Hey - thanks for stopping by. :)
We're just gearing up for travel bubbles here in TH. 12 Chinese cities, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong Korea, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia I THINK - all departure points with no community covid transmission for 30 days plus. Get a negative covid test prior to departure, use the tracing app and get a proper visa (no more VOA) and then retest on arrival at BKK or Samui - takes 90 mins. If you pass, no Quarantine. Tourists will be req to have USD $100,000 medical insurance coverage. Just in case. LOL. They're getting ready for August.
Locally people are hurting big time - entering the 5th month with no work and no income. I'm sure you know what that feels like in PH - and with no govt handouts.
Hanging in there. Optimistic but the future is no longer with white western travelers, methinks.
!ENGAGE 15
Locally it's mostly normal. No Covid except from out-of-country arrivals, and they go straight into mandated govt controlled Q. Still have mandatory mask wearing in public and Track&Trace & hand sanitizer everywhere.
that's interesting. I'd not heard about the travel bubble that was being created. It's going to be very interesting to see what they do here. It's not really been handled well at all and to be honest the local community where we are have pretty much ignored all the rules and do what they want.
TH has done an ASTOUNDING job with Covid - considering we had 300,000 travelers here from Wuhan for CNY in January and were the first country to be blacklisted. The travel bubble is basically a reciprocal deal with countries who have it under control. I think TH supplies testing staff to the other country, to overcome the trust issue. Initially (August) they will allow only 1,000 people per day flying in. If Covid pops up in the travelers, they will adjust the plan. But x2 tests and thorough track and trace should sort it. Australia stupidly didn't mandate the test for returnees and now are thoroughly back to Square 1.
TH had a rough time economically with SARS and so we had a practice run. Everyone KNOWS pulling together to restart tourism is #1. Cos we have food queues still, all over the city - every day. 5 months of no money and no customers? Everyone is over it and happy to do what's needed. Mask wearing is #1.
thats really positive news the way they are handling it. Lets hope it will fade into the background with proper management over the coming months
Exactly. Hoping PH sees the TH leadership on this and you get your dive tours happening again soon. I very much would like to visit PH (never been) so please get it together!! LOL. Locally people are bitching a bit cos they have to raise standards a LOT for Asian customers, but there's plenty of them and they have cash to burn. I'm optimistic.
yep, it's best to stay as positive as possible. it is what it is and we have to make the best of it