Thailand is lowering some requirements but increasing others.

The STV - special tourist visa, allows you to get 3 months in the kingdom and renew it for another 3.

Thailand is no longer requiring a "fit-to-fly" certificate before arriving at the airport. I think this means Thailand no longer requires a covid test document 72 hours before flying, but I don't know what an airline will require.

You must have 100,000 USD health insurance good for the 3-month visa period. Thai sites are offering this. My rough estimate so far comes to 70 USD a month.

They require all incoming people to spend 14 days in quarantine at an ASQ hotel. you get meals and testing every day. the cheapest option comes to around 800 USD for the 14 day period.

Then you can pick your own hotel. Some hostels are offering beds for 3 USD.

But the Thais require you give them "lodging confirmation" for the entire 3-month period of the visa. If you have to book and pay 90 days in advance, you cannot travel around Thailand or even change hotels. Unless, perhaps you get multiple reservations for different time periods. If you find you don't like a hotel, this could be a problem if you are locked into an agreement.

Hotel reservations would have to be coordinated with flight schedules.

This seems like the Thais are requiring tourists to line up a lot of ducks in a row. What if you have to show these documents in order to get the STV, but the visa application is rejected. You are therefore out any reservation money and any other expenses.

Lodging confirmation seems to be the anomaly here, since everyone has to sleep somewhere. It appears to be an anti-hippy rule they threw in so they could continue their steady climb to become the Switzerland of Asia.

Has anyone done this and can clarify this?

Maybe try a Thai forum.

The STV is already being phased out, careful if you arrive late and still plan to extend in-country.

I wonder if they might rethink making the terms of the longer term tourist visas less onerous in order to kick start tourism when travel restarts. I know numerous people who were negatively affected by the METV changes a couple of years ago and they ended up spending less time and money in Thailand as a result, taking their money to neighbours such as Bali to name one. Not always easy to win back previously repeat custom you've succeeded in pissing off over time.

Alex wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 9:33 pm The STV is already being phased out, careful if you arrive late and still plan to extend in-country.

a post on thaivisa says it is ending 30 September

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/121672 ... fications/

the program may have a sunset clause, but that does not mean it will not be renewed if it brings in more revenue

For a moment when I saw this thread I thought there’s a misspelling Thailand STD

yong wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 9:18 am For a moment when I saw this thread I thought there’s a misspelling Thailand STD

easy there, partner.

nope just the Thailand STD.

Only 2 members here like Thailand.

Multipox wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 8:58 am

Alex wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 9:33 pm The STV is already being phased out, careful if you arrive late and still plan to extend in-country.

a post on thaivisa says it is ending 30 September

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/121672 ... fications/

the program may have a sunset clause, but that does not mean it will not be renewed if it brings in more revenue

See I guess that's the thing - the STV hasn't been a huge success for a variety of reasons. I don't think it will be renewed in its current form, but they might dream up something else.