ATTA chief outlines why Thailand should scrap quarantine: Europeans could benefit too

[Jack Cook]

Thailand before June 2021 forget about it. Then it will be below 3rd world standards and nobody would want to go anyway. Don't know how all the expats and retirees are going to go when the ship completly sinks. I got out in Feb and have less than zero aspirations of ever going back. Vietnam beats it hands down on all fronts now anyway. Interesting times.

 

[Surelynot]

All I can think is that he has a warehouse full of PPE that he can't shift.

[edward290453]

It's simple,  anyone entering Thailand, or anywhere really if they are infected with covid19. Their going to have a high temperature. Just scan everyone at customs.  High temperature,  sorry can't enter you need a covid test and maybe quarantine. Job done cheap and painless. 

[Expat Tom]

Restricting tourists to certain areas is just plain illogical. Will the Thai nationals with whom they come in contact also be restricted to those areas? Of course NOT. So, a Thai national from Isan comes in contact with an infected  tourist in Phuket or Krabi and returns to Isan...... DUH ! Perhaps a primer on how infectious disease is spread would be in order. 

[globalspark]

i doubt the original statement where tourist had to quarantine in hotels was ever going to work. either the country wants to  take risks with tourist is up to them.Over the journey some cities  in Australia has made no Covid virus and in general baring Victoria the cases have been very small.

I for one have no interest in returning  if i need to go into quarantine or if it is not safe to be there. Other  problems that arise is that  there is a lack of flights or affordable flights to Bangkok or anywhere in Asia.

[Surelynot]

7 minutes ago, edward290453 said:

It's simple,  anyone entering Thailand, or anywhere really if they are infected with covid19. Their going to have a high temperature. Just scan everyone at customs.  High temperature,  sorry can't enter you need a covid test and maybe quarantine. Job done cheap and painless. 

They can be infected (and infectious) for up to 14 days before exhibiting symptoms...and still might not exhibit any symptoms even then......they have to be tested. Nice idea though.

[Sean60]

great idea. Finally . The economy needs to get open. People with money will manage their life. The poor need to work. 

Do not listen to these ich A-holes. They care only for themselves.

If they are so concerned, then can pay for a relief package.

[Harry Fingerling]

3 hours ago, BestB said:

Do not know why so many of you praising him when he clearly wants and targets China and “some” European countries but main target is Chinese.

 

 

Let’s hope the screen the Chinese for the Bubonic plague too which is in their country.

[androokery]

2 hours ago, TonyR101 said:

Thailand does need its tourists back in the country, not only from select regions but from all over the world. I might be a dreamer but my suggestion would be -

 

1, Re-start scheduled international air flights into Suvarnabhumi Airport on a limited basis enabling Thai Immigration to handle the flow without undue airport crowding.

2. COVID test all arriving passengers and extend the arrival card to include more details of each passenger's programme in Thailand, prior to passport control.

3. Provide a lockable security tracking bracelet for each arriving passenger, collecting data similar to what we currently have on our Smart Phones, for a period of 14 to 20 days after arrival.

4. Advise passengers of hefty penalties for any avoidance of current health protection rules, and increase the strength of tourist police to make random passport checks, and assist tourists in keeping to the rules.  

 

The costs of tourist testing and hire of tracking bracelets, would be charged as a fee/deposit on arrival.

As to point 3 above, I see many similar suggestions of technical and digital solutions to the current problems of opening up Thailand to tourism in a safe way. Very few of the suggestions allow for the time required to source hardware, define the technical infrastructure, source or develop software and set up the environments needed to support the whole thing in a safe and efficient manner. It could easily take months. 

[ExpatOilWorker]

47 minutes ago, genericptr said:

100% of tourism is going to come from China for the upcoming high season. I think we can all see that coming now.

Not so sure about that. The all controlling CCP is not keen on letting their citizens picking up the virus abroad and bringing it back home (again).

They haven't forgotten Wuhan yet and are not keen on getting a 1.4 billion person headache just to keep the Thai tourist industry afloat.

[Mavideol]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

* Tourism in Thailand has been completely devastated because of the lack of foreign tourists

 

* The number of foreign tourists has gone from 40 million a year to effectively zero

they can blame it on themselves, although the corona virus has some effect on lack of tourists, prior to the virus tourism was already showing signs of stagnation/slowing down due to their attitude (mostly) towards westerners, if they want westerner tourists back they better change their visa rules and adjust their welcome attitude.... and I am not saying anything about the scams 555

[natway09]

Fully aware of the devastation of the tourist sector (as I am hurting big time myself) but in reality all you gung ho's suggesting Thailand should just open their doors are not reading or do not understand tha negative side of doing same. 

Within 2 months all the hospitals will be totally overwhelmed (other patients not able nor want to go)

& the tourist areas could look like parts of India or Indonesia with deaths being excessive

Sometimes you can not have your cake & eat it too.

The whole thing is very sad, but the Government appears to have managed thing pretty wellin particular for a country sharing so many land borders

Take a look at the UK, right now. they are on the edge of the precipice & things could turn really nasty in the next month, unfortunately it looks like France is there already.

My suggestion would be wait, watch & evaluate each week until the New Year then reassess

[bullseye66]

Thailand like most European countries just needs to open up. Protect the vulnerable and let everyone else get back to normal. We've had enough of the scamdemic.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Now was an appropriate time to open up to nationals from safe countries

No country is safe... that's a pipe-dream, open up without quarantine and you're asking for trouble.

Thailand is just starting to see an economic recovery in the manufacturing  sector, he wants to gamble it against a few hundred tourists.

 

[RedReding]

I'm aiming to go back to Chiang Mai from Luang Prabang in April 2021, got a long-term rental contract in Chiang Mai. For once, I actually think there's hope.

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

...and some parts of Europe. 

Wonder which parts of Europe that are "countries like Thailand that have had the virus under control for 60 days or more"...????

 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

* The number of foreign tourists has gone from 40 million a year to effectively zero

Other articles has mentioned that about 8 million turists already visited Thailand in the beginning of the year, of which some are still "stranded" here – i.e. about 32 million less – which fit perfect with the articles claiming tourism is 80% down, i.e. 80 percent of 40 equals 32, and 20 percent of 40 equals 8...

 

Of course the situation is bad for Thailand's international tourism sector, and the economy in general – but so it is Worldwide, with further travelling restrictions in for example Europe during the last few weeks, due to increasing Covid-19 in what presumable can be considered as "2nd wave" – keeping to quote facts helps the case, avoiding facts makes it look like something I should not mention...????

[lagavulin1]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists from low-risk countries would not be infected and it would be safe to allow them in

Lost me here. That's not a given. 

60+1 = zero. (Free days + infection = new free days). 

[Walter Travolta]

6 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Presumably Thailand has not gone through the first wave yet which means a lot of vulnerable people will get sick and die. Even with the strict quarantine i suspect there maybe an outbreak, ending this opening up for tourist idea.

There are risk for travelers getting covid in Thailand, they may not have any experience in treating the disease. There maybe a big lock down and tourists are stuck in their rooms for weeks.

Too many "Presumablys" and "Maybes" to take your comment seriously. Stay under your bed

[Donga]

25 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

No country is safe... that's a pipe-dream, open up without quarantine and you're asking for trouble.

Thailand is just starting to see an economic recovery in the manufacturing  sector, he wants to gamble it against a few hundred tourists.

 

Some countries, many in the region are very much safer than others. Chances of anyone having Covid is less than 1 in 20,000 people in Japan, South Korea, Australia, NZ, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia. One chance in a million if from Taiwan or Vietnam and one in 8 million if from China. These odds contrast with Europe and US which are more like one in a 1,000.

So you start with odds of 1/20,000, test 3 days prior to departure and then upon arrival. What odds then?

A few slip through and I have every confidence the Thai system of contact tracing will contain any outbreak, just as they did before. Pity so many on this forum don't give them credit. Let alone the effectiveness of one million health volunteers.

Thailand is not Europe or US. The community discipline and use of face masks, now roundly recognised (compared to initial WHO and Western experts ignorance), is so much stronger in Thailand. Climate also helps.

Allow visitors from safe countries. Test them, self isolate even and get hundreds of thousands of Thais back to work.

Edited October 3, 2020 by Donga

[surfinglife]

5 hours ago, Rockhound said:

Thailand went through the "first wave" early this year before the panic hit the west.  There was no need for it to close down at all.  By the time they locked down it was over.  

Wave?! It wasn't even a ripple!! 

[purcho]

4 hours ago, Rockhound said:

Thailand went through the "first wave" early this year before the panic hit the west.  There was no need for it to close down at all.  By the time they locked down it was over.  

Yes I am inclined to agree with your thoughts . The possibility of tens of thousands of virus riden Chinese that visited here in Dec 2019 , then in Jan/Feb / March this year could possibly have left their bugs behind and given us what was the first wave here LOS. We had family from down south (BKK and Hua Hin) visit in Jan this year and they were all (adults except for a ten year old) coughing and spluttering the 7 days that they were here staying with us and we presumed it was a common cold . After they left , the missus and I were off colour for 10 days or so with similar ailments . Who knows ????

[Walter Travolta]

36 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Fully aware of the devastation of the tourist sector (as I am hurting big time myself) but in reality all you gung ho's suggesting Thailand should just open their doors are not reading or do not understand tha negative side of doing same. 

Within 2 months all the hospitals will be totally overwhelmed (other patients not able nor want to go)

& the tourist areas could look like parts of India or Indonesia with deaths being excessive

Sometimes you can not have your cake & eat it too.

The whole thing is very sad, but the Government appears to have managed thing pretty wellin particular for a country sharing so many land borders

Take a look at the UK, right now. they are on the edge of the precipice & things could turn really nasty in the next month, unfortunately it looks like France is there already.

My suggestion would be wait, watch & evaluate each week until the New Year then reassess

Hang on a minute . . . . Thailand were accused of not doing enough testing and Isaan amongst other places were a ticking time bomb? The Mochit bus station episodes back when everyone was fleeing from Bangkok was said to be the worst decision at that time as all fleeing were going to spread the virus back in their towns and villages. What people seem to forget is you have to have the virus to spread it. The panic has been monumental but what has Thailand actually been through?? The economy is on its knees for what? 60 deaths? All we see is figures like 1 million deaths or 30 million cases. We rarely see recoveries or death rates which are miniscule. Countries need to open with each other who have no cases for a certain length of time. The virus is not going anywhere, it will now be with us forever like the flu, so what do you want? We never closed the world down for flu so yes, people are gonna die like they do every day. Its up to each individual and their loved ones to take care of each other and decide the best way forward for them. We dont kill every dog on the planet because some carry rabies

[tomauasia]

Chinese should listed as highly dangerous species. Due to there corrupt and fake COVID reports. They should be blocked until a vaccine is released. Every province in China is dangerous with a plus.

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

* Tourists from low-risk countries would not be infected and it would be safe to allow them in

_______________________________________________________

 

That's guaranteed then?

When you get in your car in Thailand there’s no guarantee you’ll survive the journey. But you can guarantee that scenario will apply to around 25,000 souls over a year. 

[Pancho]

The chit chat around the campfire is full disclosure/restart world, March.

 

Sources say

[gamini]

5 hours ago, rupert the bear said:

the economy is shot.end of story.must have tourist money.theres more than a sniff of the masses are revolting  and the great entitled feudal scam maybe approaching its last days.they can call out the troops again and massacre thousands in the old true tried and trusted formula and of course Xi will thumbs up that one,ASEAN too but.....social media, cameras on phone .nope they wont get away with it so...s korea japan taiwan west will leave  aghh more probs!and the sing an swiss accs aghhh they might freeze em.this is the bigger picture,can dumbo control see it ,ummm good question.give the unemployed and needy some of the loot.youve zillions and none of its yours.no so pay the price,short cut -sweep em some more crumbs off the table. tourist dollars.the trickle down effect well theyve been trickled on for decades so trickle on em some more!!asia can come and some of europe,anyone really so long as theyve tested negative.wakey wakey you old feudal fascists you

what language you your post in I can't understand a word of it

[vermin on arrival]

9 minutes ago, Pancho said:

The chit chat around the campfire is full disclosure/restart world, March.

 

Sources say

Please source sources.

[Magenta408]

The industry has been decimated because the country closed its borders preventing any tourists from coming into the country. Why pretend there are any other factors?  It is elementary my dear Watson.

[infrequentflyer]

Any mention of American tourists is conspicuous by its absence.  I can only guess that is because of pandering to the Chinese...the most guilty party in the whole pandemic!  Doesn't Thailand value the U.S. dollar anymore?  

[Pedrogaz]

22 hours ago, Sharp said:

Totally agree! END OFF

Wait for second wave when the foreigners start invading the place.