madmitch

After the result the other day it's going to need some very manipulative gerrymandering to keep this lot in power!

At least two (my daughter and I)!

Who do I believe? The TAT or the Sunday Times journalist that experienced this? Hmmmm! I read the article and it was interesting and a little scary. Quite simply, the world is now aware of this system. Tourists are put off by it. It needs to be rethought immediately if Thailand's tourism industry is to recover.

No different to dengue fever or flu. Covid will relatively soon be treated in the same way.

An insurance company must retain reasonable amounts in reserve in order to pay outstanding liabilities. Sensible insurance companies purchase reinsurance to cater for large unexpected claims. It looks as though the reserves are being depleted by the covid claims and no reinsurance was purchased for this class of business, hence they are running financial difficulties that may well end up with insolvency. I hope this answers your question

It's a confusing article. I really don't know what's going on after reading it.

Three words: Thailand Tobacco Monopoly!

When I saw that test and go was returning I was going to book flights back to stay a couple of weeks at Easter/Songkran, just hoping that the rules don't change again. The day five nonsense has put me off doing this. I wonder how many other potential visitors they'll lose due to this ridiculous rule?

Odd article. Do you think the newspaper might be interested in the 600 one baht coins I've collected over 18 years in a whisky bottle?

That's what it says. That wasn't the case previously. Ridiculous! About time they started accepting lateral flow tests for the second test but of course, not enough money to be made on this!

One of Thailand's main problems during the pandemic is not having a single mouthpiece announcing anything, thereby creating confusion and confliction. And what we have here is another example of a single person being quoted in the press probably in no official capacity whatsoever. Saying this, Thailand's figures are skewed. In that people with mild symptoms are simply staying home and not reporting it, and that's those that bother to take a lateral flow test

Thailand seems to me to be a lot further behind many other countries in allowing this disease to be designated endemic. Where we're seeing many European countries adopting a more relaxed approach, there's still a paranoia existing in Thailand with its field hospitals and alcohol restrictions.

True, but this is the Phuket forum.

Absolute disaster for small hospitality businesses who at least picked up a little income fron Test and Go. Of course, like for bar and restaurant proprieters, not a single baht of Government aid.

It seems some people think that this is going to replace travel insurance, even covid insurance. If that were the case the scheme would be costing a lot more than 300 baht! I think it's more likely an insurance fund for Thai hospitals to claim from when a tourist disappears without paying the bill.

I don't understand why they suspend the test and go but allow the sandbox. Newly arrived tourists are allowed into the local community in the sandbox scheme and can therefore pass on covid to Thais and enceother tourists who could subsequently travel and spread it. To me it makes no sense. Either open with test and go or quarantine all arrivals.

Paragraph 1, yes. Paragraph 2, no way!

Very surprised the OTA removed the review. They will generally only do this if there are blatant lies or if the review is obviously inaccurate, i.e. a client accidentally reviewed the wrong hotel (yes, that does happen!). I would guess the OTA was also threatened with a lawsuit.

Thailand's official omicron numbers will probably be lower than in Europe for two reasons: very low testing numbers and those who do test positive not reporting it to avoid possible unnecessary hospitalization.

From what I gather, looking at @xylophone's posts on the Patong Wake thread and my daughter's friends, many people with symptoms are either not testing or if they have a positive test, not reporting it. Thailand's unique hospitalisation policy will possibly exacerbate the covid situation, though from various other reports, this may be a good thing. Here in the UK over 200,000 new cases were reported yesterday, mostly omicron, yet life in London goes on pretty much normally, with pubs and restaurants open, live entertainment and sports continuing, shops open and doing a decent trade. There's even talk of scrapping the PCR test for arrivals from overseas. I really hope the Phuket Governor doesn't overreact as this any type of lockdown or closure of bars and restaurants will be a disaster for the slow recovery of the tourism industry.

My daughter has been talking online to friends who went to Patong on NYE. All teenagers, three have tested positive for covid, others are not testing, worried about a positive test. Sounds like it could have been a hotbed, as predicted. Let's see what gets reported and the ramifications.

Double <deleted> all is still <deleted> all in many cases!

Anyone know what happened to this? Or has it quietly been shelved?

She should consider herself lucky she's been allowed hotel quarantine and not whisked away to a field hospital!

There are always posts about Anutin's lack of qualifiacations to be a health minister. Is that any different to the rest of the world? Sajid Javed, the UK equivalent, has a degree in politics and economics and a career in banking. Government ministers are really spokespersons and overall managers for the departments of which they are in charge, the real work being done by the civil servants. However, Anutin does give the impression of being a maverick that comes up with these decisions himself, in the same way that unelected provincial Governors who also lack experience in the health sector also seem to make uninformed decisions based on a whim. This latest announcement is not unexpected but again screws up the holiday plans of many tourists, not to mention many businesses reliant upon these tourists, often small businesses who have shamefully been totally unsupported by the Governement. But, of course, this is Thailand where announcements are not co-ordinated and are often overridden within a day or so. Nothing should be taken as fact until it has been formally announced by the CCSA.