‘This is Thailand’, which is often made into an acronym, is a phrase every visitor to Thailand should understand. Be it travel, or just daily life, things work differently in Thailand, and the Government is no exception.
After a complete and unceremonious unraveling of Thailand’s initial 31 step plan for attracting tourist visitors, which required over 100 days of pre-paid accommodation, you would’ve expected a new proposal which makes travel actually sound attractive again. In Thailand, you’d be wrong. Just wait, you’ll love this.
Thailand’s New-New Travel Proposal
Just hours before the first 300 visitors were scheduled to arrive in Thailand on the wacky ‘STV’ visa, which required 14 days of quarantine and 90 plus days of prepaid accommodation, Thailand apparently pulled the plug.
But now, it’s actually contested whether any visitors were on their way at all, and if anyone had actually applied. Evidence suggests no. It’s a nice mini scandal to kickstart the newest idea to bring back tourists.
Now, fresh off the heels of the proposal which couldn’t create demand from a single tourist to visit one of the most tourist friendly, wonderful destinations on the planet, Thai Tourists Authorities have worked up a gem, involving a 24/7 minder, whose job is to keep you away from locals at any cost.
Latest Thai Travel Proposal
Thailand’s newest proposal sounds so much better than the 31 step plan of insanity which backfired only last week, until it doesn’t. Things start off so well, with travel only allowed from low risk areas, and stays seemingly manageable through the first few lines, before tapering off into insanity.
- Only travelers from regions of low infection may visit.
- A negative covid-19 test is required before travel.
- 14 days of self paid quarantine is required on arrival in Thailand.
- Tracking devices for each visitor to ensure they stay in approved areas.
- A 24/7 human ‘Covid Minder’ would be assigned to each visitor.
- Tourists cannot mix with locals, and must only go places locals do not.
- Golf courses, for example, would be permitted, but cities would not.
Just picture yourself, enjoying that first perfect evening in Thailand, just you and your partner around a private table, and of course that random Thai person who is in PPE gear making sure you don’t so much as look at a local, let alone come in contact with one. Doesn’t it sound magical?
This Is Thailand
This is Thailand certainly applies here, but unfortunately only because the policy proposal is reminiscent of North Korea. North Korea famously restricts visitors from any interactions with actual locals, employing actors to handle that, and assigning minders to each traveler in a system which requires a “fixer” to set each visit up.
Each country is approaching the reboot of travel and tourism with varying degrees of risk, with 14 days of quarantine being among the least inviting measures from some. Few, however, have gone as far as to create a system which sounds so uninviting that a world leading tourism destination doesn’t even receive a single application. But hey, ‘this is Thailand’ and apparently tourism officials are a bunch of Thai acronyms.
HT: VFTW
You have to remembernthat the government is made up of coup -leading old soldiers who have no idea how tourism or indeed any business works. In fact they have little knowledge of the real world. Having fixed a constitution that guarantees them power they are now running scared because they have discovered that this brings accountability. But they have no ideas of how to switch from their beloved population control courtesy of Covid-19 to a functioning economy. Meanwhile there are literally millions of unemployed because of the implosion of tourism and these people see no way of returning to earning a living. So you can expect further ludicrous concepts from TAT and the government and an utter failure to restart the economy. And the unemployed will unleash their wrath at the ballot box, if there is ever another election.
This is so idiotic that it’s now becoming an international disgrace. Thailand’s reputation is now literary in the dumps. Are they really that clueless?
I have visited Thailand countless of times (more than 10) and while it was a land of smiles, now it more like a land of growls. Thais are no longer as friendly as you think. It’s all about money these days. If you want genuine hospitality, visit Cambodia, Laos, or even Vietnam. Culturally quite similar, people much much friendlier.
Bahahah good luck with that plan