Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing refunds associated with traveling to Thailand. So the reason I am making this video, actually I got some correspondence from someone who was wanting me to discuss some things on this channel and it was rather a more lengthy correspondence than just this but I think that this line distills down what I was asked to discuss.

Quoting directly: "Can you do a video that addresses potential legal rights or otherwise regarding accepting a payment for a service not being provided or not now necessary?" So again, this is regarding refunds with respect to travel to Thailand and we are talking about refunds associated with for example someone has to book a hotel to come to Thailand. We saw this in the transition with the Thailand Pass and the easing of quarantine restrictions. There were folks that already were booked up to come in to Thailand. They had their two weeks set aside; actually going into October it was 10 days set aside. They had booked it and then they didn't need it but the booking was non-refundable in most cases and the folks I have talked to, they are frustrated with this have all said: "yes I was told it was non-refundable at the outset. I made that booking and then I didn't really need it so I inquired about a refund and was told, well it is non-refundable." It is unfortunate. 

Long story short, with respect to legal rights I don't really think unless there is something egregious going on and we have seen circumstances where fraud has been at play in some circumstances involving traveling under these conditions but to get to the heart of it, if you are told it is non-refundable, well okay that was just a term, that was a condition of making that booking. Also, there is kind of an element of force majeure going on here, sort of Act of God kind of thing with respect to all matters involving contracts. Not completely but it is just kind of an implied understanding that “look these are precarious circumstances, and as a result, refunds may not necessarily be available”. Now again, do I necessarily agree with that? No, especially depending on the circumstances but it is worth noting and I think, to a certain extent, when you take on one of these non-refundable bookings, and hopefully now moving forward these bookings are not going to be nearly as long, but for example there is serious talking about getting rid of the 1-day quarantine, the overnight under the Test and Go situation where you just show up at the airport, get tested and move on. There is serious talk of doing away with even needing to have a booking for a hotel at all.

So yeah I can see circumstances coming up where folks say "wow I really wish I didn't have that hotel booking"! Long story short, you are probably just going to have to end up eating it.