TAT governor says no plans to change opening of Thailand on July 1st

[webfact]

Yutthasak Suphasorn. TAT file photo

 

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said there were currently no plans to change the country's strategy to open up to foreign tourism on July 1st.

 

This despite the devastating third wave of Covid-19 infections in the country that has seen numbers near 1000 daily in recent days.

 

Yutthasak Suphasorn told the Thai media that vaccination rollout in Phuket was was still key and he expects foreign tourists back in the third quarter. 

 

He admitted that only those on the special tourist visa (STV) and others who really needed to return to Thailand were in the country as yet. 

 

He finally admitted that few wanted to quarantine even for 7 days and that the situation was very quiet at the moment regarding foreign tourism.

 

He said there was no booking data and that tourists were waiting on Thai government and CCSA announcements later this month. 

 

As far as local tourists go he thought that figures would show a 20% cancellation of bookings at Songkran as a result of the latest wave.

 

People were deciding to travel to low risk areas or not at all, he said.

 

He plans to meet with the Tourism Ministry after Songkran to decide what to do next. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-13

 

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[Shuya]

TAT, your daily source of entertainment 

[George Bowman]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said there were currently no plans to change the country's strategy to open up to foreign tourism on July 1st.

This is why I never could be a politician. I'm simply not smart enough to be able to think like these guys...

 

[madmitch]

Why has he even opened his mouth on this subject at this time, when future plans are so obviously unclear?

[yang123]

"... He said there was no booking data ..."

 

Odd that, innit?

[poskat]

"we will not let current facts alter our arbitrarily set time table"

[Bkk Brian]

Theres me thinking he was in isolation with his Deputy who has the virus

[ezzra]

What is he going to do when scores of foreigners will get infected with the Covid virus? or they will be left to fend for themselves eh? them would be tourists to Thailand better get themselves good health insurance just in case...

[MasterBaker]

pigs will fly

[trainman34014]

He omitted to say it's July 1st 2022 !

[kotsak]

Men devise, heaven decide..

[Guderian]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

there were currently no plans to change the country's strategy to open up to foreign tourism on July 1st.

 

Well perhaps not, but with the Cambodia variant wreaking havoc across the land and the "mass vaccination" programme stillborn, who in their right mind would want to come here for a holiday? By July, there will be many cheaper, easier and much safer places than Thailand to spend your tourist money.

[wombat]

preparations for the first tourists are happening

[bikerbri]

The song Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative comes to mind. Treat the masses like children.

[ikke1959]

Welcome to the land of fairy tales.. Be prepared and careful because we have special COVID here..

If you bring a lot of paperwork and money there will no problem. Thousand of you are expecting to come.. Reality doesn't exist here. 

[10baht]

There are no words that can express my - oh! wait!  " Once upon a time..."????

[wensiensheng]

I’m in Phuket....... where’s my vaccine?

 

its “key” you know.

[Smilermike]

6 hours ago, George Bowman said:

This is why I never could be a politician. I'm simply not smart enough to be able to think like these guys...

 

Its not rocket science, although they think they are doing that also Its too late, they have already let the cat out of the bag by letting people travel etc. And a ban on alcahol, so people are going to 7 11 buying it and sitting in groups on the beach drinking. I honestly dont think the government read on here. They just post. So no point complaining . Better off just looking after yourself.

[Cake Monster]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

What is he going to do when scores of foreigners will get infected with the Covid virus? or they will be left to fend for themselves eh? them would be tourists to Thailand better get themselves good health insurance just in case...

I really dont think he will have to do anything.

Or that Tourists will have to get really good Insurance.

Thailand is going to be Red Flagged by many Nations well before that is allowed to happen.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He plans to meet with the Tourism Ministry after Songkran to decide what to do next.

Maybe meet with them first before speaking out.

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

Why has he even opened his mouth on this subject at this time, when future plans are so obviously unclear?

Because continued ill thought through statements are all he needs to convince himself it keeps him relevant. The problem here is that politicians /officials,unlike western countries,do not have themselves held up to the fire by msm and embarrassed when those pronouncements are subsequently exposed as arrant nonsense. 

[Boedog]

1 Headline reads 965 new cases of Covid and then this idiot says all good to let tourist in July 1st you just can't teach stupid you either have it or you don't and the Governor has it in spades 

[MasterBaker]

i bet all my bitcoins that he will retract this statement

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He plans to meet with the Tourism Ministry after Songkran to decide what to do next

 

[natway09]

How hard it must be to tell fibs & maintain your composure.

Sorry to tell the Government that tourism has just been put back 18 months with the largest outbreak Thailand yet seen & with moSongkran travel  restrictions 2,000 cases a 

day by end of next week is just the start. What has happened to the jab planning?

From what I see not a lot 

[ParkerN]

2 hours ago, Shuya said:

TAT, your daily source of entertainment 

 

The only thing I can think of doing in response to this nonsense, is to shake my head. I really don't know how this guy manages to get out of bed in the mornings... the words 'completely' and 'hopeless' are the only ones that spring to mind.

 

No, that's not true. The only words that I can write here, and which spring to mind, are 'completely' and 'hopeless'. A fine distinction perhaps.

Edited April 13, 2021 by ParkerN

[248900_1469958220]

I could open my door nice and wide and invite ALL supermodels of the world in for a bikini party....I can, but none would come. Thailand is a bit like that right now. 

[Arkady]

They are not doing a good job at controlling the latest outbreak and the vaccine roll out is going at a snail's pace. If things look like this on 1st July few tourists will want to come? 

 

The government is still resting on its laurels from the good luck it got in avoiding a full scale epidemic last year but the rest of the world has moved on and is now looking at percentage of population vaccinated which, in the case of Thailand, is not even 1%.

[overt2016]

I really try to understand this country.

But from what I see it is only the fact that the internet-savvy population see it for what it is.

 

[thailand49]

Sadly his prediction is correct!  No need to change the date because the fact is the spread isn't coming from the tourist from the West!  It was the quarantine, insurance now do tourist even want to come?

????

You control the surrounding borders and you will reduce the spread.