Braniff

We love Thailand and have visited every year for well over a decade. Last year was an exception of course. This year we are thinking of visiting in July with the plan indicated in the title. We are fully immunized. I realize this may sound crazy so I would appreciate any thoughts people may have, or if others are considering anything similar. A week in a balcony room at the - for example - Shangri-La sounds do-able ! Grateful for your insights !

estnet

You are the only one who can evaluate what your time means to you. There is, however, a much different situation recently so I'd keep an eye on that. Vaccination is great, however it is not 100% protection and I've re-evaluated a planned trip for July based on current situation. You need to decide your risk tolerance, what it will be like in the places you plan to go (or even if you will be allowed to go), etc. Good luck

restlessinRNO

There are many things to consider. At the moment there is a Covid-19 outbreak and many things, like museums, bars, temples are closed. If you are fully immunized, and not from India or Africa, you can do 7-day quarantine, in a designated quarantine hotel, at your expense. Most do not have balconies. The situation can easily change between now and July. You need a Certificate of Entry from your local Embassy to enter Thailand, with medical insurance and Covid testing.

transpac

When in July? Begining? End?

You'll still need to satisfy all of the requirements, like insurance.

What are your plans once you clear quarantine?

As of today things look a bit bleak. The country is effectively shut-down although that word cannot be used. Were you to arrive today there wouldn't be much to do, and travel around the country can be challenging.

In July it might be better, but no one really knows.

My vote is "Crazy".

estnet

Yes, lots of hurdles and not so amusing the Grand Palace has been (not sure if still) was actually closed for a while. It used to be a standard scam joke that the scammers would tell you it was closed "today" and then take you to various stores where they got commissions. This is the first time (to my knowledge except for one day) that it has actually been closed - don't know if the scammers are still around.
There are various barriers to travel within the country - one person who came out of quarantine went to a different area and was refused lodging unless they did another 14 day quarantine (which was not required and they found another place to stay - but this is how much the whole situation is different from previous years). I don't think anyone knew how quickly things would change now although it was fairly predictable given the outbreak just before Songkran - when travel was not forbidden and so covid spread was unfortunately wildly amplified. If you don't know Richard Barrow you should follow him on twitter or someplace. He posts a lot of very useful information in English about what is going on in real time.

restlessinRNO

The Grand Palace is closed, as is Wat Pho, the Jim Thompson House, ... Situation changes daily. 😊

transpac

Mini-Shutdown.

goodeats21

The 7 day quarantine isn't a real barrier for me, with solid internet / VPN. I don't even think of it as part of the vacation, just in the room instead of home.

Bigger for issue for me now would be the challenges/restrictions of internal/domestic travel, and the fact that most of the places I would want to visit on holiday might be closed (bars / massage / beach vendors / etc).
All of that for July is an open question now.

EuropeanPete

To have 1/3 of your holiday in quarantine is not going to be a ton of fun. When you add on the time flying internationally plus travelling domestically, I personally think that you would regret it. 8 nights in quarantine isn't a lot of fun and the food in most cases is not great.

Kacee

It's possible July will be better, but I think October or later might be a better target. I certainly would be very careful not to make any reservations that are not easily changed.

Braniff

Thank you all for your thoughts. It has given us much food for thought. We will be “pausing” our travel planning for the moment as we reflect.

BinSabai

on the other side you will see Thailand as you have never seen it (or maybe long time ago, if you have already been here 30 or more years ago) and you probably will never see again.
famous tourist spots without hordes of tourists...
and you could also do quarantine at a pool villa or even in a resort at the beach so you would have more "vacation-feeling" already during your quarantine...

SKT-DK

Indeed - it is an utter joy travelling around the country at the moment without the hordes of tourists everywhere. However, that said, it is truly sad to see all the suffering resulting from the lack of tourists

estnet

Really??? Are there any of these available now before the proposed July Phuket experiment? Now I'm not sure if you could even use a pool at a hotel or condo due to the new orders (which hopefully are temporary and I don't know if "public pools" include hotels)

transpac

At yesterday's briefing mention was made of a MoPH proposal increasing the quarantine period back to 14 days for all individuals entering the country. All means everyone, regardless of origin or vaccination status. Again, just a proposal.

Touring Thailand without tourists sounds glamorous when you say it but honestly it's a lot more challenging than people realize. Rules change almost hourly, and some islands are deemed to be closed then re-opened all in a single day.