Poll: Majority of Thais say "NO!" to foreign tourists - they fear more Covid

[webfact]

Poll: Majority of Thais say "NO!" to foreign tourists - they fear more Covid

 

 

A Nida poll has dealt a devastating blow to the government's plans to open the country to foreign tourists - whenever that may be. 

 

Asked last week if they wanted the country to open to foreign tourists from today (October 8th) nearly 57% said no. 

 

Only about a fifth of the respondents showed much enthusiasm for the idea with another fifth lukewarm.

 

Most stressed the need for tight regulations with many citing a lack of confidence in stopping a second wave of the virus should foreigners be allowed back, reported The Bangkok Insight.

 

Tourists from China were supposed to arrive today but this has been put back to at least near the end of the month after the head of the National Security Council Natthaphol Nakphanich said the upcoming Vegetarian Festival being held in Phuket would attract lots of Thais and he didn't want them to be put off visiting the province.

 

The Nida poll had a sample size of 1,318 respondents that were asked their views on Thailand opening up to foreign tourists from October 8th. The poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday last week just a week before 150 Chinese were due to land from Guangzhou on the first chartered STV (special tourist visa) flight.

 

Here are the poll results:

 

40.21% disagreed strongly with opening the country fearing a second wave. They said Thailand had done a good job containing the virus and it should be kept that way so no foreigners should be allowed in.

 

16.77% also said "no thanks" saying it was too risky a time to tempt more cases of the virus

 

20.49% slightly agreed saying it would bring money into the country though they stressed the need for strict restrictions

 

21.77% bucked the trend saying they agreed whole-heartedly with opening up the country as it would help the economy and the tourism industry in particular and help Thais recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic

 

Just 0.76% didn't answer, didn't know or were not interested. 

 

Source: The Bangkok Insight

 

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[Thaiwrath]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Poll: Majority of Thais say "NO!" to foreign tourists

I think it is obvious,  most of those polled have no connection on the tourist industry, are fully employed, and could not give a flying <deleted> about anyone else.

[johng]

They have done such a good "brainwashing"  job painting foreigners as "dirty unwashed virus spreaders"

that it will be very difficult for the country to open to tourist again anytime soon !

[2 is 1]

When this coverment has listen people!? But if you ask farmer in Isaan you maybe get different answer than bar worker in Pattay!

[CelticBhoy]

"The Nida poll had a sample size of 1,318 respondents"

Out of a population of nearly 70 million! Come on, make an effort! 

[2long]

Has anyone also considered that although direct foreign dollars coming on from tourists might not affect them, and even some aren't even indirectly affected.... with all these tax breaks, handouts and incentives to travel, the government are going to need to recoup all this money in the end.... and 15-25% can come from tourism.

OPEN THE BORDERS, get on with life!

[jvs]

As always polls do not mean a lot,it all depends on how you ask the questions and whom you ask.

I can understand both sides but they do have to realize the longer they wait the worse it will get.

Some kind of second wave is unavoidable.

I see people all around not wearing mask any more,they are the smart ones.

The anger of the people around the world against stupid rules is in creasing.

Over here,wear a mask but forget your helmet,how stupid can you get?

Tough choices need to be made and either way it is going to be challenged by the opposition.

What makes sense over here does not make any sense else where.

In a few years we will know the truth.

[meechai]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

A Nida poll has dealt a devastating blow to the government's plans to open the country to foreign tourists

555 Yeah right so 57% of the 1318 Thai's polled said no....So 751 out of 70 million & that is a devastating blow to the Governments plans to reopen?

 

Good night if that is true I guess they will all step down the next time a demonstration of thousands of students tell them they have had it with them ????

 

Must be the govt that is making this poll/claim as being devastating to any plans to reopen

 

[tonray]

17 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

I think it is obvious,  most of those polled have no connection on the tourist industry, are fully employed, and could not give a flying <deleted> about anyone else.

which is of course more than 75% of the country. Tourism is big but non-tourist economy is bigger

[Sharp]

Go ask the Essan farming families who now have extra mouths to feed from returnees formerly employed in Tourists hotpots with no additional income I've seen it for myself what they would say!! 

[rkidlad]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

Poll: Majority of Thais say "NO!" to foreign tourists

Capital letters and an exclamation mark. Did they really answer the question with such ferocity? 

[FarFlungFalang]

According to the numbers Thailand had a first ripple and now there's fear of the second ripple.No tests means no wave, no first wave no second wave just a couple of ripples.

[alyx]

10 minutes ago, tonray said:

which is of course more than 75% of the country. Tourism is big but non-tourist economy is bigger

But, really, there will eventually be a domino effect unless an alternative is found. When 25% of a country is directly affected by a loss, then the rest is bound to feel the bite at some points. I might add that this is not a voice less mob such as the poor and the new poor who have seen their businesses closed down and I guess they were not all tourism related.

[ChipButty]

Go and ask the bar girls see what they say, I see one complaining the other day she's not had sex for 10 weeks

[Brunolem]

Thailand is playing a very dangerous game and is in the process of irreversibly destroy its tourism industry.

 

First, there is a developing xenophobia within the population, which is not really needed.

 

Fear of the stranger, for whatever reason, is never good.

 

What if foreigners started developing similar feelings regarding Thais, and didn't let them into their countries, especially for work?

 

Then there is the image Thailand is projecting.

 

What are these Chinese who had jumped through all the hoops before their trip was cancelled at the last minute going to think, and tell their friends, including all those on their social websites?

 

Something like "don't bother and go spend your money elsewhere"...

 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Brunolem

[Surelynot]

Thais are right to fear tourists returning in terms of health risk.

 

With little or no immunity, due to the rigorous lockdown plus the lack of an effective vaccine, covid19 would rip through the population if it gets a toe hold.

[tonray]

5 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Thailand is playing a very dangerous game and is in the process of irreversibly destroy its tourism industry.

 

First, there is a developing xenophobia within the population, which is not really needed.

 

Fear of the stranger, for whatever reason, is never good.

 

What if foreigners started developing similar feelings regarding Thais, and didn't let them into their countries, especially for work?

 

Then there is the image Thailand is projecting.

 

What are these Chinese who had jumped through all the hoops before their trip was cancelled at the last minute going to think, and tell their friends, including all those on their social websites?

 

Something like "don't bother and go spend your money elsewhere"...

 

 

What other SE Asian countries are open for business ?

[Rancid]

Perhaps the poll is accurate. The covid fear has been well played by the world media, half the people here are still quivering in fear under their kitchen tables. All this despite a very low possibility of dying, almost zero if young or healthy. From what I can see the government has no serious plans to open tourism in the near future, even for the low numbers that would actually come. Am expecting mid to late next year, of course by then most of the tourism infrastructure will be closed or owned by Chinese.

[Bluespunk]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

20.49% slightly agreed saying it would bring money into the country though they stressed the need for strict restrictions

Ah yes...the old we want your money but we don't want you.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Bluespunk

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Thais are right to fear tourists returning in terms of health risk.

 

With little or no immunity, due to the rigorous lockdown plus the lack of an effective vaccine, covid19 would rip through the population if it gets a toe hold.

How do you know Thailand has no immunity?Did you go and do some testing?Because as can be seen the Thais certainly did very little testing.There was a surge of flu like symptoms that ran through my area in Jan and Feb.There was also a surge of 3600 viral pneumonia deaths in Thailand about the same time so without doing testing it's pretty pointless saying anything about Thailand in relation to this pandemic other than Thailand did very little testing.

Edited October 8, 2020 by FarFlungFalang

[Brunolem]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

What other SE Asian countries are open for business ?

What other SEA country rely as much on tourism as Thailand?

 

Anyway, the issue is not about reopening, but about constantly talking about it.

 

Stop talking, and when the time is right and a serious plan has been thoughtfully considered, implement it and don't change it half way through implementation!

 

But do not come up with a new plan every week, because you lose credibility, like the boy who cried wolf.

[ezzra]

It doesn't look the government is listing or even willing to listen to "polls" while the economy is tanking and millions out of work and big business that pays the loin share of tax in this country are hurting bad...

[John Drake]

19 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

What are these Chinese who had jumped through all the hoops before their trip was cancelled at the last minute going to think,

What makes you think those Chinese actually jumped through any hoops at all?

[Misterwhisper]

22 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Go and ask the bar girls see what they say, I see one complaining the other day she's not had sex for 10 weeks

I think I know that one. When times were still good she had frequently complained that the didn't have sex for 10 hours. I helped her out, of course. Reluctantly though.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Misterwhisper

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

I think it is obvious,  most of those polled have no connection on the tourist industry, are fully employed, and could not give a flying <deleted> about anyone else.

But they are still a majority. That is how a democracy works. Why would the minority be the ones that say stuff. 

[Surelynot]

13 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

How do you know Thailand has no immunity?Did you go and do some testing?Because as can be seen the Thais certainly did very little testing.There was a surge of flu like symptoms that ran through my area in Jan and Feb.There was also a surge of 3600 viral pneumonia deaths in Thailand about the same time so without doing testing it's pretty pointless saying anything about Thailand in relation to this pandemic other than Thailand did very little testing.

Okay....let's take the situation in the UK.....estimates suggest (with extensive testing) even now only 6% of the population have gained immunity. Now project that outcome onto Thailand's population with a much more rigorous lockdown and extensive controls in terms of washing hands, use of face masks, social distancing..........so you are right...I don't KNOW that Thailand has no immunity......so let's say I would be surprised, given the comments above, that Thailand has extensive immunity.......and may, as a consequence, run the risks of the pandemic re-establishing itself.

[NanLaew]

28 minutes ago, tonray said:

What other SE Asian countries are open for business ?

Nobody's exactly "open for business" but some SE Asian nations are working on more practical methods to have 'regular' air travelers start coming back. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific have commenced trialing a digital 'Covid passport' on their Singapore services. Hong Kong will also be testing it on certain UA flights to/from the United States. There's also talk of extending the tests to LHR but in light of the UK's recent inexorable rise in infections, that may be delayed. The idea is to have specific tests internationally recognized with a view to either shortening or eliminating quarantines. Many of these countries already have test, trace and limited quarantine regimens in place for special classes of visitors.

 

I also note that Vietnam Airlines have recently added London-Hanoi flights 4-times weekly in addition to their daily service from LHR to HCMC.

[4MyEgo]

I was just thinking the other day, why have all these countries listened to one organisation, the WHO ?

 

Do they hold them up so highly ?

 

Have they made mistakes in the past ?

 

Did they make a mistake/s now ?

 

Have all of these countries signed some kind of agreement forming part of a contract, maybe like Agenda 21 and cannot back down without the WHO giving the thumbs up ?

 

Will the thumbs up be when they are ready to release the vaccines ?

 

From all the evidence mounting as this pandemic plays out it is becoming more and more obvious that scientists, professors, doctors, biologists, epidemiologists, scholars, lawyers and the like are coming out in their droves saying that the WHO and the CDC have got it wrong and that Covid-19 is no more serious that an aggressive flu that kills the elderly, those with weak immune systems, those with underlying conditions and those who are obese, that said they are trying to shift the focus on treatment from drugs already available, while trying to form a shield for those more vulnerable, while opening up economies so that we don't crash and start some kind of new world order.

 

It does make sense to me, these governments have F'd up, and aren't prepared to listen to those who are outside of those on the inside which is a dangerous game to play.

 

Eventually, there will be a massive revolt from the public and these governments will pay the ultimate price, the sooner the better.

 

As for the magic bullet, the vaccine, well from my own research the only real proven vaccine that has worked 100% was the one that worked on smallpox, but then again there maybe others, but not 100% effective, that said, I am prepared not to get the jab and live a natural life albeit it I have been jabbed enough in my life time thank you very much. 

 

Kind of makes sense to me to listen to the others and steer clear of governments with hidden agendas who hide and not explain or listen to others who have good arguments to be put forward, that is unless they like the continued controls.

[4MyEgo]

25 minutes ago, robblok said:

But they are still a majority. That is how a democracy works. Why would the minority be the ones that say stuff. 

Well from everyone I have been talking to around the world, they want their borders open, have the governments made or taken polls to see what the public wants or have they blanketed everyone and become control freaks, just look at Melbourne in Australia, they are calling him Dictator Dan.

 

I agree governments have a roll to protect their citizens, but have failed countless times by sending them into wars that had nothing to do with their countries being attacked, dead citizens now, is that protecting their citizens, I know, that's another story, but it is about control, as for governments protecting their citizens, well we do a good job of that on our own, no need to force us to comply.

Edited October 8, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[sapson]

35 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

There was also a surge of 3600 viral pneumonia deaths in Thailand about the same time so without doing testing it's pretty pointless saying anything about Thailand in relation to this pandemic other than Thailand did very little testing

Exactly!!! If the Thai people were obliged and encouraged to get tested for free, the real situation in Thailand among their own population would become apparent.

 

However the military trouser pocket fillers running the country are happy to continue with the illusion that Covid is a farang problem and transparency, honesty and reality does not fit well with this personal wealth development.