Frenchman tells Thai government to lock down country - says foreigners are taking virus more seriously than Thais

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Thai media 77kaoded has asked a foreign tourist - a regular visitor to the country who has a Thai wife - what he thinks of the government's response to the coronavirus crisis and the Thai attitude in general. 

 

His views present a picture of a holiday ruined and a government and people in trouble. 

 

His home truths, views of many especially in online forums, are now being read by Thais through such reports, notes Thaivisa.

 

He has spent a fraction of the normal amount on a holiday in the south simply because there was nothing to spend it on!

 

He has called on the Thai government to lock its borders or face even worse trouble and a longer recovery period. 

 

Mr Peter John, 62, from France was talking to the media in Nakhon Sri Thammarat as he prepared to travel back to Bangkok and then his home country after a three week holiday spent mostly on Koh Samui. 

 

He said that before he arrived in Thailand he was subjected to multiple screening measures everywhere. In Thailand this was virtually non-existent, there were hardly any measures in place at all. 

 

Pictured wearing a mask himself, he reckoned that only 10% of Thais were protecting themselves. He claimed that only foreigners were really taking the crisis seriously and wearing masks. 

 

He said that he comes to Thailand every year with his Thai wife and loves the country, its nature and kindness of its people in particular. But this year's visit had not been a happy one. 

 

Normally he would have spent a lot of money in the bars, clubs and shops of Samui. But not this time around. He and his wife have avoided markets, crowded places, air con, all public travel. 

 

Everywhere in Samui was deserted he said and then more of the same at Wang Pla Ngae in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. 

 

He couldn't even change Euros at the bank. He would normally have spent 100,000 baht every ten days on his holiday. This year after three weeks he has only spent 50,000 baht. 

 

He said that the effect on tourism has been devastating and foreigners perceive Thailand to not be safe. And he predicted there was worse to come.

 

He said the Thai government needs to show more leadership and lock down the borders. A big cleanup should take place in the meantime. 

 

Failure to act decisively now could mean it would take longer to recover.

 

He urged Thailand to be safe and reiterated his love for the country. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-19

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they're not gunna like hearing this... 

 - maybe the whole country will sue him?

Edited March 19, 20206 yr by tifino

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Mr Peter John, 62, from France

hmmm ... does'nt sound very French to me

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Normally he would have spent a lot of money in the bars, clubs and shops of Samui

Wow - quite a guy. Still visiting clubs at age 65.....

Fake news piece, but good in the sense that it points out what resident foreigners are saying about Thailand.

People will be dropping like flies in the streets here before too long. ... in fact I think it's already happening.

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that before he arrived in Thailand he was subjected to multiple screening measures everywhere.

It begs the question, if he was that worried, why did he come anyway ?

He could have cancelled, and come when he deemed it safe to do so.

Just now, Thaiwrath said:

It begs the question, if he was that worried, why did he come anyway ?

He could have cancelled, and come when he deemed it safe to do so.

just more useless lazy journalism ... who cares what one random man thinks 

2 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

It begs the question, if he was that worried, why did he come anyway ?

He could have cancelled, and come when he deemed it safe to do so.

maybe poetic license?

The ''mai pen rai'' culture has met its match with this pandemic...its just a matter of time now...L.O.S.Thailand

Edited March 19, 20206 yr by mok199

i agree actually. However, why come back? must have been a wife visa thing perhaps?

6 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

It begs the question, if he was that worried, why did he come anyway ?

He could have cancelled, and come when he deemed it safe to do so.

And now he hopes the borders get closed so he can stay longer...oh wait, french borders are already closed isnt'it?

12 minutes ago, eeworldwide said:

People will be dropping like flies in the streets here before too long. ... in fact I think it's already happening.

Where?

with all the people leaving Pattaya its quieter hence safer, less chance of catching the virus

8 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

i agree actually. However, why come back? must have been a wife visa thing perhaps?

... like any other muscle - use it or lose it

Everyone knows that the French are famous for criticizing everyone and everything, nothing new under the mask, return to France to criticize your Macron that you have chosen

24 minutes ago, CraigInBangkok said:

hmmm ... does'nt sound very French to me

An english man living in France ...

14 minutes ago, fruitman said:

And now he hopes the borders get closed so he can stay longer...oh wait, french borders are already closed isnt'it?

 

But the airspace is not closed so he can return to France hoping (for him) that his return flight is not canceled by the company with which he came;
but he will have to buy one from a company that still flies.

16 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Where?

SVP Airport for a start - someone collapsed there today.

Thailand were just about to close its borders, but because a white man spoke up against the government, they immediately scrapped that idea...

28 minutes ago, fruitman said:

And now he hopes the borders get closed so he can stay longer...oh wait, french borders are already closed isnt'it?

 

Edited March 19, 20206 yr by silent
might cause problem

Whoever he is, he should just pull his head in.

I believe his views are right on. It is pretty much what my friends from over in the US who have canceled there trips here are saying. They do not trust anything that comes from the mouths of this government. They say, even though the US was slow on the upswing, at least there are daily briefings and you can see action through more than words.

Total bs media here.

The guy does not have a French name.

And who cares what one guy think.

The news are often a kind of bad virus. Get your vaccine.

40 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

It begs the question, if he was that worried, why did he come anyway ?

He could have cancelled, and come when he deemed it safe to do so.

HE came anyway, because it's a fake article. The character is fictional, and created only to serve the function of the article, which is to have another rant at the way things are being handled here.

Have to be careful of fake news and I can't get the link but my daughter has just told me it's being widely shared on Thai FB groups that staff at Lotus Thepperasit, 7/11 in Kao Talo and a mini Big C in Nong Yao have all tested positive for Corona...what to believe.

My wife told me, that a Thai guy who came back from Spain the last days wrote in the internet that his temperature was checked at every airport on the way - except BKK when he arrived.

5 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

My wife told me, that a Thai guy who came back from Spain the last days wrote in the internet that his temperature was checked at every airport on the way - except BKK when he arrived.

I just went through DMK and SVP the other day and only DMK on my departure did a temp scan.

SVP gave Zero <deleted> when I came back through.

Edited March 19, 20206 yr by metisdead
8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

22 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I believe his views are right on. It is pretty much what my friends from over in the US who have canceled there trips here are saying.

So where are they going instead?

1 hour ago, tifino said:

they're not gunna like hearing this... 

 - maybe the whole country will sue him?

The simple thing is that, they are not gonna hear it at all. He is considered to be a dirty farang. That stamp is permanent and un-washable.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pictured wearing a mask himself, he reckoned that only 10% of Thais were protecting themselves. He claimed that only foreigners were really taking the crisis seriously and wearing masks. 

This is the total opposite of what Khun Anutin said. Who should I believe?

1 hour ago, tifino said:

they're not gunna like hearing this... 

 - maybe the whole country will sue him?

Bulls*** now some Thai businesses are refusing entry to foreigners so they would prefer not to have any tourists around at the moment.