China says will maintain ban on outbound tours due to virus risk

 

Passengers wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak walk with luggages at a terminal hall of the Beijing Daxing International Airport ahead of Chinese National Day holiday, in Beijing, China September 25, 2020. Picture taken September 25, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Files

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will continue to suspend outbound group tours and ban travel agencies from allowing inbound tours due to the risk of a resurgence in coronavirus cases this winter, authorities said.

 

The country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism made the announcement in a notice published on its website on Wednesday.

 

China first suspended both domestic and outbound tours in January as part of stringent pandemic control measures to curb the spread of the virus which first emerged in the central city of Wuhan. However, since July it has allowed domestic tours to resume amid a sharp drop in the number of new local cases.

 

Its curbs on outbound group tours have had a debilitating impact on the tourism industry in countries such as Thailand which have become heavily reliant on Chinese tourists over the years.

 

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-22

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Well, that says all.

The billions of Chinese high spenders will not be able to come at all.

Bring them by boat over the Mekong in a special bubble boat.

So then where did these current 39 'Chinese' visitors to Thailand come from? ????

TAT must be kidnapping them......

regards Worgeordie

1 minute ago, pkrv said:

So then where did these current 39 'Chinese' visitors to Thailand come from? ????

they are members of a Chinese S&M bondage club. They are really into torture.

Those hundred or so high-spending S-V tourists got out just in time!

I have a feeling that they are not true tourists, but part of possible diplomatic staff change for the Embassy and Consulate China has here.  They probably have come to quarantine and then have a small vacation at the beach before they step into their new roles, and replace the existing staff, who will rotate back home or elsewhere.  Just my humble opinion, as it is about the right numbers for an annual swap out.

Another 6 months of Chinese group-tour free Thailand...I can live with that. The tourism industry and its workers taking another gut-punch, however.

too bad western countries weren't as vigilant, they've been too busy spreading it about the world..

Anutin and TAT, you <deleted> up again !

10 minutes ago, pkrv said:

So then where did these current 39 'Chinese' visitors to Thailand come from? ????

They are not your el cheapo Chinese group tour people.....these are all wealthy Chinese with urgent business reasons to be here.....no tourist in their right mind would actually want a STV.

3 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

too bad western countries weren't as vigilant, they've been too busy spreading it about the world..

True......and we have to sit back and listen to Tory lies that stopping 15 million travelers to Heathrow would have not had any effect on the spread of the virus....unbelievable.

Well well well, another 39 Chinese cannot come. Darn :)

Reports in Pattaya social media, indicted that the latest batch of Chinese tourists are now in Pattaya, out walking around on the beach. Hope wrong.

 

1 minute ago, KhunKenAP said:

Reports in Pattaya social media, indicted that the latest batch of Chinese tourists are now in Pattaya, out walking around on the beach. Hope wrong.

 

I know it is wrong to say it, but........this would not surprise me in the slightest.

 

These are affluent, wealthy Chinese. Thailand has no right to be telling them where to go and what to do.

25 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

Well, that says all.

The billions of Chinese high spenders will not be able to come at all.

Bring them by boat over the Mekong in a special bubble boat.

Yes but the initial tourists (proxy buyers) have already landed and I think that was the real objective, not tourism. Smoke and Mirrors and non truths as this government is so addicted to do.. China can now start buying up Thailand. 

1 minute ago, holy cow cm said:

China can now start buying up Thailand. 

You are so correct.......Chinese economy rising, Thailand on its knees.

 

Property prices, in particular, are going crash over the next 6 to 12 months and the Chinese will make a killing.

 

Thailand is, after all, almost a dependency now.

7 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

True......and we have to sit back and listen to Tory lies that stopping 15 million travelers to Heathrow would have not had any effect on the spread of the virus....unbelievable.

cdc released data today in which they state that in little than 15 min. you can pass this on so air travel would be risky business indeed..

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/10/21/926365995/cdc-reduces-consecutive-minutes-of-covid-19-exposure-needed-to-be-a-close-contac

34 minutes ago, pkrv said:

So then where did these current 39 'Chinese' visitors to Thailand come from? ????

They get extra permit , come to wave man boob's in bikini run! 

6 hours ago, xtof2 said:

Anutin and TAT, you <deleted> up again !

How so...this is a Chinese government decision...nothing to do with TAT or Anutin, and applies for travel to all countries.

For all we know, maybe those 39 people are fake Chinese Thais form Yaowarat in Bkk putting up a show and play for the public, i'll believe anything that those guys will do to prove a point...

39 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

They are not your el cheapo Chinese group tour people.....these are all wealthy Chinese with urgent business reasons to be here.....no tourist in their right mind would actually want a STV.

I think you are entirely correct. It's rather suspicious that China won't allow tours out of the country yet 40 Chinese were supposed to have arrived here on STV this week. So is independant travel out of China allowed and just big group tours blocked? Not clear. 

My belief is that these so called "tourists" are connected at both ends with Chinese and Thai government and the STV is just a ruse to get them in under false pretenses so they can go about their "business" without attracting proper attention or raising real questions.

50 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I have a feeling that they are not true tourists, but part of possible diplomatic staff change for the Embassy and Consulate China has here.  They probably have come to quarantine and then have a small vacation at the beach before they step into their new roles, and replace the existing staff, who will rotate back home or elsewhere.  Just my humble opinion, as it is about the right numbers for an annual swap out.

On that note, they could quite easily be the advance Exec group that will administrate Great Wall Motor Company's recent acquisition of General Motors operation in Thailand. They certainly ain't tourists.

42 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

Reports in Pattaya social media, indicted that the latest batch of Chinese tourists are now in Pattaya, out walking around on the beach. Hope wrong.

 

If no photos  it never happened

so does that mean the 300 supposedly coming at the end of the month is now cancelled ??

and the 39 ...  recent .   how come they were allowed to travel   ??

 

someone is telling fibs .....  either this article is telling lies or the 39 chinese arrivals is a lie    ???   which is it  ??

51 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

Reports in Pattaya social media, indicted that the latest batch of Chinese tourists are now in Pattaya, out walking around on the beach. Hope wrong.

 

I rarely believe social media posts.  From what I read, they will be in quarantine for 14 days.  But...we know that rule has been broken before.

12 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

If no photos  it never happened

Fair point.....people would have been rushing around filming and snapping.

Chinese tourists before they arrived

5 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

I rarely believe social media posts.  From what I read, they will be in quarantine for 14 days.  But...we know that rule has been broken before.

Anutin has already said it might be reduced to 10 or none,I suspect for this group it maybe reduced to none as on a case by case basis.

1 minute ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Anutin has already said it might be reduced to 10 or none,I suspect for this group it maybe reduced to none as on a case by case basis.

Luckily, he's not the one making the final decisions.  Doesn't seem to be a very sharp guy....

 

From what I've read, there's a medical panel involved and they are the ones who've been calling the shots.  But, we'll see!  Ya just never know here...LOL