Thailand travel bubble in chaos: Plans for international flights between participating countries put off indefinitely

[webfact]

Thailand travel bubble in chaos: Plans for international flights between participating countries put off indefinitely

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported that Thailand's plans to set up a so-called travel bubble among countries that have the coronavirus under control are being put on hold.

 

It was planned that the bubble would include countries like China, Japan and South Korea.

 

But since the idea was mooted those countries have had renewed outbreaks of the virus.  

 

Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob indicated that airlines were ready but the government was not. 

 

Civil Aviation Authority senior figure Jula Sukhmanop said that the renewed spikes meant that the bubble plans would be delayed indefinitely. 

 

Now was a time to concentrate on the domestic market while the government figures out what countries should be in the bubble over the next couple of months.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

 

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[DrJack54]

Was never feasible. Do a bubble with Melbourne. Better idea

Edited July 8, 2020 by DrJack54

[MadMac]

Oh gotta love those 180 degree turns, or was it 540 already? ????

Edited July 8, 2020 by MadMac

[jojothai]

They have probably found that the other countries were not going to accept the ludicrous conditions that were going to be imposed for the bubble trips. Now there has to be an excuse.

If you look at the worldometers. There has not been any significant rise in cases in China or South Korea, Japan has increased a bit in the last week.

[steven100]

There will be NO travel bubble now or in the near future.

Air Asia shares have been halted as of today and the airline is in financial difficulty.

 

Forget international travel for the foreseeable future. 

[BestB]

1 step forward, 3 steps back.

 

China should have never been on that list to begin with

[bodga]

24 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Oh gotta love those 180 degree turns, or was it 540 already? ????

permanent pirouette

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, BestB said:

1 step forward, 3 steps back.

 

China should have never been on that list to begin with

i have to agree with you ... it's just going from bad to worse  !!

bad news after really bad news followed by really really bad news !!!  

I'm getting sick of this.  It's just ongoing .....  

[Misterwhisper]

That "travel bubble" idea was never feasible to begin with. Even if it had panned out, it never would've attracted the foreign tourist numbers those dreamers at TAT and assorted ministries hoped for. Just because Thailand opens up "travel bubbles" for a few nations doesn't mean that everybody is immediately going to hop on a plane. People have different priorities right now than spending tight money on an overseas vacation. And especially not a vacation that basically would restrict them to a clearly defined, restricted area with no freedom of movement outside that "bubble".  That's my opinion anyway.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

China, not so bad, if their numbers are to be believed.  Singapore and Japan, not so much... from the WHO daily situation report for July 7. The new cases and death numbers are the 2nd and 4th columns:

 

 

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200707-covid-19-sitrep-169.pdf?sfvrsn=c6c69c88_2

 

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[bkk6060]

Glad to hear this decision.

Makes me feel as though Thais possibly are not all about the money after all..

[ezzra]

23 minutes ago, BestB said:

1 step forward, 3 steps back.

 

China should have never been on that list to begin with

The reason why China was on the list is that Thailand would Not Dare not to include China in, and what? say no to the really big boss to the north?...

[JonnyF]

Well that's Q3 down the toilet then. Most likely Q4 as well. 

 

I guess this is one way of finding out how much tourism REALLY contributes to the Thai economy. Things are gonna get messy.

[jojothai]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

China, not so bad, if their numbers are to be believed.  Singapore and Japan, not so much... from the WHO daily situation report for July 7. The new cases and death numbers are the 2nd and 4th columns:

 

 

 

 

Japan shows a rise on worldometers , but not South Korea or China

 

[steven100]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Well that's Q3 down the toilet then. Most likely Q4 as well. 

 

I guess this is one way of finding out how much tourism REALLY contributes to the Thai economy. Things are gonna get messy.

yes .... messy is an understatement,  this will have disastrous consequences & with Air Asia in trouble ....

what else could go wrong . Absolutely financial catastrophic event unfolding.   imo 

[holy cow cm]

Hahahahaha. I said this from the get go. Some half brain dead person choosing unsafe countries 

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Civil Aviation Authority senior figure Jula Sukhmanop said that the renewed spikes meant that the bubble plans would be delayed indefinitely

Sounds like the bubbles been punctured then which can happen if you have spikes about the place .. 

 

I'll bet A-nut-in's deflated as he has been larging this up bigstyle .. 

Edited July 8, 2020 by Justgrazing
Sp

[86Tiger]

1 hour ago, jojothai said:

They have probably found that the other countries were not going to accept the ludicrous conditions that were going to be imposed for the bubble trips......

My money would be placed here.

 

Other countries have neither time nor resources to satisfy unique requirements in order for Thailand to graciously accept their travelers.  I.E.  other countries don't care if anyone ever travels to Thailand again.

 

 

It all goes back to the original draw for Thailand tourists:  easy to get there and relatively cheap.  Void either of those and it is good bye tourism.....

 

 

YMMV

 

Edit to Add:   I predict a most excellent buyers market in property, housing and vehicles in next 6 - 8 months.

Edited July 8, 2020 by 86Tiger
add a thought

[Creasy]

Time for Prayut and his elite Ministers to don their silk coats and masks and form a committee to form another committee to saves Thailands economy.

[Somtamnication]

This is getting ridiculous! The blind leading the blind.

[Rancid]

In Australia the PM stated that as restrictions eased pockets would continue to pop up, but that was acceptable as the hospitals were ready to deal with it.

Then in Melbourne cases started to pop up, the media started screaming 2nd wave, and the rush for toilet paper restarted. Parts of Melbourne are now under house arrest for 6 weeks. So again we see this is not about easing the burden on hospitals, the idiots are trying to exterminate a virus.

So will be no travel bubble between Oz and Thailand any time soon.

Latest research suggests that a 20% infection rate confers herd immunity, in other words the virus will die out naturally. This news was of course not well received by vaccine makers. The US is in a panic as cases rise, the media is going wild. What they are not reporting in that the death rates have been falling for weeks and continue to do so. Assuming this continues the whole thing should be over within 6 months. If so then we'll all wonder why governments in most countries got it wrong and destroyed their economies.

[Walker88]

Maybe Thailand is being wise. According to some research, the virus has mutated into a more 'catchable' form, so opening borders could bring it back in.

 

Also, a few people who have gone to Govt hospitals have told me some patients get whisked away as Covid is feared. That may be exaggeration or it may be a precaution for anyone who shows Covid-like symptoms. I hesitate to say it, because there is a view the govt is downplaying the actual # of cases, but since multiple people have told me, I mention it so anyone who has become complacent in Thailand can be reminded that precautions still make sense, especially those above 60, of which many expats reading here are. It doesn't hurt to try to stay safe.

 

Regarding the economic impact, 'seedcorn' is saved for rainy days. It's now raining. Thailand has built up a sizable amount of FX reserves since 1997, and if there was ever a time to use them for the benefit of the people, that time is now. People are hurting badly. The majority of BKK hotels remain closed, and even the ones open are furloughing or rotating staff.  Some work one week, then get 2-3 weeks off....without pay. Help them get through this! (Yes, I am well aware such concern for the Thai people might take a little prodding of the govt, but if they ever want to gain real popular support, aiding the people would be a pretty nice way to do it.)

 

Because Thailand has some accumulated wealth in govt coffers, it need not make the decision between opening and saving the economy, OR keeping things closed and suffering the economic fallout. They can use Thai monetary reserves to buy time until more is known about the virus, better treatments become known and available (such as how HIV doesn't have a vaccine, but has truly effective treatments), or there is actually a working vaccine.

 

This is an unprecedented time in modern history, so there is no set path or 'normal' solution. Day by day.....

[RichardColeman]

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Plans for international flights between participating countries put off indefinitely

Translation : State of emergency about to be extended indefinitely 

[Walker88]

1 minute ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Translation : State of emergency about to be extended indefinitely 

One might add that the visa amnesty could be extended to coincide with this.

 

Apparently there are upwards of 40,000 in Thailand benefiting from the amnesty, which means that number spending money. It may not be the usual 40 million per year, but that many people can support a decent number of Thai jobs, which is a plus. Every little bit helps. The Labor Minister and TAT head should get the PM's ear.

[nev]

Maybe they are panicking because they might have to cancel the 3 submarines on order and bail out the economy instead, Or even better hand out money to the needy.

Thailand did not need submarines in the first place.

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

Glad to hear this decision.

Makes me feel as though Thais possibly are not all about the money after all..

 

Just as well: they're going to have to live without it!

 

 

[swampdonkey]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

Oh gotta love those 180 degree turns, or was it 540 already? ????

Will be 720 shortly 

[LEKPHUKET]

The bkk puppets really want to bring down the country completely.  But in the meantime people are hijacked in and out of Thailand. Let figures for what they are,people cannot think anymore in proportion. Fex Belgium has in proportion 2 x times more deads then the usa.

This is even to difficult to understand by the bkk puppets in charge. 

But the question is how long the Thais will accept that there welfare is disappearing due to incompetent soldiers in nice suits

In the past 15 years they took the streets for much smaller issues 

.

[kingofthemountain]

34 minutes ago, Rancid said:

Then in Melbourne cases started to pop up, the media started screaming 2nd wave, and the rush for toilet paper restarted.

Someone can explain to me this ''problem'' with the toilet paper? Sorry but i don't get it

What is the point to storing at home this product when there is no shortage of it in the shops?

[Ireland32]

1 hour ago, jojothai said:

They have probably found that the other countries were not going to accept the ludicrous conditions that were going to be imposed for the bubble trips. Now there has to be an excuse.

If you look at the worldometers. There has not been any significant rise in cases in China or South Korea, Japan has increased a bit in the last week.

You believe China , Ridiculous