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

[Bad boy 561]

5 hours ago, Titan1962 said:

It’s a catch 22 situation,what to do.

Open up to tourists and risk another outbreak,or keep the borders closed.

If an outbreak occurs and it spreads,all the schools,malls and local businesses that don’t rely on tourists will be shut down again. Back to a curfew,restricted travel between province’s. I agree that people married to thais that want or need to return should be allowed,but under the quarantine rules that are in place now. They seem to be working well,and it would be a shame to undo all the hard work. 
Yes the tourist places like Phuket and Pattaya Would struggle,but at least the rest of the country is moving forward. I understand that many people working in the nightclub scene will still be out of work,but Thais are resilient and will find away to make a living.

 

Yes by breaking into people’s houses like they to mine last week

[Polaky]

Life is risky!, at the end of the day it is up to the thai authorities to make a decision not based on one doctors comments, I believe they should remain closed, there are people out there who are desperate to get into thailand and money is no object, the current restrictions should remain indefinately or at least until a cure is found., bar owners can turn their hand into farming or other productive adventures, there is always an alternative.

[sjaak327]

Just now, Mikeasq60 said:

I would quarantine for 2 weeks to be with my wife. For the Chinese there's going to be a major reckoning coming for years to come!

Yes you might, but I am guessing you would be in Thailand for a longer period of time. Most tourists don't have wives in Thailand, and stay 2-4 weeks on average, they won't waste valuable vacation time like that and go elsewhere, where they are not forced to be quarantined for two weeks. 

 

It is pretty simple, the amount of people willing to travel now is already considerably lower (fear, money problems), so focus on the ones that do want to travel and do not burden them with unrealistic requirements. As long as those travellers comply with social distancing rules, and wear mask wherever required, the risk isn't all that high. 

[Mikeasq60]

26 minutes ago, Polaky said:

Life is risky!, at the end of the day it is up to the thai authorities to make a decision not based on one doctors comments, I believe they should remain closed, there are people out there who are desperate to get into thailand and money is no object, the current restrictions should remain indefinately or at least until a cure is found., bar owners can turn their hand into farming or other productive adventures, there is always an alternative.

Really are you from the issan area ask a farmer from that area how their doing. My wifes from their shes always telling me shes to lucky meeting me

Edited July 13, 2020 by Mikeasq60
revise

[248900_1469958220]

Not more than 2 weeks ago China says it was starting to vaccinate its troops against Covid 19......this for a virus that has shut down the world.....Now, not really a peep about it. Can someone explain that to me please?

[vinny41]

15 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

Precisely, what's the point of quarantining people that just tested negative ? This is exactly what Thailand should do, test on entry, quarantine for a day, until the test results come back, unquarantine the tourists that test negative, quarantine the ones that tested postive. That way people are also not dissuaded from traveling, because if they have to go into quarantine for a full two weeks (even if they tested negative), nobody will show up. It is hardly rocket science. 

incubation period for the virus can be at least two weeks  so you just ignore people who test postive between day 2 unti day 14

daft idea 

[spidermike007]

33 minutes ago, Captor said:

Only positive folks go to Quarantine?

What would be the point of sending people who test negative into quarantine? Talk about killing off tourism permanently. 

[Mikeinapac]

Countries he referenced didnt ease restrictions, they opened the flood gates!

There's a difference between controlled entry (travel bubble!@) and doing what those countries mentioned did.

 

Thought a doctor would have been smarter than that..

[Magenta408]

There are more deaths during long holiday drive-about than the flu or corono virus. Ban all vehicles and motorcycles.

[vinny41]

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

What would be the point of sending people who test negative into quarantine? Talk about killing off tourism permanently. 

Because they can test negative on arrival and they can test postive during the next 14 days

[Mikeasq60]

12 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

Yes you might, but I am guessing you would be in Thailand for a longer period of time. Most tourists don't have wives in Thailand, and stay 2-4 weeks on average, they won't waste valuable vacation time like that and go elsewhere, where they are not forced to be quarantined for two weeks. 

 

It is pretty simple, the amount of people willing to travel now is already considerably lower (fear, money problems), so focus on the ones that do want to travel and do not burden them with unrealistic requirements. As long as those travellers comply with social distancing rules, and wear mask wherever required, the risk isn't all that high. 

Agreed, lets keep entry easy as it was and get on with it!

[dougiemac52]

6 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

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

And what country is your home sir ?

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Magenta408 said:

There are more deaths during long holiday drive-about than the flu or corono virus. Ban all vehicles and motorcycles.

How do you get about? 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

1 hour ago, Kiwiken said:

Sweden has proved there is no Herd Immunity and their Economy has contracted regardless

And meanwhile in actual Sweden, new deaths and critical cases are down to almost zero. It's almost as-if they have herd immunity already. Oh wait, they do!

 

It's going to be a good summer for Swedes, being literally the only country in the world that actually beat Covid-19 already. No risk of a second wave and the world is about to open up for them once confirmed cases go to zero too.

[Derek B]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

He does have a point however I think groups such as married and retired etc should be allowed to return. Yes keep the quarantine but relax some of the other requirements.

With more restrictions on the privileged.

[Mikeasq60]

You know I think about spending $10k for a second vasectomy reversal at Bumrungrad hospital. And the wife going through 3 IVF cycles all failed. Im older my wifes older my intent was to return to Thailand after about 3 to 4 months from Afghanistan where I work . This CV has definerly altered our plans. How's business been in Chinatown I hope terrible!

[Derek B]

Agreed...........now need to remind the masses that covid-19 is still a threat in Thailand even with closed borders. I am seeing fewer masks & less checks with heat guns for starters.

 

[bipper]

6 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Is this doctor's name Somchai Fauci? 

You're not Brunolem Trump? ????

[Mikeasq60]

15 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

And meanwhile in actual Sweden, new deaths and critical cases are down to almost zero. It's almost as-if they have herd immunity already. Oh wait, they do!

 

It's going to be a good summer for Swedes, being literally the only country in the world that actually beat Covid-19 already. No risk of a second wave and the world is about to open up for them once confirmed cases go to zero too.

What did they do different than Thailand

[Colmera]

Was this the same good Dr that early on in the pandemic declared Thailand could have up to 200,00 to 300,000  cases and deaths in their thousands? He seems to like publicity? Thailand has so far managed Covid 19 okay but not by design or government management the Health Minister maybe 1 out of 10 it is the community and hospital workers deserve the credit not the Health mandarins in Bangkok 

[Derek B]

4 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

And it’s not just the fatalities, but more and more reports are surfacing of prolonged health issues even after mild initial symptoms and presumed recovery. 

Good point...........not to mention the burning season or seasons.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

2 minutes ago, Derek B said:

I am seeing fewer masks & less checks with heat guns for starters.

You mean the masks that don't actually help, then help, then don't help, then.... according to the WHO?

And the temperature guns that consistently register 2-3 degrees lower than your actual temperature and literally would not show a fever unless you were like 39c? It's useless and basically just for show, does nothing.

[samsensam]

2 hours ago, Why Me said:

It's possible to work out a protocol that lets tourists in with minimal, maybe not zero, risk. Mandatory rapid pre-boarding testing at the origin airport followed by random tests on disembarkation here. And tourists required to stick to an itinerary and carry tracking software on their phone.

 

They can stay safe without killing the tourist industry.

 

 

i'm sure it's possible to open up with minimal risk, if well implemented and managed  - in all honesty not thailand's strongest points. decide what you want to achieve and get organised, have a positive 'can do' attitude to problem solving. at the moment thailand doesn't want foreigners in the country so has no incentive to even start thinking about processes and procedures to let people back in.

[Derek B]

4 hours 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. 

Agreed.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

13 minutes ago, Mikeasq60 said:

What did they do different than Thailand

They let the virus run it's course without lock downs or business closures. Their strategy was to isolate the vulnerable and let the virus run through the healthy population to build herd immunity. What ended up happening is the virus ran through ALL the population including the elderly. 90% of the dead are 70+ and literally no one under 40 died. Their approach is often displayed by other countries' media as an example of failure of the herd immunity approach but this is completely fake news - their strategy is now proving to be a success and this will become clearer soon.

 

Thailand did the exact opposite: lock down and business closures. Yes, they managed to bring local transmission to a halt, but at huge cost, and now the country remains completely vulnerable until (if!) there is a vaccine. Australia took the same approach and appeared to be successful for 2-3 months, but now they're experiencing a second wave. Thailand will too - it's just a matter of time.

Edited July 13, 2020 by PingRoundTheWorld

[Derek B]

2 hours ago, CLW said:

Ask the good doctor again when he has been robbed or mugged from some unemployed worker of the tourism industry, whose salary has been cut because there were no foreign tourists as customers here.

This is not a civilized country with a functioning social security net from the government.

People are living from the hand to the mouth, taking loans for smartphones and the newest car.

The absence of foreign tourists for another six months will be disastrous for this country.

All true however "necessity is the mother of invention" and they will perhaps find a better way than mass tourism from China alone.

[sjaak327]

30 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

incubation period for the virus can be at least two weeks  so you just ignore people who test postive between day 2 unti day 14

daft idea 

Apparently that period isn't all that high for everyone. The same begs the question why a traveller is supposed to have a covid-19 free "certificate"  no older than 72 hours, which is just three days. It is simple, if Thailand will force all nationalities (regardless where they come from) to quarantine for 14 days, they might as well not open at all, not many tourists will waste two full weeks of vacation time, they simply go elsewhere. And they supposed gains are minimum, as long as people social distance the risks aren't all the great. It is a trade off between security and economy, and how long Thailand can do without tourism income. If first world countries like the ones that make up the EU are actually letting people from low risks countries in without a need to quarantine, it seems they have already made the tradeoff. I wonder how long Thailand can continue to refuse to make that trade off, and to which price. I bet that trade off will happen this year, not next year, simple economics.

[Mikeasq60]

11 minutes ago, Derek B said:

Good point...........not to mention the burning season or seasons.

Havent seen that where did you find it so I can see it?

[Peterphuket]

Please, is there somebody who can me explain what is a Top Doctor?

Somebody at the Top of the Empire State Building?

I just name something.

[Derek B]

15 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

You mean the masks that don't actually help, then help, then don't help, then.... according to the WHO?

And the temperature guns that consistently register 2-3 degrees lower than your actual temperature and literally would not show a fever unless you were like 39c? It's useless and basically just for show, does nothing.

What about the use of gel & washing hands etc etc..........have you got an issue with those measures too?

PPE, gel, temp guns, distancing, restricting internal travel & closing borders + tracking and tracing are a package of messages worth tolerating for the common good.