Opening Thailand to foreign tourists: Thai PM strikes cautious tone

[Saint Nick]

17 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Khun Prayut Chan O Cha is doing an excellent job in managing the virus and minimization of transmission.

Yes, steven!

Sure, sure!

[apetryxx]

6 hours ago, mr mr said:

dive dive dive dive 

Aoogah!

[aledale]

6 hours ago, baansgr said:

£ 200 per una settimana in Grecia, nessuna quarantena, fai quello che vuoi e il cibo e la birra sono effettivamente più economici di qui ora .... Nessuno è più interessato a venire qui

If not because it's always summer in Thailand, South of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece are all better . Portugal and Greece are also cheaper... We'll see

[baansgr]

6 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

Harry Maguire wouldn’t necessarily agree with you €60 k restaurant bill ???? 

I thought prices would be expensive, apparently not now...cheap as chips due to the state of their economy.

[chilli42]

6 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

Beer is cheeper almost every place than here, but im sure you can't get mean 40 bth in Greece! Even long time when i was last in Greece. And i don't know any people who want go Greece! I know many who want come Thailand.

I like Greece.  Thailand no so much.  Maybe don’t project your own preferences on everyone else.

[agood1963]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

While recognising the hardship of the unemployed he said that economic recovery and public health must go hand in hand. 

I think Donald Trump is keeping a close eye on the situation .

[chilli42]

It’s going to be painful for a Thailand. Covid will come here as soon as they open up to outsiders.  The outsiders will have built immunity that Thai’s will not have.  Thailand has successfully hidden under a rock.  Once they move from cover Covid will appear and spread.  Best to get on with things as Covid is coming like it or not.  Does anyone believe that there will be a vaccine that works any better than the seasonal flu vaccine?  Well forget that.  Time to stop the economic suffering, the fear and emergency powers.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Reports in the press in recent days indicated that the Thais hoped that two million tourists might visit before March. A fraction of previous years during the high season but at least a start

Actually to make a correction that was T.A.T hoping 2 million might visit. Thais have a more realistic idea of what's going to happen.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Submarines may just be the answer! 

Or re-direct the money to help the tourism industry.

[Flying Saucage]

7 hours ago, Sharp said:

Hardly Gung-ho!! 

Interested to find out the PMs personal economic hit!? 

Personal economic hit? I guess someone donates quite generous to him for what he does. It's called road-and-belt-initiative. There will be quite a few Chinese investors here soon, taking over the ruins of the hotels and companies. 

[BillyBobzTeeth]

Why close Thailand for a virus with a lower death rate than say malaria or even the flu? 

[Surasak]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Submarines may just be the answer! 

Submarines may well be the answer, like cancelling them and using the money saved to support those in most need. But then this is logic and that's something which is very thin on the ground in Thailand.

[spidermike007]

Not cautious. Timid. Cowardly. Fearful. Afraid of the dark. Paranoid. Sadistic. Not cautious. 

[SunsetT]

'I'm alright Jack'!

[alzack]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Submarines may just be the answer! 

Yes yes order a complete fleet of subs is the way ahead

[ronaldo0]

Why not allow 1000 from each country , application done online and all must have full insurance and Covid test before flight and upon arrival. 
All must submit where they are staying and minimum stay is 2 weeks . If any sudden rise in virus in the area all the arrivals from outside the country that booked to stay In that area are checked or told to report for test or face a fine. If no problem after first month then double the numbers until they are convinced it is safe to open the country as before .

[Flying Saucage]

8 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Submarines may well be the answer, like cancelling them and using the money saved to support those in most need. But then this is logic and that's something which is very thin on the ground in Thailand.

The submarines are part of the game, which is making Thailand a vassal state of China.

 

Again, it's called road-and-belt-initiative, and Thailands fate is similar to this of other countries in the region with corrupt governments and elites. The generals and the 0.01% top elite are the beneficiaries of this game, generously awarded by China. Thailand is beeing sold to China right now, and the virus is very helpful in this. This is written in BIG LETTERS AT THE WALL. Just connect the points.

[Dialemco]

Good luck. Being at the top is not easy or good for your health as a long way to fall. Thailand at the very top of the tree being so  economically reliable for tourist income probably  over 25% of GDP so the inevitable high unemployment with no financial help for many is going to have a very big impact on so many Thais that something has to be done big increase in Government borrowing to help alleviate the enormous losses and then a brave plan to reopen the country as safely as possible but there will inevitably be

an increase in Covid cases.

Maybe good time to borrow money to start welfair system for all Thais this should stimulate economy and forget tourism until next year. PM would leave a legacy for which he will be remembered for rest of his life and beyond. Cancel submarines and third airport will never be required.

 

[Nice Boyd]

Prime Minister has it Right , we could be Devastated by Stronger Strain Open next year like Bali...

[Raphael54]

Just to summarize:....

He said nothing.

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

Keep the borders closed as they are until the end of the year. Then review the situation in other countries to see if COVID has every few infections. If so, open the borders.....if it as is now with massive numbers of new infections every day, we cannot, and should not open the borders as inconvenient as quarantine is.

People made a big sacrifice in wave 1 and this sacrifice should not be thrown away for foreign tourists. Why would you let an American, British, French or Spanish person come to Thailand when they are not controlling their own virus???????

 

Please bring back the curfew so I can get some sleep at night. It is so noisy with these damned motorbikes with altered exhausts designed to make a Honda 50 sound like a Boeing 747.

Except that many countries are managing the virus now , infections are tracked , health facilities not under pressure and deaths minimal.

At the same time their economies are starting to recover.

Thailand by comparison , despite constantly boasting of its 'wonderful' health service and next to no covid deaths ( yeh right) is sitting on its hands , watching its economy crumble and protests grow.

Its hard not to conclude that the Thai government either severely under represented the initial impact of the virus ( and knows it cannot handle a second wave ) or it simply doesn't care about the economic impact of continued isolation.

Lets face it the elite are not going to be impacted are they?

 

[dallen52]

6 hours ago, GigsGigs said:

What about the girls though? Any evolved pay-for-play scenery in say, Athens or anywhere else in Greece?

If you don't mind the Mediterranean look and a moist hairy upper lip. 

[Flying Saucage]

3 hours ago, DLock said:

Not for much longer...

 

Enjoy it while you are able...

So what? 200 new cases a day with mostly a very mild outcome, at the same time 200 people who recover, and deaths in the very low 1-digit range.

 

Compare this to traffic accidents. In civilized countries of a similar size, other than Thailand, the daily traffic deaths are on par with the Covid deaths right now. Are there people not leaving their home due to the danger coming from traffic? Hardly. 

 

Okay, one can say traffic accidents are not as contagious as Covid-19. I admit that this is correct. BUT: at R0-values around 1, the daily new cases of Covid-19 will stay quite stable, and the resulting number of deaths will stay similar to the number of traffic deaths.

 

Also one can say, people surviving Covid often have healths problems for the rest of the life. True. But, I was told that this also happens with traffic accidents.

 

So what?

Edited August 26, 2020 by Flying Saucage

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

They've painted themselves in to a corner. Will be interesting to see how the Thai people will react if they decide to keep the draconian rules during the whole "high season".. 

General Prayuth and his soldiers should keep their rules for the parade ground along with his soldiers, that is all he is good for.

 

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

They've painted themselves in to a corner. Will be interesting to see how the Thai people will react if they decide to keep the draconian rules during the whole "high season".. 

 

[dallen52]

One solution is to give it a try. 

Suck it and see.

 

Allow requests for entry and the powers that be can judge them on their merit. 

That way people like myself who are in relationship with a Thai partner still waiting for the relaxing of restrictions so we can get back, get a fair hearing. 

Plus allowing some level of control over the number of people who enter.

If a spike in the numbers happens they can close it down until it's back in control again. 

 

I don't have a definitive answer, nor does anyone in power.

But As they say,

"He who hesitates, is lost"...

[Swedenlars]

7 hours ago, baansgr said:

£200 for a week in Greece, no quarantine, do what you want and the food and beer is actually cheaper than here now....No ones interested in coming here anymore

For the time being I'm stuck here in Europe due to the corona misery. Just now in Germany. Beautiful beer gardens. Mask does not bother me too much. The beer is very good and cheaper than in Thailand. In  the supermarket you can even get 1/2 liter of  good German beer for 20 Baht. Do I miss Thailand ? Certainly NOT.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Obviously don't bother listening to TAT and their ridiculous schemes to attract tourists to come to Thailand with 2 weeks quarantine in Thailand and a probable further 2 weeks quarantine on their return home. This of course ignores the paperwork hurdles of even getting permission to come to Thailand. It is far cheaper for Europeans to travel to nearer countries with "actual" travel bubbles and avoid quarantine and ridiculous paperwork. 

Try getting General Prayuth and his soldiers to understand that, they don't seem to have learned much from their education at their military academies.

[Ireland32]

17 minutes ago, eeworldwide said:

Nothing to worry about. Totally treatable disease with antibiotics. Unlikely to cause any problems anywhere.

China is a S....... Outta Control, Wuhan Viruses , Plagues , overfishing , Bulling , SCS harassment of ASEAN 

[Ireland32]

7 minutes ago, Swedenlars said:

For the time being I'm stuck here in Europe due to the corona misery. Just now in Germany. Beautiful beer gardens. Mask does not bother me too much. The beer is very good and cheaper than in Thailand. In  the supermarket you can even get 1/2 liter of  good German beer for 20 Baht. Do I miss Thailand ? Certainly NOT.

I’d rather be here in Thailand, Safe

[Polang]

7 hours ago, baansgr said:

£200 for a week in Greece, no quarantine, do what you want and the food and beer is actually cheaper than here now....No ones interested in coming here anymore

No only better prices....better quality and better hospitality.