Tourism industry asks government to reconsider travel bubble

[snoop1130]

Tourism industry asks government to reconsider travel bubble

 

 

The former president of Thailand Hotels Association, Supawan Thanomkietipumi, is proposing the government reconsider the “Travel Bubble” as a way to help revive tourism.

 

Supawan said there is demand in the Chinese tourist market to travel to Thailand, but the Chinese government still does not allow tour companies to operate abroad. The only way, she thinks, to help tourism in Thailand is for the Thai government to enter a direct dialogue with their Chinese counterparts.

 

Last week, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, tourism and sports minister, said during a press briefing, that the ministry is planning to welcome Chinese tourists, as the first group of foreign tourists entering Thailand without a mandatory quarantine during the Lunar New Year.

 

Phiphat said the “travel bubble” will focus on the provinces that have been covid-free for 150 days. He added that he hopes the government will approve the plan before January 1st, saying that this will be a gift to Thailand, to be a guideline to revive Thai economy.

 

Last Friday, Thai Public Health ministry revealed a list of low-risk countries proposed to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), the list include China, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, etc. Visitors from These countries have to be quarantined for 10 days, shorter than the current mandatory 14 days.

 

For the provinces that will welcome these visitors, will be those where the local people accept the idea. Initially, there are ten provinces including Chonburi and Burirum. Provinces which join the program have to be well prepared and able to provide quarantine facilities and medical services as needed.

 

Recently, the Thai cabinet approved a project to develop human resources for tourism, to cope with the “new normal” way of travel, with a budget of almost 67 million Baht. The project started in October and will run until September next year, hoping to be able to train around 12,000 individuals in popular tourism provinces in Thailand.

 

Earlier this month, Hong Kong’s financial secretary Paul Chan, said in the TV interview with CNBC, that there are ongoing discussions with countries, including Thailand and Japan to enter a “travel bubble” with Hong Kong.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/tourism-industry-asks-government-to-reconsider-travel-bubble/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-11-09

 

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[alianware]

Are there no people in the world anymore than chinese and chinese ?? 

[sammieuk1]

Blowing bubbles again tourism is finished this season again without a vaccine stop trying to attract your assassins first would also be a little more palatable ????  

[uncle_tom]

Will China let it's citizens travel now? And if they do, will they insist on quarantine when they return to China?

 

Aside from that of course, Chinese tourism only benefits a few hotels and condos, and the airlines who deliver them. The casual tourist spending in bars and restaurants, that is an economic lifeline for many poorer families in Thailand - is almost non-existent by Chinese visitors..

[MasterBaker]

Most Chinese tours are all-inclusive, tie to open your eyes and focus on domestic travel

[rupert the bear]

its quite obvious the govts plan here,they wish to be a carbon copy of china so they can be in govt for ever .so they court the fascists in beijing and try to model themselves a la cambodia and laos.theyll screw thailand but so long as they have the power and money they dont care. its their raison d'etre.debt is good it puts them further in command.vaccs are here now so what bs will they trundle out now to stop western tourists/govt at the expense of the chosen ones?they will of course want our vaccs.i think perhaps we should say no and leave them with the emporers as after all they now sit firmly in the enemy camp.western vacc are far superior to mainland ones as the process is different ,china vaccs are the old style of vacc using a part of the actual virus stimulating a response ,the others are totally different and up to 90% effective as oppsoed to about 40 or 50%.lets see how they change  that logic.put the boot in on the scum bags for everyones sake and get the goon squad down the road.a new change with vaccs is coming and a new political scene too.im sick of corrupt autocratic feudalism.

[outsider]

9 hours ago, alianware said:

Are there no people in the world anymore than chinese and chinese ?? 

 

No, according to Thailand. Westerners, farangs and the similar sorts are dirty, pesky, infected and have no money. The rest of the world simply does not exist, as far as Thailand is concerned. So yes, just their Chinese paymasters exist, then.

 

[mstevens]

When will the Thais get it that as long as there is any requirement to quarantine that the vast majority of visitors just won't be interested.

[ChrisY1]

While countries retain quarantine systems for visitors and returning residents....tourism is dead....get over it!

2 weeks quarantine at each end of a 2 week holiday away from ones' country, is plain stupid.....like tourist authorities here....stupid.

[mrfill]

10 hours ago, alianware said:

Are there no people in the world anymore than chinese and chinese ?? 

Only the odd 82%

[FinChin67]

Surely he (Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn) is concerned...

The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, is the wealthiest member of cabinet with a net worth of over five billion baht, according to the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) latest disclosures.

https://www.marketscreener.com/business-leaders/Phiphat-Ratchakitprakarn-0GH3G1-E/biography/

[alianware]

1 hour ago, outsider said:

 

No, according to Thailand. Westerners, farangs and the similar sorts are dirty, pesky, infected and have no money. The rest of the world simply does not exist, as far as Thailand is concerned. So yes, just their Chinese paymasters exist, then.

 

I think so too. Until the whole bars area and the dollars are empty and they will suddenly realize that there are still need farangs.

[nobodysfriend]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the Chinese government still does not allow tour companies to operate abroad.

They have a reason for this .

They are worried that the chinese tourists will become infected abroad and take the virus back to China .

They seem to be more careful than ...

 

To the many posters here who wish for quarantine to be abolished ... don't you see what is going on in the world ?

Exponential growth of infections about everywhere , and still many believe that the virus is nothing but a hoax ?

Go and visit a hospital in the US or Uk , or France , Spain , Italy , India etc ...

[judokrab]

12 hours ago, alianware said:

Are there no people in the world anymore than chinese and chinese ?? 

There’s also the Chinese. 

[Cadan]

Brilliant idea. Where is Taiwan on the list ? Or is that included in China ?

[micmichd]

2 hours ago, alianware said:

I think so too. Until the whole bars area and the dollars are empty and they will suddenly realize that there are still need farangs.

First Farangs spend their time and their money on vaccinations and quarantine in their home countries, then they can spend the rest of their vacations in Thailand. 

You've got only money for 2 more weeks after quarantine?  Then spend much much money within these 2 weeks, and after that you return unless you have an appropriate visa. 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The former president of Thailand Hotels Association, Supawan Thanomkietipumi, is proposing the government reconsider the “Travel Bubble” as a way to help revive tourism.

OMG the bubble rises again.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, mstevens said:

When will the Thais get it that as long as there is any requirement to quarantine that the vast majority of visitors just won't be interested.

Eventually when no-one comes.

[Sean60]

Here is idea: The borders have been closed for 9 months. Perhaps the kind and generous government of Thailand can make a relief package which includes us falangs that have business here as well????

SORRY, I FORGOT THAT YOU CARE ONLY FOR YOUR OWN POCKETS!!!! 

[newnative]

13 hours ago, uncle_tom said:

Will China let it's citizens travel now? And if they do, will they insist on quarantine when they return to China?

 

Aside from that of course, Chinese tourism only benefits a few hotels and condos, and the airlines who deliver them. The casual tourist spending in bars and restaurants, that is an economic lifeline for many poorer families in Thailand - is almost non-existent by Chinese visitors..

   I guess you missed yesterdays Thai Visa story:  "Pattaya's Boat Operators Bemoan the Lack of Chinese Tourists".

[SupermarineS6B]

1 hour ago, Cadan said:

Brilliant idea. Where is Taiwan on the list ? Or is that included in China ?

Exactly, i'm in Taiwan now and it's supposed to be one of the lowest infected in the world........ Or is it for political reasons that it's been omitted ?    Wouldn't want to upset the new owners ..........  ?  

[SupermarineS6B]

9 minutes ago, newnative said:

   I guess you missed yesterdays Thai Visa story:  "Pattaya's Boat Operators Bemoan the Lack of Chinese Tourists".

Must be getting bored of not wiping the poor little souls out.......  Or was it   " Thai salvage companies bemoan the lack of sinkings due to lack of badly maintained unseaworthy vessels jam packed with gullible Chinese people not setting sail "  ?  

[tomauasia]

Just another Prayut licker with 0 knowledge of what's required. Another free salary taker who does nothing 

[aussiexpat]

I'm all for the travel bubble, seeing as how Australia is on the list of safe countries ????

 

Seems to have worked for Australia who let New Zealand travellers in without requiring quarantine. 

[Spock]

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

They have a reason for this .

They are worried that the chinese tourists will become infected abroad and take the virus back to China .

They seem to be more careful than ...

 

To the many posters here who wish for quarantine to be abolished ... don't you see what is going on in the world ?

Exponential growth of infections about everywhere , and still many believe that the virus is nothing but a hoax ?

Go and visit a hospital in the US or Uk , or France , Spain , Italy , India etc ...

New Zealanders can now enter Australia without quarantining. It shouldn't be necessary between countries that have no or very few active cases. Expecting people to quarantine is not going to resuscitate tourism. Nobody expects Thailand to open up to the countries you mention, but a quarantine free bubble with covid free countries would be a good way to reintroduce tourists to the country. With a vaccine just around the corner, the risks are not so great if tourism is currently contained to a select few countries, but not just China. 

[Laughing Gravy]

These people really do live in a bubble.

[JusticeGB]

The idea of a travel bubble is to do away with quarantine requirements from participating countries not just to reduce quarantine from 14 to 10 days. Or would the words paid for luxury prison be more appropriate? Until the idiots running TAT understand what basic ideas like travel bubbles mean Thailand has no hope of a restoration of the tourism industry. 

[davidmann]

15 hours ago, alianware said:

Are there no people in the world anymore than chinese and chinese ?? 

Amazing ,the  Chinese  ,start a virus ,the whole world is sick ,millions of people lost there Jobs/Dead, business  failure  everywhere. ,not many people not been effected by this ,WHAT DO THAILAND COME UP WITH TO REWARD THE CHINESE COME ON HOLIDAY. , has anybody opened wild animal restaurant  yet to make them feel at home.  ,special of the day Bat soup 

[bermondburi]

I think Thailand is going to miss out in the end as other places open up. Dubai is open now and has been for a while, infections are stable at around 1000 a day. Healthcare services are coping fine. 

 

I'm in Saudi, also open with a 3 day self isolation at home required on arrival. And a negative test prior to leaving origin country. Case numbers have been stable at under 500 a day for a long time now. Healthcare services are also coping fine. 

 

Apart from having to wear a mask at all times everything is absolutely normal. Restaurants open as normal, coffee shops open as normal. I'm at work as normal and have been for a long time. We've had people get sick, but we've carried on and it's been okay. 

 

Not suggesting UK numbers are okay, but there has to be a certain number of cases that are manageable. If the Thai healthcare system is so great what are they worried about. They've kind of gone for overkill IMO. 

 

We have to learn to live with this. 

[robbioff]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

They have a reason for this .

They are worried that the chinese tourists will become infected abroad and take the virus back to China .

They seem to be more careful than ...

 

To the many posters here who wish for quarantine to be abolished ... don't you see what is going on in the world ?

Exponential growth of infections about everywhere , and still many believe that the virus is nothing but a hoax ?

Go and visit a hospital in the US or Uk , or France , Spain , Italy , India etc ...

Look at the survival rates, over 99.5%, and tell me this isn’t a global over-reaction