Just when I thought....

[Oliver2]

Yesterday, light at the end of the tunnel. Visits to Thailand back on track, even if a few hurdles remain.

Today, EVA Air have informed me that all of their flights to Bangkok have been cancelled up to the middle of March, allegedly due to concern over the "delta" variant.

We've known about the delta variant for months; it seems odd to have been taking bookings up to Wednesday and then making a decision today. What has changed in the past few days? Have I missed something? Has the prognosis concerning Covid's spread changed?

OK, it's not a disaster; I've re-booked for a few weeks later and my hotel and quarantine hotel too, of course. It is however both demoralising and a damn nuisance.

Any other unexpected flight cancellations by other operators?

[gerefan2]

it seems odd to have been taking bookings up to Wednesday and then making a decision today. What has changed in the past few days? Have I missed something?

My bet is that it has nothing to do with any variations of Covid.

About now most people will have booked their Xmas and New Year holidays. Eva would have looked at the figures and probably decided it was uneconomical to operate these flights.

Looking at recent figures published for flights and passenger arrivals at Savanabhumi it seems load factors are very low indeed.

Thai procrastination, plus their horrendous bureaucracy, has probably put many off going to Thailand.

They are going to learn to regret it.

[goji]

Today, EVA Air have informed me that all of their flights to Bangkok have been cancelled up to the middle of March, allegedly due to concern over the "delta" variant.

Any other unexpected flight cancellations by other operators? The Delta explanation is bollocks, since that's been around for a very long time now. EVA just miscalculated demand. You're very generous to re-schedule your holiday to follow the airline, rather than change the airline to suit the schedule.
In normal times, EVA is my preferred airline, but they do need to operate flights to get my custom.

In 2020 and 2021, before booking flights, I look at scheduled flight frequency AND then monitor one of the tracking sites, such as FlightRadar24, to make sure the flight I intend to book has a track record of operating.
In the last 7 days, the flight I plan to take has landed 7 times, so 100%.



They are going to learn to regret it. Those who are reliant on tourism probably regret it already, however the Junta don't seem to care at all about the tourism sector.

[Manforallseasons]

One must question the judgement of those that thought nothing but the need to return to a country that has done little in the way of clarity……..Running to return to what when the current state of things are still up in the air!!!

[goji]

One must question the judgement of those that thought nothing but the need to return to a country that has done little in the way of clarity……..Running to return to what when the current state of things are still up in the air!!!

One must also question the judgement of those constantly criticizing what Thailand has to offer & warning others to stay away, whilst simultaneously living there themselves.

As for those intending to travel to Thailand, their judgement is only really questionable if their expectations are way out of line with what's likely to happen.
e.g.
Expecting to see all the gogo bars in Pattaya open on 1 Dec, is way too optimistic.
However, assuming that whatever is currently open may still be open next month is unlikely to be an error of judgement.

Also, there's one other area where judgement is likely to prove correct. I probably won't be around in 50 years time. So whilst I'm here, I want to take a few holidays.

[Brad the Impala]

The Delta explanation is bollocks, since that's been around for a very long time now. EVA just miscalculated demand. You're very generous to re-schedule your holiday to follow the airline, rather than change the airline to suit the schedule.



I give EVA some slack on this. In April 2020 we were due to fly to Thailand on EVA. Everything shut down of course. EVA reimbursed the flight costs, promptly and without quibble.

[Manforallseasons]

One must also question the judgement of those constantly criticizing what Thailand has to offer & warning others to stay away, whilst simultaneously living there themselves.

As for those intending to travel to Thailand, their judgement is only really questionable if their expectations are way out of line with what's likely to happen.
Expecting to see all the gogo bars in Pattaya open on 1 Dec, is way too optimistic. .

Frankly, I am a realist and have for the most part grown accustomed to the way things are and have noted and excepted the many changes that have occurred over the years. I enjoy a simple life here, I linger under no false illusions however, if I were simply a tourist coming at this point in time is a huge folly and reels either of wishful thinking, bad judgement or sheer stupidity.

[goji]

I give EVA some slack on this. In April 2020 we were due to fly to Thailand on EVA. Everything shut down of course. EVA reimbursed the flight costs, promptly and without quibble.

I like EVA a lot. I also remember when India & Pakistan were skirmishing, so using their airspace was not a good idea.
Thai cancelled flights. EVA just carried on running, with a detour around the bottom.

However, to get my business this year, EVA still need to offer a suitable flight schedule.

[Blacktouch]

Frankly, I am a realist and have for the most part grown accustomed to the way things are and have noted and excepted the many changes that have occurred over the years. I enjoy a simple life here, I linger under no false illusions however, if I were simply a tourist coming at this point in time is a huge folly and reels either of wishful thinking, bad judgement or sheer stupidity.

Thank you Manforallseasons for your honest opinion on those not living in Pattaya, to not waste our time going there while the bars and other entertainment venues are closed.

I for one will not be visiting Thailand for a very long time, until everything is back to normal.

However, I am off to Colombia In February 2022.

Visiting Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena (coastal City).

[Manforallseasons]

Thank you Manforallseasons for your honest opinion on those not living in Pattaya, to not waste our time going there while the bars and other entertainment venues are closed.

I for one will not be visiting Thailand for a very long time, until everything is back to normal.

However, I am off to Colombia In February 2022.

Visiting Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena (coastal City).

2 friends of mine recently went to Medellin and had a fabulous time, you only need to show that you had 2 doses of a vaccine and you get a 90 day visa on arrival, I think you will have a great time and I hope you post some info about your experience.

[Dodger]

.

What has changed in the past few days? Have I missed something? Has the prognosis concerning Covid's spread changed?

I'm really sorry to hear about the disruption to your plans.

I totally agree with gerefan2 and goji's read on this.

If the airlines see enough bookings coming through, they'll schedule their flights. If there aren't enough bookings for a particular destination, during a particular time period, they cancel the flights. It really is as simple as that.

There's no doubt that Thailand's primary objective is to be perceived as being one of the first SE Asian countries to reopen to tourism. I imagine they feel that creating this perception in the international tourist market gives them an edge. But on the other hand, they really don't want too many tourists actually coming here - at least at this juncture.

They control the flow by keeping the majority of bars and entertainment venues closed, alcohol bans, curfews, etc., and of course use the Delta Variant as an excuse for their decisions at every opportunity. Right now, I think it's fair to say that most tourists don't want to come to Thailand because of this. Results = THAILAND HAS REOPENED (perception created) = Mission accomplished.

All said, you, goji, gerefan2, and others, who have decided to brave the waters, know exactly what's going on here right now and should have a great time once you arrive. I don't imagine there're too many tourists out there who don't know what it's like in Thailand right now.

I would be doing exactly the same thing that you guys are doing if I was in your shoes. I said this a year ago, and I can say this again now washout hesitation. Having a place where the sun is shining...a beach for frolicking...and a boy to frolic with...is all that I would need. The alternative for me would be staring at the icicles hanging from the gutters of my apartment in Chicago playing with myself.

Good luck.

[Armando]

Qatar is still flying a decent schedule. A month ago I got a good price on biz class to/rom the UK in March with just 2 hour stopovers. My fingers are crossed that they will actually fly, but I haven't heard much info about its cancelling flights.

[Oliver2]

Thank you for the replies.

I agree that the "delta" excuse is exactly that, an excuse. EVA's LHR-BKK flight continues to Taiwan. And that is where most of the passengers are heading. It is more likely that the cancellations are the result of issues within the Taiwan market, rather than much to do with Thailand. Or the UK.

Without wishing to be maudlin about what is, in reality, an inconvenience rather than a disaster, one or two posters may like to consider that some of us have not seen our partners for two years; any the separation would have been painful enough but now, the passing of time is such that I know that there are not many trips left for me.

Yes, I could go elsewhere and yes, the gay scene is unlikely to return to what it was two years ago, let alone twenty years ago. And we seldom go to gay bars anyway. But I want to be in Thailand with someone I love while I am able to enjoy it. Hence my irritation at the disruption to my plans yesterday, however minor that disruption turns out to be.

[goji]

Without wishing to be maudlin about what is, in reality, an inconvenience rather than a disaster, one or two posters may like to consider that some of us have not seen our partners for two years; any the separation would have been painful enough but now, the passing of time is such that I know that there are not many trips left for me.

I agree totally.

Certain members are constantly whinging and making gloomy posts, telling others to stay away.
Sometimes even making posts with small changes to the wording to make the thread title more gloomy than the reality.

Any potential visitor should ignore such nonsense. Just look at what is open currently and what is not open. Then calibrate expectations based on that and make a decision.

The moaners choose not to recognize that other visitors are often capable of assessing the situation themselves. (No idea why. Might be arrogance, cognitive dissonance or borderline trolling).

Regarding that decision.
If you need all 9 Pattaya gogo bars to re-open, forget it. There's a good chance than none of them open in 2021.
If your minimum for a holiday is nice weather, coffee, hotels, beaches, travel, restaurants and lots of boys on the phone apps, you're unlikely to be disappointed.

Additionally, not all of the reports of business closures in 2021 have been accurate. I've read posts where people insist certain categories of business were closed, yet on the same day, I've seen many of them open and may have recently used them myself. There's a difference between "supposed to be closed" and actually closed. However, the gay bars seemed to follow the rules & close when they should.


Ref: Airlines
Some airlines seem more tolerant of low load factors than others. So book with the ones who are actually running flights, not those who schedule flights and cancel them.
This photo shows my plane out of Bangkok earlier in 2021, AFTER they shut the doors. In the 6 rows behind me, there was a total of one other person.

[Nirish guy]

However, I am off to Colombia In February 2022..

Just in case you didn't spot it there are a few great trip reports from Michaelx1992 currently sitting (for some reason I'm not quite sure about) in the holding room, definitely worth a read I would imagine before your trip.

[cdnmatt]

However, I am off to Colombia In February 2022.

Visiting Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena (coastal City).

Be careful out there. My oldest brother used to frequent Columbia for work, and he was assigned security guards who took care of him 24x7. He wasn't even allowed to leave the hotel room for a cigarette without security following him.

Granted, he did work for an oil company, but still... I guess the moral of the story is don't wear an ExxonMobil hat in Columbia, haha.

[dinagam]

Be careful out there... I guess the moral of the story is don't wear an ExxonMobil hat in Columbia, haha.

Better still, just wear a French cap! Hahaha..