Hard truths about travelling to Thailand, right now

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Thai tourism was out of control.  Mass tourism has ruined many parts of this beautiful country.  Time for a reset.  Hopefully, they'll do this.  But I doubt it.

that's 2 of us....unfortunately wishful thinking as they don't know where the reset/restart button is

[Rancid]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

In fact there has never been a workable vaccine for any of the five other coronaviruses. The urgency and clear need for a vaccine for Covid-19 has forced scientists to fast-track their development and testing...But, even if they work they will only be partially successful and many people simply won’t get the vaccine, either through choice, poorly-informed fears

Hmm, I find it bizarre that the article states there has never been a successful corona vaccine, the current ones are being rushed and will likely only be partly successful. And yet those doubting the usefulness of getting jabbed have poorly informed fears.

[rumak]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Indeed.

 

I would suggest that the vast majority of Thais and expats do not want foreigners here at this present time.

the ones i feel for are those married or retired that have been here for many years and have roots firmly planted , who had to be out

of the country and can not get back .    

But if one is commenting on the handling of these "tourist schemes"............ I think one would have to compare it to a Keystone Kops

comedy.   or tragedy .

[BoonToong]

A refreshingly well-written piece; thank you :-)

[tomazbodner]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Above it just heavenly picture. Enjoying yourself alone in the sun...

 

Much better than this anyway:

 

 

[SupermarineS6B]

8 hours ago, champers said:

Very good summary of where tourism is; or more accurately isn't; now. The future will be bleak unless and until there is a radical shift in strategy.

Strategy ?....... Radical change in government don't you mean ?  

[PGSan]

2 hours ago, Guderian said:

Something like 85%-90% of Thailand's economy does not depend on foreign tourists, and the largest part of it is ticking over quite nicely at the moment.

This should be written large in reply to all those who are lamenting the current situation for tourism.

Plus the evidence of how great many places now are to simply live in with almost zero tourists (and hence far safer roads etc.) and little chance of infection. 

Edited October 6, 2020 by PGSan
typos

[Jeffr2]

2 minutes ago, PGSan said:

This should be written large in reply to all those who are lamenting the current situation the tourism.

Plus the evidence of how great many places now are to simply live in with almost zero tourists (and hence far safer roads etc.) and little chance of infection. 

Get away from the big tourist destinations and life is pretty normal.  Shops are open, people are busy doing their thing.  Not a huge impact from what I can see. But yes, not good if your tourist business is in Pattaya, Phuket, etc.

[PGSan]

1 hour ago, joe jadore said:

, if they cost 5 $ charge 10$ = simple! 

And if they cost $50 ??

[PGSan]

3 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Get away from the big tourist destinations and life is pretty normal. 

And in those destinations it is far better than normal.  Win, win!

[PGSan]

1 hour ago, philosphrstone said:

about one person in 7800 has died.

So quite a lot for just one year, or not?

[djuiiy]

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Let’s hope it gets read by the right people who are making some of these these ridiculous decisions and common sense will take over

Ridiculous only if you are following the media story. Sensible wrt interests of big business : starve small businesses then buy them out and take their market share.

[champers]

22 minutes ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Strategy ?....... Radical change in government don't you mean ?  

Could be. The pressure seems to be building on the current lot. 

[PGSan]

2 hours ago, cliveshep said:

in the Government's eyes, too low to support a foreign wife although adequate for a UK one.

In the U.K., no wives get supported anyone any more, no matter the origin.  They call it equal rights.

[Thankfully I am a husband and hence on full government support (covers my companions too).????]

[Moo 2]

Tourism is no different to any other businesses. I f you run a shop and the sign says you are open

seven days a week and you don't stick to it, people will start going somewhere else and might even

like the other shop and never comeback to your shop. That's what Thailand is facing at the moment.

There are many exotic places in the world to chose from for all sort of people.

[mlkik]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

I'm surprised that those holding Elite visas have not demanded financial compensation.  Imagine buying a visa for 1 million baht and then being refused entry into the country.  Sounds like fraud to me ....

So should I demand compensation from the Thai government for the multi re-entry permit and Non O extension that I can not use to return to Thailand with ? 555

[PGSan]

52 minutes ago, PGSan said:

Any jobs going in this force?

Caught this one myself!

[EricTh]

Special tourist visa is only for the rich and not the common tourist.

 

 

[metisdead]

Some troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Razek]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

… it simply may never happen.

They will never find a Vaccine

Befor 10 Years

And 

Thailand never die without touarist.  

[Jeffr2]

16 minutes ago, Moo 2 said:

Tourism is no different to any other businesses. I f you run a shop and the sign says you are open

seven days a week and you don't stick to it, people will start going somewhere else and might even

like the other shop and never comeback to your shop. That's what Thailand is facing at the moment.

There are many exotic places in the world to chose from for all sort of people.

Many exotic places are closed, or raging with the virus.  Not easy to travel right now.

[Heng]

People will just have to adapt.   Some people will simply continue to whine and moan.

[Krabi King]

A relief to see a very well written article (please take note The Nation/TV), but at the same time remembering us of the sad truth.

Knee jerk decisions, twisting and turning and some unexplainable plan making by this government, has brought irreparable damage to the tourist industry and the country.

[Bender Rodriguez]

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

I have a feeling nothing will change until the population are vaccinated.

 

so you mean NEVER ?

 

you don't mind injecting a vaccine, not proven to be safe over 10 year of clinical trials, where you cannot sue

and for what ? the 59 death amongst 65.000.000 thai people over a period of 7 months ?

[sawadee1947]

9 hours ago, Kadilo said:

they kill endless numbers of Thailand’s poorer people. 

Sure, when Covid comes to Thailand. 

You would like to die more than 45.000 people like in UK? 

Better way to wait for only a few months more till the vaccine is here available. 

[Elreeco]

8 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

I read the other day 38 have died this year because of dengue fever with 60.000 effected.  Many thousands die on the roads each year and little is done to curb that.  The flu takes many many people each year.  People die from diabetes, cancer, lung disease, suicide.  So,  to those in power and to us normal people death is an everyday thing, it happens everyday for whatever reason yet the Wuhan China virus is being treated differently.  Why?  Is it a power game?  Prayuths much loved emergency decrees seem to be coming every month on a regular basis now.  Honestly I am finding it hard to understand how they can destroy the economy and effect many millions when only 59 have died.

Do some research - all the answers are there...

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Sure, when Covid comes to Thailand. 

You would like to die more than 45.000 people like in UK? 

Better way to wait for only a few months more till the vaccine is here available. 

 

Thailand has been very fortunate about Covid-19....   why hasn’t covid-19 struck Thailand so severely?

 

Perhaps because when it did strike the media didn’t take notice. 

 

Did Covid-19 pass through Thailand in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb - there were reported increased in viral pneumonia at the time. Thailand only shut down after Europe panicked. 

 

Have East Asians a genetic advantage (reports of gene tracing back to Neanderthals in comparison with server Covid-19 cases indicate that East Asians have missing a couple of key ‘genes’ (genetic Haplotypes) that could be the answer for fewer deaths in some areas of SE Asia). 

 

 

This is a ‘blind lockdown’ it may not be bringing any advantage to Thailand at all, the consequences of lock down could be more severe that the deaths it saves. 

 

 

[Jumbo1968]

3 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

There's no overloaded hospitals in the UK or US either! Because virtually nobody needs hospital treatment!

The U.K. built the Nightingale Hospitals thinking the NHS Hospitals would have been overwhelmed,  the one in London had only ever 12 patients, I believe they have all been mothballed now.

[xenolith]

The crucial point made was the lack of a successful vaccine for *any* of the Coronavirii. That in and of itself tells you things aren't going back to normal any time soon. International travel for me is out of the question due to health issues but for my Thai wife of 40 years, it is a very sad state of affairs. She cannot visit her family nor can they travel here to visit us. Fortunately her last visit was in November of 2019 just before Covid began to make its presence felt. To compensate, she regularly communicates with family via messaging and videchat.

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

The U.K. built the Nightingale Hospitals thinking the NHS Hospitals would have been overwhelmed,  the one in London had only ever 12 patients, I believe they have all been mothballed now.

Some interesting facts about this here.  Better to be prepared than not.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/do-many-nhs-nightingale-hospitals-remain-empty/

 

Meanwhile, the NHS has also roughly doubled its ICU capacity on its pre-existing locations to 1,555 beds. This increased capacity means many hospitals have not had to send their patients to a Nightingale facility. 

 

The low numbers of admissions to Nightingales could also be related to a strict entry criteria, which excludes the most frail patients. The hospitals usually cater towards younger and fitter patients suffering from the coronavirus, rather than those with severe cases.