions could be reduced further, but then Omicron hit the headlines and everything changed.

We all have to wait and see what happens with Omicron over the next month or so, to determine whether it does prove to be less of a concern or not. Understandably, nobody wants to travel when severe restrictions are in place, but also, people are desperate to travel as soon as circumstances allow. When that might be is still too early to determine, but if 2022 becomes that year, I’ll be amongst the many rejoicing.

[buksida]

Also had plans to return to the U.K. this summer. All up in the f'kin air now.

[Big Boy]

On the bright side, Soi 94 regularly has tourists walking 4 and 5 abreast + a few motorcycle novices are trying to replicate Thai motorcycle 'skills'.

On the downside, the average lone traveller is not at too much risk of finding themselves in financial difficulty. Maybe sit in the wrong seat on a plane and have to pay for a quarantine hotel for a period out of their own pocket i.e. I believe Covid insurance covers the victim, but not a stranger sat within a certain range.

My warning is because of hidden costs to family groups. I will use a group of 4 who visited us just before Christmas as an example. They had saved for several years to afford the trip, and were travelling on a shoestring. Every added 'unseen' is multiplied by 4. Within hours of arrival they were informed of the need for an unpublished test before they go home at a cost of 4,000฿ (OK, better research would have told them the need, but the Thai Embassy kindly gave them a list of requirements to visit Thailand. It did not mention requirements to leave Thailand). They were confident they'd jumped through the hoops. To my friend, that was not just 4,000฿, but 16,000฿. A huge chunk out of the family's holiday budget.

All of the time they are here, they are watching the news - will the UK bring in mandatory quarantine when they get home? I think that would cost somewhere in the region of £10,000. If any of them catch Covid, the other 3 will most likely be quarantined at their own cost, plus they'll probably miss their flights home, and have to re-book at their own cost.

It just isn't the way people should have to act when they've saved hard, and should be enjoying themselves. Of course, that is without a few added tricks like Thailand sending the Gestapo out to shut down bars on NYE.

Yes, most people will have a fantastic time whilst here, but that bloody great elephant won't leave the room.

My friends are currently in Omicron Central (Isaan), praying they can make it home unscathed.

As I say, bonkers to even consider it at the moment.