Thailand prepares for discreet reopening of tourism industry

[pookiki]

Travel 'bubbles' are travel 'babble'.  Look at the situation that just recently happened when a repatriated Thai was nearly released from a 14-day quarantine and then tested positive.  Why is 14 days a magic number?  A reasonable guideline but it doesn't insure that we will be safe. With estimates that 35% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, those countries that open tourism will open the gates to a resurgence of the virus. There are too many facets of this disease that we still don't understand. I don't care if the tourists are MICE or Macedonians, there should be a uniform approach for all tourists wanting to visit Thailand or any other country for that matter. Or for those Thais who want to travel and return without a whole lot of hassle.  Just remember, the first COVID-19 transmission in Thailand involved a taxi driver.  After tourism opens, the taxi drivers will be on the front line, again.  No system will be fool-proof or bribe-proof. 

[dave moir]

7 hours ago, steve187 said:

so what are the countries that have lots of potential travelers that fit this description

 

edit New Zealand springs to mind

 

China China and China!!! Certainly not to be trusted as Covid 19 free!! 

[Anton9]

9 minutes ago, uhuh said:

Please show them

 

 

 

[Snig27]

10 minutes ago, uhuh said:

Pre-Covid, about 15% of Thai GDP came from tourism. 

Absolutely and most of that was external. Anyone who says that they are not dependent on tourism to maintain this country's economic well-being is deluded - and that applies especially to the middle class. 

[Mikeasq60]

I swear to gawd this whole thing gets more bizarre hour by hour. Just open it up already!

[Mikeasq60]

13 minutes ago, pookiki said:

Travel 'bubbles' are travel 'babble'.  Look at the situation that just recently happened when a repatriated Thai was nearly released from a 14-day quarantine and then tested positive.  Why is 14 days a magic number?  A reasonable guideline but it doesn't insure that we will be safe. With estimates that 35% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, those countries that open tourism will open the gates to a resurgence of the virus. There are too many facets of this disease that we still don't understand. I don't care if the tourists are MICE or Macedonians, there should be a uniform approach for all tourists wanting to visit Thailand or any other country for that matter. Or for those Thais who want to travel and return without a whole lot of hassle.  Just remember, the first COVID-19 transmission in Thailand involved a taxi driver.  After tourism opens, the taxi drivers will be on the front line, again.  No system will be fool-proof or bribe-proof. 

Im sorry but if your fearful just stay shuttered at home. Just leave people alone please

[JohnBZ]

Enough talk.  Let us get it going.  Let foreigners from low risk come in without too much of additional burden at the airports.  Any foreigner to come into Thailand is good and it will tell everyone that the risk is minimum and manageable. 

 

Apparently, people who have the power to decide entry policy are not the ones who are suffering from the ban on foreigners.  This is the sad part of the story.  

 

 

[DrTuner]

Thailand never does anything discretely. The first weekend malls were opened social distancing flew out the window. Don't bother posturing, let them all in, that's what you are going to do anyway. There's nobody to enforce any usurper orders from the ivory towers.

[Letseng]

8 hours ago, steve187 said:

so what are the countries that have lots of potential travelers that fit this description

 

edit New Zealand springs to mind

 

Taiwan, Hongkong, Japan, China

[GBW]

2 hours ago, connda said:

I was talking to my wife today and she brought up tourism.
Her take is that most average Thais want the borders pretty much shut permanently to all foreigners (outsiders) and only allow domestic tourism. 

Well, at least your wife is talking to you..................

[simon43]

How many actually died on Laos?  Does anyone know? Perhaps Laos out did Thailand.

 

Laos moved very quick to close borders, lock-down its citizens etc.  Even those who were seriously ill were unable to be evacuated to Thai hospitals.  To date, there have been only 19 confirmed cases of Wuhan Flu, with zero deaths and no new cases for 35 days....  Tight lock-down has been lifted.

 

Now why Thailand won't currently allow those living in Laos to travel to Thailand is beyond me....

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, gamini said:

I don't like a military government but they've done a good job. I'm glad I don't live in the UK which has the highest number of deaths per capita in the world with a government that's completely bungled everything regarding the pandemic.

I keep reading similar statements so once again I ask. What precisely has Thailand done that the UK has not , it seems to me little or nothing.

Time will tell why certain nations have apparently fared better than others, luck , culture , genetics , weather ? , at this stage we dont know.

Now South Korea , Germany and certain other nations do seem to have managed very well , but in all honesty what was the Thai master plan.

It has simply mimicked the lockdowns elsewhere but without the solid financial assistance that make such a plan workable, oh and neglected the large scale testing that enables data to be collated and acted on.

As I said , time will tell who the true bunglers were.

 

 

 

[dallen52]

8 hours ago, steve187 said:

so what are the countries that have lots of potential travelers that fit this description

 

edit New Zealand springs to mind

 

Can add Australia to the list too.

[jimmjam]

So what about the foreigners already here who are from europe and the u.s who rely on border bounces, and going to neighbouring countries for visa's , i.e. multiple entry non-o?

Will they just be told to leave their families and return to their countries ?

Im sure alot of people are going to be up <deleted> creek if they dont allow these types of visa holders to re-enter if they leave.

[brianbbb]

It's all about getting the Chinese back a.s.p

[dallen52]

3 hours ago, connda said:

I was talking to my wife today and she brought up tourism.
Her take is that most average Thais want the borders pretty much shut permanently to all foreigners (outsiders) and only allow domestic tourism. 

Sounds a bit like North Korea.

Most thais i know (who can afford to get away) prefer to holiday out of Thailand. 

[Brunolem]

5 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

What precisely has Thailand done that the UK has not 

An alcohol ban and keep the amulet shops closed!

 

In the UK you can still buy a BJ doll, while drinking a can of beer, which is totally irresponsible!

[Millcx]

It doesn’t matter how many tourist you let in .. If you think they are going to go to 7-11 to buy ready Meals and a bottle of wine to drink in their hotel room then think again McDuff

 

bars need to be open and Restaurants need to be able to sell wine and Liquor

 

if they are not open then this economy is worthless .. If it’s thought that people flock to Thailand to see Temples and National Parks then I’m afraid this country will stay in a bubble .. All the neighbouring countries with more inviting immigration rules and entertainment far outstrips what Thailand has become

 

A Connecting Flight Destination

[dallen52]

27 minutes ago, Mikeasq60 said:

I swear to gawd this whole thing gets more bizarre hour by hour. Just open it up already!

The logic still eludes me as to why the borders remain closed and so many people are denied the opportunity to work. 

Talking to the thai people i know, like the Issan and village people,  they firmly believe that the low number of infections is attributed to the heat.

Could be something in it?

(Plus a bit of dodgy figure reporting)

[samsensam]

3 hours ago, connda said:

I was talking to my wife today and she brought up tourism.
Her take is that most average Thais want the borders pretty much shut permanently to all foreigners (outsiders) and only allow domestic tourism. 

 

it would be interesting to know more, could you ask her why she/average thais think this, and what are the benefits to thailand, and to average thais, of not having an international tourism industry?

[micmichd]

7 hours ago, JCP108 said:

"without the need to quarantine the visitors after their entry"

 

Several of us have predicted in here that, soon, Chinese tourists will be able to come here without the quarantine requirement while the rest of us will have to comply. It's coming to fruition. 

Sure, the West is the epicenter of CoviD-19 now. The West was warned long enough. 

[ThailandRyan]

6 hours ago, steven100 said:

Khun Prayut Chan O Cha has handled the COVID19 situation exceptionally well, the stringent measures put in place worked to ensure minimal to zero transmissions or infections occurred.

Yet, his pocket book is empty and his political backing party has its wheel's going of the rails.  He is in dire need of a major distraction to not be run over by his own bus....

[Europeanguy]

Can I ask why I get the posting messages email when there are already 6 pages of answers? It makes me feel like like a second rate participant not worthy of participating until nearly everything has been said? Every time, not only this post,

 

[tribalfusion001]

Chinese tourists only, no need for beer bars or go go bars, just more seafood buffets.

[reallyaffiliated]

Let's say they open up to Vietnam or Korea. Do you guys think it would be possible to first fly to one of these countries, and go to Thailand from there? Or are they purely looking on what kind of passport you have? Thanks guys

[Cranky]

Like a discreet massage? Without the happy ending. 

[Brunolem]

9 minutes ago, Europeanguy said:

Can I ask why I get the posting messages email when there are already 6 pages of answers? It makes me feel like like a second rate participant not worthy of participating until nearly everything has been said? Every time, not only this post,

 

I asked that question before.

 

The reason is that there are so many members that they send the email by batch file.

 

And indeed many hours separate those who get it first from those who get it last.

[Brunolem]

6 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

Let's say they open up to Vietnam or Korea. Do you guys think it would be possible to first fly to one of these countries, and go to Thailand from there? Or are they purely looking on what kind of passport you have? Thanks guys

The passport will certainly matter, otherwise that would be too easy, especially from Vietnam.

[AhFarangJa]

8 hours ago, steve187 said:

so what are the countries that have lots of potential travelers that fit this description

 

edit New Zealand springs to mind

 

That is easy, the government already has a short list.........China, China, India, China, China, India, India, China, China, India, China, India, Oh, and did I mention China? Just simply a way to get the Chinese back through the doors without too much alarm....

[finnishmen]

thailand NOT need open bordens to tourism, not good all countrys. need keep borden closed one year and same all hotel and bar need banned and closed 1 year more, same all fly need banned 1 year. no need more viruses here.