After months of closed borders, the Kingdom of Thailand has welcomed back its first group of international tourists…41 travelers from Shanghai.
Thailand Reopens To Tourism
These travelers obtained new 90-day visas from Thailand, called STVs or Thailand Special Tourist Visas.
As I shared about earlier this month, these visas are not for stays up to 90 days, but stays of 90 days or more (the visa is extendable to 180 and 270 days). Indeed, the Kingdom is looking for extended visitors, not tourists looking for a weekend in Bangkok or a week in Koh Samui.
The hurdles are high to obtain this visa, including:
- Mandatory 14-day quarantine upon presentation of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival
- Proof of booking a 90+ day stay in Thailand
- The first 14 days must be booked in a government-approved “alternate quarantine” hotel or resort – full list here (.pdf)
- Arriving in Thailand on a chartered flight
- Criminal background check
- At least $100,000 in medical insurance
1,200 visas per month are being offered at a cost of only about $65. Once your 14-day quarantine is over, you are free to move about the country, but your movement will be tracked by mobile phone.
Will Thailand’s New Tourism Plan Work?
I mocked the plan in the past, but I can see Thailand still attracting about 1,200 people per month under this program. Many readers have shared they have second homes in Thailand, where the cost of living is far cheaper and quality of life high.
Long-term, though, I continue to believe that Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy will need short-term visitors. This plan is great for the rich or for pensioners, but I hope we will one day reach a point where a negative COVID-19 test before and after arrival will be enough.
CONCLUSION
Thailand has re-opened to tourism…every so slightly. It’s a positive sign, to be sure, but the qualifications remain a bit much, particularly a mandatory 14-day quarantine after a negative test and a minimum stay of 90 days. As civil unrest builds momentum, re-opening the nation may be the best policy to defuse protests.
As Thailand reopens to tourism, are you planning a visit?
The chances of any of those 41 people — or anybody else — actually being motivated by “tourism” under this ridiculous program is exceptionally low. The picture above isn’t any of them, because they are all stuck in quarantine for 14 days. Nobody is subjecting themselves to this to go to the beach for a rest.
The requirements look preposterous but may in fact suit some people. For example it gives those contemplating a retirement to Thailand entry to the country ( it’s possible to apply for a retirement visa from inside Thailand, including while there on a tourist visa). So for those people it could make some sense.
The insurance requirement is likely to be a permanent, mandatory requirement. It has long been a problem that visitors without insurance run up bills at local hospitals and then ‘do a runner’ without paying ( although some question the extent of this loss, suggesting that the major problem involves labourers from Myanmar and Cambodia, injured on uninsured building sites, etc).
I won’t be using this program, as I only ever want to stay for a week or two max, enroute to/from somewhere else…and that’s not possible under this scheme….
On one level Thailand appears to done well in its COVID response but it remains quite exposed via the porous border with Myanmar. It could yet see a major spread.
OMG Thailand government is full of idiots and dumbs . How can you come with such a stupid thing like quarantine after negative test and staying more than 99 days? They are out of their Covid mind. Good luck with that BS plan, meanwhile we’ll take our $$$ to Mexico.
For your information Sir… Their government officials aren’t idiots nor dumbs. The Kingdom of Thailand is indeed CoVID-19 FREE. The reason why they re-opened tourism is that… Well in my opinion as an entrepreneur student in college, is because they want to recoup the incomes that the tourism industry had lost after the closing of all industrial service sectors.
I’m married to a Thai national and been coming to Thailand for more the 2 decades will I come back to Thailand with my hard earned cash only to spend it for 14 days in a Prison not a chance good luck to you all I will remain in England thanks
Your and idiot if that is what you believe. The Thai government make minimum revenue from tourism due to it being a cash mostly industry. The people it affects mostly are the ones reliant on tourism to provide for their families in the provinces. A government that neglects its people.
The Thai government will never recoup the lost revenue from the country being shut down. These so called tourists from China are just a drop in a bucket. Last year Thailand had 39 million arrivals at all it’s airports.
U are a total numpty
Only because China have told Thailand what to do
Lets stop and think for just a minute. The requirements are vast, however, this thing about being monitored by mobile phone app is a farce! All the carrier or ownee has to do is, take out the sim and through it. Throw the phone in the trash, or just simply turn it OFF. Ankle bracelets or injectable location device more particle. Now comes the good part, who will provide the actual tracking and monitoring service and what cost of technology and manpower is required at what cist to provide this service. I monitor 100 fleet units and my team of 15 monitoring specialist do a hyper job with a lit of demands on them. How to monitor millions.
Thailand is NOT covid 19 free
I could not agree more. Who want quarantined then your movements tracked. So funny it wasnt true
The details in this article are not complete and several of the requirements are not listed properly. Anyone interested should check with the Thai Embassy in your country for the proper requirements and also to determine if your country is even accepted under this visa
Why the hell didn’t they do this from March???
Funk it then
I want to come for 2 months , would be nice if is enough just the test without quarantine 14 days
Das ganze ist doch ein schwachsinn. China hat ein Reiseverbot für seine Staatsbürger über den Winter. Diese Leute aus Shanghai waren die ersten und die letzten dieses Jahr. In Europa sind mittlerweile fast alle Länder Risikoländer und die können nicht einreisen. Australien hat ein Ausreiseverbot. Es können nicht einmal Personen einreisen die Familie und Besitz hier haben.
Das ganze ist doch ein schwachsinn. China hat ein Reiseverbot für seine Staatsbürger über den Winter. Diese Leute aus Shanghai waren die ersten und die letzten dieses Jahr. In Europa sind mittlerweile fast alle Länder Risikoländer und die können nicht einreisen. Australien hat ein Ausreiseverbot. Es können nicht einmal Personen einreisen die Familie und Besitz hier haben.
This is a joke. You know how many millions of tourists contributed a big portion to Thailands GDP?? Think it was 40 million visitors pre Covid. My wife and I have been separated for months and with no end in sight. I have the ability to go back and forth many times a year. I worked up to the point where I could stay 4-6 weeks per stay. Have a condo in Bangkok and a house about 4 hours north of Bangers in the sticks. The economy has been decimated but the ruling class does not give a toss. Theres no way I am jumping though all these hoops and be a prisoner in a hotel room for 14 days. By the way, a decent hotel will cost you over $2,000. Combine that with the hugely expensive “govt sponsored” flights, then its a non starter.
The political woes will not go away anytime soon. Thailand is a semi fascist state. The F word get banded about way too casually. We in the West havent a clue unless you have seen it up close and lived under it. The General “elected” is a clueless tyrant who doesnt care about the populace and the King is a total fuckwit who never had to graft one day in his life.
Bangkok is dead beyond dead. The only silver lining is that, in the recent past, the tourism industry has bounced back and has proven to be VERY resilient. Thailand is a great place for a holiday. Its fun, its cheap, the food is great and the tourism infrastructure is there but the Thai ruling class always manages to shoot itself in the foot. I should rephrase that as they really dont get hurt/damaged. Its the poorer folks that feel the brunt.
Trust me, the lower classes are really feeling the pain now. The Thai people have always had enough to eat as things tend to grow nicely there. The types of fruit are off the charts. theres stuff I have never seen!!! The situation is getting dire now. When people have nothing to lose, they tend to take chances.
If the no good King stays in Thailand, all bets are off. If he goes back to Germany where he spends most of his time, things might calm down. The Germans will take a dim view of him ordering/playing in a part in any type of civilian protester massacre.
There are suggestions that these Chinese “tourists” are actually diplomats rotating into their consulate and embassy positions. Or Chinese business people on an extended buying trip.
Definitely not anyone who meets the definition of tourist
From America I have made several 30 day trips to Thailand(specificly Pattaya).
The working class people of Thailand don’t deserve this. Either possible covid subjection(no immediate tourist testing) or starve to death. Give me a 45 day visa with a 14 day quarantine and ” I’ll be back”.
Let them go bankrupt,Not many tourist’s will take advantage of this offer The Philippines is now open,and none of the crazy hoops to jump through!!!
I ve been to Thailand for an extended amount of time in 2006 a few days in 2013 and it was cracking then. I’ve been itching to get back and now these new extreme rules just so you can kick it. Thailand is so fun, I think many people who can afford this will do it because of the reward after they complete the initial quarantine.
I’m in Las Vegas which is still drawing many tourist by taking temperatures at the main entrances of casinos and requiring people to where face masks. No 14 day or anything. I wish Thailand would adopt this.
Why the hell didn’t they do this from March???
These 41 “tourists” were only but 39. And if they are “Chinese”, they are not Chinese from China as this country has not allowed outbound tourism yet… As far as I am concerned – I have an apartment in Bangkok where I’ve spent an average 6/7 months a year for the last 20 ones – I do not intend to go back the until this quarantine is maintained…
I’m married to a Thai national and been coming to Thailand for more the 2 decades will I come back to Thailand with my hard earned cash only to spend it for 14 days in a Prison not a chance good luck to you all I will remain in England thanks
Your and idiot if that is what you believe. The Thai government make minimum revenue from tourism due to it being a cash mostly industry. The people it affects mostly are the ones reliant on tourism to provide for their families in the provinces. A government that neglects its people.
The way that the German government are starting to make waves about the Thai king conducting government business from Germany he may not be welcome in Germany for too much longer.
Forget Thailand, think Mexico —— where they actually like and welcome us, especially if you’re from the U.K.
And they are already spreading COVID here. First case in Ko Samui this week and I’m hearing this afternoon that it has spread to ten.
Apparently 39 arrived not 41 and it is my understanding they are not tourists there businessmen I also heard that there was only one female passenger once again the headline is total BS unless these people paid well over the odds for flight tickets the cost of transporting them would not have been sufficient to cover fuel costs and air staff salaries .
What about the resumption of Thai Airways for regular flights ?