Allowing tourists back: Covid panel chief expresses concern but admits the economy needs them

[webfact]

Allowing tourists back: Covid panel chief expresses concern but admits the economy needs them

 

Picture: TNA MCOT

 

The head of the panel charged with easing the Covid-19 restrictions has said that the question of allowing tourists back into Thailand was one that concerned him greatly. 

 

But Gen Natthapon Nakpanich pointed to the dire economic situation in tourist places like Phuket and Koh Samui where many are desperate for the tourism industry to be revived. 

 

His comments echoed earlier statements by other officials and even the Thai prime minister that call the situation a balancing act.

 

On the one hand the economy needs tourists, on the other there are concerns about public health.

 

In a TNA MCOT report he mentioned  the two groups of foreigners who will be allowed back first will be long stay residents and those with permanent residence. 

 

He also mentioned the case of a person in state quarantine who committed suicide by jumping saying that all background checks were made and promising a full investigation into the case. He conceded that some details about the person may have slipped through the net. 

 

Source: TNA MCOT

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-08-28

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RotBenz8888]

Damn it if you do, damn it if you don't. The "keep the cake and eat it" days are over. 

[petermik]

Simple solution...allow flights to resume and have officials board the flight upon arrival and take the money from the tourists that they were intending spending here.....in exchange they could give them a Thailand Guide Book then send them on their way back to their home countries...problem solved

[steelepulse]

Why not stock up on the $5 15 minute covid test and require anyone boarding for TH take this test?  

 

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/milestone-fda-oks-simple-accurate-coronavirus-test-could-cost-just-5

[Matzzon]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

On the one hand the economy needs tourists, on the other there are concerns about public health.

 

In a TNA MCOT report he mentioned  the two groups of foreigners who will be allowed back first will be long stay residents and those with permanent residence.

The big problem here is that they never see the difference. When they call people long stay residents or name the ones having permanent residence, they still do not realize that is not what they should call tourists or tourism. Here they are mentioning people that in a way live in the country. At the same time they are trying to say that these are the groups with a high spending power. My experience of living over 20 years in Thailand is that a person who resides in a country long time tends to spend less and be more domesticated. According to me it´s the single traveller, pairs and families that go on vacation for 1-2 weeks that are spending much money.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Matzzon

[2 is 1]

11 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

Why not stock up on the $5 15 minute covid test and require anyone boarding for TH take this test? 

Yeah better test here on boder, but still need quarantine period. Also can sell that insurance when departure to coundry! All can do here if want, and maybe they get even more money!

[Keyser Soze666]

What kind of a country rely's on tourists to help the economy? Laughable.

[rkidlad]

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

Allowing tourists back: Covid panel chief expresses concern but admits the economy needs them

Thailand needs tourists, huh? Judging by the way many tourists were treated before covid and the whole TM30 nonsense, etc. you'd have thunk they were trying to cull them. 

 

Most people make hay while the sun is shining. Here they seemingly prefer to try and have their cake and eat it. Unfortunately for them the real world has kicked in. Will anyone learn for future reference? 

[Oldie]

Long time it was too risky to allow the nightlife. Then they decided to open it with many regulations. I don't know about other areas in Thailand. But I see many bars here in Pattaya that don't care about any regulations. Will it be the same with tourism? First they have the intention to start carefully and after a while nobody will care anymore. 

[Sharp]

[bkk6060]

45 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

What kind of a country rely's on tourists to help the economy? 

 

Your comment certainly supports a lack of education in world economics and economies.

The answer is: Many countries. 

[Keyser Soze666]

24 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

 

Your comment certainly supports a lack of education in world economics and economies.

The answer is: Many countries. 

Yea, right'o.

[Oldie]

26 minutes ago, Sharp said:

I guess you want to give us the impression that Corona is not a big problem. Dieing is one thing. But you might suffer a lot and for a very long time. I don't want to get it. 

[AbeNormal]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

My experience of living over 20 years in Thailand is that a person who resides in a country long time tends to spend less and be more domesticated. According to me it´s the single traveller, pairs and families that go on vacation for 1-2 weeks that are spending much money.

are saying that someone on a 2 week holiday spends more than someone living here, maybe over a 2 week period that is correct for some

[Oldie]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

My experience of living over 20 years in Thailand is that a person who resides in a country long time tends to spend less and be more domesticated. According to me it´s the single traveller, pairs and families that go on vacation for 1-2 weeks that are spending much money.

There are many expats with a house, condo, car and other investments. A tourist will never spend that much. Of course there are expats that live a very simple life here too. But there are also many tourists doing the same. 

[Saint Nick]

13 minutes ago, AbeNormal said:

are saying that someone on a 2 week holiday spends more than someone living here, maybe over a 2 week period that is correct for some

I think, on average, it evens itself out!

I am living here for over 10 years and on a daily basis I spend much less, than I did, when I came here as a tourist!

[bloodyholly]

Three headlines to cheer you up on a Friday morning????

[Eindhoven]

8 minutes ago, Saint Nick said:

I think, on average, it evens itself out!

I am living here for over 10 years and on a daily basis I spend much less, than I did, when I came here as a tourist!

 

No, it doesn't. There is little chance of the average tourist spending the same as someone who lives here. What are you thinking?

[Sharp]

26 minutes ago, Oldie said:

I guess you want to give us the impression that Corona is not a big problem. Dieing is one thing. But you might suffer a lot and for a very long time. I don't want to get it. 

Just giving some stats to balance ALL the fear mongering being rammed down our throats..

[Zikomat]

Still trying to figure out how to open the borders without actually opening them. Not an easy task.

[Meat Pie 47]

58 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

 

Your comment certainly supports a lack of education in world economics and economies.

The answer is: Many countries. 

Most countries

[Matzzon]

37 minutes ago, Oldie said:

There are many expats with a house, condo, car and other investments. A tourist will never spend that much. Of course there are expats that live a very simple life here too. But there are also many tourists doing the same. 

What you are doing here is comparing what a person living in the country have already invested. That is not what the news is about. The news regards what they make out of every single tourist that visits the country. In that case most of the tourists will spend more than a person residing in the country. That people are coming back to houses and cars and other investments is not relevant.

Just think about what you say about your exemples in your post. You are saying that it falls under investments. There you have it. An investment like house or condo is something that you or the family later can cash in on. Has absolutely nothing to do with tourism and the GDP the country is getting from that. 

[Matzzon]

49 minutes ago, AbeNormal said:

are saying that someone on a 2 week holiday spends more than someone living here, maybe over a 2 week period that is correct for some

Yes, of course you an not compare 2 week for one person with 1 year for another. I thought that said it self, but apparently I was wrong.

[alyx]

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

The big problem here is that they never see the difference. When they call people long stay residents or name the ones having permanent residence, they still do not realize that is not what they should call tourists or tourism. Here they are mentioning people that in a way live in the country. At the same time they are trying to say that these are the groups with a high spending power. My experience of living over 20 years in Thailand is that a person who resides in a country long time tends to spend less and be more domesticated. According to me it´s the single traveller, pairs and families that go on vacation for 1-2 weeks that are spending much money.

That is utterly correct. One thing is bothering me as well: I thought that the persons holding residence had been allowed to get in the country longtime ago. Maybe I had misread

[Matzzon]

18 minutes ago, alyx said:

That is utterly correct. One thing is bothering me as well: I thought that the persons holding residence had been allowed to get in the country longtime ago. Maybe I had misread

You are partly right. Most of the people holding a PR has been able to come back because they are either married, have children in Thailand or working under a work permit. In other cases I believe it has been granted on a case by case basis. However, the thing here is that we are really not talking about people with a PR. In general when speaking about residence in this forum, there is a discussion about having a certificate of residence and not being a resident. They are like always making it more complicated than it has to be. Unfortunately this forum is know all over the world to complicate things and to repeat everything in different way, even if it has the exact same meaning.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Matzzon

[alyx]

3 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

You are partly right. Most of the people holding a PR has been able to come back because they are either married, have children in Thailand or working under a work permit. In other cases I believe it has been granted on a case by case basis. However, the thing here is that we are really not talking about people with a PR. In general when speaking about residence in this forum, there is a discussion about having a certificate of residence and not being a resident. They are like always making it more complicated than it has to be. Unfortunately this forum is know all over the world to complicate things and to repeat everything in different way, even if it has the exact same meaning.

555 that is the least you can say. I can see quite a few members of this forum chocking on this interpretation of "holding residence". One thing though, PR holders have been allowed to get in and their family situation/work stand is irrelevant. The latter are a different category. This announcement is poorly worded and quite misleading.

[Kadilo]

Well bang goes the theory that they could survive long term without tourism. Clearly common sense will prevail and the “balancing act” every country is having to juggle will be the same here. 

 

My concern will be when the first new case is traced to a foreign tourist and the subsequent media headlines and public reception we will all get as a result. 

[vermin on arrival]

"He also mentioned the case of a person in state quarantine who committed suicide by jumping saying that all background checks were made and promising a full investigation into the case. He conceded that some details about the person may have slipped through the net."

 

Wow. Why didn't I see this reported?

[Misterwhisper]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

Simple solution...allow flights to resume and have officials board the flight upon arrival and take the money from the tourists that they were intending spending here.....in exchange they could give them a Thailand Guide Book then send them on their way back to their home countries...problem solved

Plus a souvenir pack of lovely postcards to make friends back home jealous.

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 hours ago, Sharp said:

Your chart is showing the fatality rate among the entire population, whether they have Covid or not. It is like saying what is the probability to die playing Russian roulette? Well, it is practically zero, since very people every do it, but should you try the mortality rate is 16.7%.

Same go for Covid 19, especially if you are old.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2020 by ExpatOilWorker