Qatar BANS travellers from Thailand over coronavirus fears

[webfact]

Qatar BANS travellers from Thailand over coronavirus fears

 

FILE PHOTO: A man walks on the corniche in Doha, Qatar, June 15, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon/File Photo

 

CAIRO (Reuters) - Qatar has temporarily barred travellers from 14 countries from March 9 as a precaution against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, the government announced on Sunday.

 

The ban covers China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria and Thailand.

 

Qatar Airways had already suspended flights to and from Italy.

 

Qatar reported three more cases of the virus on Sunday, bringing the total there to 15.

 

(Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Samar Hassan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-09

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[daveAustin]

How's about in-transit?

[baansgr]

6 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

How's about in-transit?

Not everyone on your flight would be in transit...so all flights would be cancelled

[Kinnock]

13 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

How's about in-transit?

Most people using Qatar Airways are using Doha as a transit hub, and Qatar was already making a loss after the spat with Saudi, so this may lead to the end of Qatar Airways?

[pontious]

Nothing on the Qatar website. A flight left BKK at 1.43 this morning for Doha. Flights scheduled as normal this week.

Edited March 9, 2020 by pontious
add

[Tayaout]

9 minutes ago, pontious said:

Nothing on the Qatar website. A flight left BKK at 1.43 this morning for Doha. Flights scheduled as normal this week.

If airlines don't fly 80% of the time on their route it can be claimed by competitors. So airlines are now flying empty planes but I guess they still transport mail. 

 

Edit: it's from March 9 so it's probably "tomorrow" from their timezone. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Tayaout

[watgate]

Any contact phone number in thailand or email address to inquire about cancellations of flights departing from Thailand?

[pontious]

11 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Edit: it's from March 9 so it's probably "tomorrow" from their timezone. 

True - they should update the website. All flights as scheduled and can still book tickets this month.

[mtls2005]

45 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Not everyone on your flight would be in transit...so all flights would be cancelled

 

Believe there may be a distinction between the country and the airline? Article seems to be about the country of Qatar and not Qatar Airways.

 

Current policy indicates that through passengers are indeed both identifiable and subject to different rules. Passengers ending their trip in DOH would be denied boarding.

 

In relation to passengers travelling from China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, only those with onward connections through Hamad International Airport are accepted for travel. 

 

https://qatarairways.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006229097-COVID-19-Coronavirus-Update

 

 

All of today's seven BKK-DOH dailies look to be on schedule, with the first two already in flight.

 

Yes, all of this could change rather quickly were the situation here to worsen.

 

Qatar Airways has an extremely flexible COVID-19 policy.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by mtls2005

[mtls2005]

18 minutes ago, watgate said:

Any contact phone number in thailand or email address to inquire about cancellations of flights departing from Thailand?

 

Exchange Tower @ Asoke

02 618 0400

[kotsak]

Original press release..

 

https://www.gco.gov.qa/en/2020/03/08/statement-by-the-government-communications-office-on-the-temporary-suspension-of-entry-of-those-arriving-from-certain-countries-as-a-preventive-measure-due-to-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19-wor

 

[worgeordie]

My daughter is arriving (hopefully) on the 22 nd, Birmingham-

Doha- Chiang Mai, I hope she is able to come might be last chance to see me !,and she has supplies

for me, I have already missed out on one lot,when my cousin just

canceled after the debacle of trying to get an E-Visa,she is 80+,

and the stress of getting it was just too much.she and her husband

had been coming to Thailand every winter for 15 + years.

regards Worgeordie

[Odysseus123]

19 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

My daughter is arriving (hopefully) on the 22 nd, Birmingham-

Doha- Chiang Mai, I hope she is able to come might be last chance to see me !,and she has supplies

I hope that she does make it.All the best.

[IamNoone88]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Believe there may be a distinction between the country and the airline? Article seems to be about the country of Qatar and not Qatar Airways.

 

Current policy indicates that through passengers are indeed both identifiable and subject to different rules. Passengers ending their trip in DOH would be denied boarding.

 

In relation to passengers travelling from China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, only those with onward connections through Hamad International Airport are accepted for travel. 

 

https://qatarairways.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006229097-COVID-19-Coronavirus-Update

 

 

All of today's seven BKK-DOH dailies look to be on schedule, with the first two already in flight.

 

Yes, all of this could change rather quickly were the situation here to worsen.

 

Qatar Airways has an extremely flexible COVID-19 policy.

 

 

 

 

A useful and intelligent post.

[gavlar]

Flying tonight....well hopefully...to UK with Qatar via Doha.

Any updates gratefully received. 

Thanks in advance.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, baansgr said:

Not everyone on your flight would be in transit...so all flights would be cancelled

Where did you read they are cancelling flights?

[natway09]

I do not see that transit would be allowed as the guy next to you gets off.

So no flights ?

[Russell17au]

This is just one of the links with news media

https://www.thephuketnews.com/qatar-bans-arrivals-from-thailand-over-virus-fears-75185.php

there is another one on the media that is not allowed to be mentioned on here.

If there is only a couple of passengers for transit it would be a safe bet that the flight would be cancelled.

[Steve Bandfield]

I have a flight to Doha on Thursday..was told by Airline ( Bangkok office) that In Transit from Thailand will be allowed..

[pontious]

Someone on this topic in Thailand news I think gave a good explanation.

We are assuming this is from Qatar airways. It is not. It is from the country Qatar. All flights appear to be scheduled as normal so transit pax  should be ok. You obviously would not be allowed to enter Qatar  if traveling from Thailand.

[IAMHERE]

5 hours ago, gavlar said:

Flying tonight....well hopefully...to UK with Qatar via Doha.

Any updates gratefully received. 

Thanks in advance.

Please update when you get thru Doha; free one hour of WIFI I think. I transit Doha Friday morning 7AM'ish hopefully.

[gavlar]

9 minutes ago, pontious said:

Someone on this topic in Thailand news I think gave a good explanation.

We are assuming this is from Qatar airways. It is not. It is from the country Qatar. All flights appear to be scheduled as normal so transit pax  should be ok. You obviously would not be allowed to enter Qatar  if traveling from Thailand.

At BKK now...flight to UK via Doha tonight is ok to go

[Kwasaki]

9 hours ago, worgeordie said:

My daughter is arriving (hopefully) on the 22 nd, Birmingham-

Doha- Chiang Mai, I hope she is able to come might be last chance to see me !,and she has supplies

for me, I have already missed out on one lot,when my cousin just

canceled after the debacle of trying to get an E-Visa,she is 80+,

and the stress of getting it was just too much.she and her husband

had been coming to Thailand every winter for 15 + years.

regards Worgeordie

It's only a stop over I would say she will not be allowed to go out of the terminal that's all. 

[graemeaylward]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The ban covers China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria and Thailand.

Strange selection of countries! No Italy or UK which has far more confirmed cases than Thailand.  Maybe they don't trust the Thai figures.  Now there's a surprise ????

[observer90210]

Thailand is paying a heavy toll for bootlicking the Chinese.

 

Thailand should have banned all Chinese and Koreans from entering the country in the first place, at the virus outbreak.

[geisha]

Call the airline offices , some have them in BKK. Go on their websites and look under Travel Advisory/ Advice.

[fanof3d]

Updated List of Airlines Who Have Suspended, Canceled or Adjusted flights to China.  No sign of any Thai Airlines on this list from what I can see.

 

[kotsak]

 

 

[snawa]

Sri Lanka? Exactly 1 case. US, over 44 dead, no ban?

[daveAustin]

10 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Thailand is paying a heavy toll for bootlicking the Chinese.

 

Thailand should have banned all Chinese and Koreans from entering the country in the first place, at the virus outbreak.

Indeed. But apparently Thailand only has a few dozen . Couple 00s missing methinks, and it wouldn't surprise me with all the face-saving and emphasis on the tourist dollar. Deaths could probably be attributed to symptoms such as pneumonia or high fever etc.