Put safety before money - academic warns about opening country too quickly to "infected" foreigners

[webfact]

Put safety before money - academic warns about opening country too quickly to "infected" foreigners

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

A leading university academic has gone online to warn that Thailand should not open up too quickly to foreigners who may bring a second wave of coronavirus infection.

 

Dr Thira Woratanarat went on Facebook to say the country should not be in a rush to get the tourist dollar at the expense of public health. 

 

Thailand could regret it and the country could be back to square one rather than in "phase three".

 

Dr Thira, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, said there were already signs that easing of the pandemic restrictions could see a rise in cases. 

 

People should not let down their guard and letting in foreigners may be detrimental as nowhere is safe from the virus and foreigners were infected everywhere.

 

And there is no vaccine yet.

 

He also warned about rushing too quickly to implement Thai domestic tourism measures.

 

Dr Thira's comments were reported by Siam Rath.

 

Thailand looks set to welcome more international flights from the beginning of July after coronavirus cases consistently were reported as being in single digits, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Source: Siam Rath

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-05-29

 

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[totally thaied up]

If they are getting a few cases each plane load they are bringing returning Thai Nationals back in, I would hate to see if they opened up borders to the US, UK etc, etc as the virus certainly is not under control in many places yet. Cases will slip through the cracks for certain and we will be back at step one all over again. I agree, slowly you need to do it.

[darksidedog]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr Thira, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, said there were already signs that easing of the pandemic restrictions could see a rise in cases. 

Really? What are those signs exactly? The numbers outside immigration quarantine are holding steady at zero.

While I agree that opening the floodgates without any checks is likely to bring imported cases, it would be nice to see such comments supported by fact, rather than unsubstantiated rubbish.

[Cali farong]

Yeah keep it locked down until it’s total economic free fall.

Then guess who will be there to help,  the ones who started 

this pandemic.

[ezzra]

I wonder if foreigners money also "infected"? without tourism money this country will go back to be what it used to be 100 years ago, poor and backward country, it is a shame that in thees days and age we still have to listen to this kind of racist garbage...

Edited May 29, 2020 by ezzra

[pmarlin]

The guy has a point to a degree but some how the headline cane across as racist in my opinion.

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

The guy has a point to a degree but some how the headline cane across as racist in my opinion.

It did. 

But he's not wrong. 

[Brunolem]

9 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

The guy has a point to a degree but some how the headline cane across as racist in my opinion.

A more adapted word than "racist" would be "xenophobic"...

 

Anyway, with its extreme reliance on tourism, Thailand is caught between a rock and a hard place...open the gates to the tourists and the virus, or keep the gates closed and millions unemployed.

[totally thaied up]

I see now they have released figures on how many returnees are coming back sick. Seems it is .47% yet every day they yammer on how many are coming back with the virus. Seems at this rate, it could be controlled, yet then, it may not. Hard decision. Crash the economy more or open up on small numbers that could possibly start infection if left unchecked.

[BobbyL]

He is right. However, we know this won't happen. 

[eeworldwide]

It only takes ONE case to slip in between the cracks and we go back to square one. This is Thailand folks. Im willing to lay my money on the line in saying that we'll see a 2nd wave and this another lockdown before christmas.

[Canuck1966]

They are still talking like Chinese Flu is a death sentence

99.99% of the world's population haven't died from it 

[Chivas]

Its a tough choice. Make no mistake Thailand has done superbly over containing Covid unlike my own hapless government in the UK which have acted with catastrophic results.

I suspect the borders will open later this year but with really onerous restrictions in place first that will put off 95% of regular visitors.

 

I cant praise Thailand enough personally for the superb job they have done in controlling Covid overall

[meechai]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand should not open up too quickly to foreigners who may bring a second wave of coronavirus infection

Pffft ????

 

That sword cuts both ways & to be honest I think most countries should be more leery of anyone coming from countries like Thailand that

have some BS method of nearly no testing & have truly a wealth of no idea as to how many Asymptomatic covid cases they actually have

 

That being said I will also say I think this whole covid deal has been a storm in a teacup

The worlds first social media tracked illness that got hyped way beyond reason

 

But yeah guys like this with their our s#!t dont stink xenophobia make me ill

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by meechai

[totally thaied up]

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

I cant praise Thailand enough personally for the superb job they have done in controlling Covid overall

Yet the million dollar question is why Thailand did not suffer like others. We had the Chinese in here by the bucket load, yet it seems it did take off. What stopped it? That's my question.

[finnsk]

Things is not so simple as the "teacher" want to make it.

 

Things is not going so good in the region just because of the lock down, there is a lot of factors, and many of them is still unknown, but it seems that the virus is getting "tired" in many countries and it seems that the virus is not very happy in the heat. But of some reasons, I dont know why, it is not so interesting to make research in this.

 

If we shall go back to "normal" with open borders and free flow of tourists, we must have a vaccine against the virus and a low virus infection rate.

 

If we shall open the borders for tourists, before we can fight the virus finally, the virus must be absolutely controlled, with a lot off virus testing on the tourists and the tourist staff and other people around the tourists. Stop this crazy and meaningless temp controle, the only "sure" way is virus testing.

Only keep the tourists in special areas.

Do not let tourist people in from risk areas, we now see new virus outbreak in China and south Korea.

 

With a lot off safeness and secureness, it could be possible to get in some tourists, but it can not be back to "normal" before we can kill the virus finally

 

[DirtyHarry55]

Someone please tell the Academic Sars-Covid-2 is here to stay better learn to live with it than close down the country.

Bet his salary is guaranteed wonder what his stance would be if they took away his chance to earn a living?

[amdy2206]

At least we are now 'foreigners' and not 'aliens - from outer space -'.

[uhuh]

"foreigners were infected everywhere"

Not true. 

The list of virus-free countries is growing,  but most are small. 

Biggest is Taiwan.

Taiwan, Macao, Mauritius, Monte Negro, Faeroeer, Cook Islands...

 

Including countries that are almost or soon virus-free, it's a much more substantial list: Australia, NZ, HK, Japan, Korea, Slovakia, Iceland, maybe China...

 

This week, the Economist has a story about travel bubbles.

[brucegoniners]

I can't agree more. Do it very slowly. And limit what countries you allow people from. Also require a 14 day quarantine, either in their home country (verifiable) or in Thailand. You've gotta do that.

[DoctorG]

7 minutes ago, brucegoniners said:

I can't agree more. Do it very slowly. And limit what countries you allow people from. Also require a 14 day quarantine, either in their home country (verifiable) or in Thailand. You've gotta do that.

You can be sure that no tourist will go anywhere if they will be quarantined for 14 days on arrival. For most tourists that would be their entire trip.

[dastakantattaka]

2 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Yet the million dollar question is why Thailand did not suffer like others. We had the Chinese in here by the bucket load, yet it seems it did take off. What stopped it? That's my question.

Partially - manipulation of the numbers. Why tell the world bigger if you can tell the world smaller numbers?

Partially - lack of testing. Less tests - less discovered cases.

When some people are infected and they're not suffering badly to bother to go to the hospital, they'll recover by themselves and no one will ever count them.

Partially - "yes, you're infected, but you're not infected with the chinese covid, you're sick with A, B or C." And that cases won't count as a chinese covid case.

 

Partially - the food in Thailand and other  countries here and hence health of the people too  is better than in, I guess,  eu, uk and us.

Edited May 29, 2020 by dastakantattaka

[dsj]

Actually they haven't completely lift the international travel ban for July 1st only people that have work permits and permission from a government agencies allowed into Thailand, and they still will have to have medical insurance, fit to fly letter.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent this letter to all Thai Embassy's and consulates.

 

[Emdog]

"Safety ahead of money" unheard of except in handling virus here. Referencing traffic deaths, construction, wiring, maintenance, chemicals, etc etc

I am apprehensive that when they open up it won't be taken seriously enough & all the previous efforts & sacrifice have been for nothing.

[bluweyze]

3 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

They are still talking like Chinese Flu is a death sentence

99.99% of the world's population haven't died from it 

360,000 Dead worlwide and it is not finished. 6.2 % of people getting the virus die. In the elderly (and the obese) the percentage is higher. It's just Chinese flu!

[totally thaied up]

After reading that letter, it seems not many are going to be able to be let in.

 

Going to be a while before we see Retirement, Marriage extension holders in if these are the requirements.

 

As for tourist, have not got a clue what they are going to have concocted. It looks like 'go slow'. 

[SuwadeeS]

Very disgusting and discriminating this announcement.

As foreign government should give a travel warning, because of discrimination. 

But the real cause of the virus, the Chinese CCP are highly invited. Wow, sounds very stupid.

 

[sammieuk1]

Learn something new every day Thailand has an academic ????

[mommysboy]

27 minutes ago, bluweyze said:

360,000 Dead worlwide and it is not finished. 6.2 % of people getting the virus die. In the elderly (and the obese) the percentage is higher. It's just Chinese flu!

6.2% of people getting the virus die! I think not.

[Brunolem]

2 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

6.2% of people getting the virus die! I think not.

There's a typo...it's more like .62%