Tough decisions ahead for Thai visa amnesty ending July 31 - Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

they can & have reneged on their side of the deal.

Which hurdles do you see as the pointless ones?

Also, what do you consider reneging? Should their side of the deal include letting people come in, people who might be bringing in the virus with them, on the basis that they paid a lot of money for elite status? I don't see the logic in that or any justification in making exceptions for "the elite".

Thailand has done an excellent job of keeping this disease in check. I don't think anyone is going to deny that. Thailand wants to keep it that way. So do I. None of us living here - farang or Thai - want to go through lockdowns, travel restrictions, forced business closings, and curfews again or, worse still, end up with the disease. And anyone not willing to wear a face mask in public and/or not willing to let the authorities keep tabs on your whereabouts, don't even think about going to Thailand.

Many seem to think Thailand is eventually going to give in to economic pressure. So far I have seen nothing to suggest that will happen.

You might as well accept the fact that it's going to be a long time, perhaps a very long time, before you can just hop on a plane, come to Thailand for 30 days, step off the plane on arrival, and go right to your destination to have a fun holiday. Once a reliable vaccine is available maybe that will change, but until then forget it. They're not going to let you in.

[Jun]

I would say the 90 day reporting is a pointless hurdle, unless there is clear evidence that the expat community conduct significantly more crimes per capita than the local population.

If Thailand has an "elite scheme" in which people pay for entry privileges, then to withdraw entry rights altogether is reneging on that deal.
When the government have allowed Thai citizens to return home I would have thought they should have done the same with the elite scheme, just to honour their side of the deal.

Note: I'm not participating in that scheme and am almost certain to never do so. It's just that I believe any country operating such a scheme should do the right thing and should keep promises. Even if I am not at all surprised such promises were broken.

Just for clarity, I'm not even commenting on whether or not such schemes should exist. The reality is such schemes do exist.

[Gaybutton]

Even if I am not at all surprised such promises were broken.

I don't see how the 90-day address report is a hurdle. If it was something new, that would be one thing, but I think we all know that report has been a requirement for many years. And now that the report can be done online, rather than having to physically go to immigration or send in your passport by mail, where does the hurdle part come in?

Regarding promises, this is where our opinions differ. You see it as broken promises. I see it as appropriate expediency. I would see it as a broken promise only if Thailand counts the time these people are denied entry against the expiration date of their elite visa. If Thailand extends the expiration dates to the same number of days these people were not allowed in, then I don't see it as a broken promise.

When Thailand came up with this elite visa, I doubt anything such as a pandemic like this entered into the planning process. Now Thailand is faced with a no-win situation. It's going to be controversial and considered by many to be wrong no matter how they handle it, so if they are erring, they're erring on the side of caution. That is a decision I agree with.

Again I know it is easy for me to say since I was already in Thailand when this began and the problems about getting into Thailand don't apply to people in the same circumstance I'm in. I'm lucky I wasn't outside of Thailand making my dream trip to Ouagadougou when the borders were closed or I would definitely be among the people upset and angry about being unable to get in.

[@DM]

Even if I am not at all surprised such promises were broken.

I don't see how the 90-day address report is a hurdle. If it was something new, that would be one thing, but I think we all know that report has been a requirement for many years. And now that the report can be done online, rather than having to physically go to immigration or send in your passport by mail, where does the hurdle part come in?

Regarding promises, this is where our opinions differ. You see it as broken promises. I see it as appropriate expediency. I would see it as a broken promise only if Thailand counts the time these people are denied entry against the expiration date of their elite visa. If Thailand extends the expiration dates to the same number of days these people were not allowed in, then I don't see it as a broken promise.

At least in Bangkok, the Thailand Elite staff will take care of the 90-day reporting for you.

Thailand Elite have already extended everyone's membership by 6 months to make up for the government lockdown.

The Thailand Elite membership agreement recognizes that the "privileges" are effectively subject to government laws/regulations/orders.