Thailand’s latest quarantine blooper puts tourism in jeopardy

[webfact]

 

By Joe Cusmano 

Guest Writer

 

The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and risks for everyone and for countries that rely heavily on tourism putting the goal post in the right spot has been more challenging, to strike a stable balance between maintain the country and people safe and getting the business to restart for which part of the country depends on. Unfortunately, it seems that Thailand after several attempts, still cannot get it right.

 

The Thai authorities recently announced reduced quarantine for visitors and shorter quarantine for vaccinated visitors and after luring in bookings and future trips, in preparation for quarantine free travel to Phuket, the country seems to have changed its mind, again.

 

Thailand had been preparing to welcome vaccinated visitors to Phuket by July, without any quarantine requirements. There is still some last-minute chance that could come true, but in the interim, the country is leaving travellers livid.

 

Full story: https://www.traveldailymedia.com/thailands-latest-quarantine-blooper-puts-tourism-in-jeopardy/

 

-- © Copyright Travel Daily 2021-05-04

 

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[starky]

A blooper?  Is this what we are calling this deadly and blatant mismanagement? Hate to see a serious stuff up.

 As for the sandbox model not that anyone would want to come here now after this debacle but rolling back quarantine rules particularly for vaccinated people when this was entirely an internal duck up is ridiculous.  Let's be honest there is very few tourists looking to come here but there are plenty, with family, business or long term stayers who have been vaccinated that are looking to a reduced sentence as far as quarantine goes. Typical knee jerk reaction.

Edited May 3, 2021 by starky

[Fex Bluse]

These bloopers and incompetence are so very unusual in Thailand. It's seems they somehow went from best-in-world covid response to bumbling along near the bottom. 

 

Such a dramatic drop in a short period. 

 

Can any of the Thailand cheerleaders here help us understand what happened???

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Fex Bluse

[Pattaya Spotter]

46 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

These bloopers and incompetence are so very unusual in Thailand. It's seems they somehow went from best-in-world covid response to bumbling along near the bottom. 

 

Such a dramatic drop in a short period. 

 

Can any of the Thailand cheerleaders here help us understand what happened???

 

The overall pandemic response in still best in class for a middle income country, despite the recent spike in cases; the numbers speak for themselves. How and when to safely reopen international tourism is a nut no country has yet to crack. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Don Chance]

I think Thailand's problem is how to prove people really have the vaccine when you can buy a card online.

[impulse]

Serious question... 

 

Will travel insurance reimburse anyone who decided not to take their holiday with the longer quarantine?  If they booked a 7 day ASQ and now it's 14 days...

 

Edit:  By "serious question" I mean, no guessing.  What travel insurance did you buy, and did they pay out or decline the claim?  That would be good information for anyone contemplating and choosing travel insurance.  Guesses are fun, but pretty useless...

 

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by impulse

[Pattaya Spotter]

9 minutes ago, impulse said:

Serious question... 

 

Will travel insurance reimburse anyone who decided not to take their holiday with the longer quarantine?  If they booked a 7 day ASQ and now it's 14 days...

 

Depends on the policy wording and if travel changes relating to international covid travel restrictions are a covered benefit.

[Captain Monday]

I didn't think with the slow vaccine rollout the sandbox would happen by Jul 1.

No reason to return to the grievously excessive 16 calendar day quarantine though,

as a reaction to what?

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Depends on the policy wording and if travel changes relating to international covid travel restrictions are a covered benefit.

 

It goes way beyond the wording.  A couple of years back, CBC (Canada) did an investigation of travel insurance scams.  They concluded that you have to be a doctor to understand the medical terminology and an attorney to understand the legalese. 

 

(For example, think of the people whose stay in a mandatory quarantine wasn't covered because they were asymptomatic)

 

I'm more interested in other people's recent experience, though it may be too early to tell for this latest fiasco.  I'm sure there are some anecdotes about recent travel insurance claims during Covid.  It would be good info for anyone choosing a policy.

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by impulse

[ThailandRyan]

So now we are going to call a Flip and then flop a Blooper.  What next just a misunderstanding or was it brake failure.  It's a pandemic and feces occurs.

[Somtamnication]

A blooper or a complete  f up? I go with the latter!

[realfunster]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

These bloopers and incompetence are so very unusual in Thailand. It's seems they somehow went from best-in-world covid response to bumbling along near the bottom. 

 

Such a dramatic drop in a short period. 

 

Can any of the Thailand cheerleaders here help us understand what happened???

 

 

Hi Fex- this is what is known as binary or polarized thinking. Very common these days but life is more complex than that.

In your post, something is either world class or immediately jumps to bumbling along at the bottom of world rankings. Anyone issuing a modicum of praise is pigeon-holed as a ‘cheerleader.’

 

I try my best to look at things objectively. I feel we have been very lucky to have been in Thailand for the past 15 months, compared to a majority of countries. Certainly, my home country has had a massively more miserable time of it with COVID in terms of illness, death and lockdowns.

 

Now, as to why we have done reasonably well in Thailand, difficult to say. It will probably take a while for the world to fully understand the virus and why some countries have fared better than others. 

 

The latest developments in Thailand are concerning, and the authorities have taken action with further restrictions. We all know vaccines could/should have been ordered earlier, a lack of exit strategy from this pandemic was clear. Anyhow, they should be coming on-line in June, so hopefully some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by realfunster
Typo

[madmen]

Great article in its entirety. If Thailand doesn't honor the Phuket model and do a backflip with only 2 months out it will destroy any faith in tourism. 

The new York times did  a very large article describing Phuket as a ghost town and declaring the sand box model a failure with a quarantine backflip inevitable so international criticism is ramping up and future tourists are noticing. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by madmen

[gargamon]

1 hour ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

How and when to safely reopen international tourism is a nut no country has yet to crack. 

The EU (at least some of the countries) is letting in fully vaccinated tourists this summer. I don't believe there is any quarantine involved upon arrival. That is about as close as you can get to cracking the nut...

 

[Nowisee]

Announcing a dinner party and failing to gather all the ingredients.  Party cancelled.  Then announce it again.  Then changing the menu.  Then changing the dress code.  Then changing the invitation.  Then changing the invitees.  

Why Phuket?   

Edited May 3, 2021 by Nowisee

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Serious question... 

 

Will travel insurance reimburse anyone who decided not to take their holiday with the longer quarantine?  If they booked a 7 day ASQ and now it's 14 days...

 

Edit:  By "serious question" I mean, no guessing.  What travel insurance did you buy, and did they pay out or decline the claim?  That would be good information for anyone contemplating and choosing travel insurance.  Guesses are fun, but pretty useless...

 

 

Absolutely not! No, I haven't bought or attempted to claim on a policy but I have many years experience in the business and this would not be a covered peril under any circumstances. Not travelling due to a change in quarantine regulations would be deemed a voluntary action.

[ronaldo0]

July might have been doable for some form of tourism taking off , but with the latest outbreaks and woeful vaccination program speed I don’t see anything on the horizon till xmas . I think most will holiday in Europe this year .

[ThailandRyan]

50 minutes ago, gargamon said:

The EU (at least some of the countries) is letting in fully vaccinated tourists this summer. I don't believe there is any quarantine involved upon arrival. That is about as close as you can get to cracking the nut...

 

5th wave on the way......hope they dont reverse and lock down again and ride out the wave.

[Pattaya Spotter]

54 minutes ago, madmen said:

Great article in its entirety. If Thailand doesn't honor the Phuket model and do a backflip with only 2 months out it will destroy any faith in tourism. 

The new York times did  a very large article describing Phuket as a ghost town and declaring the sand box model a failure with a quarantine backflip inevitable so international criticism is ramping up and future tourists are noticing. 

I doubt the change in re-opening plans amounts to anything...how many people are actually planning vacations half-way around the world at the moment? Europe, except for the UK, is at 20-30% vaccination rates and it's my understanding China, Thailand largest market, isn't allowing vacation travel outsidemthe country at this time. It's really a big curffle about nothing. And why would ANYONE, who didn't have to, come to Phuket right now...the tourist side of the island (Surin down to Kata Noi) is completely shutdown.

[Bkk Brian]

8 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I doubt the change in re-opening plans amounts to anything...how many people are actually planning vacations half-way around the world at the moment? Europe, except for the UK, is at 20-30% vaccination rates and it's my understanding China, Thailand largest market, isn't allowing vacation travel outsidemthe country at this time. It's really a big curffle about nothing. And why would ANYONE, who didn't have to, come to Phuket right now...the tourist side of the island (Surin down to Kata Noi) is completely shutdown.

A soft curfew in Phuket now to, 11pm till 4am I hear.

 

Edit from 10pm

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1389232642277576705

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Bkk Brian

[Maffmatix]

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

 

Hi Fex- this is what is known as binary or polarized thinking. Very common these days but life is more complex than that.

In your post, something is either world class or immediately jumps to bumbling along at the bottom of world rankings. Anyone issuing a modicum of praise is pigeon-holed as a ‘cheerleader.’

 

I try my best to look at things objectively. I feel we have been very lucky to have been in Thailand for the past 15 months, compared to a majority of countries. Certainly, my home country has had a massively more miserable time of it with COVID in terms of illness, death and lockdowns.

 

Now, as to why we have done reasonably well in Thailand, difficult to say. It will probably take a while for the world to fully understand the virus and why some countries have fared better than others. 

 

The latest developments in Thailand are concerning, and the authorities have taken action with further restrictions. We all know vaccines could/should have been ordered earlier, a lack of exit strategy from this pandemic was clear. Anyhow, they should be coming on-line in June, so hopefully some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

 

VERY well put.

[brommers]

Yes this administration is utterly devoid of the ability to take decisions & stick to them because the virus in in charge. Lack of widespread access to self testing and the disastrous vaccination "plan" merely add to the chaos. The doors to tourism could be opened but who would come? The beloved Chinese cannot travel here, nor can Europeans or Australians. So the place would simply be overrun by people trying yo escape India & other virus hotspots. In 4 months half the hotels in Thailand will have closed down so there wont be anywhere for people to stay, no restaurants to eat at & no bars to drink at. 

[Poet]

2 hours ago, Don Chance said:

I think Thailand's problem is how to prove people really have the vaccine when you can buy a card online.

Hard to believe that anyone capable of logging into a forum could be unaware of how online verification portals work, rendering paper forgeries useless.

[scorecard]

Quarantine reduced to 7 days in some cases (especially for travelers who have completed their full vaccination more than 14 days before arrival), seemed to me to be good progress, but then suddenly withdrawn and back to 14 days regardless of full vaccination and no other factors considered.

 

In the meantime Thailand, all locations, is desperate to bring in tourists and in big numbers.

 

So I wonder why another factor has not been added to the mix, although it seems to have been in the background discussions; I refer to reduced quarantine if fully vaccinated (and perhaps even no quarantine), if the traveler (s) come from countries currently designation as having were low spread/new cases and very low numbers in intensive care etc., etc).

 

Complicated? Maybe, but keeping lists of countries classified as having very low internal infection rates can be done and there's plenty of data out there. It would need a small dedicated team, but during this pandemic there is no easy answer, it's not a one answer fits all situation right now.

 

Thailand needs to get it's act together and get on top of subjects like this if Thailand wants to get some tourists in. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by scorecard

[FarFlungFalang]

27 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

.how many people are actually planning vacations half-way around the world at the moment?

After suffering the pandemic for over a year I think there would heaps of covid stir crazed people itching to just get away from it all.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, gargamon said:

The EU (at least some of the countries) is letting in fully vaccinated tourists this summer. I don't believe there is any quarantine involved upon arrival. That is about as close as you can get to cracking the nut...

 

Indeed that is the case but there is still caution required - if people want to book holidays as early as this summer then there is risk involved as we have seen in the past.

 

Currently health experts are keeping a very close eye on the emergence of variants/mutations and how effective the current vaccines are, so far it seems they are effective but that could change very quickly.

 

If we see the emergence of virus strains that current vaccines are unable to control then we will be right back to square one, we are not out of this yet.

 

Go ahead and book a holiday but be aware of the risk and don't complain when your holiday is cancelled - you were advised not to travel or book foreign holidays

[rustinorman]

FUBAR that's what it is....

[Pattaya Spotter]

32 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

A soft curfew in Phuket now to, 11pm till 4am I hear.

 

Edit from 10pm

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1389232642277576705

 

My normal sleeping hours ????

[FitnessHealthTravel]

This is what happens when the clowns run the circus...

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Serious question... 

 

Will travel insurance reimburse anyone who decided not to take their holiday with the longer quarantine?  If they booked a 7 day ASQ and now it's 14 days...

 

Edit:  By "serious question" I mean, no guessing.  What travel insurance did you buy, and did they pay out or decline the claim?  That would be good information for anyone contemplating and choosing travel insurance.  Guesses are fun, but pretty useless...

 

 

There’s a good rule of thumb to observe. If your government (Foreign office usually) issues an advice against travel to that country or the airline you are booked with cancels the flight then you will be covered. If however in like the instance you quote you definitely will NOT be - it’s termed disinclination to travel (you still could but choose not to) . There are stated exceptions to this - if you or the party you are traveling with becomes ill beforehand or a close family member dies. 
I also spoke to my insurers about being hospitalised as an asymptomatic Covid patient and it boiled down to being compelled by the laws in Thailand (which you are) and medical authorities. So yes ,covered,although I would be nervous if it actually came to that !