Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

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Jun

Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Jun »

Well it was only a few months ago that some were arguing that Pattaya was doing just fine without tourists. More than one person said non-residents couldn't possibly know, although it doesn't take a PhD in economics to predict the effect of taking out the tourists.
Now I'm here, It's clear that loads of businesses are permanently closed.

However, almost all of the places I patronize seem to have survived so far, so it's easy to live here. Lots of places selling trash have closed and this does not spoil a holiday.

Also, the following comparison might explain why I'm quite happy here:
Pattaya: Warm, sunny, most types of business open, Grindr open, bars closed
UK: Cold, wet, pubs closed, no one of interest on Grindr

I have to be somewhere and can't just hibernate until spring.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by gerefan »

Gaybutton wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:21 am
Jun wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:31 am The doors ARE open. We just need to jump over a few hurdles
Great. You can go to Pattaya and find all the bars closed, all kinds of restrictions, possible lockdowns, and who knows what else.

Have a good time . . .
What you need to remember is that those of us here now, who have jumped through all the hoops, actually started the procedure months ago. It’s not simple and takes weeks to arrange and get all the ducks in a row.

Then after that there is the 16 days in solitary. (The first and last days don’t count).

When I first thought of coming, back in November, everything was open in Pattaya and Bangkok and all was running normally. No restrictions whatever.

At the time many expats wrote on here, and elsewhere, how nice it was without Chinese tourists, without their tourist buses, etc.etc.

In my case Covid hit Thailand about half way through quarantine. Pattaya was still normal until literally the day I arrived. There was no way of knowing this was going to happen, or we wouldn’t have come as you say.

So one has to make the best of it as Jun implies and enjoy what’s left.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Gaybutton »

gerefan wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:06 pm So one has to make the best of it
I'm not talking about people who were already in Thailand. I'm talking about people who are trying to go to Thailand in the midst of all this.

I'm glad you are making the best of it. How are you doing that?
Jun

Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Jun »

What am I missing ?
Other than the bar closures, is there anything else that I enjoyed in Pattaya last February and cannot do now ?

If they increase restrictions next week, things might be different. Today it's fine.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

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Jun wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:02 pm What am I missing ?
Since you're talking specifically about Pattaya, along with only you knowing what you enjoyed last February, now it's kind of a moot point since now no one can get in or out of Pattaya without written permission, although I don't know how that would apply to a foreigner trying to get to the airport for a return trip home. I hope you won't have to jump though additional hoops just trying to get to the airport when you're ready to leave, but at least so far the borders are still open.

The bars and the gay scene is what attracted many gay farang to Pattaya in the first place. Now there is nothing. I don't know what is left now to do at night besides sitting around in a hotel or walking empty streets.

Now it's hundreds of businesses closed or on the brink of closing. Restricted hours for the ones still open. Heavy fines if caught outdoors without a face mask. Many restaurants closed or doing take-away only. Restaurants still open for indoor seating under restricted hours and no liquor at the table. Face masks required to be on in restaurants except while actually eating and social distancing even if eating with a friend. Now a requirement to have a mobile phone capable of using the Thai Chana app. And knowing that stronger restrictions can be imposed at any moment - having that hanging over your head.

If there is anything much other than going to the beach during the day or going shopping and then eating, probably alone, in restaurants still open, what is there to do besides finding a boy on Grindr or whatever app you use?

Maybe I'm the one missing something.

Yep, sure sounds like a barrel of fun holiday to me . . .

I do understand the part, however, about escaping winter weather.
Jun

Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:54 pm I don't know what is left now to do at night besides sitting around in a hotel or walking empty streets.

Now it's hundreds of businesses closed or on the brink of closing. Restricted hours for the ones still open.
Thanks to e-commerce, I order the evening's entertainment on Grindr and it's delivered shortly afterwards.
I don't actually need to go to a bar every night. How often do you go to a bar when it's permitted ? I don't read about expats going to bars every day of the week and get the impression that some hardly ever do. Which is of course fine and way better than starting drinking in the morning, as some do in Pattaya.

As for restaurants, most of the ones I use remain open.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Gaybutton »

Jun wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:36 pm Thanks to e-commerce, I order the evening's entertainment on Grindr . . .
It seems as if you are trying to convince yourself rather than me. If other holiday makers read what you say and still want to travel to Pattaya under the present circumstances and truly understand what they would be walking into, fine with me.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by gerefan »

Gaybutton wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:48 pm
Jun wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:36 pm Thanks to e-commerce, I order the evening's entertainment on Grindr . . .
It seems as if you are trying to convince yourself rather than me. If other holiday makers read what you say and still want to travel to Pattaya under the present circumstances and truly understand what they would be walking into, fine with me.
I agree, there won’t be many MORE holiday makers coming.

The point is that those who recently arrived did so following a long and tortuous procedure which started many months BEFORE Covid struck Thailand.

Had we known this was going to happen I’m sure we would not have come. BUT it struck while we were already here... either in Pattaya ...or in my case whilst in quarantine. We had no choice but to continue with our plans.

I will bet you that NOW, 99.9999% of those travelling are doing so to rejoin their families, not for a holiday.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by Gaybutton »

gerefan wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:22 pm Had we known this was going to happen I’m sure we would not have come. BUT it struck while we were already here
I understand that. I admit I am having a bit of difficulty trying to understand why people looking for a holiday would choose Thailand knowing at the very least there would be all those conditions that would have to be met before even traveling, along with 14 days of the holiday spent in quarantine once you get there. Other than the few bars that were still open, what was the attraction that made the trip worth doing?

It is much easier dealing with the current situation as an expat. Sooner or later things will improve and we expats will still be here. But holiday makers in Thailand right now will be long gone by then.
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Re: Traveling to Thailand - Mission Impossible

Post by gerefan »

Gaybutton wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:04 pm [ Other than the few bars that were still open, what was the attraction that made the trip worth doing?
1. Brits come to Thailand for a long stay for a number of reasons. I’m not talking about those who stay for less than 30 days. Most are retired. That being the case they have the time and the will to escape the UK winter. I suspect you have never had to live through one though you may have had to survive a US winter. Maybe that’s one of the reasons you are here too! Google Snowbirds. A beauty of being retired.

2. Some of us have been coming for 15 years, every year. We have friends here. Not just friends with favours! We like to see them regularly.

3. When we made our plans there was little or no Covid in Thailand. We had lived through three lockdowns in the UK. Total of something like 4 or 5 months. More now. Thailand was ops normal when we left!

4. As you say few bars were open. At least some were. In the UK there are NO bars, anywhere, with willing friends. Period.

5. As I have said before, when we left everything here was more or less normal, ok less bars but those you only need one to be open!

6.Finally, and most importantly, there was little or no Covid here. At least non admitted.

Now where I live in the UK the county just happens to be exactly 1/10 the size of Chonburi with exactly 1/10 of the population. The latest figures I have for Chonburi show 390 cases since this infection began (2 weeks). In my county in England the last 2 weeks showed 3500 new cases. Remember it is 1/10 the size of Chonburi.

Effectively it is 390 cases here (in 2 weeks ) v. 35,000 cases at home.Again remember it’s only 1/10th the size.

So the chances of catching the virus in the UK is about 100 times more. Important if you are in a vulnerable group.

To close I see in excess of 1000 people PER DAY are dying of this plague in the UK. Many more in your country. How many here ..about 65 altogether.

So I’m very happy to be here! And everyone at home agrees!
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