Stop quarantine for foreign tourists in December, demands ATTA chief - wants Thailand open to 100,000

[Pravda]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I want two blondes and a Ferrari but that's not going to happen either.  

Why not? 

[4MyEgo]

2 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And how will all of that effect arrival in Thailand of foreigners who have families etc., here? Will they still have to do 14 d quarantine etc?

I suppose if you reroute your entry point from China, come here for 5-7 days and spend 50,000 baht as they are predicting as the Chinese will, then I don't see why you would have to quarantine while the disease spreads to the rest of Thailand ????

 

[jossthaifarang]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Just feasible with a 15min covid test....100% on arrival......if not the virus will rip through Thailand and it will be where the UK was in March.

What virus do you mean? Do you mean the flu Virus which strangly enough nobody in the world has had this year? Oh thats right, my mistake I forgot we are calling it "Covid" this year... My altzheimers must be playing up again.. 

[charmonman]

He wants no quarantine but to restrict tourists to specific sites and only in groups.No thanks. Maybe low end Chinese package tourists would put up with this.

[RichardColeman]

Being stuck outside , It would be great to get back to my family, 

 

BUT,

 

In the typical way thailand thinks, they seem to be completely ignoring the facts they need planes to get them there, and with no planning way in advance, the airlines will not start operating without guarantees of at least filling the planes with more than 10% passengers

[prakhonchai nick]

CRAZY CRAZY MAN!

 

[charmonman]

6 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

What virus do you mean? Do you mean the flu Virus which strangly enough nobody in the world has had this year? Oh thats right, my mistake I forgot we are calling it "Covid" this year... My altzheimers must be playing up again.. 

You have no idea what you are talking about. Flu cases are down because the same precautions that have been taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are obviously also effective against the spread of seasonal flu. By the way Trump just announced that he and Melanie have COVID-19.

Very sorry about your Alzheimer’s. Are you sure that’s the problem?

[nobodysfriend]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I want two blondes and a Ferrari but that's not going to happen either.  

Oh , come on , you still can get this ... just forget about the Ferrari ...

[Peter Denis]

14 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

You must be living in a different universe as me, because what I read is that in most countries infections are increasing at the moment

In my universe (also yours by the way), the number of positive cases is increasing.

That is correct and also quite logical BECAUSE:

- the increase in testing (the plain 'number of cases' not linked to number of tests performed is irrelevant and misleading)

- the inaccuracy of the testing method (many false positives - according to dr Yeadon - former chief scientist Pfizer 50 to 100 (!) % of the positives are incorrect)

- the test does not distinguish between 'having been infected' (debris from weeks/months ago) and being 'infectuous'

- cases do not distinguish between those testing positive with no symptoms and feeling 100% OK, and those testing because feeling ill and resulting in hospitalization

 

[DrTuner]

While he's right, the fact that the Chinese aren't coming make me want the quarantines to go on forever - preferably for them only.

[notmyself]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Just feasible with a 15min covid test....100% on arrival......if not the virus will rip through Thailand and it will be where the UK was in March.

 

Same test at the departure point also. 

[DrTuner]

27 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Covid is over in most countries.

What is NOT over is the fear and paranoia that has been created for this so-called Killer Virus.

It was the same with H1N1. The press kept pounding on for months after the cases dropped but tests still returned positive. We can expect the exact same, as covid brings clicks.

[Tropposurfer]

A callous idiot

[damascase]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He felt that by keeping the tourists in groups, allowing them in selected areas only and making sure there were good tracing and testing methods the visit of foreigners without the need for quarantine is possible

In groups, selected areas only, and tracing: exactly what the average Western tourist is looking for!

[Kaopad999]

The worst possible thing they could do right now is open the flood gates to mass tourism without any form of quarantine . If Covid spreads across Thailand like it has done in the west, it will be a huge disaster.  Thailand simply  does not have the facilities to cope with a huge outbreak and it will be the poor who will really suffer from this. 
 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Kaopad999

[spoon1967]

The 2 weeks ASQ is a burden, and I personally think it's too extreme.  How about test on arrival, test again in 3 days - if both are clear then let you go.  Pay in advance for 3 days, if you test positive then you pay for the treatment etc. Show funds/insurance as part of the pre-travel requirements.

 

I understand that it may take 7-14 days to show symptoms, but we need to live with this virus and manage it pragmatically.

[2long]

Nonsense reins once more.

Covid is already here, but Thailand doesn't test the general public.

Western governments are over-testing and the figures are shockingly high.

The reason is that this virus is everywhere, and will remain so forever.

What the governments are not telling us is that it's so weak and not at all deadly to a half-healthy human. Look at how many people test positive but are asymptomatic, and then the vast majority of even the ones who show symptoms make a full recovery.

Finally, if you test positive and die of anything, they count it as a Covid death. Listen to/Read the news when they talk about deaths. They use particular terms to say things like 'died after testing positive' and things like that.

Open the borders, let people in and allow the rest of the world to live normal lives. Anyone who's scared can hide.

[Flying Saucage]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The chief of Thailand's Association of Thai Travel Agents or ATTA has told Thai Rath that he wants the government to scrap quarantine for tourists come December. 

 

I don't know anything about Mr Wichit Prakopkoson, but I assume that he is also related personally with own investments to the tourism industry and belongs to the elite. So, good to see that others wake up now and oppose the toxic policy of Prayut to isolate the country and to create paranoia again and again for his own benefit.

 

There are many powerful people in the Thai elite who lose a lot of money due to Prayuts biased approach. Hardly any testing, claiming zero active cases, isolating the country and ruining the industry. This is not according to everybodies' taste, especially if one looks to other countries where despite increasing positive tests the number of severe cases and deaths stays quite low, and where the citizens have the freedom to travel.

 

It's a good move of Wichit. Still it is biased regarding the Chinese, but I think and hope this is more to give the government some opportunity to build a bridge. 

[madmitch]

2 minutes ago, Flying Saucage said:

The chief of Thailand's Association of Thai Travel Agents

That title says all you need to know. He no doubt has his own business and is trying to look after his members.

 

Reading between the lines, the tourists wont be allowed much, if any, independence under his suggested model, and who will be arranging their tours and travel within Thailand?

[wensiensheng]

He’s right that no short term tourist will go through the hoops that are currently required. But also wrong. 100k tourists per month is to small a number to be of much economic benefit overall, but big enough to represent a health risK. Sort of a no mans land of choices. 

 

Either go big and damn the health risk, or don’t bother

[Kaopad999]

5 minutes ago, Flying Saucage said:

 

There are many powerful people in the Thai elite who lose a lot of money due to Prayuts biased approach. Hardly any testing, claiming zero active cases, isolating the country and ruining the industry.

LOL

The reason for less testing is due to less cases of Covid . You would not go and get tested for Covid is you did not have any symptoms in the first place.
More testing is carried out in the west because of more Covid cases!

[shavedPotter]

There is a reason they have level 4 bio-hazard labs. This guy would likely do the lab level 4 testing in his kitchen while his family eats there.

[Megasin1]

I think its a damned good idea, Thailand is run by the Chinese for the Chinese, so therefore let the Chinese be the first guinea pigs. I have always thought that Thailand is rife with asymptomatic Covid and this is an excellent way to find out and test the water. It all just depends on how willing China is willing to throw Thailand to the wolves once its citizens start returning infected, or if they will just cover it all up?

[Kadilo]

Of course he’s right and it will be open for all by Xmas once they have milked all they can from the first wave of love sick Foreigners and others busting to get back at any cost. 
 

Not that they really want anyone back, they just cannot afford not to. The damage by locking the gates gets deeper and deeper and in the end, as in all countries, the economy will win over the paranoia. 
 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Kadilo

[natway09]

They must have asked him to take a 50% pay cut

[miamiman123]

Trump and his wife have COVID 19

yeah fool open the Thai door to all those cv carriers 

no way go home 

[Siamjim]

wont as much inbound as lots went broke there as well

 

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

LOL

The reason for less testing is due to less cases of Covid . You would not go and get tested for Covid is you did not have any symptoms in the first place.
More testing is carried out in the west because of more Covid cases!

Interesting reversed cause-and-effect reasoning.

But at least we agree that the 'number of positive cases' indicator is irrelevant and meaningless without insight in the number of tests conducted.

Now we still need to agree on the accuracy of the test results, and whether a positive result is indicative of having been infected or being infectuous, and whether there is a relation with hospitalization. < see my earlier post, attached below >.

But one thing is already clear > the sharp increase in positive cases does NOT translate in a similar increase in deaths (like in the March-April 1st wave pandemic).

 

41 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

In my universe (also yours by the way), the number of positive cases is increasing.

That is correct and also quite logical BECAUSE:

- the increase in testing (the plain 'number of cases' not linked to number of tests performed is irrelevant and misleading)

- the inaccuracy of the testing method (many false positives - according to dr Yeadon - former chief scientist Pfizer 50 to 100 (!) % of the positives are incorrect)

- the test does not distinguish between 'having been infected' (debris from weeks/months ago) and being 'infectuous'

- cases do not distinguish between those testing positive with no symptoms and feeling 100% OK, and those testing because feeling ill and resulting in hospitalization

[Mung]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

No quarantine, spend 50,000 baht per head over 5-7 days, spread the disease, sounds like a great idea, open the flood gates, they have to eventually.

Or the Chinese can sell Thailand their awesome amazing and hurried vaccine - they managed to sell them a bundle of submarines, so it shouldn't be too difficult 

[britpop]

I see on the news a 15min test on test & entry to USA & surely they can do departures, its still a risk as the virus might no show itself for days, most expats are in the vulnerable group regarding age especially, to we take into account the recovery rate ratio, which globally is higher then most illnesses, road deaths kills 1000's here, in relation to deaths, if it was to spread a massive infection, hold the flood gates closed, but is it as vulnerable as what governments say, its that who's telling the true, but zero covid Thailand's doing something correct