There seems to be a general misconception that at some point things in Thailand will just switch back to being how they were.

This report from Kasikorn would suggest otherwise....and suggests a very long time scale too

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thethai...recovery%3famp

Sept 15th..
Cabinet meeting will discuss measures for gradual re-introduction of foreign visitors.
This will include the possible introduction of the STV ...Special Tourist Visa
This will be for 90 days, renewable twice...allowing for a 270 day stay.

As said before the devil will be in the detail.

These ideas are usually overloaded with bureaucracy to the point where they have very little take-up.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1985839/cabinet-approves-long-term-tourist-visas
 

So the cabinet have approved the"Special Tourist Visa" (STV).
It lasts 90 days. It costs 2000 baht and is renewable twice at 2000 baht each time, so a max total of 270 days.

Visitors will have to comply with government health measures at the time.
They will have to quarantine in their room for the first 14 days
To get into the country, they will need evidence of long term accommodation, including payment.
..or "proof of hospital" (unclear what is meant by this).

They are expecting 1200 visitors a month. (Seems very small number!)
Visitors will be required to have Covid insurance of 100,000 baht.
Certificate of entry from embassy
Fit to fly certificate.
Covid test kess thsn 72 hours old.

Whilst in quarantine, they will be expected to do shopping online.

Now have read the Thai STV arrivals must arrive on charter air flights only, and only directly to destination city. So the cost of even getting into Thailand and staying at the quarantine hotel for 2 weeks will put off most travelers. But of course for some, even those high costs will be acceptable compared to wherever they currently live.

Difficult for many farangs already in Thailand to accept that they are being pushed out this month and new arrivals sought. The folks already here are spending money and are free of the virus so it certainly seems odd thinking on the part of Thai Immigration.

Welcome to weirdness.

there seems to be a few unclear items - like staying in a hospital instead of booking long term.

I can't see how the charter flight thing would work except for Chinese and Russian tourists

So here's a rundown of the new tourist deal by PBS

"https://www.thaipbsworld.com/new-grand-plan-to-bring-tourists-back-to-thailand-in-fallout-of-covid-19/

So here's a rundown of the new tourist deal by PBS

"https://www.thaipbsworld.com/new-grand-plan-to-bring-tourists-back-to-thailand-in-fallout-of-covid-19/


Thailand will definitely attract tourists from China, Europe and elsewhere,” Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said. “But we will make sure that only those from low-risk countries can fly in.”

STV process
 

I live in Bangkok and I am sure untill February 2021 the frontiers will be closed.

You can apply for an STV now.
However there is apparently a 10000 baht service charge

https://loyaltylobby.com/2020/09/25/...#disqus_thread


If this article is anything to go by you'd have to be fanatical about visiting the kungom to go for such an unattractive package .

It's also hard to see how this Visa will have any significant
benefit on the decimated Thai tourist industry..

It looks as if by luck Thailand avoided the worst of Covid because from the start the government has showed little real understanding of what's going on or how to save the tourist industry..

If you want to apply......

http://www.thailongstay.co.th/stv_visa.html

To get any idea of when Thailand will open itself to serious visitor numbers, it is probably best to look at the region as a whole. If Thailands neighbours start opening up Thailand's government could not justify having their business being taken away from them.

For anyone still staying in Thailand it looks as if the visa amnesty is going to be extended until October 31st

Still no changes
 

Everithing remains the same. Airports still closed.

The airports aren't in general closed.
The is of course a massive reduction in flights.
The authorities are referring to incoming flights as "charter" flights as it seems airlines have to wait for enough passengers to consider a flight viable.

The probable extension of visas for foreigners already in the country until 31st Oct will also reduce to need to flights out of the country.

The extension till the 31st for foreigners "stranded" in Thailand seems to be going g ahead.....but one has to "apply" by 3rd Oct. Not sure what that means. I assumed the extension was because immigration couldn't cope with 150,000 people crowding into their offices by 26th Sept. Now they will have to be there by 3rd Oct...this doesnt make sense.

It appears that the "3rd October" date was a misprint

So now it looks like an amnesty until 30th November for some!
https://www.thephuketnews.com/visa-e...6BIZMPQct4j5iQ

Chinese tourists expected next week in Thailand. Conforming, of course, to all the requirements laid out by Thai Immig. Chinese first in line, as i have read, coz they need to pay on the numerous condos they have bought all over the land, now in arrears. Since the Chinese prefer to pay in cash only, no e-$$, they must travel in person with the cash in the laundry suitcase.
So not only the hotels and other tourist venues hurting for tourists, now the banks and property developers need the Chinese tourists entry to avoid massive missed payments and foreclosures.
Makes sense to me.
More here:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...ady-to-open-up

The visitors from China will basically arrive on a packaged deal....which makes it a lot easier for the Thai authorities to control the visit. They will stay in quarantine enbloc and be much less risk than many other countries.
Chinese tourists also spend more on a daily basis than any there visitors.

However the numbers still remain tiny.

Data from this website (below) tells us that MIddle Eastern tourists to Thailand spend the most per head, about 81K baht per tourist. Chinese spend about 50K baht per head.
And the average Asian tourist, Japanese and Chinese, spends only 2/3 of what a European spends while on holiday in T'land.

However, the number of Chinese tourists, naturally, is much higher due to massive population and nearness to Thailand. The Chinese tour groups are well known to travel 'en masse', stay at only Chinese owned hotels, shop at Chinese owned stores, cause havoc at seafood buffets and at times, deface temples. But becoz there are so many of them they dominate the tourist scene in the 'Land of Smiles'.

More here: https://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism...e-Thailand.asp