Want a “Special Tourist VISA” Jump through these hoops first! [Archive] - Sawatdee Gay Thailand the oldest and most popular gay forum on Thailand and South East Asia

Zebedee

September 23rd, 2020, 11:55

I don't think MFAS is being malicious here, I guess there is literally nothing else happening in Pattaya other than virus related news.
I, like many others outside of Thailand long to revisit the place, but I know also,that after three weeks there the novelty wears off and boredom sets in. I'm not having a shot at anyone, but I'm not sure I could live there full time, although I'd like to give it a try,but I would certainly not burn all my bridges to live there..

arsenal

September 23rd, 2020, 12:26

Zebs is right on the money.

Assuming one lived in Thailand. Where then would you go on holiday? Where else is going to get your juices going likeThailand. Where else will have you posting on message boards months before you go and obsessing about the most ridiculous of details. Where else will leave you sad all morning cos a bar has closed and where else has you singing in the shower cos a new one has opened up. Where else do you get to be your 18 year old self but with loads more money. Where else has gerefan2 and myself engaged in a best sunset pic battle.

Nowhere else does that. That's a big old truck of stuff to lose if you live there.

Zebedee

September 23rd, 2020, 13:21

Manforallseasons

September 23rd, 2020, 13:46

Yes, exactly! Its the whole build up to the arrival, the anticipation, the planning, the fantasy of having it off with your dream guy/guys.This is the essence of living and being alive! These experiences can only be lived by returning visitors, they disappear if one lives amongst it, it becomes sort of mundane.

But I'm sure there are other attractions to living in Pattaya/ Thailand ....its just I can't think of any at the moment. LOL

I have lived in Thailand 17 years and never have I ever looked back. You get acclimated to the weather and don’t miss winters, before Covid if you got bored one hour to Cambodia, same to Vietnam, have been a couple of times to the Philippines and various places in Indonesia and lived for a few months in Bali.
Yes, Thailand has certainly changed over the years and not always for the better. I have 1 million Euro health insurance for little over 2500 U.S.D. There are no shortage of other farangs if you want to socialize and an ever changing selection of boys. At this moment for me the greatest attribute living here is having no fear of contracting Covid.

Oliver2

September 23rd, 2020, 13:49

I'm with Arsenal and Zebedee on the issue of becoming an exile.

As it happens, in 2004 I was close to relocating. My father had just died, I'd just met P and for the first time wanted more than just an hour of sanuk with a Thai, the pound was strong and Chelsea FC weren't doing very well. Why stay?

I'm delighted I decided against for the reasons previously mentioned. My three trips a year remain the highlights of my life.

One other thing. I'd started reading this forum and others and the impression I got, rightly or wrongly, was that a good number of expats weren't happy in Pattaya. They sometimes seemed resentful of Thais and Thai culture and some displayed a surprising degree of bile towards fellow expats. Perhaps my impression was wrong but it was a factor in my decision.

The anticipation of an impending visit and the recollection of visits enjoyed is part of the experience. And after three weeks, even in the company of P, Pattaya does seem mundane. Which is why trips to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Krabi etc are so welcome.

Nonetheless, I know where I'd rather be now. And it's not looking forward (sic) to a trip to Croydon IKEA.

Dodger

September 23rd, 2020, 16:04

Yes, exactly! Its the whole build up to the arrival, the anticipation, the planning, the fantasy of having it off with your dream guy/guys.This is the essence of living and being alive! These experiences can only be lived by returning visitors, they disappear if one lives amongst it, it becomes sort of mundane.

Your words describe the feelings I miss perfectly.

Nothing could ever replace the exhilaration of counting down the days...preparing everything down to the last micro detail...finally closing my eyes on the airplane and dreaming about being with HIM (whoever HIM would end up being)...taking that very first breathe of air outside the Bangkok airport, and counting the minutes till my feet were back on the sois where I could begin reliving the dream all over again. Pure bliss... (40 returns in 20 years and miss every one of them).

I've been retired here for 2 years now and miss those "return" experiences so much. Yes, it does become a bit mundane at times, but not having to work anymore, or endure those 27 hour return flights to Chicago every six months, makes it all worth it. The biggest benefits of living here for me are feeling HIM next to me when I wake up every morning....not having to wear a watch...no more freezing Chicago Winters...and knowing that one day I'll die at the place where my dreams came true.

francois

September 23rd, 2020, 16:06

Surely it’s obvious - so those members already in Thailand can gloat, reminding those members who are not that their chances of getting back any time soon are close to zero

I truly doubt that any members in Thailand are gloating. We want tourists to return and
get the scene back to normal.

a447

September 23rd, 2020, 16:58

I'm more than happy to just fly in, grab my visa on arrival, have a holiday and fly home again.

I love the freedom of being able to leave whenever I get bored or something else crops up. If I moved there and settled down it would be too difficult to just fly home and leave everything behind.

When I first started visiting Pattaya I did consider buying a condo with the aim of spending 6 months at a time there but changed my mind.

Yet not long after that I went to Bali, met a guy down at the beach in Kuta and in a moment of madness ended up buying a condo on the beach. As soon as I got back home I regretted the decision and was fortunate enough to offload it (at a considerable profit!) just before the Global Financial Crisis hit.

So as much as I look forward to every trip to Thailand and absolutely love the place, I would never consider living there. Besides, it's quite close to Australia - just a 7 hour flight - so easily accessible to me.

Flying 27 hours on a regular basis is something I just couldn't bear. If that were the case, maybe I'd reconsider.

goji

September 23rd, 2020, 17:23

Assuming one lived in Thailand. Where then would you go on holiday? Where else is going to get your juices going likeThailand.

If I lived in Thailand, holiday destinations would include Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Plus domestic travel within Thailand. No matter how good Thailand is, a little variety is good.
Also, I don't need to chase boys in bars EVERY night, although quite a few of the alternative destinations suggested have boys available.

Zebedee

September 23rd, 2020, 17:56

I truly doubt that any members in Thailand are gloating. We want tourists to return and
get the scene back to normal.

And unfortunately that needed to be said. Well done Francois.

christianpfc

September 24th, 2020, 00:33

10355
from: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1988811/special-visa-provisions-prompt-tat-inquiries

Holy shit!

But still, this is my best option. And once specific requirement by Thai embassy in Berlin are out, I will try to get one. But I won´t be unhappy if there are requirements I can´t fulfill (e.g. German nationals not allowed; or bank statements with at leat 1 mio EUR over five years as proof of funding - I keep my bank statements only 2 years). If it was rainy season in Thailand or summer in Germany I would not bother, but this combination (awful winter in Germany and pleasant winter in Thailand) I have to do everything I can to get there.

Other options are going back to Brazil (detailed reports soon) or Colombia, or trying to get a business visa for Cambodia (14 days quarantine, but much more straightforward than Thai STV), but I have been many times in Cambodia and maximum one months after out of quarantine I will get bored.

And hope for Sri Lanka or Philippines to open, I would to a two or three week trip there (coming and going back to Germany) if they allow tourists under simple conditions.

arsenal

September 24th, 2020, 08:26

Zebs wrote.
"the fantasy of having it off with your dream guy/guys."

Except it's not fantasy. It's real.

Dodger

September 24th, 2020, 08:42

Holy shit!

But still, this is my best option. .

I agree with your read on this, especially if it ends up being the only option, although the Covid Council (CCSA) who has the final say regrading the details of this Visa has yet to elaborate on the "restrictions" that would apply. With October 1st being right around the corner one would think they would publish these details soon.

If the CCSA ends up only approving travelers from countries which have not had any recent reported cases of the virus, that would disqualify almost everyone, except possibly the Taiwanese and a few isolated provinces in China. That's the problem with trying to stimulate international tourism right in the middle of a global pandemic. There just aren't any viable solutions.

Dodger

September 24th, 2020, 09:23

.....If I moved there and settled down it would be too difficult to just fly home and leave everything behind..

Ironically, that's exactly how I felt every time I had to leave Thailand to return to work in the U.S. after my holidays. When I boarded that plane in Bangkok to return to work I felt like I was leaving everything behind, because, in reality, I was. My heart and my soul were always at home in Thailand.

Being an alien and living abroad, especially in a third-world country, isn't for everyone. One thing I've learned, mostly from my observations of other expats, is that you have to be fully and unconditionally committed to your decision before taking the leap. The expats who seen to be happy and fully content living here, are those have have done just that. Conversely, I've seen expats who, for whatever reason, find it difficult finding the right balance, who constantly find fault with the culture - and seem agitated and/or depressed with their lives over here.

The moral of this story is: Continue enjoying your holidays in Thailand to the max. In the event that Thailand, with all its bumps and bruises, were to capture your soul to the point that there's nowhere else on earth where you'd be as happy and fulfilled, then, and only then, would you want to consider living here.

Dodger

September 24th, 2020, 14:48

If anyone is seriously considering this hair-brained scheme, you should check the link below to get an estimate of what the flight would cost you. Under this new Scheme, only those traveling on chartered/private jets will be approved

Just for fun, I looked at what it would cost for a one-way ticket for one person traveling from London/Heathrow to Bangkok on October 1st. The ticket price shown by at least this company (not including taxes) was 109,000 Euro ($127,000 U.S. - 4 Million Thai Baht).

Gee...that's not too bad, and you only have to quarantine for 14 days after you arrive.

I wonder if they serve meals.

https://www.aviation-broker.com/en/aircraft.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_qmzlJ-B7AIVSrzACh1pXQV8EAAYAyAAEgJzzfD_BwE

Manforallseasons

September 26th, 2020, 18:34

A fee of 10,000 baht is only the beginning: https://pattayaone.news/thailands-special-tourist-visa-details-including/

goji

September 26th, 2020, 18:53

A fee of 10,000 baht is only the beginning: https://pattayaone.news/thailands-special-tourist-visa-details-including/

Extract from the article "Once they are tested negative for Covid-19 after the 15-day quarantine, long-stay tourists will have the freedom to travel as they please around the country with a mobile application that will track their destination".

I suppose the tracking data might look like this for some members ?

gerefan2

September 27th, 2020, 00:25

A fee of 10,000 baht is only the beginning: https://pattayaone.news/thailands-special-tourist-visa-details-including/

The requirement to arrive on a Charter Flight from Europe is a show stopper.

As far as I’m aware there aren’t any. (I don’t mean private jets!)

Dodger

October 10th, 2020, 08:41

No more hoops to jump through...the Special Tourist Visa has been scrapped.

https://www.godsavethepoints.com/thailand-travel-tourist-stv-visa-program-fails/

Zebedee

October 10th, 2020, 12:50

"With a mere 31 steps, mandatory 90 plus days of prepaid accommodation, travel insurance, charter flights needed to move around the country and a variety of other obstacles, receiving one of Thailand’s “special tourist visas” was never going to be easy – or cheap.
And no, there won’t be any refunds".!!!!!

https://www.godsavethepoints.com/thailand-travel-tourist-stv-visa-program-fails/

Hope you don't mind me pinching your source Dodger, but no refunds after all that expense,should be shouted from the rooftops. Blatant robbery.
Its certainly a "Special Visa " for sure!

goji

October 10th, 2020, 16:16

Hope you don't mind me pinching your source Dodger, but no refunds after all that expense,should be shouted from the rooftops. Blatant robbery.
Blatant robbery on behalf of the Thai government ?

Dodger

October 10th, 2020, 19:40

Blatant robbery on behalf of the Thai government ?

How do you think those Elite Visa holders feel. A million baht, which was supposed to include VIP treatment when you arrived in Thailand...with the small caveat being, you never arrive in Thailand.

bkkguy

October 10th, 2020, 20:04

sorry, I'm confused - are we on facebook? twitter? or is this really sawatdee?

we are quoting from a "news" item on GodSAveThePoints.com, not a news organisation but a travel blog focused on maximising frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and flight reviews?

from the article the STV program "has been scrapped, or postponed indefinitely" and "in a stunning rebuke to future tourism, Thai Authorities say no refunds will be offered"

not even the Pattaya Mail or PattayaOne, hardly bastions of reliable news reporting, but at least news organisations, has sunk so low in their reporting of this so far.

The Khao Sod article published the day before that this quoted article is based on was much more measured when it said "The government will not offer them any refunds for flights ... since the delay is not officially considered as a cancellation of the policy. ,,, there’s no need for those refunds, because their trip is not canceled, it’s just delayed. ,... the tourism authority director said he’s confident the special visa will be implemented later this month"

The Bangkok Post article published the day after this quoted article similarly said "Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn confirmed that STV scheme will proceed as planned, though it might be delayed due to paperwork. ... There's no need for refunds because their trips are not canceled, they are only delayed, he said."

but yes let's all get our knickers in a twist about this spectacular failure and blatant robbery

and can someone explain to me the "31 steps" referred to in the article - the Bangkok Post graphic they link to only has 21 stages, some of which are not "steps" for the applicant

bkkguy

October 10th, 2020, 20:15

How do you think those Elite Visa holders feel. A million baht, which was supposed to include VIP treatment when you arrived in Thailand...with the small caveat being, you never arrive in Thailand.

from the Bangkok Post, 9 October

At present, 14 Elite Card holders have arrived and completed a mandatory 14-day quarantine, while 34 members are undergoing quarantine.

and the cheapest Elite Card is half that price, but I recognise a dead horse when I see one so I will stop wasting my time here

gerefan2

October 10th, 2020, 22:57

If this STV Visa is indeed cancelled I would be the first one to cheer from the roof tops, even though I was seriously thinking of applying for one. Perhaps it will be replaced by something far more practical, and rather less Thai style.

I too read on another news page somewhere that the visa had been delayed, rather than cancelled. This was due to some huge Thai event taking place simultaneously in Phuket and the organisers of that event did not want it to coincide with the trial return of foreign tourists.

The government agreed and delayed the flight. That’s why there are no refunds...its merely been delayed.

Wish I could find the article.

AdamKY

October 11th, 2020, 01:04

Thursday's & Friday's reports of the delayed Special Tourist Visa program as published on YouTube by thaiger.com can be found

here: https://youtu.be/gQZkMzouJng?t=192

and here: https://youtu.be/owLUFfqG63c?t=159 (https://youtu.be/owLUFfqG63c?t=159)

The underlying reasons cited are confusion between five (5) departments within the government and continuing concern for the spread of the virus in the nation.

goji

October 11th, 2020, 01:12

How do you think those Elite Visa holders feel. A million baht, which was supposed to include VIP treatment when you arrived in Thailand...with the small caveat being, you never arrive in Thailand.

Well, some of us have always thought it unwise to trust the Thai government with such a sum of money, on the basis they could renage on the deal at any time.
With covid, this has been proven and furthermore, they have shown extreme short sightedness with the short term visa.
Instead of issuing immediate refunds plus a small amount of compensation in order to do the right thing AND maintain a reputation, they took the greedy option. This should be at the expense of their reputation.
I hope the Chinese media get hold of this story and give appropriate coverage to their citizens being robbed by the Thai state.

christianpfc

October 12th, 2020, 03:05

The STV was a very poor deal from the start, but nonetheless I would probably have been on the second or third wave to enter Thailand on an STV (not as desperate to enter Thailand as to be on the first wave where everything takes even longer as procedures are new to everyone, let others go through that ordeal - and I was right! see link below).

Now I abandon all hope to enter Thailand this winter and focus my efforts on Cambodia (with a business visa) and Latin America (Brazil worked fine in September, but not a clear hit boy-wise, go to Mexico or Colombia next?)

Epic Failure: Thailand Delays Special Tourist Visa Indefinitely 48 Hrs Before First Tourists Arrive – No Refunds! Oct 8, 2020
https://loyaltylobby.com/2020/10/08/epic-failure-thailand-delays-special-tourist-visa-indefinitely-48-hrs-before-first-tourists-arrive-no-refunds/
I could not have said it any better!

Dodger

October 12th, 2020, 11:11

The Bangkok Post article published the day after this quoted article similarly said "Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn confirmed that STV scheme will proceed as planned, though it might be delayed due to paperwork. ... There's no need for refunds because their trips are not canceled, they are only delayed, he said."

The article Adamky posted on page 5 states the following: "The underlying reasons cited for the cancellation of the STV are confusion between five (5) departments within the government and continuing concern for the spread of the virus in the nation."

The confusion that exists between these five (5) departments referenced in the article, is not isolated to the Special Tourist Visa. Total confusion and chaos erupts every single time these various departments (commissions) have to tackle something important.

What amuses the hell out of me is that the news outlets in Thailand constantly report unsubstantiated news that's flowing out of these chaotic and disjointed government meetings as if they're "facts", when in reality, they're nothing more than vague and conflicting opinions based on personal agendas, at best. Five different departments saying five different things...ten different reporters writing ten different stories...and a thousand different readers interpreting things a thousand different ways. Welcome to Thailand!

FACT: There are no Chinese tourists in Phuket. That's it. No more facts.

AdamKY

October 13th, 2020, 21:29

Dodger

October 14th, 2020, 08:58

Follow-up to previous post.

Suppose no Special Tourist Visas were ever issued they could never be cancelled.

The Thaiger.com explains: https://youtu.be/zQaN8CMwzRk?t=32 (https://youtu.be/zQaN8CMwzRk?t=32)

Amazing Thailand

According to this article, the Tourist Authority (TAT) provided false information about the reason that the Chinese tourists never arrived in Phuket. In reality, after the facts were gathered, there wasn't a single Chinese person who even applied for the Special Tourist Visa (STV).

The fact that the STV has now been "scrapped" should not come as a surprise to anyone. Of all the hair-brained TAT proposals we've seen over the past 6 months, this one was beyond laughable. I wouldn't be surprised if TAT has been told to put their crayons and erasers back in the desk and take some time off.

TAT recently reported that a handful of Elite Visa holders have been allowed entry into Thailand. I wonder if the information they provided to the Press was as factual as this Chinese STV debacle?

goji

October 14th, 2020, 14:55

I wouldn't be surprised if TAT has been told to put their crayons and erasers back in the desk and take some time off.
In many countries, incompetent employees in the so called "public services" rarely get fired. I suspect that's even more true in corrupt countries.

Thailand is finding cases of covid in quarantine on a daily basis (see link) & it seems to prevent transmission. ie Quarantine is working.

So anyone with basic intelligence should be able to design a tourist visa with quarantine to guarantee safety.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2002007/nine-new-covid-19-cases

Zebedee

October 14th, 2020, 15:40

Yes this is a copy and paste, but I'll just put it here anyway:

"Hanlon's razor is a saying that reads: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. In simpler words: some bad things happen not because of people having bad intentions, but because they did not think it through properly."

Armando

October 14th, 2020, 16:00

I am surprised that anyone is anything other than surprised. For a Chinese, even a retiree, to be able to get 90 days off from family and other commitments is almost unheard of.

I read one of the early excuses was the the first batch of Chinese to arrive would cause a problem as that would coincide with a major vegetarian festival in Phuket. I trust someone will buy 5 extra large carrots so that the heads of the departments responsible for the mess have to stick them up you know where and keep them there for at least a week as penance. Mind you, maybe one or more would enjoy that! :D