Never ceases to amaze me how such a target has been reached and how little thought goes into how can we make it happen without bringing the country to a standstill. For instance I know they are building a new runway at Bangkok but can the terminal cope with such an increase.
Why not vastly simplify visa process, if no landing card is needed by air why do I need one if I cross by land, if POOT is never required when entering by land why do they insist on airlines asking for this. An efficient and simple evisa might save going to a Thai embassy for all tourists.
The idea of pushing tourists away from the normal places to the less visited was quietly dropped years ago by lonely planet as they removed them from the printed guides. TAT do produce some excellent guides to the provinces but they have not yet recognised that many if not most tourists who want to explore need directions based on using local transportation and not driving your own car or two wheeled death trap.
As you say what are places like Koh Samui Phuket Chiang Mai and other hotspots going to be like will there even be enough rooms.
Thailand does have an e-visa system now. I found it (surprisingly!) simple and efficient in October last year. It's still processed through an embassy or consulate -- I chose the New York one to process mine -- but you never go to the embassy in person, nor do you need to mail your passport. It's all done online. When approved, they email you a paper to print and show the immigration officer upon arrival. There is no actual passport sticker like before -- the officer just stamps your passport. Website is https://www.thaievisa.go.th/
David I know but I used the words efficient and simple because I have read elsewhere of people complaining about problems. May well depend on which embassy one chooses. I have been spoilt by the super efficient Cambodian evisa
Yeah agree on the randomness of their target. It’s also a product of tourism being tied so tightly to growth, can’t keep growing forever and more so when the growth is so out of balance.
What are your thoughts on Ko Chang? We're spending two months in Bangkok and then washer to spend a month on a quiet-ish island. Previously visited Ko Lanta because we had friends there. Liked but didn't love it.
It’s not my favourite, but plenty love it. It’s interior is wilder than Lanta, but yes a quite developed island. Nearby Ko Kut is worth considering, has some of the best beaches in the country.
Never ceases to amaze me how such a target has been reached and how little thought goes into how can we make it happen without bringing the country to a standstill. For instance I know they are building a new runway at Bangkok but can the terminal cope with such an increase.
Why not vastly simplify visa process, if no landing card is needed by air why do I need one if I cross by land, if POOT is never required when entering by land why do they insist on airlines asking for this. An efficient and simple evisa might save going to a Thai embassy for all tourists.
The idea of pushing tourists away from the normal places to the less visited was quietly dropped years ago by lonely planet as they removed them from the printed guides. TAT do produce some excellent guides to the provinces but they have not yet recognised that many if not most tourists who want to explore need directions based on using local transportation and not driving your own car or two wheeled death trap.
As you say what are places like Koh Samui Phuket Chiang Mai and other hotspots going to be like will there even be enough rooms.
Thailand does have an e-visa system now. I found it (surprisingly!) simple and efficient in October last year. It's still processed through an embassy or consulate -- I chose the New York one to process mine -- but you never go to the embassy in person, nor do you need to mail your passport. It's all done online. When approved, they email you a paper to print and show the immigration officer upon arrival. There is no actual passport sticker like before -- the officer just stamps your passport. Website is https://www.thaievisa.go.th/
David I know but I used the words efficient and simple because I have read elsewhere of people complaining about problems. May well depend on which embassy one chooses. I have been spoilt by the super efficient Cambodian evisa
Oh and the cost at $82 is somewhat over the top
Yeah agree on the randomness of their target. It’s also a product of tourism being tied so tightly to growth, can’t keep growing forever and more so when the growth is so out of balance.
What are your thoughts on Ko Chang? We're spending two months in Bangkok and then washer to spend a month on a quiet-ish island. Previously visited Ko Lanta because we had friends there. Liked but didn't love it.
It’s not my favourite, but plenty love it. It’s interior is wilder than Lanta, but yes a quite developed island. Nearby Ko Kut is worth considering, has some of the best beaches in the country.
What are some other islands you would suggest?
For the big islands, a quiet beach on Ko Pha Ngan is hard to beat, for the smaller ones, Ko Bulon Lae is a personal fave, but a long way from Bangkok.
The one famous for the Full Moon Party? Hmm, that always sounded like my idea of hell. I'll take a look again though, and at Ko Bulon Lae.
Indulge your inner 20-sumthin 🤣 It’s a big island with some super lovely & chilled out spots. No need to pack your body paint!
When I was actually twenty, my inner twenty something was already forty, so you do the math! LOL.
I want to trust you on this but but after a month here in Georgetown, I'm just not sure about going to a place so infamous.
However, I am already covered in body paint...