Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing entry rules for Malaysia. We have discussed this, I believe last week that they were talking about they were geared, they were set for reopening. A recent article from the Pattaya Mail, pattayamail.com,  the article is titled: Unpopular Thailand Pass Entry Rules may End. I would urge folks who are watching this video, go read this article in detail, a lot going on there.

Specific to Malaysia, “Malaysia is set to introduce visas on arrival from April 1, with evidence of a pre-flight PCR test and "an ATK test, taken within 24 hours of arrival”, although the precise of bureaucracy is not clear". That is well stated. The precise bureaucracy of all this remains generally opaque to one degree or another. Quoting further: "Thailand is also considering abolition of the mandatory COVID insurance of at least $20,000 downgraded from US$50,000 last month. There is no mention of mandatory insurance in the latest Malaysian announcements of intent."

So interesting, something I hope as I have discussed previously in other videos, something I hope policymakers here in Thailand take to heart is the fact that other jurisdictions around the region are starting to open up; they are starting to ease and it looks like they are starting to ease pretty substantially quite quickly. Meanwhile Thailand has, let's call it the less than popular Thailand Pass, which not a lot of folks are interested in using. I have talked to many people. I think Thailand Pass is really putting people off coming in. It is really hard to navigate; it is bureaucracy. At the end of the day that is really what it is. It is digitized bureaucracy and a lot of people just don't particularly like to use it. 

So again, one man's opinion but I think and I hope as a Thai, that policy makers take a look around the region and go ahead and maybe make some fundamental changes to current entry protocols for Thailand so that hopefully we can turn around the Tourism Sector sooner rather than later.