The Thai government has been paying attention

[StevieWonders]

As I’ve said for a few months, any member not now in Thailand who expects to be back in calendar 2020 must have rocks in his head, with Songkran 2021 being the earliest likely date. So, for me, this Ministerial pronouncement was rather ho-hum: “Foreign tourists are expected to return to Thailand in the second quarter of 2021 (April-June) due to the likely development of a COVID-19 vaccine”

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394306

[gerefan2]

Actually I’m more interested in the first statement from that article:

“Cabinet to consider special tourist visa next week: TAT”.....

“ The visa will be valid for an initial 90-day stay but can be renewed twice – 90 days each time – for a maximum stay of 270 days. The visa, which costs Bt2,000 per person, is suitable for foreign tourists who want to stay in Thailand for a long time, Yuthasak said. Plans to allow foreign tourists in must take into account the balance between public health safety, consent from local residents and income by the tourism sector, which accounts for 20 per cent of gross domestic product, he said. “If the situation in the fourth quarter does not improve and no foreign tourists have yet travelled to Thailand, 2.5 million jobs out of a current 4 million in the tourism sector may be lost. So TAT has to prepare for ‘limited exposure’ to foreign tourists, hoping to attract tourists from markets such as Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. If the results are good, numbers can be expanded,” Yuthasak said.”

Not holding my breath but it would be just what I and many others need for our December trips.

[Up2U]

Actually I’m more interested in the first statement from that article:

“Cabinet to consider special tourist visa next week: TAT”.....

“ The visa will be valid for an initial 90-day stay but can be renewed twice – 90 days each time – for a maximum stay of 270 days. The visa, which costs Bt2,000 per person, is suitable for foreign tourists who want to stay in Thailand for a long time, Yuthasak said. Plans to allow foreign tourists in must take into account the balance between public health safety, consent from local residents and income by the tourism sector, which accounts for 20 per cent of gross domestic product, he said. “If the situation in the fourth quarter does not improve and no foreign tourists have yet travelled to Thailand, 2.5 million jobs out of a current 4 million in the tourism sector may be lost. So TAT has to prepare for ‘limited exposure’ to foreign tourists, hoping to attract tourists from markets such as Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. If the results are good, numbers can be expanded,” Yuthasak said.”

Not holding my breath but it would be just what I and many others need for our December trips.

Retired in Pattaya now, but thinking of my working days and winter vacations to Thailand. I stayed 3-4 weeks so including the 14 day quarantine that would have been a deal breaker for me. However, I do know several retired long-stay residents of my condo project that good take advantage of this visa. I also know several foreigners who are itching to be reunited with their wives. Guess they would be first, if there's a que.

[Manforallseasons]

The above mentioned “special tourist visa” if agreed upon is for those tourists that stay a minimum of three months at a time frankly, how many tourists are little more than 2 week millionaires!

[Nirish guy]

Also surely once you've arrived on that possible "long stay" tourist visa being blunt whats to stop arriving on the 19th of December and departing again on the 3rd of Jan i.e the normal Christmas break - it's not like they can refuse you to leaving the Country again - surely - likewise though we'd all face a further two weeks quarantine on our return to our own Countries then too of course.

[goji]

The above mentioned “special tourist visa” if agreed upon is for those tourists that stay a minimum of three months at a time frankly, how many tourists are little more than 2 week millionaires!

1 If the visa is valid for 90 days, I presume they are not insisting on a minimum of 3 months, which would typically be slightly over 90 days.

2 I'm not going to lose any sleep over how many 2 week millionaires visit. For me, a 90 day extendable visa is just fine & if I do 2 weeks quarantine, I'm going to stay to stay at least 89 days.....

[colmx]

whats to stop arriving on the 19th of December and departing again on the 3rd of Jan i.e the normal Christmas break - it's not like they can refuse you to leaving the Country again.

Don't forget the 2 week quarantine on arrival at ASQ (Alternative State Quarantine) still applies even with this visa, so with the dates above you get only get 1 night out on the town before going back home, so you may want to extend by at least 2 more weeks to make it worthwhile (or preferably by 11 weeks to make the 2 weeks in ASQ worth it)

[Nirish guy]

Just for clarity my question was more rhetorical in nature as I’ll not be gracing their shores this year I think for a host of reasons, Covid of course being the main one.

[cdnmatt]

The above mentioned “special tourist visa” if agreed upon is for those tourists that stay a minimum of three months at a time frankly, how many tourists are little more than 2 week millionaires!

It's 2020, and there's a once in a century global pandemic going on. Loads and loads of people are capable of earning money from home, and have been capable for some time.

Loads of people have already moved from cit centers to outside of the city, so they can have a nice 3bdrm house instead of a 1bdrm condo. If you're willing to bite the timezone bullet, no reason you can't turn your home into Thailand. Or if you're one of the millions self employed folks out there, then it's pretty easy as well.

Well, if they're hurting so badly for long-term tourists, wonder if they'll life my blacklisting a little early instead of making me wait until April 2023?

[arsenal]

An unusually sensible Matt wrote.
"It's 2020, and there's a once in a century global pandemic"

Once in a century? We hope. But unlikely as things are. The permafrost is melting and who knows what diseases have lay dormant for perhaps millions of years. We'll have no defence against them..

[Dodger]

TAT certainly has a way of spinning their "unapproved" proposals to the masses.

I think the second to the last paragraph in the attached article pretty much sums it up:

"Foreign tourists are expected to return to Thailand in the second quarter of 2021 (April-June) due to the likely development of a Covid-19 vaccine, Yuthasak added".

[Manforallseasons]

TAT certainly has a way of spinning their "unapproved" proposals to the masses.

I think the second to the last paragraph in the attached article pretty much sums it up:

"Foreign tourists are expected to return to Thailand in the second quarter of 2021 (April-June) due to the likely development of a Covid-19 vaccine, Yuthasak added".

Agreed, all the rest is a circle jerk!

[Dodger]

Below is an article released today by Pattaya Mail.

Basically, all the TAT proposals we've been reading about got flushed down the toilet. The powers-to-be say clearly that it will be 2022 before general tourists are allowed to enter (or, re-enter) Thailand.

https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/plans-to-admit-foreign-tourists-to-thailand-on-back-burner-again-314282

[Jellybean]

At the request of a member, the posts relating to cdnmatt and his immigration issues have been removed from this thread and given their own topic in the Sawatdee Gay World forum under the title, An update on my immigration issues/plans.

A quick link to the new topic is below:
https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?21589-An-update-on-my-immigration-issues-plans

[arsenal]

,An update on my immigration issues/plans.
By cdnmatt


Hold the front page.

[gerefan2]

There is a new proposal, suggestion or rumour practically every day.

Time to wait it out and ignore all the media/Thai politician hype until firm and definite requirements are laid down.