Anutin blocks cruise ship turned away by three countries from docking at Laem Chabang

[Borzandy]

It is not a Chinese ship.....

[Mango Bob]

Only if they are Chineses can they enter.

[champers]

11 minutes ago, Beggar said:

Are cruise ship tourists good tourists? They don't stay in hotels. The have their own food and drinks. They have their own entertainment. They often use land tours controlled by the cruise ship companies. Are they even worse than the so called zero Baht tourists? 

I had 4 friends over from a cruise ship who spent 6 hours (10am to 4pm) in Pattaya just before Christmas. Between them they spent $210 US which isn't so bad in daylight hours and considering they are from Yorkshire.

Did Big Buddha and Navy Viewpoint (both free), 1 hour oil massage and finished in a bar/restaurant for plenty of Thai food and a few beers.

The ship tour, which they passed on, was to sit at a hotel pool with buffet lunch and limited drinks. Cost was $100 US per person.

[Just1Voice]

So if they do not let ships dock, what are they going to do? send fighter planes or subs to just sink them?

[Assurancetourix]

3 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

Big loss of money to the local economy, Pattaya needs them etc.

 

Seriously the correct decision probably, but the question is how are these people going to get home if no country allows them to disembark?

The captain only has to go to the Mediterranean and say that his passengers are boat people whom he has fished in Lybian waters; it should work without any problem

 

As for Anutin, he is an imbecile;
he wants Chinese people even if they are sick but he does not want non-Chinese tourists even if they are not sick ...
and if the captain still decides to dock, he, Anutin ,  will send his second-hand submarine to prevent him from doing so? 

[BRUFC]

Any ex. bookies on the forum? Who's the ante post favourite in the 'sack' race? Anutin or Army Chief?

[outsider]

Didn't your boss say that Thai borders remain open to the Chinese? What you should have done, ai Anutin, is to allow the Chinese on board the ship to disembark, leave all the farangs on board, and then send the ship away. That would have made you feel good, won't it? And, your Chinese bosses would be pleased!

[doctormann]

With a name like Holland-America, maybe it will become like The Flying Dutchman, condemned to sail the seas for ever - or at least until the quarantine period is over!

 

[Dcheech]

2 hours ago, manchega said:

I was reading that article about US not reporting its swine flu and what ever one it was 2018 or 2019 or the year before until deaths had topped out 900, then it started reporting a possible pandemic.

 

 

You have absolutely no clue what you are typing about about do you? 

 

[legend49]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

look at this!

 

https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/alarming-news-new-chinese-research-on-coronavirus-finds-incubation-period-of-up-to-24-days

Amazing a Thai medical news carries the warning but MSM fails to publicize it . I guess 24 days of no tourist cash is worse than 14.

[legend49]

18 minutes ago, BRUFC said:

Any ex. bookies on the forum? Who's the ante post favourite in the 'sack' race? Anutin or Army Chief?

Why not include their leader?? Narcissistic General.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

Probably a smart decision by Thailand as they are inept at handling a common flu.

 

However, what kind of world we live in when a ship full of humans is not allowed to dock, even if there is a full on outbreak.

 

Shameful.

I tend to disagree. At least in regard to the private hospitals. 80,000 people died last year in the US from the flu. But, then again America is only ranked about #46 in health care. I would much rather be in a hospital here, than in the US. And since I do not have health care there, my estimate of hospitalization and treatment for a Corona infection in the US, would be about 8 million baht. Without any complications. 

 

With the exception of highly specialized treatment, Thailand blows away the US. 

[TheFishman1]

No logic here Bazaar world TIT 

[smew]

Seems incubation period for coronavirus is 14 days: let them stay docked in Thailand for 14 days and then test everyone while getting off the ship.

Charge everyone 50,000 baht dangerous goods disembarkation and transport fee with proceeds to orphanages. 

[Assurancetourix]

5 minutes ago, smew said:

Seems incubation period for coronavirus is 14 days: let them stay docked in Thailand for 14 days and then test everyone while getting off the ship.

 

I see that you have not read the Legend49 post, a few centimeters above it; I give you the link so you can read it completely.

It's not me who say it or write it, but Chinese doctors: the incubation is not 14 days but 24 days

 

https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/alarming-news-new-chinese-research-on-coronavirus-finds-incubation-period-of-up-to-24-days

[30la]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand refuses entry to cruise ship with no coronavirus cases

 

People wear masks as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand February 7, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK/HANOI (Reuters) - Thailand has barred passengers from Holland America's cruise ship MS Westerdam from disembarking, its health minister said on Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the coronavirus despite no confirmed infections on board.

 

The Netherlands-flagged ship was sailing in a westerly direction, 96 km (60 miles) off the southern coast of Vietnam on Tuesday morning, according to data from the Marine Traffic ship tracking website.

 

Holland America, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp <CCL.N>, had said on Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Feb. 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody on board had the virus.

 

"I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post.

 

The coronavirus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last month has caused chaos in Asia and beyond with many flights suspended, businesses disrupted and entry restrictions imposed by governments trying to ward off the spread.

 

It has also roiled the world of luxury cruises.

 

Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew onboard, is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, with 135 cases of coronavirus detected on the Carnival Corp-owned <CCL.N> vessel.

 

The World Dream cruise ship was held up in Hong Kong for days after it was linked to three cases but all passengers and crew later tested negative and were allowed to disembark.

 

The virus has killed more than 1,000 people - all but two in China - and infected more than 40,000, most in China but including 319 cases in 24 other countries and territories.

 

The Westerdam had already been turned away from several countries, including Japan and the Philippines, amid fears of the virus.

 

VOYAGE TO NOWHERE

Holland America says no one on board has the virus. Media reports say it carries 1,455 passengers and 802 crew; its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which refused it permission to dock.

 

"The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports," the company said.

 

It had earlier said the Westerdam was sailing toward Bangkok, and it is not immediately clear whether the ship would change course.

 

Calls to the company's media hotline went unanswered on Tuesday.

 

The 285 metre (936 ft) long Westerdam can carry up to 1,964 passengers, according to the Holland America website, and is packed with cafes, restaurants and a Blues club.

 

The ship had already introduced extra health screening measures, including temperature checks and cleaning to defend against the virus, Holland America said in a statement.

 

Passengers have taken to Twitter to express their frustration with the voyage to nowhere, after days at sea with no opportunity to get off.

 

"We have been at sea 14 days as of this Friday. We have no passengers sick in any way," one Twitter user who said they were a passenger on board the ship wrote.

 

It was not clear if the passengers were aware that Thailand had denied permission for the ship to dock.

 

(Reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa in Bangkok and James Pearson in Hanoi; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-11

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by 30la

[30la]

Really strange, all the Chinese people they want can enter from China even if it is known that the virus comes from there.

[RichardColeman]

If they could just sail the boat to the airport they would be fine

 

[kingstonkid]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Must have been a very tough decision for him ,as they

were Chinese.

Regards Worgeordie

Naw, it was an easy decision.  What would have made it hard was if they were going to be transported to pattaya or somewhere they could have gone shopping LOL.

 

Not a lot for Chinese to spend their money on at DMA

[JerseytoBKK]

1 hour ago, Beggar said:

Are cruise ship tourists good tourists? They don't stay in hotels. The have their own food and drinks. They have their own entertainment. They often use land tours controlled by the cruise ship companies. Are they even worse than the so called zero Baht tourists? 

The cruise ship pays a port fee and taxes that are based on total people on board. Different ports charge a different amount, but around $15 - $30. So a ship with 2,000 guests and 500 crew would pay $50,000 per day if the fees were $20/person. That's why many ports compete for cruise ships.

[CLW]

Shouldn't they at least to be allowed to restock on supplies and also let medical specialists enter the ship to conduct testing for the virus?

 

Meanwhile anyone who can get out of China can enter Thailand without any restrictions or problems...

[saminoz]

5 hours ago, ozz1 said:

I guess if they  arrived by air it would be ok I don't understand their logic but it is Thailand

This is the Thai equivalent of allowing the Chinese to sell tainted meat from an infected abbattoir, whilst refusing to sell canned meat from a period prior to the abbattoir's infection!

Thai logic at its best!

[RBOP]

I'm going to predict she heads into Malaysian or Singaporean waters and declares a May Day. 

[peterkroll]

5 hours ago, ozz1 said:

I guess if they  arrived by air it would be ok I don't understand their logic but it is Thailand

Logic is an intellectual concept so far unknown in the entire Asia.

 

Anyway, the vessel should not have cruised around anymore after 15 Jan., and if, then send home latest around the 22/23.

[Pedrogaz]

Picking up 600 passengers in Hong Kong means a very high risk of contagion. Good decision....hope there are more to follow.

So it's not all about the money is it? And all those posters saying that if they were Chinese he would have let them in, where are your heads at?

[sawadee1947]

5 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

Big loss of money to the local economy, Pattaya needs them etc.

 

Seriously the correct decision probably, but the question is how are these people going to get home if no country allows them to disembark?

Very easy solution. Free cruise for 2 weeks more. After that period no problem anymore ????

[ujayujay]

Hysteria!!!

[MikeN]

4 hours ago, Liverpudlian said:

Wish i was on board !  great value for the price paid extra booze & tucker . 

And (according to a story from ABC Australia) you would be getting a 100% refund, AND another free cruise to the value of what you paid for this one !

[ExpatLife]

Is it just me, or does this decision make absolutely no sense compared to other decisions made? Why stop 1 ship with a single possible case (from what I have heard) and not stop 3,000 daily visitors via air with multiple cases?

[Basil B]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If it picked up the last passengers on Feb 1st, we are 80% through the incubation period, so if no one on board has fallen ill thus far, you would think it is looking pretty good. As they were to be taken straight to the airport and home the decision seems a little heavy, especially since it appears Thailand had agreed initially.

could have allowed them to dock Friday following full screening of passengers before docking.

 

Friday the 14th, 14 days since leaving gong Kong, 14 days quarantine.

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by Basil B