"Foreign tourists won't come if confined to their room for 14 days" but keeping them at resorts is OK, Pipat

[webfact]

"Foreign tourists won't come if confined to their room for 14 days" but keeping them at resorts is OK, Pipat

 

Picture: Manager

 

Thailand's tourism and sports minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn admitted to the Thai media that confining tourists to their room 24/7 for 14 days was not going to inspire foreigners to come to Thailand. 

 

But he thought that if foreign tourists were holed up in their resorts for two weeks they would be happy with that.

 

And he also suggested that Phuket will be the guinea pig for the opening up to foreign tourists.

 

The minister's comments come after widespread criticism from the foreign community to the Thais' "seal and safe" plans.

 

Pipat was speaking to Manager in Chachoengsao where he presided over the opening of a new market attraction. He was on his way to the mobile cabinet meeting in Rayong yesterday. 

 

Picture: Manager

 

In a brief interview he reaffirmed his plans to open up Thailand to foreigners post pandemic though with some caveats. 

 

He said that PM Prayut Chan-ocha had told him to concentrate on Thai domestic tourism first and he urged Thais to take advantage of the promotions and stimulus packages. 

 

But he suggested that Phuket was likely to be a testing ground for foreign tourism. 

 

He said he would be surveying the locals about their feelings of having foreigners in their midst once again. 

 

The plan at present is to have 14 days quarantine in resorts before a further period of 7 days when Covid-19 tests would be carried out and tourists would be allowed to move around the province. 

 

Only after that would they be permitted to travel freely to other provinces. 

 

Then came his comments about foreigners not being happy with being cooped up in their room all day but happy to be allowed to wander round resorts. 

 

Earlier reports suggested that this arrangement might attract 2 million foreigners by March - an idea roundly mocked and ridiculed by foreigners online. 

 

Posters online suggested that few foreigners were likely to want to come to Thailand for a long quarantine period, have further restrictions on their travel then perhaps go home to face more quarantine.

 

Few would even have the time for that. Some who were able to have long holidays might agree but their numbers would be limited, netizens said.

 

Many said that the plans were a "pipe dream" and the Thais were kidding themselves if they thought 2 million would accept such draconian restrictions. 

 

Source: Manager

 

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[RotBenz8888]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

But he thought that if foreign tourists were holed up in their resorts for two weeks they would be happy with that.

 

If there were no other options around the world... however..... 

[poskat]

the perspective that this guy has about thailand being such an amazing destination that people would travel here to stay in tourist zoos until deemed safe to travel elsewhere will soon be challenged by reality

[FarFlungFalang]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Posters online suggested that few foreigners were likely to want to come to Thailand for a long quarantine period, have further restrictions on their travel then perhaps go home to face more quarantine.

Seems to me like some one's been reading Thaivisa!He didn't clarify if being confined to one's room is still a requirement,if it's not then Thai returnees will have a bit to say about it.

[Paiman]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

But he thought that if foreign tourists were holed up in their resorts for two weeks they would be happy with that.

 

I don,t think so. 

 

Tourists will be careful with choosing an international holiday vacation. And being restricted for 2 weeks to a resort, they will just chose another destination.

[GeorgeCross]

so they all mix together in the resort.. and if they catch covid on day 14 from a new comer on day 1...?

 

seriously do they even try to think about this?

 

????‍♀️

 

[sammieuk1]

The minister hasn't got a clue that no one will be coming with these or any other requirements for a holiday ????  

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

The plan at present is to have 14 days quarantine in resorts before a further period of 7 days when Covid-19 tests would be carried out and tourists would be allowed to move around the province.

14 plus 7 equals 21 but if we don't say 21 the stupid falang won't know it's really 21 days quarantine when the rest of the world seems to only do 14 days.

[ezzra]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand's tourism and sports minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn admitted to the Thai media that confining tourists to their room 24/7 for 14 days was not going to inspire foreigners to come to Thailand.

You think?? folks, This is why this man get the big bucks as a salary, an invaluable insight into the tourists mind...

[steven100]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

Foreign tourists won't come if confined to their room for 14 days" but keeping them at resorts is OK, Pipat

your joking right  !!   Tourists just want to show their vaccination confirmation doc at the airport on entry and that's it .....  no quarantine ... no confinement ... no nothing.   the guys a knucklehead  !!  

[JonnyF]

Why would people take expensive long haul flights to be confined to a resort, when they could fly for a couple of hours and have a nice cheap holiday in the sun where they can go wherever they like?

 

I think this guy may have overestimated the lure of Thailand.

[richard_smith237]

These guys just can’t miss an opportunity for their moment in the media. 

 

When these people stop with the mentality that ‘tourists’ are poisonous and Thailand is doing tourists a favour by allowing them in to spend the money they just have to get rid of things may start to improve for the Thai tourist sector. 

 

There has to be more intelligent measures:

- Pre flight Covid-19 tests

- Arrival Covid-19 tests

- Testing of those working in the Tourist areas

- Track and Trace (of all incomers / and all in country)

- Ensure the R Number remains below 1 

- Emphasis on ’serious cases’ and ‘deaths’ rather than whole numbers of Covid-19 cases

 

 

[Matzzon]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

But he thought that if foreign tourists were holed up in their resorts for two weeks they would be happy with that.

???????????????????????????? This guy is funny!

[FarFlungFalang]

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Why would people take expensive long haul flights to be confined to a resort, when they could fly for a couple of hours and have a nice cheap holiday in the sun where they can go wherever they like?

 

I think this guy may have overestimated the lure of Thailand.

If the resort was fully stocked with lovely Thai women I wouldn't want to leave my room for a month!

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

your joking right  !!   Tourists just want to show their vaccination confirmation doc at the airport on entry and that's it .....  no quarantine ... no confinement ... no nothing.   the guys a knucklehead  !!  

 

I think that may ended up a ‘global solution’ much like travelling into areas of Africa with a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate. 

We may well end up requiring ‘Covid-19 Vaccination’ passports. 

 

If thats the case, they may as well add other vaccinations to the the ‘Vaccination Passport’ such as Flu Vaccine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

Would be a different experience, getting served by staff in HAZMAT suits. There probably won't be any complaints that they don't keep the place clean.

[anchadian]

If we are talking about resort hotels, these type of hotels can be rather expensive for some and yes, maybe they will be happy with that.

 

But what about those tourists who just need low to middle priced basic accommodation?

[RichardColeman]

Wonder what will be on the TV ? 

[JusticeGB]

These resort hotels are extremely expensive and only a fraction of tourists could afford them anyway. These rich people can go anywhere in the world and don't have to go through the hurdles of coming to Thailand. This latest idea just like the other crack pot ideas has no chance of successfully getting 5m tourists visiting Thailand. 

[Youlike]

50 minutes ago, Paiman said:

 

I don,t think so. 

 

Tourists will be careful with choosing an international holiday vacation. And being restricted for 2 weeks to a resort, they will just chose another destination.

I called my travel insurance and asked if they can sell me an insurance with COVID-19 coverage for 100.000 us$...they don't even have it.

 

[2 is 1]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Foreign tourists won't come if confined to their room for 14 days"

Really Sherlock! 

[steven100]

34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I think that may ended up a ‘global solution’ much like travelling into areas of Africa with a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate. 

We may well end up requiring ‘Covid-19 Vaccination’ passports. 

 

If thats the case, they may as well add other vaccinations to the the ‘Vaccination Passport’ such as Flu Vaccine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

correct .... and I think that's what will eventually happen for entering anywhere, it'll be a case of show your COVID19 virus vaccination stamp or certificate upon entry.  Quarantine will be fazed out once an approved reliable vaccine is manufactured.   imo

[The Farang]

They forgot to mention you also have to pay for your covid tests which is about 3000 baht.  Pay for the expensive resort room.  Pay for covid insurance. On top of that stay quarantined in a room for 14 days?  Total waste of money. Nobody wants to come to Thailand that bad.  Only ones will do that are the ones have family there.  

[Eindhoven]

46 minutes ago, steven100 said:

your joking right  !!   Tourists just want to show their vaccination confirmation doc at the airport on entry and that's it .....  no quarantine ... no confinement ... no nothing.   the guys a knucklehead  !!  

 

I cannot believe that you have actually aimed some criticism at this shower..

[The Barmbeker]

He is right about one thing: being able to move around in a resort, using the pool or the restaurant at free will, IS a lot more attractive, then being confined inside your room!

It is just not attractive ENOUGH!

It is better to get a bullet to your feet, then getting one to the head!

[aussienam]

"The plan at present is to have 14 days quarantine in resorts before a further period of 7 days when Covid-19 tests would be carried out and tourists would be allowed to move around the province."

 

So, does that mean 14 days in a specific hotel, then ability to move to less expensive accommodation such as a guest motel instead for a week?  Albeit still being within the designated quarantine zone? Or does it mean 3 weeks in total at the same hotel?  The break up of time frames creates some ambiguous interpretations. 

 

The majority of people willing to spend so much time locked down inside a zoned area are people like me who are retirees stranded abroad who cannot get back. 

The current ASQ arrangements in place via Bangkok airport only are only allowing a select few retirees back who are married and/or have Thai children and certain business visas.  And apparently only 7000 processed so far - therefore a huge backlog waiting and a bottleneck scenario due to the slow process.  

The Phuket idea seems a good one but needs to accommodate those intending on returning and staying long term/living such as retirees.  

That means offering alternative budget style accommodations other than high end expensive resorts.  

There is billions of baht waiting to be spent in Thailand long term from expats stranded abroad who need to get back, not casual tourists who do  not want to be inconvenienced and restricted.  

[Kadilo]

What a load of patronising, insulting hogwash. 
 

Highlights how superior they think they are and how little they value the tourist. 
 

Completely out of touch with reality to think someone wants to come for a “holiday” and be confined at best to a resort for 2 weeks, for the privilege of paying around 4500/night for the room, plus testing, to be able to stay in Phuket for another week at a place of your choice. 
 

Then for some another 2 weeks quarantine back home because their country don’t trust your stats due to lack of testing. 

How long do they actually think tourists get off work? 
 

Delusional and insulting. 
 

Maybe try and lure the long termers stuck outside Thailand back who want to stay here and have already spent stacks of cash rather than pretend tourists will be flocking here. 

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by Kadilo

[khunphil]

10 minutes ago, The Barmbeker said:

He is right about one thing: being able to move around in a resort, using the pool or the restaurant at free will, IS a lot more attractive, then being confined inside your room!

It is just not attractive ENOUGH!

100% agree. But retirees and married people would also prefer to go home directly, even lock-down in their home, than staying in an expensive resort. Can it be possible, as electronic bracelet as they do for some people in Singapore ?

Also, even if Thailand is loosing appeal with quarantine, more and more "open countries" are now closing borders (or asking for quarantine) in Europe for example. I don't know, but maybe in 2 months, there will not be so many opportunities without quarantine. My 2 cents

[aussiexpat]

Forget about 21 days restricted, I can't get past the hurdle of being required to pay for flights and ASQ hotel to enable receipt of a 'certificate of entry', but then you could lose it all if Covid results not received in time within the 72 hours of flight (I understand they don't refund if cancelled within 72 hours of arrival)

 

Not to mention results are normally given by SMS, so is that format acceptable to get on the plane?

Edited August 25, 2020 by aussiexpat

[AbeNormal]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

But he thought that if foreign tourists were holed up in their resorts for two weeks they would be happy with that.

he must be kidding

 

lets take a look at current quarantine arrangements and data, we have hundreds of people entering Thailand from overseas and all held in forced isolation, out of those many have tested positive for CV19, he is suggesting they should all be allowed to mingle within the confines of a closed off area, apart from the risks of the travel itself this whole idea is just lunacy, what do they with people testing positive and all those that travelled on the same planes and buses and stayed at the same compound

 

This is all idiotic nonsense, nobody is coming, there are just too many restrictions hurdles and risks