It’s just too risky to allow foreign tourists to visit Thailand, says top Thai doctor

[Zikomat]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Perhaps a Thailand economy that's forced to shift to actually working and producing things -- instead of relying on easy tourist dollars that don't require a skilled or educated workforce and ends up harming the country's environment -- wouldn't be such a bad thing for the country in the long term. 

Easier said than done. The fact is tourism an important element of the Thai economy which is getting destroyed right now.

[kg1947]

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Is this doctor's name Somchai Fauci? 

Must be closely related by way of thinking , must be in the same political

group as Nancy Pelosi , Bill de Blasio , and the other DEMS Governors & Mayors.

[RichardColeman]

World clocks seem to indicate 4 births a second compared to 2 deaths per second from all causes. I think 500,000 dying  in 100 days WITH covid when 35,000,000 born clearly shows the human race can live with covid , should open up, accept the deaths and get on with life.

 

I consider myself to have a health issue, but i still vote get on with it

[shavedPotter]

One this is very sure, The covid-19 virus thrives on idiots. The bigger the idiot the more cases.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

30 minutes ago, innosiem said:

i do not know anyone that knows a single person that has got "the virus" let alone died because of it (here, back home or anywhere)

 

The news this morning said there about 7000 people currently hospitalized in Florida with coronavirus...and that number and the associated deaths from it there are growing daily.

 

Do you want to stay in a place that has ignored and failed to control the virus and has spiraling sickness and death numbers because they wanted to reopen their economy too soon?

 

Or do you want to live in a place that, for whatever reasons including closing its borders and banning international air arrivals, has managed thus far to keep its numbers very low, and hasn't had mass illnesses and deaths?  I know which I would, and have, chosen.

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[PingRoundTheWorld]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

--Israel reported its highest and third highest daily incidence to date over the past 2 days

The "crisis" in Israel is fake. Israeli government is manipulating the numbers by testing 4x times more people and testing asymptomatic people and declaring them "sick" despite zero symptoms. It's all politically motivated and critically ill patients and deaths have barely increased.

 

Japan is similar in that before they only tested very ill people, now they are testing nightlife workers and other asmyptomatic people routinely. It's quite simple - if you test more you'll find more. I'm not sure why they're doing it - politically motivated? Critical cases and deaths in Japan haven't increased much either.

 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So, just where exactly does Thailand want to get its foreign tourists from?

They should open to the entire world, provided tourists can provide evidence they are Covid-free and willing to quarantine for a few days. 14 days are not necessary. Provide a PCR test from one week before flight, another from 72 hours before flight, and get tested on landing. Chances of a sick person making it through like that are almost zero.

 

This doctor is not starving, he's not unemployed, and his future is secure. You can't say those things about millions of Thais. The majority of Thais I know are unemployed with no good job prospects. They can't wait half a year. Sadly it's guys like this doctor who make the decisions and they don't care about how many Thais they make suffer, as long as they themselves are safe and secure. Funny thing is it's highly likely Thailand will have a second wave sooner or later. Just a matter of time. Just look at Australia: imprisoned their entire population for months and declared victory against the virus, only to experience a second wave now. You can't win against a highly contagious virus, at best you can delay it.

[charmonman]

If a country has managed to get things under control there is no reason for Thailand not to let citizens or residents of those countries in. By all means keep the US Americans, Brazilians etcetra out, but why restrict Kiwis, Japanese, Australians or even Canadians. The risk of anyone from countries like those bringing in new cases is minimal particularly if they are willing to submit to a quarantine period.

Why inflict more economic pain than necessary?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

You can't win against a highly contagious virus, at best you can delay it.

 

The purpose is to tamp down the outbreak and limit its spread and severity until a vaccine solution hopefully is found.  The alternative of doing nothing pretty much gets you where the U.S. is right now.

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MrMo]

1 hour ago, CALSinCM said:

Wonder where Khun Doctor gets his salary from?  Not any tourism related businesses.  He also must have a steady income and probably is wealthy.  He might of well have said:
"Let average Thai people eat dirt.  Let's completely destroy the tourism sector and the people whose lives depend on it.  It won't effect me, so I don't care!!! My money keeps rolling in."
Another wealthy Thai devoid of compassion for their fellow citizens whom he looks down on being a high-status somebody.

Or could the doctor be saying that if the tourists are let back in, the infection rate and, subsequently, the death rate could climb dramatically.

The number of tourist that are currently "scheduled" to visit over the rest of this year isn't going to revive many jobs.

Employers will initially be looking to cover their fixed costs, i.e. those that are not within their control.   

The cost of staff will be within their control.   Less staff and lower remuneration !

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Provide a PCR test from one week before flight, another from 72 hours before flight, and get tested on landing. Chances of a sick person making it through like that are almost zero.

 

The incubation period for the virus can be at least two weeks and even longer in some cases. There's a reason health authorities around the world have generally settled on the two-week quarantine period.

 

Good luck with the testing notion. In the U.S. these days, there are shortages of tests and testing supplies in many areas and they can't even come close to testing all the people they need to test... much less doing recreational tests associated with tourism travel.

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So, just where exactly does Thailand want to get its foreign tourists from?

Thailand doesn't want the tourists, they want their money. Unfortunately for Thais farangs aren't dumb enough (well, not all of them) to send their money without ever coming to visit.

[spidermike007]

Not risky at all. You do a reliable, instant test at the airport. At the tourists expense. Even asymptomatic people test positive. Where is the risk? Positive folks go directly into quarantine, at their expense. 

[Brunolem]

52 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

That means and if we just let this spread freely and half the world’s population will get infected (most won’t have any or minor symptoms) before herd immunity kicks in (that’s debatable) still 0.65% x 3.5B = 23 million people will die.

It doesn't work like that. 

Recent studies show that around 80% of the population will never get infected by the virus, never mind its exposure. 

 

This has been confirmed notably by Sweden, where they let the virus roam free, and where the numbers of infections and deaths have now stalled, long before everyone has caught the virus. 

 

[Patts]

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Agree with him, UK, US, Brazil and India as examples should be kept out for now

Wow, throwing the UK in with US, Brazil and India, hardly comparable.

 

Number of confirmed cases and average daily cases:

 

US: total: 3.400,000 ........Daily: 60,000+

Brazil: total: 1.870,000 ........Daily: 40,000+

India: total: 880,000 ........Daily: 25,000+

 

UK: total: 290,000 ........Daily: 600

 

Hardly Comparable, The UK has had lower daily cases for the past two weeks than: U.S, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Turkey, Colombia, Argentina, Boliva, Panama, Oman, Ecuador etc etc.

 

UK current daily infections are in line with the likes of Spain, Italy, France

Edited July 13, 2020 by Patts

[Bender Rodriguez]

lockdown forever, those millions that live from tourism will understand, right...

[Brunolem]

13 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Unfortunately for Thais farangs aren't dumb enough (well, not all of them) to send their money without ever coming to visit.

The "sponsors" do it! 

These are the farangs who send between 20,000 and 60,000 baht every month to a go-go girl in exchange for... exclusivity!!! 

Yes, I know, but this is real. 

Problem is that there are not enough of these "sponsors". 

 

I know one guy who has no less than 3 girls under his sponsorship program... 

[Saint Nick]

48 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Perhaps a Thailand economy that's forced to shift to actually working and producing things -- instead of relying on easy mass tourism dollars that don't require a skilled or educated workforce and ends up ravaging the country's environment -- wouldn't be such a bad thing for the country in the long term. 

Sure...and of course, that will happen within a few months, and therefore mass- unemployment will be completely avoided!

[sammieuk1]

Up gos the baht in usual fashion ????

[Tidybeard]

I cannot believe how naive some people on TV are... do they really think that the virus will go away and then Thailand can open again ? Look at countries like Sweden and Belarus who did not lock down at all .... has their entire population died out ??? No, they have around the same mortality rates as every other country. This is a virus - you cannot close the door on it !

 

In the meantime, millions of poor Thai people are really suffering. Hospitality jobs have never been the best paid, but they give a living. Can you imagine the shame coming from having to queue in a food bank line, or sit outside Western Union for the 5000 Baht.

 

Do people expect Thailand to be shut forever ???? When it opens again - guess what, we will have to get the immunity that every other country it getting right now. Only when we do.... there will be 25% of the hotels and restaurants left and millions will have suffered. 

 

What a complete waste of time. Open now and get on with life !  

Edited July 13, 2020 by Tidybeard

[Misterwhisper]

Calm down y'all. It surely could be worse.

 

We could have 60 traffic deaths per day. Every day.

We could have had 25,000 dengue fever cases this year compared to some 3,100 Covid cases so far.

Or we could have run into serious difficulties selling our monkey-picked coconuts to the UK.

 

Oh, we do? Oops.

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, Zikomat said:

It is not about bars in Pattaya getting busted. What about 100 billion dollar tourist money which will not be injected into Thai economy this year?  Do you think it will go unnoticed?

You answer your own question.The huge Thai Tourist industry does not depend on Pattaya prostitutes.

[Saint Nick]

If the Thai- government does not announces - pretty soon,  I might add - that tourism is open for business again, the consequences will be dire!

Not only for hotels or airline- staff or tour- operators!

Someone mentioned, that the majority of hotel- staff in the destinations are seasonal workers, who often come for the high- and peak season and then go back home, once low- season comes around.

That is undoubtedly the case!

2 things about that though: 

- if life on their farms would be so comfortable and rewarding...why do they go, to work seasonally in the tourist destinations?

- if those seasonal workers stay home, that will have consequences for the whole community in the destinations!

Motocys need repairs, people need to buy food or clothes...

It is not only the mere tourist -dollar that will be missing!

The whole economy in places like Khao Lak, Krabi, Pattaya would be in risk of collapsing!

 

You can just not turn the tourism- oceanliner around on the spot!

And as much as reforms may be needed (are they wanted, though?), they can not happen RIGHT NOW, with putting millions of people into misery!

That starts at the hotel- staff, goes for restaurants and bars, the sex- trade, the tour- companies, the bus drivers, security and cleaning- personal...

 

And IF the government really allows the whole industry to go bust: what will happen when they eventually allow to reopen...October 21...or later?

Many hotels will have to renovate after almost 2 years being out of use, many restaurant owners or the owners of tour- companies will have to invest money to re-open, to re-hire!

Where will that money come from?

Are we really to believe, there will be a bunch of foreign investers be lining up, to pump cash into Thailand?

And what happens in the meantime, to those jobless- masses?

Are they all to work at 7eleven or in soem CP- factory?

Because I am quiet sure, the jobs that will be lossed in tourism, will not miraculously pop up, somewhere else! 

Edited July 13, 2020 by Saint Nick

[metisdead]

An offensive off topic racist rant has been removed. 

[robertson468]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Don't forget Russia.

Or China who started it all!

[natway09]

I agree with him on keeping entry into Thailand tight & choosing cases that need to travel

obviously having 2 weeks quarantine.

As for 3, 6, 9 months down the road, this is a world wide problem that is changing every day, so 

to make forward predictions past 3 months need to be left until then after looking at the up to date 

situation.

And yes, I am at the coal face with business in last 4 months pretty much non existant (still paying 70% rent though) & now in first 10 days 22% turnover of last year (not sustainable for long)

[theonetrueaussie]

3 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Keep them out for a year let the unemploymen rate rocket and the baht plumet. Never mind that most people in the tourism industry will lose their jobs. Many bars and restaurants in Pattaya have already gone bankrupt so if overseas tourists don't come back probably over 60% will follow. 

let tourists back in too early, outbreak occurs and we are all back to lockdown for a month or two with many thais not in the tourist industry out of a job again....

[rupert the bear]

the fear mongering wins again.we have a media thats at it 24 7 ,nothing ever good and the only take things negatively so people just follow what they say,govts have been trapped in this cycle too ,govt policy has followed the MSM.where are the tourists going to come from,countries with low rates.taiwan hk,s korea malaysia and some in europe,we see tentative moves in eu to move it on.there will be clusters,case nos have gone up but india is a different case,they cant lockdown outside the cities millions will starve and USA well no masks and demos thats just not gonna work.it needs to be done soon.we can watch what happens till mid aug then unshackle somewhat,allow people with famileies here and with ret visas back in sept.quarantine at home no insurance,use some sense whooops,as for thailand being free of the virusNO,this isnt the case you must test,govt has deliberately chosen not to,its the money see the military budget and also certain people have it and its not theres.

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The CV is still spreading and growing around the world.... with the U.S. being the worst but by no means the only country with growing incidence.

 

From Johns Hopkins July 10 COVID update:

 

 

--India reported its highest daily incidence to date, with 26,506 new cases.

--Brazil reported 42,619 new cases, its fifth highest daily incidence to date. 

--Mexico reported 7,280 new cases, its highest daily incidence to date and its first day with more than 7,000 new cases.

--Israel reported its highest and third highest daily incidence to date over the past 2 days

--Overall, the Eastern Mediterranean Region remains a global hotspot, representing 5 of the top 10 countries in terms of per capita incidence: Bahrain (#1), Oman (#2), Qatar (#5), Kuwait (#8), and Israel.

--Australia, Israel, and Japan have reported increasing COVID-19 incidence since early-to-mid June as well as multiple European countries—including Austria, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Serbia.

 

So, just where exactly does Thailand want to get its foreign tourists from?

 

The Eskimos say it's nice with ice

[fred110]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The news this morning said there about 7000 people currently hospitalized in Florida with coronavirus...and that number and the associated deaths from it there are growing daily.

 

Do you want to stay in a place that has ignored and failed to control the virus and has spiraling sickness and death numbers because they wanted to reopen their economy too soon?

 

Or do you want to live in a place that, for whatever reasons including closing its borders and banning international air arrivals, has managed thus far to keep its numbers very low, and hasn't had mass illnesses and deaths?  I know which I would, and have, chosen.

 

 

[Zikomat]

22 minutes ago, Tidybeard said:

I cannot believe how naive some people on TV are... do they really think that the virus will go away and then Thailand can open again ? Look at countries like Sweden and Belarus who did not lock down at all .... has their entire population died out ??? No, they have around the same mortality rates as every other country. This is a virus - you cannot close the door on it !

 

In the meantime, millions of poor Thai people are really suffering. Hospitality jobs have never been the best paid, but they give a living. Can you imagine the shame coming from having to queue in a food bank line, or sit outside Western Union for the 5000 Baht.

 

Do people expect Thailand to be shut forever ???? When it opens again - guess what, we will have to get the immunity that every other country it getting right now. Only when we do.... there will be 25% of the hotels and restaurants left and millions will have suffered. 

 

What a complete waste of time. Open now and get on with life !  

The ridiculous thing is it is those rich and sure about their future hi-so Bangkok doctors telling the unemployed and hungry ones that it will be better for them without tourists (and jobs, and money) - for at least six more months.