Thailand Travel Restrictions and Info

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 3:27 pm

found this new video of Patong;

saves me driving over the hill to see wat its like

ExPenhMan · Post by **ExPenhMan** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:16 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:05 am
ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:46 am
Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:24 am the worlds fucked wish could just rewind back to 2019 and start this year again, when people said it would be years until things got back to normal, i thought they were sill, but im starting to see their viewpoint now
I was quite optimistic back in May and June that the way forward would clear up by mid-summer and I'd be in Cambodia or Vietnam by now. Now I'm considering a new 6-month lease in Bangkok (because Pattaya is like a post-war zone) that I suspect I will even have to extend. How's that for a complete failure of forecasting? I'd laugh but I forgot how.
Just how bad is Pattaya? Soi 6 closed? How many places have been shuttered around LK Metro area? Is Frasers still open?

It is had to imagine the place without tourists. Phnom Penh just carries on, only on Riverside and surrounding streets is there much evidence of economic problems.

Have many of the long term expats bailed out and gone back to their home countries until good times return?

This is not going to be an encouraging report . . .

The only hotspot (said with some exaggeration) in town is LK Metro. Many of the LK bars are almost empty on a week night and a Friday night I was out. Several go-gos are shut. There are few punters walking around or sitting on the stools. There are often more staff than punters. A handful of bars are busy as they're selling beer at 45 to 50 baht.

Climax was supposed to shut on the weekend but is still open but with a fresh new "Bar Fore Sale" sign. It's owned by the same mob as Billabong, equally empty. One night a Thai band was in full swing after 9 pm and only half a dozen customers. Spent at least three nights at Climax. Maybe 8-10 customers each time.

Made in Thailand, with about 50 bars, is a wasteland, except Matador and maybe a couple of others. Nearby Tree Town can be an interesting spot.

New Plaza almost dead and buried.

Soi Diana a sad shadow of itself. Some Buakhao bars are doing an OK business.

As for Walking Street, much darkness and little activity, except for 3 or 4 go-gos, say my sources. I never go there.

I am told many bars on soi 6 are shut or empty. There simply are very few resident foreigners around, although you might find some on Buakhao.

However, if it's companions you seek, you will certainly find them.

@Cowshed Cowboy is a regular at Fraser's so it's open. Maybe he will be along soon to add to the report from a Jomtien perspective.

Photo below, view from R-Conn in Buakhao on Nov. 11:

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:27 pm

Just how bad is Pattaya?

It is hard to imagine the place without tourists.

Have many of the long term expats bailed out and gone back to their home countries until good times return?

If many/most Pattaya expats have since left, I also wonder what is the impact on local real estate? I imagine it must be like trying to sell snow to the eskimos right now. Unless of course prices are dropping like a rock and savvy cashed up investors are snapping up bargains happy to wait for the good times to return.

Post by **Jamie_Lambo** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:14 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:05 am
ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:46 am
Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:24 am the worlds fucked wish could just rewind back to 2019 and start this year again, when people said it would be years until things got back to normal, i thought they were sill, but im starting to see their viewpoint now
I was quite optimistic back in May and June that the way forward would clear up by mid-summer and I'd be in Cambodia or Vietnam by now. Now I'm considering a new 6-month lease in Bangkok (because Pattaya is like a post-war zone) that I suspect I will even have to extend. How's that for a complete failure of forecasting? I'd laugh but I forgot how.
Just how bad is Pattaya? Soi 6 closed? How many places have been shuttered around LK Metro area? Is Frasers still open?

It is had to imagine the place without tourists. Phnom Penh just carries on, only on Riverside and surrounding streets is there much evidence of economic problems.

Have many of the long term expats bailed out and gone back to their home countries until good times return?

i think Soi 6 and Soi LK Metro and walkingstreet are the only streets managing to scrape any sort of business, everywhere else just looks barren

jaynewcastle · Post by **jaynewcastle** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:51 am

"If many/most Pattaya expats have since left, I also wonder what is the impact on local real estate? "

That hasn't happened, where would they go to that was safer than Pattaya/Thailand ?

Rental prices have dropped whilst there are no international tourists, but don't think sale prices have dropped

Doc67 · Post by **Doc67** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:22 am

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:14 am
Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:05 am
ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:46 am
Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:24 am the worlds fucked wish could just rewind back to 2019 and start this year again, when people said it would be years until things got back to normal, i thought they were sill, but im starting to see their viewpoint now
I was quite optimistic back in May and June that the way forward would clear up by mid-summer and I'd be in Cambodia or Vietnam by now. Now I'm considering a new 6-month lease in Bangkok (because Pattaya is like a post-war zone) that I suspect I will even have to extend. How's that for a complete failure of forecasting? I'd laugh but I forgot how.
Just how bad is Pattaya? Soi 6 closed? How many places have been shuttered around LK Metro area? Is Frasers still open?

It is had to imagine the place without tourists. Phnom Penh just carries on, only on Riverside and surrounding streets is there much evidence of economic problems.

Have many of the long term expats bailed out and gone back to their home countries until good times return?
i think Soi 6 and Soi LK Metro and walkingstreet are the only streets managing to scrape any sort of business, everywhere else just looks barren

It's hard to imagine what is must be like.

Phnom Penh is a relative paradise right now; enjoy and appreciate.

yong · Post by **yong** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:27 pm

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Thailan ... 7&si=44594

Thailand hikes price of 5-year visa as foreigners seek COVID haven
Residency program aims for profit in 2 years on surge of Chinese applicants

A 20% price hike on the popular visa is set to go into effect in January. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
JASON TAN, Contributing writerDecember 1, 2020 19:17 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand plans to raise the price of its bestselling five-year residency permit by 20% in January, after the program dubbed "elite" visas drew record new memberships this year as people sought to stay in the largely coronavirus-free country.

Starting Jan. 1, the Easy Access -- one of the nine elite-visa packages -- will be offered for 600,000 baht ($19,850), up from the current 500,000 baht, according to Thailand Privilege Card, the operator of the elite visas.

Thailand Privilege Card, a company under the Tourism Authority of Thailand, added 2,674 members during its fiscal 2020 ended in September, a 24.8% increase. This brought in fees of 1.6 billion baht, or nearly $53 million. Over 60% of the new members were Easy Access holders.

Easy Access enjoyed great demand this year, for its cheaper price and the privilege of staying in Thailand for an uninterrupted five years. Buyers can renew or upgrade to longer-term visas when their five years are up, said Bobby He, a Bangkok-based agent selling elite visas to Chinese.

Thailand Privilege Card had a cumulative loss of 555 million baht as of fiscal 2019. The price increase for the cash cow package comes as the company aims to reach a profit within two years.

The company attributed the price hike to "higher operating costs," without elaboration. It said prices of the other types of elite visas will not change.

"It's no surprise that the authorities want to raise the price of Easy Access," said He, a Chinese native who holds a 20-year, 1 million baht elite visa.

Company President Somchai Soongswang attributed the record membership to Thailand's containment of COVID-19. He told Nikkei Asia that many tourists stuck in Thailand amid closed borders wanted to stay longer in the country, and those abroad wished to come here for a "pandemic-free" living environment.

The Southeast Asian country has logged slightly over 4,000 COVID-19 cases, compared with over 65,500 in neighboring Malaysia and 58,000 in Singapore.

As of Sept. 30, there were more than 11,100 elite visa members in total. The majority were mainland Chinese, Japanese, South Koreans, Britons and Americans.

The company aims to attract at least 2,700 new members for fiscal 2021, another record if achieved, according to people familiar with the plans.

Toward that end, Thailand Privilege Card is set to unveil its 10th elite visa package, the "Flexible One," to target deep-pocketed condo buyers by the first quarter of 2021.

Individuals who buy one or several units worth 10 million baht are expected to get a five-year residency visa for free, or at a discount. This move comes as Thailand's property market has slid into a black hole amid sluggish spending.

As of the first week of November, Thai authorities had given approval for nearly 1,000 elite visa holders abroad to enter the country. About 200 have since arrived. Somchai said 60% of applicants came from abroad in September, doubling from March, showing their confidence in Thailand's ability to control COVID-19.

Elite visas were rolled out in 2003 to target high net worth individuals who wanted to stay in the country "for life" by paying a one-time fee of 1 million baht. It came with privileges such as unlimited access to golf courses and high-end spas, leading to excessive use that incurred losses to the company.

The program was halted in 2008 and reintroduced in 2014 with various visa packages at different price points. The nine current packages offer residency of five, 10 or 20 years. Prices range from 500,000 baht to 2 million baht.

ExPenhMan · Post by **ExPenhMan** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:44 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:22 am
It's hard to imagine what is must be like.

Phnom Penh is a relative paradise right now; enjoy and appreciate.

Good to know. Gives me a little bit more hope there's another place for me.

Cowshed Cowboy · Post by **Cowshed Cowboy** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:59 pm

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:27 pm
Just how bad is Pattaya?

It is hard to imagine the place without tourists.

Have many of the long term expats bailed out and gone back to their home countries until good times return?
If many/most Pattaya expats have since left, I also wonder what is the impact on local real estate? I imagine it must be like trying to sell snow to the eskimos right now. Unless of course prices are dropping like a rock and savvy cashed up investors are snapping up bargains happy to wait for the good times to return.

I know 2 guys personally who were previous renters who bought recently having found what they regarded as reduced bargains. Another mate was left a condo by my friend who died and he managed to sell it to an Aussie who isn't in the country, I thought he priced it too low.

Cowshed Cowboy · Post by **Cowshed Cowboy** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:18 pm

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:16 pm
@Cowshed Cowboy is a regular at Fraser's so it's open. Maybe he will be along soon to add to the report from a Jomtien perspective.

My regulars in Jomtien are Frasers and Vickans, I'd say Frasers is struggling whereas Vickans seems to be bucking the trend and doing better than pre-Covid. I think it's a case of people seeing a venue that is busy and going in because it has a bit of atmosphere. The other places I pass are pretty much like Pattaya, a few customers here or there.

I think we're now entering the real problem period, a high season that isn't. Most places rely on profits from the December to March period to see them through the rest of the year. I can only see the bleak landscape as it is now getting worse over the next few months. The absence of the repeat year snowbirds will hit venues in Jomtien hard.

Thailand Travel Restrictions and Info

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