Χρήσιμο για Τουρίστες...και άλλους...

[thailandgr]

PM: Nightlife stays open for business

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha announced he has rejected, for the time being, the suggestion from Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to temporarily close the country’s massive nightlife industry. Anutin Charnvirakul said yesterday the suggestion was one of several measures he and the Ministry of Public Health would bring up with the PM tomorrow.

But as social media exploded, fiercely divided both for and against the move, Prayut addressed reporters saying he did “not feel it [is] needed at this time.” But he added the situation will be reassessed at a later date if it worsens, and asked for the cooperation of business owners to take proper precautions to protect their customers and staff.

Many netizens expressed concern that closing the industry would mean tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people not only being laid off, but returning to their homes in rural Thailand, exposing the country’s significant (and especially vulnerable) elderly population to the disease, which is so far mainly in rural areas. The majority of workers in Thailand’s tens of thousands of nightclubs, bars, live music venues, massage parlours, karaoke clubs, pubs and other entertainment sites survive paycheck to paycheck, and would almost certainly be forced to return home to their families. Many are from Issan, in the rural Northeast of Thailand, which is the country’s poorest area and home to largest number of the vulnerable elderly.

Several venues, particularly in Bangkok, have been closed both due to suspected cases and as a precaution by owners. Many others have been shuttered by the downturn in business due to lack of tourists.

Other measures suggested by the Anutin and other ministry officials, such as moving Songkran later in the year to avoid hundreds of thousands of people returning home in April, further travel restrictions and stopping more private and sporting events, will be discussed at regular meetings tomorrow.

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/03/15/thai-prime-minister-rejects-suggestion-to-close-nightlife-bar-and-entertainment-industry-at-this-time/

[thailandgr]

A message for British Nationals in #Thailand from British Ambassador Brian Davidson on the ongoing #COVID19 situation.

✉️bangkok.documentaryservices@fco.gov.uk
If you need a letter to support your visa extension application. Please send us copies of
1️⃣ the biodata page of your passport
2️⃣ your entry stamp
3️⃣ your current visa stamp/sticker with expiry date.

✉️Thailand.Registration@fco.gov.uk
If you need to return to the UK but can’t. Please include:
✅Full name
✅Date of birth
✅Passport number
✅Contact email and telephone number
✅Location and nearest airport
✅Date of entry into Thailand
✅Specific needs e.g. if you are taking medication or have young children.

✉️info.bangkok@fco.gov.uk
For any other enquiries.

Check for updates on FCO Travel Advice for Thailand page https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/

[halfway inn]

PM urges strict international traveler screening

Bangkok - July 07, 2020



The Prime Minister has expressed his concerns about the future resumption of international travel under the Travel Bubble scheme, stressing Thailand must implement a vigorous arrivals screening.

Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, discussed the proposed Travel Bubble scheme, saying that Thailand must be prepared to allow the resumption of international travel, with the other countries involved carefully considered, and adding that a mutual agreement must be reached, to ensure compliance with public health measures.

The Travel Bubble is a proposed limited resumption of international travel to and from countries where a bilateral agreement is made.

The Prime Minister said the government is concerned about the prospects of international aviation and the country’s external revenue.

During this 4-day weekend, the Ministry of Finance is expecting up to 10 billion baht in cashflow from domestic economic activities.
The Prime Minister said Thai people are now making more domestic trips, with many hotels now sold out, thanks to further easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

He said however that all businesses must remain strict with their precautionary measures in order to minimize the persistent risk of a new viral outbreak.
 

NNT (NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU of THAILAND)

[halfway inn]

Follow seven steps for a safe return to Thailand

July 09, 2020



At the daily briefing on the Covid-19 situation in Thailand on Thursday (July 9), Natapanu Nopakun, deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department, announced the steps Thais and foreigners under 11 groups need to follow before they are allowed entry into the country.

The steps are:

1. Contact the Thai embassy or consulate in your country to book a seat on a repatriation flight;

2. Foreigners must book a room at an alternative state quarantine site, get a fit-to-fly health certificate as well as a Covid-19 test that is negative and has been taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Foreigners are also required to have insurance coverage of US$100,000 specifically for Covid-19. Thais, on the other hand, only need to provide a fit-to-fly certificate;

3. All these documents must be submitted to the embassy or consulate to secure a seat on the flight;

4. Follow preventive measures while awaiting departure;

5. Upon arrival, foreigners will undergo health screening before they are transported to the alternative state quarantine site;

6. On the third to fifth day of quarantine, individuals will undergo Covid-19 tests. If negative, a second test will be applied between the 11th and 13th day of quarantine to confirm the end of the virus’s incubation period;

7. People can travel around Thailand, provided they notify health authorities of their whereabouts, strictly follow health instructions as well as download and use the ThaiChana platform for tracking.

Meanwhile, foreign fathers who are not legally married to their children’s mother can return to Thailand provided their name is mentioned in the child’s birth certificate. However, foreigners with a partner in Thailand whom they are not legally married to will not be allowed to return.

Natapanu said every Thai mission overseas will follow the government’s guidelines, but the arrangement of repatriation flights also depends on local regulations.

He added that Thailand will now allow 600 stranded foreigners per day to take repatriation flights that are heading to their country to pick up stranded Thais.

Foreigners seeking to return home must contact their embassy, submit required documents and wait to be allocated a seat, because some countries are still not allowing commercial flights.


Source: The Nation/Thailand

[ntinos20]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said there is currently no plan to expand the list of foreigners allowed to enter the country, including retirees with homes and families in Thailand.

Press officer Yajai Bunnag said only four groups of non-Thai nationals announced in the latest regulation are permitted into the Kingdom at the moment. They include those holding a certificate of permanent residency, a work permit, those who have a special arrangements with the government, and migrant workers.

Many had hoped the list would be expanded to cover retiree visa holders and unmarried couples.

One of the campaigns was launched by Love Is Not Tourism Thailand, a Facebook page dedicated to couples and families who are torn apart by the pandemic. They are calling on the government to take their loved ones into consideration.

“We’re asking the government to issue visas or allow entry for family members and lovers to reunite with each other for humanitarian reasons,” the page wrote. “Evidence such as a passport with an entry stamp into Thailand, photos, and text messages should be able to verify their unions.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Thailand closed its borders to tourists and visitors, standing many Thai overseas and foreigners in the kingdom.

Read: Virus-Crossed Lovers: No Reunion for Thai-Foreign Couples in Pandemic

Though some of the restrictions have since been lifted, the new measures prioritize professional and wellness travelers, rather than couples who have not tied the knot and those who hold other types of non-immigrant visas.

Thailand has recorded no local transmission of COVID-19 for 72 days.

Panprapa Yongtrakul, assistant spokeswoman for the government’s response center, said seven new coronavirus cases were reported inside state quarantines on Wednesday.

The new patients are Thai students returning from Egypt, a masseuse returning from the UAE, and an American teacher coming from the U.S.

The country’s cumulative cases of infection now stands at 3,328 with 58 deaths. 126 patients are being treated at hospitals, while 3,144 have recovered, she added.

Source:
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/08/05/no-immediate-plan-to-permit-more-foreigners-into-thailand/

Νομίζω οτι ειναι ασφαλές να πούμε οτι η ταυλανδη δεν θα ανοιξει για φέτος, τουλάχιστον για τουρίστες. Δεν βλέπω και τον λογο αλλωστε, δεν νομιζω οτι θα βοηθήσει την οικονομία έστω και ο ελάχιστος τουρισμος.
Απο την ελλάδα αν κρινουμε, που ανοιξαμε, αλλά ειναι νέκρα.

[halfway inn]

All visas will start their validity from the 27th of this month.

All visas can be extended at immigration offices nationwide from now until the 26 September.



All those on short term (non-stamped visas) such as TR, TS and VOA should leave the country by September 26th.

All those on long term visas of any kind will receive extensions valid from September 27th.

More information: https://www.immigration.go.th/en/

[ΠΑΡΗΣ]

Congratulations to the Government of Thailand for extending the visa and reopening the universities for foreigners.
There will be a lot of crying in America!!!!!!

U.S. Rescinds Plan to Strip Visas From International Students in Online Classes

The Trump administration said it would no longer require foreign students to attend in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic in order to remain in the country.
In a rare and swift immigration policy reversal, the Trump administration on Tuesday bowed to snowballing opposition from universities, Silicon Valley and 20 states and abandoned a plan to strip international college students of their visas if they did not attend at least some classes in person.

The policy, which would have subjected foreign students to deportation if they did not show up for class on campus, had thrown the higher education world into turmoil at a time when universities are grappling with whether to reopen campuses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sourse:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/us/coronavirus-international-foreign-student-visas.html

Foreign students in US: Trump administration drops deportation plans

What had the policy said?
Foreign students were told last week that they would not be allowed to stay in the US this autumn unless they switched to a course with in-person tuition.
Those who had returned to their home countries when term ended in March - as the coronavirus crisis grew - were told they would not be permitted to return if their classes had since moved online.

Sourse:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53410285

Υπόψιν δεν ειναι φθηνά και τα online remote education γιατι πρώτος μου ξάδελφος καθηγητής στην Washington τους εχουν πει αφενός μέχρι τον προσεχή Μαιο μόνο online remote education αλλα με ........$16,000 τον χρόνο ενω με φυσική παρουσία στην ταξη $60,000 τον χρόνο.

Sorry για την σπόντα που βάζω αλλά την γράφω για ενημέρωση οσους εχουν συγγενείς Αμερική.......

Λόγω πανδημίας covid-19 όλα τα Πανεπιστήμια και Σχολεία το προσεχές Φθινόπωρο στην γη της επαγγελίας στην Αμερική θα παραμείνουν κλειστά και τα μαθήματα θα γίνουν διαδικτυακά όπως άλλωστε μου ειχε πει και πρώτος μου εξάδελφος που είναι καθηγητής Πανεπιστημίου Professor στην Washington D.C.

Oπως καταλαβαίνετε «ανησυχίες» εχει προκαλέσει η ανακοίνωση για τα διαδικτυακά online μαθήματα στην γη της επαγγελίας την Αμερική τοσο για «αυτούς που μένουν»
(απολύσεις διδακτικού Προσωπικού και μειωμένα Έσοδα διδάκτρων) αλλά για «αυτούς που φεύγουν» τους αλλοδαπούς Φοιτητές που θα απελαθούν το προσεχές Φθινόπωρο λόγω λήξης της Φοιτητικής M1-Visa .
Ανακαλείται από την Υπηρεσία Μετανάστευσης και Δασμών US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) η παραμονή και των Καθηγητών τύπου F1-Visa και θα απελαθούν διότι τα Πανεπιστήμια θα κλείσουν το Φθινόπωρο λόγω πανδημίας Covid-19  και των διαδικτυακών online μαθημάτων.

Συνολικά στην γη της επαγγελίας την Αμερική εχουν εκδοθεί 388,839 F1- visas αλλοδαπών καθηγητών και 9,518,000 M1-Visa για αλλοδαπούς φοιτητές ενώ τα Έσοδα που «θεωρητικά» θα χάσει η γη της επαγγελίας η Αμερική εκτιμώνται σύμφωνα με το Υπουργείο Εμπορίου σε $45 δις.
(τα διαδικτυακά μαθήματα υπόψιν στην Αμερική δεν είναι…….δωρεάν αλλά ανέρχονται περίπου σε $16,000 η χρονιά επομένως μάλλον……αυξήσεις Εσόδων θα εχουν παρά μειώσεις).
Το Πρόγραμμα Ανταλλαγής Φοιτητών και Επισκεπτών, το οποίο διευθύνεται από το ICE, είχε αρχικά επιτρέψει στους αλλοδαπούς φοιτητές να συνεχίσουν τα μαθήματά τους στο Διαδίκτυο την άνοιξη και το καλοκαίρι του 2020 ενώ παραμένουν στη χώρα.
Ωστόσο, στις 6 Ιουλίου, το Student and Exchange Visitor Program, δήλωσε ότι οι αλλοδαποί φοιτητές που δεν θα παρίστανται με φυσική παρουσία στα μαθήματα των Πανεπιστημίων που θα κλείσουν λόγω πανδημίας Covid-19 θα υπόκεινται πλέον στους μεταναστευτικούς όρους και θα απελαθούν.


KAZKA — ПЛАКАЛА [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

[YanniF]

Expats can save up to 50% off on hotel and flight deals in Thailand

Pattaya Mail November 21, 2020

Calling out to all EXPATS living in Thailand, let’s make 2020 more fun with a THB1000 subsidy from TAT.

Get a 1,000 THB off per night at any participating hotels across Thailand (limited to 5,000 room nights only).

Save your budget with discounts and package deals for domestic flights from the best airlines in Thailand.

Having your passport in hand, any plans are possible.

Act fast, book now! Valid on stays until 31st December 2020 only.

Check out participating hotels and airlines here >https://bit.ly/38yfGoX
Learn more about Expat Travel Bonus here >https://bit.ly/36vYFcx

Your vacay is only a booking away

[halfway inn]

Thai Airways International plans to resume international services from Nov 1.

Thursday, 21 October 2021

Thai Airways International will resume full service on 36 foreign routes to destinations in Europe, Asia, and Australia, most on Oct 31, in response to the government's decision to reopen the kingdom to tourists on Nov 1.

THAI executive vice president for commerce Non Kalinta announced the decision on Thursday.

He said the resumption of international services was in the airline's winter flight plan, to be implemented from Oct 31 to March 26.

Resumed routes to support the PhuSandbox reopening:

1. Bangkok-Phuket-London and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

2. Bangkok-Phuket-Frankfurt and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

3. Bangkok-Munich-Phuket-Bangkok, from Bangkok on Fridays (from Jan 1).

4. Bangkok-Phuket-Paris and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

5. Bangkok-Phuket-Copenhagen and return, from Bangkok on Thursdays.

6. Bangkok-Phuket-Stockholm and return, from Bangkok on Fridays.

7. Bangkok-Zurich-Phuket-Bangkok, from Bangkok on Fridays.

Routes to Europe and Australia:

1. Bangkok-London and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

2. Bangkok-Frankfurt and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

3. Bangkok-Munich and return, from Bangkok on Sundays (from Jan 1).

4. Bangkok-Paris and return, from Bangkok on Sundays.

5. Bangkok-Brussels and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays and Fridays

6. Bangkok-Milan and return, from Bangkok on Thursdays and Saturdays (from Jan 1)

7. Bangkok-Copenhagen and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays and Sundays.

8. Bangkok-Stockholm and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

9. Bangkok-Zurich and return, from Bangkok on Mondays and Wednesdays (once a week from Oct 31 to Dec 31).

10. Bangkok-Sydney and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Asian routes:

1. Bangkok-Manila and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

2. Bangkok-Osaka and return, from Bangkok on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

3. Bangkok-Tokyo (Narita) and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

4. Bangkok-Tokyo (Haneda) and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1).

5. Bangkok-Nagoya and return, from Bangkok on Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

6. Bangkok-Taipei and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

7. Bangkok-Seoul and return, with one flight a day.

8. Bangkok-Hong Kong and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

9. Bangkok-Singapore and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

10. Bangkok-Jakarta and return, from Bangkok on Wednesdays.

11. Bangkok-New Delhi and return, with one flight a day (from Jan 1).

12. Bangkok-Mumbai and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (from Jan 1).

13. Bangkok-Bengaluru and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays (from Jan 1).

14. Bangkok-Hyderabad and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays (from Jan 1).

15. Bangkok-Chennai and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1).

16. Bangkok-Dhaka and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1)

17. Bangkok-Karachi and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1)

18. Bangkok-Lahore and return, from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1)

19. Bangkok-Islamabad and return, from Bangkok on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (from Jan 1).



Bangkok Post