CG1 Blue

I imagine every time they announce some 'easing' of the entry process, they expect to see flocks of tourists landing at Swampy. Then they look, and still there's tumble weed rolling through the airport. So what do they do? Tweak the entry process again. What is this obsession with testing passengers on arrival? How long will it take them to realise tourists will not come until they drop all Covid testing for arrivals? Post-arrival testing serves no purpose now that Omicron is rife in the Thai community. All it does it put tourists at risk of expensive quarantine and a ruined holiday.

In other words you favour them keeping tourists out still? Because no tourist in their right mind would risk testing positive on arrival and having their hard earned holiday ruined. The best course of action would be to scrap the pointless arrival tests all together. Omicron is rife in Thailand, so getting a few extra cases arriving on planes will make fek all difference to the bigger picture.

I disagree. This proposal still leaves the Day 1 test. They need to get rid of all tests after arrival if they want tourists to come back. Post-arrival tests achieve nothing in the greater scheme of things, apart from making it too risky for any holidaymakers to fly to Thailand.

Do you have any proof of this new deadly variant?

These are measures which should be in place anyway. Why does he persist in associating Covid with 'outsiders'? The Omicron variant is rampant and unstoppable, but thankfully relatively harmless. Omicron doesn't need foreigners to help it spread. Stop turning Thais against foreigners, and stop making Thais even more paranoid when the rest of the world has accepted Omicron is bringing about the end of the pandemic.

3.3 percent sounds small, but that means around 15-20 people on each 747 that lands in Thailand would have go through an expensive nightmare. Still too much like Russian roulette if you ask me.

Exactly that! They seem to persist in entering ladies who don't look very Thai. They enter the ones who look more European, and obviously the actual European countries are going to have a bigger pool to choose from when it comes to western looks. It's like England trying to play like Brazil in a World Cup.

I've always felt a bit sorry for blokes stuck with their wife/GF from back home while being surrounded by all this temptation. I get the impression that seeing all the other men enjoying themselves p's you off. Maybe you should go for a 'special' massage - relieve some of that tension ????

What you're saying makes sense for those returning to Thailand / long stayers. But these headlines appear to be aimed at getting tourists back to Thailand. No tourist is going to jump through all these hoops, and face the risk of testing positive (twice) then being quarantined for 10 days or whatever it is. Especially if they only have a 2/3 week holiday. The headline is totally misleading. Quarantine free means arriving at at the airport, going through security, getting your luggage and starting your holiday.

But masks don't stop you from catching Covid, they (allegedly) reduce transmission. So the 5 day wait is not to catch out the unmasked.

Not sure why this came up as my quote (it was Danderman)

You're missing the point. A massive increase in infection rates but death rates and hospitalisation rates are falling. Omicron does not kill 99% as many as Delta. But I'm sure you know this really. Omicron is not deadly enough to continue with hugely damaging lockdown measures. Western counties have realised this, and I hope Thailand will soon.

Looks like Vietnam are scrapping the Covid tests on arrival, removing the risk of tourists being quarantined for most of their holiday. Philippines possibly heading that way too. Thailand will lose all their tourism business to their SE Asia rivals unless they drop the testing on arrival. Testing on arrival is pointless now that Omicron is already among the population.

You say: "There is a good possibility that the death toll for these countries will climb, with unpleasant results." Can I ask what you're basing this assumption on? Most experts are now agreed that the Omicron variant is much less virulent. Latest (7 day) Covid numbers for the UK say: Positive tests 2.2% down Hospitalisations 15.3% down Deaths 1.1% down https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ What makes you think the death toll will climb?

I was listening to a BBC news broadcast yesterday and they gave the usual daily update on UK Covid infections and deaths. But for the first time ever (that I've heard) they added the caveat "but not all these deaths were caused by Covid". I hope it's a sign the mainstream media are starting to scale down the fear mongering.

So you basically had a bad head cold. I'm sure that wasn't pleasant, but surely we can stop calling it a pandemic if symptoms are those of a head cold.

If I've read that correctly it could be a game changer. Testing passengers on arrival with the risk of being sent to quarantine if positive is putting off most tourists. If Vietnam are the first in SE Asia to stop this practice, they could hoover up all the tourists who would normally go to Thailand, Pi etc. Will be interesting to see how this develops!

I was responding to your suggestion that those in hospital with a sever reaction to Covid stand a better chance in the NHS. I disagree with that. The NHS system is so disjointed and awash arrogant consultants and poor managers, a lot of mistakes are made. I know this from personal experience - 2 unnecessary deaths of people close to me. Both proved to be through negligence. Most hospitals (and GP surgeries) in the UK have been putting off diagnosis and treatments with the excuse of Covid - and this will come back to bite them. Thankfully the Covid blinkers are starting to come off now.

I don't think the UK healthcare system is good. Yes there are thousands of hard working dedicated staff in the NHS, but the system itself is pretty terrible. Covid survival chances in UK hospitals is not good compared to similar countries. Taking my old mum for her shoulder replacement op tomorrow (after a 2.5 year wait, in great pain) and I'll have everything crossed.

Interesting read. I wonder if this was The Sun cherry picking quotes from the deceased's GF/wife She paid an emotional tribute to her partner’s kindness and generosity. “He was the main provider, he supported me and my daughter,” she said. “He gave me a monthly allowance and my expenses are high, but my husband took amazing care of me. Now I don't know what to do because I will have nobody to support me.”

Model looks don't appeal to everyone. I honestly prefer a more natural looking pretty, 'girl next door' look. I don't even look twice at the so called model looking women. I suspect most blokes who want a woman with model looks are just after a trophy wife. Someone who will impress their network of hi-so friends and family.

You missed the point

Wasn't it inevitable that Australia would be suffering at this stage while many other countries are coming out of the pandemic? They essentially delayed the onset of the pandemic by closing the country down, so they may have a couple of years of pain to go through now. I hope not, and perhaps with Omicron being less harmful it won't be as bad as it might have been.

I heard that only local Thais hang out there now, and it's just a normal road?

Yep, the police state ripped the soul out of KSR before Covid. I haven't been there since the remake. Nothing to go there for now, especially with the Covid gestapo on the prowl.