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#Post#: 2440--------------------------------------------------
Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: socal
Date: February 4, 2022, 11:50 pm
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This writer thinks so.
What It’s Like to Visit Bangkok Right Now
With quarantine requirements scrapped, the food, shopping, and
nightlife capital of Thailand is ready to welcome foreign
visitors back.
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Wat ArunPhotographer: phutthiseth thongtae/Moment RFBy
Randy Thanthong-Knight
February 3, 2022 (Bloomberg)
When Thailand shut its borders to foreign visitors in March
2020, the city that was once the world's most visited felt as if
it had lost its soul almost overnight. Without tourists, Bangkok
simply didn’t feel like Bangkok anymore. But after nearly two
years, the capital is finally opening up to the world again.
On Feb. 1, Thailand’s border reopened to vaccinated travelers
from every country as part of the government's shift from a
Covid-zero approach to considering the virus endemic. Travelers
will need only a negative PCR lab result before arrival and
agree to two more PCR tests after landing—one upon entry and
another on their fifth day in Thailand. And while this isn’t the
first time travelers have been allowed back in, it marks a
strong departure from previous attempts to restart tourism,
which required travelers to jump through such substantial hoops
as quarantining for seven to 14 days or being confined to an
island for a period of a week or more after their arrival.
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A night market on Ratchadapisek Road.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Hijiki/Moment RF
The Thai government expects as many as 15 million foreign
visitors this year. That’s a far cry from the nearly 40 million
who came in 2019, the year before the pandemic, but it’s a lot
more than last year’s 428,000 arrivals.
As it stands, Thailand has vaccinated 70% of its residents, with
about 20% of its total population having already received third
or fourth shots. Bangkok has relaxed its Covid-19 protocols so
that people can once again eat in restaurants, see movies, or
enjoy nightlife—though you still need to strictly follow mask
mandates. There hasn’t been an omicron surge like those in the
U.S. or Europe, and health officials say new infections are
within manageable levels.
Although Bangkok locals are getting back out and about, making
the city feel alive again, visitors will still find a city
that’s quieter—but just as energetic—than they remember. The
crowds will return, so 2022 is the time to enjoy the city while
it’s relatively empty and help business owners get back on their
feet.
The Dining Scene
The serene dining room at Côte by Mauro Colagreco.
Source: Côte by Mauro Colagreco
Bangkok is known for a food scene that ranges from pad thai, a
cheap but beloved national dish peddled from street stalls, to
high-end restaurants with elaborate tasting menus. Across the
spectrum they’ve been starved for business, not just because of
the absence of diners from abroad but because domestic patrons
were kept away through months of lockdowns and harsh
restrictions. Those have been lifted. In Bangkok, there's no
longer a capacity limit for indoor dining, but temperature
checks will be required and, in most places, staff is required
to be vaccinated and undergo regular Covid tests.
Some famous spots such as Bo.lan—known for classic Thai dishes
that used ingredients such as fermented fish or banana
blossoms–have closed down. But many local favorites were able to
endure, including the almost impossible-to-book Sorn (22-course
southern Thai cuisine), Sühring (contemporary German and
European fare in a 1970s villa), and Jay Fai (Michelin-starred
street food, with every dish is made by Jay Fai herself).
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The Queen of Street Food, Michelin star chef Jay Fai prepares
food at her restaurant in downtown Bangkok.
Photographer: Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images
With the loosening of restrictions on travel and businesses,
chefs and restaurateurs are again investing in new businesses:
Among the most-anticipated 2022 openings will be Maison Dunand,
a fine-dining restaurant and contemporary bistro by French chef
Arnaud Dunand Sauthier, formerly of Le Normandie at the Mandarin
Oriental Bangkok. Scheduled to open this spring, it’s one of
several restaurants that have chosen the Sathon area. Côte by
Mauro Colagreco, which opened in Bangkok amid the pandemic, is
located just off Sathon Road.
While plastic Covid partitions between spread-apart tables have
disappeared in many cities, they can still be found in many
Bangkok restaurants; outdoor dining is less common outside
street stalls, given Bangkok’s heat. Famous vendors have taken a
big hit but are bouncing back in some areas. The best
neighborhood to walk around and sample options is Chinatown,
where hundreds of vendors are all within walking distance and
where food options range from Chinese and Thai food to seafood
and desserts.
Culture Makes a Comeback
With few remaining restrictions, navigating the next phase of
the pandemic in Bangkok is a game of choose-your-own-adventure.
The gate to the Phra Mondop Scripture Hall at Wat Po.
Photographer: Manfred Gottschalk/Stone RF
If you’re still Covid-weary: It may sound unconventional to
recommend Bangkok’s most iconic sights—the Grand Palace, Wat
Pho, and Wat Arun—to visitors who want to avoid crowds, but
they’re never been so empty. (Besides, you can fully experience
these places without ever stepping indoors.) The Museum Siam (a
permanent exhibit on different aspects of “being Thai”), Museum
of Contemporary Art (an extensive collection of paintings and
sculptures by Thai artists), and open-air museum Ancient Siam (a
300-acre park filled with replicas of Thailand’s famous
landmarks) are also a good place to absorb Thai art and culture.
End the day at the recently opened Benjakitti Forest Park to
enjoy city views at sunset. Converted from the lands of tobacco
factories in Central Bangkok, this 180-acre park features
wetlands, walking and biking trails, and thousands of trees.
If you need a gentle reentry: The sprawling complex of Chatuchak
Market—the world’s largest weekend market—is a good place to
start, whether you're hunting for clothes made by local
designers, souvenirs, home goods and furniture, street food, or
other cheap and rare finds. (Among the objects that recently
caught our fancy were fabric face masks made from colorful Thai
silk and handmade sedge tote bags.) Just time your visit in the
morning; the narrow, maze-like aisles can get crowded in the
afternoon. Head over to SookSiam, an indoor, floating market at
IconSiam, to escape the heat and grab some street food or local
products.
Shoppers walk past stores in the the SookSiam area inside the
IconSiam megamall.
Photographer: Nicolas Axelrod/Bloomberg
If you want to pretend the pandemic never happened: Head to the
city’s several night entertainment districts, such as Silom
(popular among LGBTQ and gay-friendly crowds), Soi Sukhumwit 11
(popular among expats and foreign visitors), or Thonglor
(popular among middle- and upper-class Thais). Officially, bars
and nightclubs are still banned from operating, but many have
skirted the rules by offering more fulsome menus and calling
themselves restaurants, while still serving copious amounts of
alcohol and hiring DJs to blast electronica. As a precaution,
some of these establishments will hand out rapid antigen tests
and require a negative result before you enter.
How to Get Around
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Riding a tuk-tuk is a classic way to get around the city.
Photographer: Vivek Prakash/Getty Images AsiaPac
Bangkok may not be particularly walkable, but that shouldn’t
prevent you from exploring al fresco. Tuk-tuks are synonymous
with the city, a cultural experience unto themselves; be sure to
negotiate prices before jumping in as they don’t use meters. And
the city’s colorful canals and rivers have boats that offer a
good way to avoid rush hour traffic while taking in the views;
some even run on electric batteries these days.
That said, taxis are often the quickest way to get from Point A
to Point B. Download Grab, the local version of Uber, to hail
them easily—and be sure to mask up; drivers are diligent about
wearing face coverings and demanding that their patrons do the
same, and some still use plastic barriers for the back seat. A
further option: The newly-expanded rapid transit system now
connects the city’s two main airports and runs past all of its
key attractions, from the Old Town palaces and temples to the
bustling business and nightlife districts. As with taxis, masks
are required at all times and a temperature check is done at
each station before you enter the system.
Covid Etiquette
Face masks are still very much a necessity in Bangkok, even when
dressing up to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Photographer: JACK TAYLOR/AFP
When in Thailand, do as the Thais do: Wai is a Thai greeting
whereby people put hands together at chest level and slightly
bow their heads, and it’s a good way to minimize contact.
Bangkok is a designated "blue province," along with many other
popular tourist destinations such as Phuket and Chiang Mai. This
means most restrictions have already been lifted to promote
tourism activities. Still, masks are required at all times
outside your place of residence. Fines for not wearing masks
cost 20,000 baht (about $600). People here take mask wearing so
seriously that TV news anchors wear them during live broadcasts.
#Post#: 2444--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Mr Tinkles
Date: February 5, 2022, 4:15 am
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Good to read an up-to-date report on where things are for the
tourist in Bangkok
I get a bit tired of the upbeat promotional style of writing in
these articles
Wearing a mask outside is a deal breaker for me. I'm not
traveling to Bangkok to wear a mask outside in that heat
#Post#: 2448--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: stroll
Date: February 5, 2022, 5:25 am
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The deal breaker is the second PCR test - you need to prepay a
one day quarantine at a SHA++ hotel and the test as well.
If you test positive and don't have a home in Los, you need to
stay in the hotel or hospital - some insurances may cover the
cost, others won't.
Have a nice holiday! lol
#Post#: 2456--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: socal
Date: February 5, 2022, 11:57 am
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I agree. I'll wait until they drop the tests and the mask
outside
#Post#: 2457--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Mr Tinkles
Date: February 5, 2022, 4:19 pm
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--- Quote from: stroll link ---
>
> The deal breaker is the second PCR test - you need to prepay a
one day quarantine at a SHA++ hotel and the test as well.
> If you test positive and don't have a home in Los, you need to
stay in the hotel or hospital - some insurances may cover the
cost, others won't.
> Have a nice holiday! lol
>
--- End Quote ---
So the devil is in the details which the article doesn't even
mention. Why I mentioned the 'upbeat promotional style' of
writing...in other words an advertisement for the Tourism
Authority of Thailand
#Post#: 2459--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Lamphun
Date: February 5, 2022, 6:26 pm
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Nobody should be holidaying internationally at the moment.
#Post#: 2488--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Smeg
Date: February 9, 2022, 11:54 pm
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It's fading away due to fatigue. Nobody wants this **** to
continue into a third year, which it will if people are still
fussing about it this time next month.
It's time to accept that we have a severe strain of the common
cold circulating alongside influenza, neither of which will be
disappearing and both of which have vaccines available.
#Post#: 2491--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Lamphun
Date: February 10, 2022, 4:43 am
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It’s not flu or the common cold, but the authorities are getting
tired. Reported infections are now difficult to understand. The
only real metric is deaths. Apparently 20 today. I believe
england is reporting over 200 deaths a day so it’s not over.
#Post#: 2610--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Moose
Date: February 24, 2022, 6:07 pm
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--- Quote from: Smeg link ---
>
> It's fading away due to fatigue. Nobody wants this **** to
continue into a third year, which it will if people are still
fussing about it this time next month.
>
> It's time to accept that we have a severe strain of the common
cold circulating alongside influenza, neither of which will be
disappearing and both of which have vaccines available.
>
--- End Quote ---
Over 18,000 new cases a day, seems pretty high to me.
#Post#: 2613--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is Covid over for Thailand? Upward and onward ?
DIR By: Lamphun
Date: February 24, 2022, 8:28 pm
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--- Quote from: Moose link ---
>
> Over 18,000 new cases a day, seems pretty high to me.
>
--- End Quote ---
That’s with PCR tests. The actual number is much higher.. It’s
everywhere, our next door neighbour currently has it. On the
flip side I’m not hearing of any deaths. Hopefully this will be
another two to three weeks then fade away.
The government just dropped the second PCR test requirement for
entry to the country and lowered the health insurance required.
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