AIBU to ask if you thinking going to Thailand in Feb/March is unwise (re: Covid)?

[Thisisunpleasant]

Desperate to go away, thinking about taking DS out of school for a week in Feb/March to go to Thailand.

I'd do it in a heartbeat, except fear of getting Covid out there etc. I know that Thailand have great private healthcare/hospitals but still...

Am I stupid to consider it then?

I feel like there's not going to be a right time for some time...

No one knows really

I spoke to my neighbour recently who is from Thailand and hasn't been back to see her family because if either she or her 2 year old tested positive and the other not, they would be split up. So my advice would be, if you want to travel with Dc, to check thoroughly what would happen if one of you caught it, quarantine regulations etc etc before deciding.

oh, that's interesting @SnowSurprise. I didn't know that. Where would they be split up? Are you talking about testing at the airport? I wasn't quite clear on that

We're booked for 2 weeks in March. Both double vaxxed - there are a few hoops to jump through, including a 1 night quarantine, but that may change nearer the time.

You also need proof of travel insurance that covers covid treatment for a minimum of $50,000. This all has to be uploaded to your Thailand pass application.

Apart from that, we're still going and very excited. They are very strict in masks etc and are pushing through their vaccine program.

I would say you need to go for longer than a week if you are flying all that way! It's too beautiful to only give it a week.

We will go for two weeks - half term week + one week out of school

Where would they be split up?
I don't know. She said if you test positive you have to go to hospital or a special centre (I presume a hotel or whatever that's being used for people who've tested positive), you're not allowed to be ill at home. And they will only take the person who has tested positive. So if her son tested positive, he would have to go but she wouldn't be allowed to go with him and vice versa.
Of course, it might be different for tourists, but definitely worth checking!

I was in Bangkok Feb 2019.

Hotels were taking temperature on arrival, all shopping centres had thermal imaging. I would go.

We lived in Bangkok for 4 years and still have friends there.
I wouldn’t dream of going having heard about the issues they are experiencing

I have been travelling throughout but I wouldn't go further than Europe until things are a bit more predictable. My main concern would be that one of us got ill before going and had to cancel it all or got ill out there. There's also the potential that they close down Bangkok or certain provinces, from what I've seen from youtubers a lot of businesses have closed down - many for good and a lot of sites are closed at the moment due to covid. The Thailand digital travel pass I read can also be a bit of a headache to get as the website is not great.

Thailand is wonderful and I'm desperate to go back but I'd rather wait until things are a bit more predictable before I go that far and plan a big trip like that.

I hear all that...

Do we think Summer might be a bit more predictable time to go?

I’ve booked to take family in April.
There are some really informative and helpful fb pages if you are interested and have questions.

@Ihatethecold - yes, please. I'd really appreciate those links. Thanks

@Thisisunpleasant

I hear all that...

Do we think Summer might be a bit more predictable time to go?

Depends on where you go

Tourist places are ghost towns currently and it depends how quickly they pick up. So many businesses closed and many people went home. Tourist places had stricter lockdowns too as they suffered more from covid.

Impossible to predict months or a year in the future

@Thisisunpleasant

www.facebook.com/groups/136807173553840

This is the best one I use.
The people that run the group are British and Thai and have recently returned to the country. very detailed info on entry requirements and happy to answer any questions.

If you go in summer you need to consider the weather. Gulf islands are better ( less rain) Parts of Koh Samui are very closed up still and no one knows how long it will take to get back to any sense of normality.

The one bit of advice I would give is go with a reputable travel agency to get protection. Ive used Travelbag but Trailfinders are also trustworthy and helpful should you need to transfer or cancel.

Nobody has a crystal ball. I also want to go to Thailand early next year and am keeping an eye on the situation, but so much can change in such a short time with covid.

I also wouldn't go while they're automatically quarantining people for sitting near a positive case on the plane. No way am I putting that must trust in other people to be responsible and isolate for days before the flight like I would.

They are going to have to figure out if they need tourists or not because as things stand, I would not go to Thailand. It's just too much uncertainty and risk of a ruined trip and potential long quarantine.

Thanks all