100 billion baht rescue package for Thai tourism mooted - foreign tourists wanted before year's end

[vandeventer]

This 14 day quarantine will there be dancing girls?

[DirtyHarry55]

3 minutes ago, Mung said:

A vaccine looks like it is almost certainly going to be effective, because this virus mutates rather slowly unlike for example HIV which rapidly mutates, and renders a vaccine is obsolete. The vaccine for COVID-19 utilises manufactured proteins that resemble the virus, and so the it tricks the body into making antibodies against this specific virus. Those antibodies only last for 3-4 months however, but also created are memory T cells that do last many years. Multiple pharmaceutical entities are in the final phases of the vaccine rollout, and if things go ahead as planned, doses should be given around the start of 2021. IF the vaccine fails, we are going to have to go for herd immunity and purposely infect everybody so those memory T cells are created, and then the virus will die out simply because everybody is immune to it. Thailand will not have any shred of tourism until 1 of these scenarios plays out. 

On top of that a vaccine should be tested for a couple of years as there's a good chance some people will be allergic and maybe even die.

[Destiny1990]

4 minutes ago, Saint Nick said:

The part about the vaccine is simply not true and my company has the pre- bookings to prove it!

What they 100% will NOT do is, spending 2 weeks INSIDE a hotel room, that they have to pay for and waste precious holiday- days on that BS!

Your self claimed pre bookings proof me nothing. 12 hours flights are not going to happen until a working vaccine with or without a 2 weeks quarantine. 

[hashmodha]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

And they actually think that tourists in their droves are going to put up with that? Replace this idiot with an intellectually superior  packet of peanuts and lets all move forward with reality.

I was going to copy and paste exactly this,on which planet do these people live?.... dictating terms and conditions to travellers needs respect.If a statement like this is released elsewhere no one will come here,I have followed all the global platforms recommencing their tourism industry, this is by the far the most off track,it is because Travellers have always loved our Thailand and would always come.This time around they need to open their eyes and closely study just what the reality looks like, pandemic has already taken its toll , only the foolish traveler would chance long distance quarantine nightmare!

[Mung]

2 minutes ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

On top of that a vaccine should be tested for a couple of years as there's a good chance some people will be allergic and maybe even die.

It should be so yes, this vaccine is going to be the fastest ever rollout of any vaccine, usually it requires 3-4 years form beginning to end. I think there is an urgency where the final testing phase me be negated. China created a vaccine and injected 2 million military personnel, no word has been given after that happened back in July lol 

[belfast3]

48 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

It would be interesting to know what might happen if the Thai govt simply dropped all the other rules and said as follows -- ANYONE from anywhere can come to Thailand whenever they want, as long as they:

--pass a COVID test before departing

--have adequate health insurance, and

--undergo and pass 2 weeks mandatory quarantine upon arrival, period.

 

No more rules about only people with work permits, or only short-term tech/exhibition staff, or only those married to Thais, etc etc....

 

I wonder how much demand for ASQ that would really create, and could they scale up ASQ capacity enough to handle it... You'd think they could, what with all the closed up hotels around BKK currently sitting empty and employing no one.

 

Nothing would happen.

No-one in their right mind is going to pay for tests, visa, flights and a 60k quarantine package and risk being denied and all that money going to waste. 

I love Thailand, I spend most of the year there and have a visa that would enable me to return now, but there are simply too many hoops to jump through, too much expense, stress and hassle. 

[Chiang Mai Bill]

Do these people not look at ''International'' news?

 

Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, etc. -- China, India, USA, S. America, Bahamas, etc. -- How many countries have the virus under control?

 

Naive, childish and ignorant!

[DirtyHarry55]

5 minutes ago, Mung said:

It should be so yes, this vaccine is going to be the fastest ever rollout of any vaccine, usually it requires 3-4 years form beginning to end. I think there is an urgency where the final testing phase me be negated. China created a vaccine and injected 2 million military personnel, no word has been given after that happened back in July lol 

Indeed but if people die from taking a bad vaccine too early public trust will be destroyed and they won't want to take a good one when its made.
Exactly China was quick to boast injecting 2 million people but not so quick to release the results.
 

Edited August 7, 2020 by DirtyHarry55

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, belfast3 said:

Nothing would happen.

No-one in their right mind is going to pay for tests, visa, flights and a 60k quarantine package and risk being denied and all that money going to waste. 

I love Thailand, I spend most of the year there and have a visa that would enable me to return now, but there are simply too many hoops to jump through, too much expense, stress and hassle. 

 

If I was planning to stay several months, as say a winter bird escaping Europe and its virus problems, I wouldn't mind the process I outlined above.... especially if the Thais streamlined the application process on their end.

 

In my scenario, there would be no risk of being denied. You get and pass the preflight test, have insurance, make your ASQ arrangements and buy an airplane ticket, and you're done.

[crazykopite]

Only an idiot of a tourist would come to Thailand knowing they had to be imprisoned in a room of a fleapit hotel somewhere in the alleys of Bangkok for 14 days and that’s without all the other hurdles they have to jump through just to get to Thailand these tourist ministers live somewhere like La La Land if they really think tourists are going to arrive in Thailand in there droves this year . I would imagine that it will take a good 3 to 4 years before Thailand can see the amount of tourists they used to get before Covid 19 

[micmichd]

55 minutes ago, iaminwa said:

Thailand seems to be looking at this from one side - theirs!

 

Its not just about Thailand saying ok let these countries come - some of those countries are not allowing their citizens to go overseas on holidays.

 

What this epidemic has shown is that dependence on China for the majority of manufacturing has biten us all on the ass!

 

Western countries will now look to bring all that manufacturing back in house - which is good for jobs in our own countries in the future.

 

Lastly, what this has shown is that Thailand's GDP is far too dependent on Tourism, which will not be back at profitbale levels for over 12 months.

 

Troubled times ahead for Thailand me thinks - worse than 1997.

 

 

Wonder how Western countries will manage to do in-house manufacturing with high wages and almost no raw materials. 

[Jimbo2014]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

And they actually think that tourists in their droves are going to put up with that? Replace this idiot with an intellectually superior  packet of peanuts and lets all move forward with reality.

I think its only a matter of time before Thailand touts "Quarantine Holidays" where anyone can just come but you are met by armed guards in hazmat suits and escorted to your quarantine hotel by a quarantine beach for your holidays with a quarantine market so you can get overpriced quarantine tee shirts before being shipped back to your flight.

[dutchweller]

Seriously US, China, Europe?

This person is in another reality.

How about NZ, Tanzania, Fiji, Singapore, Taiwan...

 

[kamma]

The requirement for quarantine is not unique to Thailand.

 

Most countries in Europe are requiring tourists to quarantine upon arrival. France, Germany, Austria, Czech Rep, Estonia, Ireland and Bulgaria to name a few. Also N. America, many countries in S. America and Australia have quarantine rules for travelers in place.

 

And yet many are still holidaying this summer.

 

People here just wanna bash Thailand. The Thai government has many-many deficiencies in the way the country is run but all these armchair politicians here act as if they could run a country any better?

[abrahamzvi]

The artivle states, and I quote,  "Under this plan only those from countries deemed to have the virus under control would be allowed entry and they would then be subject to quarantine and severe restrictions on where they are allowed to go. 

 

Wichit said that this was better and safer than the previously mooted "travel bubble".

 

Countries that would be eligible were China, Taiwan, the US and those in Europe, reported TPBS. "

 

May I ask if the US with millions of cases and thousands of death daily, as well as some European countries with spiking cases daily, are considered "countries having the virus under control" ?

 

I fully appreciate and understand the worries of the tourism industry and appreciate their despair. However, by irresponsibly suggesting allowing tourists is asking for troubles, which may lead to a complete lock down. The Thai authorities have been doing all that is necessary to control the virus and luckily for all of us living here, have been extremely successful. The government has been doing what is possible under the circumstances to subsidize and encourage domestic tourism, but it is wrong to ask the government to change its successful policy and undermine its success.

[Mung]

3 minutes ago, kamma said:

The requirement for quarantine is not unique to Thailand.

 

Most countries in Europe are requiring tourists to quarantine upon arrival. France, Germany, Austria, Czech Rep, Estonia, Ireland and Bulgaria to name a few. Also N. America, many countries in S. America and Australia have quarantine rules for travelers in place.

 

And yet many are still holidaying this summer.

 

People here just wanna bash Thailand. The Thai government has many-many deficiencies in the way the country is run but all these armchair politicians here act as if they could run a country any better?

Those countries also have opened everything within their borders for the most part. They have managed to work out how to allow the economy to function while still preventing the virus from exploding in infection rates. Test, track, trace and localised lockdowns. On the other hand Thailand has basically just beheaded it's economy and goes bat<deleted> crazy over 1 Egyptian soldier infected within it's borders 

Edited August 7, 2020 by Mung

[DirtyHarry55]

Test them for COVID19 on departure if they are negative let them come if positive refund them

Thailand should provide Health Insurance with the cost of Hotel and restrict them to stay in one location i.e. Phucket, Pattaya etc.

[phantomfiddler]

Why not ship in a few million indians to completely re-energize the Farang-Departure Program ?

[paulikens]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Someone explain to him that nobody from Europe is even thinking about flying to Asia without a working vaccine so meanwhile the tourist industry workers better should shift back to farming rice.

 

@Destiny1990 thanks for speaking for the whole of europe.  funny that cuz plenty of people flying already around europe now so what difference is flying further gonna make? also you obviously dont read the comments on here theres plenty of people still willing to fly to asia vaccine or not.

[apetryxx]

Talk about hysteria over something that amounts to nothing much more than a cold virus on steroids. The collateral damage from the economic free fall is far worse than the disease itself. Get a grip folks.

[bobbin1955]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Under this plan only those from countries deemed to have the virus under control would be allowed entry and they would then be subject to quarantine and severe restrictions on where they are allowed to go. 

 

Wichit said that this was better and safer than the previously mooted "travel bubble".

 

Countries that would be eligible were China, Taiwan, the US and those in Europe, reported TPBS. 

It gets funnier and funnier everyday ......."Eejits" 

[ttrd]

RE - Under this plan only those from countries deemed to have the virus under control would be allowed entry and they would then be subject to quarantine and severe restrictions on where they are allowed to go. 

 

* With such an approach to reality they will most likely end up making  invitations through their famous black-list ...

[geisha]

The TAT, gouvernement and medical experts are embarrassing themselves globally. They are becoming the laughing stock of  international tourism.

[bobbin1955]

3 minutes ago, apetryxx said:

Talk about hysteria over something that amounts to nothing much more than a cold virus on steroids. The collateral damage from the economic free fall is far worse than the disease itself. Get a grip folks.

1 MILLION %!!

[shy coconut]

4 hours ago, johng said:

Dirty foreigners,  please come back all is forgiven !

I'm not sure the Thai tourist association ever labeled foreigners as dirty.

You, or other may well prove me wrong.....

[86Tiger]

46 minutes ago, Mung said:

A vaccine looks like it is almost certainly going to be effective, because this virus mutates rather slowly unlike for example HIV which rapidly mutates, and renders a vaccine is obsolete. The vaccine for COVID-19 utilises manufactured proteins that resemble the virus, and so the it tricks the body into making antibodies against this specific virus. Those antibodies only last for 3-4 months however, but also created are memory T cells that do last many years. Multiple pharmaceutical entities are in the final phases of the vaccine rollout, and if things go ahead as planned, doses should be given around the start of 2021. IF the vaccine fails, we are going to have to go for herd immunity and purposely infect everybody so those memory T cells are created, and then the virus will die out simply because everybody is immune to it. Thailand will not have any shred of tourism until 1 of these scenarios plays out. 

The vaccine may be iffy.  There are now too many in press walking back original positive comments to it may take many doses, or may take longer to develop.  But for certain there are plenty of takers on the billions governments around the world are willing to pay for development.  I suspect success will always be just few more months and few more million dollars away.

[hashmodha]

This is breaking news as it happens,no stimulus package is going to do anything,a vaccine is the only way forward!

When the world's largest booking engine is running of fuels, this means bookings are already nonexistent, which means 2/3 seasons are gone, which means a lot worst than all the other news, Lufthansa says 2024 before turnaround, Australia not opening doors,A second wave beginning slowly in Europe as again...

FRIDAY 07TH AUGUST 2020

Published on Thursday, August 6, 2020 

Thousands of jobs to go at Booking.com

 

 


Booking.com is shrinking its global workforce by about one quarter.


The grim market conditions caused by Covid-19 will lead to the elimination of at least 4,000 jobs.


CEO Glenn Fogel described the pandemic as 'the largest social and economic crisis of our lifetime' in a call to workers as the job cuts were unveiled.

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, NE1 said:

 

Have Europe and the countries mentioned got Covid under control now ?

Did i miss something ?

No but they have money

[DrTuner]

Craving for that foreign income now, eh? All you are going to get are Chinese, where a large part of the revenue goes right back into China through their proxies and Thailand is left with the environmental damage. 

 

You made your bed. Kobkarn, the Destroyress of Thailand, well done.

[eeworldwide]

59 minutes ago, Mung said:

A vaccine looks like it is almost certainly going to be effective, because this virus mutates rather slowly unlike for example HIV which rapidly mutates, and renders a vaccine is obsolete. The vaccine for COVID-19 utilises manufactured proteins that resemble the virus, and so the it tricks the body into making antibodies against this specific virus. Those antibodies only last for 3-4 months however, but also created are memory T cells that do last many years. Multiple pharmaceutical entities are in the final phases of the vaccine rollout, and if things go ahead as planned, doses should be given around the start of 2021. IF the vaccine fails, we are going to have to go for herd immunity and purposely infect everybody so those memory T cells are created, and then the virus will die out simply because everybody is immune to it. Thailand will not have any shred of tourism until 1 of these scenarios plays out. 

I dont share your optimism for a vaccine, and even if I did the timing is unknown. I'd be unwilling to take a vaccine thats not been around for a couple of years anyway.