Extension of temporary ban on all international flights to Thailand until 30 June 2020

[bert bloggs]

Thank goodness i am home ,here in Thailand ,cant imagine how boreing it must be back in the UK ,with the police jumping on you if you go near anyone else ,cant walk about only allowing a few into the supermarket ,and hardly anyone wearing a mask .

lucky i live here ,and as for being stuck with my wife ,lucky me .????

[jayboy]

14 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

And probably an admission that their healthcare system will not be able to cope with a large outbreak

The Thai healthcare system has so far coped very well.Any international travellers arriving in Thailand, whether foreigners or Thais, will be subject to stringent medical and quarantine checks. I don't think there is any "admission" the healthcare system won't be able to cope.All the evidence suggests that it will.

[Baerboxer]

16 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

And probably an admission that their healthcare system will not be able to cope with a large outbreak

 

Haven't noticed many healthcare systems coping particularly well.

 

The UK has not closed borders and thousands have entered the country. Countries that did close their borders seem to have far less cases and deaths than the UK. Coincidence?

 

Most of my family and friends in the UK think Thailand and others who closed their border and subjected returning nationals to stringent checks got it right and that the UK government, in not doing either, got it hopelessly wrong. 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Baerboxer

[yellowboat]

What about boats, buses and trains?  What do you say Joe?  Can we walk up to the border, and ask for enterance to see our girlfriends?

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

What about boats, buses and trains?  What do you say Joe?  Can we walk up to the border, and ask for enterance to see our girlfriends?

You can't be serious?  Non Thai married to Thai are not even allowed entry.  Non Thai with work permits are not allowed entry.  To see girlfiends?

Edited May 17, 2020 by lopburi3

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You can't be serious?  Non Thai married to Thai are not even allowed entry.  Non Thai with work permits are not allowed entry.  To see girlfiends?

But I think he was being a little sarcastic.  Had he been serious he might have added allowing a border exit, walk around the building and then back in for a new Visa entry stamp....lol

 

[Moonfire]

What is your passport worth? One way to judge the worth is by what measures or lack of measures a country will go to support their citizens abroad.

 

Countries like Germany has chartered flights all over the world to bring their people back. Others have placed zero restrictions for returning on returning citizens as far as capping the number that can return but all must quarantine.  The cap for Thais returning appears to be space available to quarantine, which seems to be 200 a day. Some estimates show their are 295,000 Thais alone in the US, now all might not want to return but the reference is to show the large number outside of Thailand and the very real bottle neck.

 

When you consider long unexpected stays for Thais who would most likely be lacking proper health insurance when compared to being in Thailand. Depending on where to stay, can't work legally, running out of money and to compound this issue world wide for all Thais stuck outside Thailand.

 

If Thailand's filter is quarantine, then rent out all the empty hotels, open up the flights and bring your people home now.   

 

 

[somtumwrong]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Same as before. There are no restrictions.

Thank you. If the opposite happened, I would expect there to be reports about it here on Thaivisa. I have quite many flight tickets waiting for refunding, and it is getting annoying investing yet another 1500 .. 2000 € for tickets that get canceled last minute.

[new2here]

16 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

From COVID briefing response today there is no plans for even allowing those with work permits to return anytime soon (talk of having to return Thai before thinking of such matters and hope that could be done in June - but from amounts that were mentioned needing to return it does not seem realistic if quarantine of only 300 per day is available).  As for those married to Thai and stuck outside country they do not even seem to be on any radar above general tourists - it could be months. 

I agree 100%  I think that before the government allows any non-nationals back into the Kingdom, all the Thai nationals that have applied to return, need to come back... and given the limited daily quota, it's clear that May into June will be needed to "clear" this backlog.

 

I think that after June 30 and assuming that all (or substantially all) of the registered Thais waiting for repatriation have done so, THEN i think we'll see foreigners being slowly allowed back..   but here too, this does assume that by the end of June, that the list of reparations is pretty much done..  I also think that concurrent with how the first "ban" exception was drafted, that the first group of foreigners being eligible for readmission will be work permit holders, SMART visa holders and diplomatic .. same groups as before...

 

I could see them (also my opinion) making it a requirement that any foreigner in one of the eligible groups (see above) wanting re-entry would need to secure a date-specific reservation (like a quota system -- just like for the Thais) from a Thai embassy; to insure that each days arrival count doesn't exceed their processing capacity AND quarantine facility capacity..  It's also my opinion that any foreigner will still be required to have a COVID test (within 72hrs) and US$100K health insurance.. IF they required the Thai overseas embassy/consulate to manage the issuance of queue numbers to foreigners, then I would think that it would make insuring the legitimacy of any COVID test/insurance is valid and legitimate as the embassy would be "local" making it far easier for the embassy/consulate to verify authenticity of the documents presented to them.

 

So, bottom line, I agree that there is no real chance for non-nationals to reenter... until all the Thais who want to come back have done so.. once that's done, THEN i think we'll see movement on this...  To be honest, I was expecting to see this start by June 1 or even mid-June, so I'm a bit surprised at the numbers of Thais who apparently are still outside of the Kingdom and waiting their turn for reentry.

[spermwhale]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

And what will be the requirements for aliens to fly into Thailand?

Chinese and many others come for couple of weeks. Meaning quarantine would not work. 

There is still quarantine for Thai nationals currently repatriating. 

On top of all that Thailand would struggle to impose quarantine on large numbers.

It's a pipe dream. 

Farang here in Thailand can/soon fly back home countries, just don't plan on getting back.

 

How will foreigners be able to fly back to their own countries if there are no inbound flights coming? It works both ways. Flights have to come in order for them to leave. 

 

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, spermwhale said:

How will foreigners be able to fly back to their own countries if there are no inbound flights coming? It works both ways. Flights have to come in order for them to leave. 

 

There are inbound flights daily - they just do not carry pax into Thailand (cargo weight helps pay cost) and then exit with both cargo and paying pax.

[BrianT]

Flight ban until June 30. What about land borders. Can we enter Thailand via land in the near future? Any updates or announcements on this matter? Hope they open the land borders before June 30. 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, BrianT said:

Flight ban until June 30. What about land borders. Can we enter Thailand via land in the near future? Any updates or announcements on this matter? Hope they open the land borders before June 30. 

Nothing about land borders yet but I would not expect them to open before June 30th.

[sqwakvfr]

Maybe I am giving to much credit to the leadership of this country but could it be that they have realized a Targeted or Specific Travel ban is not effective in combatting the Novel Corona Virus?  If the Travel Ban actually ends in June then Thailand will have been closed off to foreigners(with some exceptions) for almost 3 months.  Lately only a small number of repatriated Thai’s have tested positive for the Corona Virus.  It appears there are no homegrown cases? 

 

The US has failed miserably at implementing travel bans because they were specific and targeted(first MainlandChina only and then Europe).  How has this worked out?  Not so good.  In March I suggested to a friend a 72 or 96 hour halt to all global passenger air traffic might slow the virus. He said no way this could happen.  He was right.  This would require global cooperation and has never occurred.  Today only 3 new cases in Thailand and all imported.  Let’s see where we are in July?  

 

 I have to make one trip out of Thailand this year and I am trying to delay it for as long as I can.  So far Singapore’s Airlines has said only $100 USD to make any change to my itinerary.  It might be the best $100 I have ever spent(this includes past evenings in BKK). 

Edited May 17, 2020 by sqwakvfr
Grammar

[katatonic]

11 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

The airlines offered alternate flight arrangements. Most people chose to stay and not take these flights . It was their choice. 

No fault but their own. 

Governments told their citizens to rethink travel plans when the virus came about, then my government told me to think of cutting my holiday short and come home. 

Thirdly I was told to get home ASAP!!!!!!!!!

alternate flights were offered, I took them. 

Happy to be home, things here are great, friends that said I was panicking are eating their words, stuck in lockdown in the Philippines. And even those in Thailand and Vietnam. 

No it hasn't been great for them, beaches , bars closed. It's not a holiday anymore. 

And they all say now they wish they were back home. 

I have no idea why. I for one am perfectly happy here and grateful I'm not in the UK. My house is in the midst of nature, peaceful with a fabulous sea-view, going to work every day (since lockdown ended) and way less traffic than normal. I miss going out a bit but my wife's a trained chef and we stopped going to expat beer bars several years ago. 

[parafareno]

dont forget about second and third wave

[bristolgeoff]

i think many will open up in july for some form of travel.everyone being careful come july lots open up.the uk are just one of them doing the same i think

[abrahamzvi]

Well done, Government. Better be too careful than sick, or dead!!!!

[drbeach]

6 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

Thank goodness i am home ,here in Thailand ,cant imagine how boreing it must be back in the UK ,with the police jumping on you if you go near anyone else ,cant walk about only allowing a few into the supermarket ,and hardly anyone wearing a mask .

lucky i live here ,and as for being stuck with my wife ,lucky me .????

And Thailand is better how? You can't go into a supermarket without a mask or temperature check and malls are now using a tracking app (some supermarkets too). If you don't have the app = no entry (or you need to fill out a paper form). Totally intrusive.

 

Temperature checks performed on ALL Phuket residents at their home last month and police most certainly enforce social distancing in Thailand. I'd much rather be in the UK right now.

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, Moonfire said:

What is your passport worth? One way to judge the worth is by what measures or lack of measures a country will go to support their citizens abroad.

 

Countries like Germany has chartered flights all over the world to bring their people back. Others have placed zero restrictions for returning on returning citizens as far as capping the number that can return but all must quarantine.  The cap for Thais returning appears to be space available to quarantine, which seems to be 200 a day. Some estimates show their are 295,000 Thais alone in the US, now all might not want to return but the reference is to show the large number outside of Thailand and the very real bottle neck.

 

When you consider long unexpected stays for Thais who would most likely be lacking proper health insurance when compared to being in Thailand. Depending on where to stay, can't work legally, running out of money and to compound this issue world wide for all Thais stuck outside Thailand.

 

If Thailand's filter is quarantine, then rent out all the empty hotels, open up the flights and bring your people home now.   

 

 

If there are 295,000 Thais in America, I suspect that most of them are married to Americans and/or are permanent residents/citizens. Hardly likely they would want to return to Thailand, just because they have Thai blood. Only a small fraction of these (a few thousand perhaps) are temporary visitors such as tourists or students.

[drbeach]

14 hours ago, Berti said:

No way out of tourism within a short time!

"NEW" poverty will come for a (not so small) part of the Thai population. I really wonder why the government has no understanding for this. Only the daily Corona numbers are important. Hard to understand this shortsightedness.

There is a way out of tourism in short time: agriculture. Thailand is known for it's tropical fruits.

 

The over reliance on tourism needs to end. It can and it should. Note that I fully support tourism, but I don't see why it should ever be allowed to exceed 10% of GDP. Thailand has plenty of potential to be a leader in other economic areas. It's not the Maldives or Vanuatu, which have little other choice.

[Road Warrior]

no comment on post to airmail to uk ????

[Isaan sailor]

Every day without those bus loads of Chinese tourists—is a pretty good day.  

Now if they could only lift those 14-day quarantines... 

[Isaan sailor]

16 minutes ago, drbeach said:

If there are 295,000 Thais in America, I suspect that most of them are married to Americans and/or are permanent residents/citizens. Hardly likely they would want to return to Thailand, just because they have Thai blood. Only a small fraction of these (a few thousand perhaps) are temporary visitors such as tourists or students.

Interesting thought.  For every American expat guy here in Thailand (and that would include yours truly)—there are probably ten Thai ladies in America.

[rwill]

What about land crossings though?

[Thomas J]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Thailand extends ban on incoming international flights until end June

Never underestimate the power of government to gather the most brilliant minds, unleash untold billions to research all possible actions, and after careful analysis select the best alternative AFTER THEY TRY EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE ACTION.

 

Thailand has for decades had 55 people per day every day killed in traffic fatalities.  No ban on flights, no ban on restaurants, no killing the tourist industry, no subjecting people to stay at home orders, no banning of automobiles, strict enforcement of helmet laws but let 56 people die one time from a virus and lets make sure that the people of Thailand who don't have covid pay the highest possible price by eliminating any chance to make a living. 

[KhaoYai]

19 hours ago, ukrules said:

People think it could have been as early as October / November last year.

Funny you should say that.  In early January, before I'd even heard of Corona Virus, I bumped into an old friend and his (Thai) wife in Bangkok - they were on holiday and had just returned form the eastern seaboard. Whilst down there my mate became ill with a flu like illness and had to be hospitalised in Pattaya - his wife was also ill but less so.  He told me that he'd had difficulty breathing and was quite worried. Doctors could not be sure of what was wrong with him.

 

I forgot about that until recently when we spoke on the phone.  It could of course have been anything but like others, I suspect that Covid 19 has been around longer than we think. There's also the case of the man in France who's doctor asked for his samples to be re-tested last month. The original test had been done on 27 December 2019 before the world became aware of the current pandemic.  The retest proved positive for Covid 19 and the patient was then asked about his movements - there was no discernible connection to China although there was a potential connection through his wife.

 

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-france-patient-zero-december.html

 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

And probably an admission that their healthcare system will not be able to cope with a large outbreak

If they've got the infection rate okay here why let in potential problems.

many international countries are still tackling large numbers of patients.

[BritTim]

10 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Never underestimate the power of government to gather the most brilliant minds, unleash untold billions to research all possible actions, and after careful analysis select the best alternative AFTER THEY TRY EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE ACTION.

 

Thailand has for decades had 55 people per day every day killed in traffic fatalities.  No ban on flights, no ban on restaurants, no killing the tourist industry, no subjecting people to stay at home orders, no banning of automobiles, strict enforcement of helmet laws but let 56 people die one time from a virus and lets make sure that the people of Thailand who don't have covid pay the highest possible price by eliminating any chance to make a living. 

I appreciate your frustration, but try to understand what could have happened. Statistics from the few countries with reliable data on Covid-19 suggest a death rate of around 2% (assuming good medical attention is available for those who become seriously ill). If 70% of the Thai population was allowed to contract the virus, that means nearly 50 million infected. Around a million would die assuming the ability to hospitalise and properly treat the 5 million who became seriously ill. With a totally overwhelmed health system, the death toll would probably be double that (based on experiences from coronavirus hotspots where hospitals have been unable to cope).

 

To date, the best results have come from countries that have gone early and gone hard to contain the virus. Examples are Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. If you wait until you can see you should have acted earlier, then you have acted too late.

[Bangkok Barry]

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

And what will be the requirements for aliens to fly into Thailand?

Chinese and many others come for couple of weeks. Meaning quarantine would not work. 

And that is why they've extended the flight ban. As long as they believe that quarantine is needed then no-one would come anyway. So no point in allowing flights.