Koh Phi Phi: Holiday island gives big thumbs down to opening up to foreign tourists

 

Image: Thai PBS

 

A report by Thai PBS from the holiday island of Koh Phi Phi in Krabi in the south of Thailand indicated that locals had spoken in a clear and loud voice. 

 

They don't want foreign tourists. 

 

They said that the island was too small to follow a "Phuket Model" style of opening and that the presence of foreigners could cause paranoia and even panic. 

 

The media said that the pier on the island was busier now than it had been during the height of the pandemic.

 

Though it was not back to previous levels of tourism some Thais were visiting especially on long weekends and there were some encouraging signs for the future. 

 

But that future does not include foreigners at least for now according to several people they interviewed. 

 

A bar owner said it was "too dangerous" to accept foreigners at this time especially as there was no vaccine yet.

 

She also doubted the regulations would stop the spread of the virus. 

 

Others pointed to the fact that if foreigners had to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel they would not see their custom anyway so why bother taking the chance. 

 

Hoteliers said that Phi Phi was entirely inappropriate as a place to trial the reintroduction of foreign tourism, businesses were on top of each other and in close proximity to the local population. 

 

Keeping them apart could prove to be impossible and it would only create paranoia and possibly panic among locals, staff and tourists.

 

They urged the authorities to concentrate on bigger islands like Phuket or Samui for their plans to reopen.

 

In the meantime the locals in Phi Phi want the government to focus on encouraging domestic tourism and other measures to help people and stimulate the economy.  
 

Source: Thai PBS

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-09-12

 

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6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Others pointed to the fact that if foreigners had to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel they would not see their custom anyway so why bother taking the chance. 

Totally agree with this thinking and so should any tourists considering coming to Thailand (or anywhere ) in the near future until at least a proven working vaccine for all and a very large percentage of the world population has been vaccinated 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Others pointed to the fact that if foreigners had to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel they would not see their custom anyway so why bother taking the chance. 

those running the scheme will be making money, exactly how it is designed, it mirrors the Chinese package tours they have been running for years

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

Totally agree with this thinking and so should any tourists considering coming to Thailand (or anywhere ) in the near future until at least a proven working vaccine for all and a very large percentage of the world population has been vaccinated 

ASQ has been working 100% so far.  The vast majority of foreigners arriving are also COVID19 negative and never need hospitalization.  The majority positive cases are Thais returning due to not needing a COVID19 negative test before boarding the plane.  Phi Phi island may be unsuitable... okay. But your comment about keeping Thailand closed I disagree with.  Waiting for a vaccine.  Firstly, yes there are good signs a vaccine may be developed (not counting Russia) after completing all phases to ensure its safety.  What if a vaccine is not successful?  Wait forever?

Even if one is successful, production, distribution and administration of the vaccine will take a long time.  Billions need to be produced.  We could be looking at a year from the approval date.  

ASQ has shown to be highly successful with the Bangkok model, so it makes logical sense to expand ASQ, open more borders to facilitate that with all the safety measures currently in place.  Thailand has a huge medical community, huge hotel capacities, thousands of hospitals, large population.  The current problem is lack of ASQ hotels and only accessvia one port of entry has caused a massive backlog with thousands waiting let alone those of us not yet approved (retirees unmarried/no Thai offspring)

There are many thousands stranded outside Thailand who are NOT tourists albeit the Thai Embassies stating retirees on Non Imm O and O-A visas ARE considered as tourists. We are suffering, paying double rents, missing friends and family, cannot access bank deposits, living out of suitcases all over the world.  We are ready to spend our foreign derived income back into Thailand most of the year like we were usually doing, but caught out on trips abroad for a myriad of reasons.  

Plenty of millions of Thais who rely on tourism need things to improve a lot faster than they are now.  

Wealthy cashed up farangs who happen to be sitting comfortably in Thailand may comment on keeping borders shut because it suits them, but it is extremely selfish.  

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

it would only create paranoia and possibly panic

sounds like my kind of place.

 

 

This is definitely not me im just an age pensioner who cant afford the 100,000 + baht it will cost to go back to Australia . The biggest cost in returning is the hotel quarantine in Sydney at $3,000 . Then travelling back to my home city Perth .

3 hours ago, keith101 said:

Totally agree with this thinking and so should any tourists considering coming to Thailand (or anywhere ) in the near future until at least a proven working vaccine for all and a very large percentage of the world population has been vaccinated 

The flu vaccine does not stop people getting the flu. Why should a covid vaccine be any different?

27 minutes ago, keith101 said:

This is definitely not me im just an age pensioner who cant afford the 100,000 + baht it will cost to go back to Australia . The biggest cost in returning is the hotel quarantine in Sydney at $3,000 . Then travelling back to my home city Perth .

"This is definitely not me...."

 

Oh yes, together with many other posters, it is:

 

"keeping borders shut because it suits them, but it is extremely selfish"

 

All batting on with the "everyones going to die if they don't......" when, in fact, relatively few infected people die and those that do, in the vast majority, are the oldies who claim "everyones going to die".

 

Fact is they are only thinking of one minority group..........themselves.

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, keith101 said:

This is definitely not me im just an age pensioner who cant afford the 100,000 + baht it will cost to go back to Australia . The biggest cost in returning is the hotel quarantine in Sydney at $3,000 . Then travelling back to my home city Perth .

You're not missing nothing stay here

49 minutes ago, aussienam said:

What if a vaccine is not successful?  Wait forever?

Precisely. Given there is apparently no plan B, what is going to happen when no vaccine appears or is not effective?

Sweden rocks.

11 minutes ago, Nout said:

The flu vaccine does not stop people getting the flu. Why should a covid vaccine be any different?

I always got a flu shot and never got .

12 minutes ago, Nout said:

The flu vaccine does not stop people getting the flu. Why should a covid vaccine be any different?

It does stop the people that had it getting the flu as long as it is actually the correct vaccine for the strain of flu they come in contact with. The ones getting it didn't have the jab.

This morning wife told me that she is sick and tired of this Chinese virus bolloxx. Open the country and let's go back to work, she added. She owns a business on PP and obviously has not been asked for her opinion, which might be against the regime

stop kaka your pants thailand ... 58 death over 60.000.000 people ... get real

1 hour ago, aussienam said:

ASQ has been working 100% so far.  The vast majority of foreigners arriving are also COVID19 negative and never need hospitalization.  The majority positive cases are Thais returning due to not needing a COVID19 negative test before boarding the plane.  Phi Phi island may be unsuitable... okay. But your comment about keeping Thailand closed I disagree with.  Waiting for a vaccine.  Firstly, yes there are good signs a vaccine may be developed (not counting Russia) after completing all phases to ensure its safety.  What if a vaccine is not successful?  Wait forever?

Even if one is successful, production, distribution and administration of the vaccine will take a long time.  Billions need to be produced.  We could be looking at a year from the approval date.  

ASQ has shown to be highly successful with the Bangkok model, so it makes logical sense to expand ASQ, open more borders to facilitate that with all the safety measures currently in place.  Thailand has a huge medical community, huge hotel capacities, thousands of hospitals, large population.  The current problem is lack of ASQ hotels and only accessvia one port of entry has caused a massive backlog with thousands waiting let alone those of us not yet approved (retirees unmarried/no Thai offspring)

There are many thousands stranded outside Thailand who are NOT tourists albeit the Thai Embassies stating retirees on Non Imm O and O-A visas ARE considered as tourists. We are suffering, paying double rents, missing friends and family, cannot access bank deposits, living out of suitcases all over the world.  We are ready to spend our foreign derived income back into Thailand most of the year like we were usually doing, but caught out on trips abroad for a myriad of reasons.  

Plenty of millions of Thais who rely on tourism need things to improve a lot faster than they are now.  

Wealthy cashed up farangs who happen to be sitting comfortably in Thailand may comment on keeping borders shut because it suits them, but it is extremely selfish.  

Wealthy cashed up farangs sitting comfortably in LOS are fed up being overcharged by selfish shortsighted  traders, if you disagree why is this government looking to put a stop to dual priceing

Go under planket and close your eye's! I don't care! Do what you want and wait until ..... end of time! make money how you find nice way! I really don't care less! And after what have you said i think many others don't care either! Even coming "vaccine" or savior from sky or from temple! You are not saved , you are domed! People maybe remember your attitude!

2 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

Go under planket and close your eye's! I don't care! Do what you want and wait until ..... end of time! make money how you find nice way! I really don't care less! And after what have you said i think many others don't care either! Even coming "vaccine" or savior from sky or from temple! You are not saved , you are domed! People maybe remember your attitude!

<deleted>.....

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

I always got a flu shot and never got .

That does not prove anything.

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They don't want foreign tourists

so there you have it .....  they don't want tourists.  you are not welcome.

It’s xenophobia whipped up by a fascist government.

21 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They said that the island was too small to follow a "Phuket Model" style of opening and that the presence of foreigners could cause paranoia and even panic. 

I can understand that. Knowing that hotel owners repeatedly used aluminum phosphide for bed bugs, with fatal results; Quebec sisters, Julie Bergheim, others. This induces 'paranoia and even panic' in potential tourists. No place to risk going.

 

22 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Keeping them apart could prove to be impossible and it would only create paranoia and possibly panic among locals, staff and tourists.

they forgot to mention...panic among the wild life as well, which has been recuperating and welcoming the arrival of new species/life

A bar owner said it was "too dangerous" to accept foreigners at this time especially as there was no vaccine yet. She also doubted the regulations would stop the spread of the virus. 

 

Completely inane babble. There is no talk of opening the country to any tourists yet, without a 14 day curfew. And since the virus is known to have a relatively short incubation period, there is virtually no risk in allowing ANY and ALL foreigners into the country, if they are willing to endure and pay for quarantine. The disinformation, and mindless panic and fear continue, unabated. There would be no chance of allowing quarantine on a small island like Phi Phi. Dumb and dumber. 

just because many idiotic nations are on a course of mass suicide in a health crisis doesn't mean this country has to do it.  Good on you Thailand... 

On 9/12/2020 at 9:01 AM, Nout said:

The flu vaccine does not stop people getting the flu. Why should a covid vaccine be any different?

The Flu vaccine is a 'best guess' as to how the strain has mutated, the flu virus is constantly changing so the vaccine is different for each flu season. Sometimes the guess is very close and sometimes not so close. Flu is NOT Covid.

 

On 9/12/2020 at 9:10 AM, Enoon said:

"This is definitely not me...."

 

Oh yes, together with many other posters, it is:

 

"keeping borders shut because it suits them, but it is extremely selfish"

 

All batting on with the "everyones going to die if they don't......" when, in fact, relatively few infected people die and those that do, in the vast majority, are the oldies who claim "everyones going to die".

 

Fact is they are only thinking of one minority group..........themselves.

 

 

 

Well as long it is only old people that are going to die lets let it rip, charming.

On 9/12/2020 at 12:22 PM, rooster59 said:

The media said that the pier on the island was busier now than it had been during the height of the pandemic.

Really that's strange seeming Phi Phi was closed during the Pandemic and now its OPEN.

On 9/12/2020 at 12:22 PM, rooster59 said:

there were some encouraging signs for the future. 

 

But that future does not include foreigners at least for now according to several people they interviewed. 

I often wonder who they actually talk to for these articles , i cant see anybody who's income/livelihood relies on foreign tourists saying this, i live in Ao Nang and probably 70% of the business are closed because of no customers. But are desperately waiting for them to open again 

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A bar owner said it was "too dangerous" to accept foreigners at this time especially as there was no vaccine yet. She also doubted the regulations would stop the spread of the virus. 

 

Completely inane babble. There is no talk of opening the country to any tourists yet, without a 14 day curfew. And since the virus is known to have a relatively short incubation period, there is virtually no risk in allowing ANY and ALL foreigners into the country, if they are willing to endure and pay for quarantine. The disinformation, and mindless panic and fear continue, unabated. There would be no chance of allowing quarantine on a small island like Phi Phi. Dumb and dumber. 

Of course the bar owner was caught up on the ifr being .26 and how comorbidities are the main cause.  Good thing Thai bar owners aren't listening to the fear mongers. 

On 9/12/2020 at 10:10 PM, Quietus said:

It’s xenophobia whipped up by a fascist government.

True that. I still find most Thais to be either warm, helpful or at least indifferent. It is the government workers that are the worst, for the most part. The toxic army sponsored racism, combined with a fake national pride (based on little to nothing) has tricked down to even the local levels. 

 

The solution? Get rid of the heinous army. They must go. Pray for the power of the youth!