Hassles and Hope: Thailand’s Big Reopening [S5.E35]

The boys address the big story of the day: Thailand’s long-delayed reopening to tourists, at least from certain low-risk countries. Ed begins by recounting the current (at the time of the show) rules for tourists: COVID medical insurance, a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and a negative test after touching down which MAY require a night in a government-approved hotel. Note that the info in this show was accurate at the time of recording, but things change fast - check here for more details.

The guys discuss the accuracy of the ‘no quarantine’ promotional material before getting into their predictions on the likely success or failure of the endeavor. Both guys agree that it was high time to start selling alcohol again. Ed laments that sales stop at 9 pm and nightlife is not completely open, but baby steps are better than no steps. Certainly, Thai tourism will recover, but will it take 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? Greg and Ed gaze into the Bangkok Podcast crystal ball and make their best estimates.

Each guy then makes their own pitch while the near future is probably the best time to visit Thailand, but it all boils down to this: there’s no doubt that Thailand is a beautiful country. What makes it sometimes hard to traverse is the buttload of other tourists! So being able to come when you know numbers will be down and the country has been thoroughly cleaned up is the best of both worlds. There just might be some hoops to deal with on your way over...

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