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

[metisdead]

Some inflammatory posts, troll posts and the replies have been removed.

 

Posts in violation of fair use policy and the replies have been removed. 

[hotchilli]

17 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.

 

Correct, a balanced outlook is the way to go.

[kno77]

I do understand his point of view. Why then an Egyptian militairy delagation was allowed to leave their hotel in Rayon and now caused a major upheaval. Or the Ambassador from Sudan. Left off guard or being clumsy? 

[anicon]

 ..notice no one is talking about the increasing number of traffic fatalities now that the pandemic has overshadowed that discussion.. wonder what the total for this month will be?

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, anicon said:

 ..notice no one is talking about the increasing number of traffic fatalities now that the pandemic has overshadowed that discussion.. wonder what the total for this month will be?

Apparently it is acceptable and always will be. The Ops not about traffic deaths but about Allowing foreign tourists into the country being to risky.  We all know motoring is risky and always has been everywhere in the world.  Tourism unfortunately was never risky until Covid.

[andy72]

what outbreak?

 

you can hardly call Thai numbers an outbreak in comparitive terms to others countries.

se asia exc indonesia has hardly seen any numbers worth worrying about

Malaysia sits at total dead 122 the uk just had that in a single day.

there should be an open border policy with Laos Malaysia Cambodia Vietnam treat it like extended provinces;

 

[dallen52]

17 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

To be fair in about 3 mths round nov oct things should be fine.end of the year be good to get back for tourist

And when would be a good time for people who have families or long time partners and their families, to get back.?

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

And when would be a good time for people who have families or long time partners and their families, to get back.?

I would like to say now would be a great time so they could show everyone that they have put strict measures in place and have learned from the mistake with the Egyptian military and the Sudanese Diplomat.  However, this is Thailand and they may now lockdown harder than before.  It defies all logic to me, and it is because of FACE

[canopus1969]

13 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

And what country is your home sir ?

Thailand  ????

[canopus1969]

14 hours ago, paulikens said:

@canopus1969 let me guess you're already in thailand? im alright jack brigade.

Yes of course I am now back in Thailand – anyone with half a brain could see what was going to happen (there were enough warnings) and so could get back if they wanted to before the borders shut.

[ThailandRyan]

"I'm alright Jack Brigade", Wow, you have to go far back to the 1959 movie to get this tidbit and use it to mean whatever agenda you have now don't you, or just far enough back to a statement made of a certain UK PM.  But then, why use such a condescending statement to those who have made a personal decision.  Seems to me that some folks had the good fortune and others did not as they had work, or other responsibilities while some of us who are actually retired made a decision years ago and today it works for us.

[dallen52]

17 hours ago, DrTuner said:

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.

Not indefinitely...lol

Being stranded in Australia is a cost i didn't want. 

Support for the thai family is not ideal when you are living separate lives.

Yes, a few still do it.

Probably a factor that the government doesn't understand...

10s of thousands of thai people are supported by expats. 

It all goes into the local economy. 

 

We just want to be allowed to get back. 

Without the 100k to 200k costs.

Even we are not a bottomless pit when the global economy is stretched...

[dallen52]

31 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I would like to say now would be a great time so they could show everyone that they have put strict measures in place and have learned from the mistake with the Egyptian military and the Sudanese Diplomat.  However, this is Thailand and they may now lockdown harder than before.  It defies all logic to me, and it is because of FACE

Its a gut wrenching tale that many people like me tell.

The government should show some sense of humanity. 

We are low risk.

We support the family and the local community. 

Contributing to the economy. 

Many of us take on families dumped by thai men.

No social security or benefits in LOS. 

Its either work or starve.

(Or find a farang partner lol)

[dallen52]

3 hours ago, rabang said:

Thailand is risky for travellers as well. You might get locked down for two months if a general feels like it, there is xenophobia, paranoia, tracking, limitations, increasing poverty and crime etc. I don't know why would any normal tourist go there even if they opened up tomorrow.

You can lock me down there.

I was living in retirement there.

Already 4.5 months locked out of Thailand. 

My retirement visa is nothing more than a TR same the Elite visa...

I just need the ok to get back. 

Farangs in relationships and not married, are currently denied returning. 

[jayboy]

18 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

The sex industry was here way before the tourists arrived in Thailand.  It just became more pronounced unfortunately.  I have never lived anywhere like Thailand where Thai men have many different mia nois or such, and those that can not find the time to go to karaoke or massage locations.  Once again way before there was ever an industry that is denied. 

That is all true though the younger generation of Thais tend to think of the mia nois as old fashioned and needlessly expensive.In any event, having a discrete mia noi is somewhat different to the long established propensity of male Thais visiting brothels and massage parlours.It was this latter aspect that provided the base for GIs r and r activity, and later mass Western sex tourism.In any case, that is all in the past and Thailand has moved on both in economic prosperity and evolving social mores.The fact remains that the Pattaya sex industry is an anachronism.I don't believe it should be closed down but if it disappears (though it will never entirely vanish) through its own irrelevance and economic pressure, that is to the good. Pattaya could be cleaned up to be a perfectly decent seaside resort.

[ChakaKhan]

20 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I really can not say much except for the fact that I count myself lucky that I stayed here when I had the chance to visit the US back in March.  However, I saw what looked to be a closure on the horizon and canceled my appointments there at the time this issue was setting off like a ticking time bomb. Now that I have had more time to review everything, and as I very much dislike what the good doctor is saying, unfortunately I have to agree with his views.  There may never be a vaccine for this virus.  Who knows what immunities and/or antibodies we may all have built up over time from all of our different lives we have lead in all of the different locations where we come from.  I do not see an answer in front of me or anywhere in the newest research I have looked at, and right now there is not a thing we can do except to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Economies are being ravaged worldwide, and whole industries/jobs are being lost.  Livelihoods of folks, and those without any savings are being ruined.  Who is to blame? For one as much as I dislike being locked into a country, I can say to myself as I look in the mirror, at least I feel and believe I am safe for the time being and am lucky to have funds at my disposal to whether the storm., as others are not so lucky. We each live different lifestyles, and to each there own, but the one thing that is constant is there has always been those who have lived there daily lives hand to mouth, or relied on handouts when times got tough.  I do know that things will either get better as time goes on or they will turn bleaker. 

 

Is quarantine the right answer for those trying to get back here to be with family, that is still an unknown.  Unless we are all able to be tested to see where we stand as far as antibodies or whether we are asymptomatic I do not see this government opening up on any scale as they genuinely appear to be very concerned regarding the virus.  Of course they are also taking a hit in the pocket books, but they need to stop spending money on projects that can be put on hold, unless they are using them to employ there own people and not migrant workers.

I left LOS mid march to land right in the dumpter fire that is USA....Ill give u ONE mama cup to switch seats

[ChakaKhan]

7 hours ago, Aussie Col said:

1. If Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines open up before Thailand that's Thailand finished as a tourist country and the huge loss of all that foreign currency. That's a hell of a hit.
2. Lets also not forget that your bucks go a lot further in them countries than Thailand

Of the 3 listed in #1   Whats the Pros and Cons to living in each spot..should they open the gates sooner...?

[Trujillo]

The panic over one single Egyptian soldier wandering around with covid in one single afternoon does not bode well for reopening. If there is this much panic over a single case, imagine what will happen when the borders have their "soft opening" and then there is a case from a dirty farang? 

That will be the end of the re-opening. I'm afraid the government has done too good a job scaring the holy bejesus out of the populace here. 

[ChakaKhan]

13 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Hold that thought for a little while longer so it stays true and does not blow back on you.

Im moving upwind, just in case.....the mama cup offer still stands TR

[The Barmbeker]

8 hours ago, rob63 said:

Thailand survived before tourists. Thailand will survive after tourists. Tourism provides low income jobs. It's time for Thailand to diversify.

Thailand survived "before tourism", because tourism wasn't any factor to survive on...way back when!

Duh!

[NCC1701A]

8 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Could it be you just want to keep others out so you can have all the girls to yourself?

yes. 

[ThailandRyan]

35 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

I left LOS mid march to land right in the dumpter fire that is USA....Ill give u ONE mama cup to switch seats

I wish you could Teleport back here and not be stuck in a country where there are to many entitled folks with beliefs they only care about and not the good of the people around them.

[miamiman123]

Military soldiers and ambassadors ok though with or without CV?? 

[Darkside Gray]

22 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Don't forget Russia. 

And China

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 hours ago, chilli42 said:

What bugs me is this joker putting himself forward as well known/expert.  He is a doctor. He pushes pills.  He is not a scientist or a public health expert.

 

You might want to re-think that....

 

Quote

 

Thira Woratanarat. public health expert, preventive medicine specialist, vaccinologist, clinical researcher, epidemiologist. Department of Preventive and Social ...

กรุงเทพมหานครและปริมณฑล, ประเทศไทย - ‎instructor - ‎Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

vaccinologist

I looked at it wrong, I thought he was a Vacationologist....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

Thailand survived "before tourism", because tourism wasn't any factor to survive on...way back when!

Duh!

 

The point is, there's no reason Thailand could not, or should not, use the current circumstance as an opportunity to begin trying to diversify its economy to not be so heavily reliant on mass tourism... and focus on productive things that are good for the Thai people, the country and its economy and environment.

 

[lensta]

23 hours ago, CALSinCM said:

Covid is a death sentence.  Better safe than sorry!!!

What a load of <deleted>, you are just another scare monger. Recovery rate is better than 95%

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, Trujillo said:

I'm afraid the government has done too good a job scaring the holy bejesus out of the populace here. 

 

Maybe it's come from the Thai government. Or maybe it's also come from the Thais watching the news and seeing places like the U.S. spiraling into public health disaster because they didn't take the coronavirus seriously.

 

Here, the BTS in BKK requires riders to wear facemasks while on the trains, and everyone pretty much does it and there's been no hue and cry of protest.

 

In the U.S., localities and states adopt mandatory face mask policies, and the Trumpian anti-vaccine, Obama wasn't a U.S. citizen, God will save me from the CV types go grab their assault rifles and start marching on the state capitols.

 

If the Thai people are scared of the CV, I'm glad about that. Because it makes it all the less likely that I, anyone in my family, and those around me will end up becoming infected. Because scared people take precautions. And ignorant people don't.

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Geordie59]

I wonder if the doctors advice extends as far as banning foreigners coming in for medical treatment?