Chiang Mai: Any chance of tourism recovery in tatters after Covid case, TCT chief

[webfact]

Chiang Mai: Any chance of tourism recovery in tatters after Covid case, TCT chief

 

Picture: Sanook

 

The chief of the Tourism Council of Thailand in Chiang Mai indicated that the case of an infected Thai woman who managed to come back from Myanmar and go out and about in the northern Thai city without quarantining was another hammer blow for tourism. 

 

Chairat Trairattanajaratporn told INN, as reported by Sanook, that it was "terrible news" and "should not have been allowed to happen".

 

He said that the private sector was playing its part but cases like this were severely affecting the chances of the country opening up to tourism. 

 

Any hopes of a rise in tourism at the end of the year were now in tatters, he said. 

 

He expected mass cancellations from those who had already booked to go to the city amid the spread of Covid-19.

 

It remains to be seen if anyone was infected by the woman as tracing and testing continues. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-11-30

 

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

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[sammieuk1]

Welcome to the real new normal world chief where people get on with it with less paranoid hysteria ????

[petedk]

Yep my friend's family have just cancelled their New Year trip to Chiang Mai. That is 8 people.

 

I am sure many more will follow.

 

[Phuketshrew]

This stupid woman should be held accountable for her irresponsible actions and the damage she has caused (Along with the other 4 numpties also caught today).

[Scouse123]

Had it been Westerners who had behaved like this, they would have been getting the boiling tar and feathers at the ready

[Dmaxdan]

Hey Mr TCT chief, how about you wait and see how many more infections occur in the next few weeks before you start hammering the final nail into the coffin of Chiang Mai's tourism recovery. 

[GeorgeCross]

stick a fork in it Chiang Mai, your winter season is done.

[ThailandRyan]

13 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Had it been Westerners who had behaved like this, they would have been getting the boiling tar and feathers at the ready

you forgot being deported after a stay in IDC for damaging the image of Thailand.  I have a trip to Chiang Mai scheduled for the end of the week, but if they decide to do something drastic depending upon the test results then all is up in the air....pun intended

[DavisH]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

you forgot being deported after a stay in IDC for damaging the image of Thailand.  I have a trip to Chiang Mai scheduled for the end of the week, but if they decide to do something drastic depending upon the test results then all is up in the air....pun intended

Let's see. Travel may be restricted into and out of the province. But those in contact with the carrier are in quarantine now. It depends on how fast they can round up any others that have been infected.

[Traubert]

Hardly a worry in Phuket.

 

[tomazbodner]

44 minutes ago, petedk said:

Yep my friend's family have just cancelled their New Year trip to Chiang Mai. That is 8 people.

 

I am sure many more will follow.

 

I know of plenty more who cancelled trips to North in December. In total over 25 people.

[ThailandRyan]

If I end up canceling that will be 6 more, and 3 hotel rooms.  They need to get on the ball to mitigate the damage without lying, but then that would be a loss of Face to admit there is a problem, so I am awaiting the "No cases, no positives issue", which will lead to ......well speculation.

[Ventenio]

I was on the phone booking a trip of 100,000 people when the news broke.  

 

They said they can discount each room 1000 baht to 990, you ok?

 

no worry, no worry, no problem....ok ok you pay now!!!

 

if they say there are 100 cases, use your common sense on the real number

 

CM is off the list!!!  nomads.....time to post 2 billion pages of why it's number 1 in the world.

 

the question is....if you are old and weak.....are you taking more precautions now to save your life????

 

i hope so..... DON"T worry.....when COVID is over it will be the GREATEST pollution CM has ever seen.....

[spiekerjozef]

1 hour ago, Phuketshrew said:

This stupid woman should be held accountable for her irresponsible actions and the damage she has caused (Along with the other 4 numpties also caught today).

...as should the virology center in Wuhan.

[darrendsd]

50 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Had it been Westerners who had behaved like this, they would have been getting the boiling tar and feathers at the ready

 

But it wasn't so what's your point?

[CNXBKKMAN]

48 minutes ago, DavisH said:

Let's see. Travel may be restricted into and out of the province. But those in contact with the carrier are in quarantine now. It depends on how fast they can round up any others that have been infected.

Do you know they are in quarantine? My impression was those who may have been in areas where the infected person visited are advised to self quarantine. Nothing about compulsory quarantine or wages being paid,  meals delivered or any help like that. How effective is the quarantine?

[petedk]

29 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

...as should the virology center in Wuhan.

Why????

 

The virus didn't originate from there.

????

[CapeTown]

Dirty old Thai people once again

[Inala]

Seems a massive overreaction to cancel a trip....if not very elderly or immunocompromised, I would just get on with it.

[LomSak27]

Just now, Inala said:

Seems a massive overreaction to cancel a trip....if not very elderly or immunocompromised, I would just get on with it.

 

I don't recommend watching Thai news, too much screaming in domestic crimes and disputes segment, like a Lakhon. But I digress. The news media has been ratcheting themselves into a frenzy about this and YES another case has been found. 

YES, it's a massive overreaction. Same old story, they are doing it to themselves.

 

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, darrendsd said:

 

But it wasn't so what's your point?

 

It's as plain as the nose on your bloody face if you wake up and smell the coffee!

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

23 minutes ago, Inala said:

Seems a massive overreaction to cancel a trip....if not very elderly or immunocompromised, I would just get on with it.

Only reason I will cancel my trip is if they go into a lockdown or make everyone entering quarantine.  At that point it is not worth it.

[dunroaming]

3 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

This stupid woman should be held accountable for her irresponsible actions and the damage she has caused (Along with the other 4 numpties also caught today).

In fairness to her, her symptoms were a fever and vomiting.  Not something you associate with Covid normally.  It is a hammer blow for Chiang Mai though.  My in-laws have cancelled their annual trip as well.

[darrendsd]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

It's as plain as the nose on your bloody face if you wake up and smell the coffee!

 

 

 

But again it wasn't a Westerner so again what's your point?

 

Oh there isn't one

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Chairat Trairattanajaratporn told INN, as reported by Sanook, that it was "terrible news" and "should not have been allowed to happen".

Who'd have thought, a local bar girl bringing CM to it's knees..

[ThailandRyan]

30 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Who'd have thought, a local bar girl bringing CM to it's knees..

I wonder if she was the same one who returned to Chiang Mai from S. Korea at the beginning of the repatriations and failed to self quarantine leading to a major backlash and the current quarantine system as it is.  That would be just to much of a loss of FACE if it was.

[madmitch]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Only reason I will cancel my trip is if they go into a lockdown or make everyone entering quarantine.  At that point it is not worth it.

I was about to book a trip to Chiang Mai. I don't have a problem with the very minor risk of catching COVID-19 while I'm there, my concern is the possibility of ridiculous overreaction: closing the provincial borders or other provinces demanding quarantine or self-isolation for anyone returning from CM, so I'll give it a week or so before booking.

[ThailandRyan]

48 minutes ago, madmitch said:

I was about to book a trip to Chiang Mai. I don't have a problem with the very minor risk of catching COVID-19 while I'm there, my concern is the possibility of ridiculous overreaction: closing the provincial borders or other provinces demanding quarantine or self-isolation for anyone returning from CM, so I'll give it a week or so before booking.

That was and still is my concern. The next 5 days should be very telling.

[Susco]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Who'd have thought, a local bar girl bringing CM to it's knees..

I wonder if she was the same one who returned to Chiang Mai from S. Korea at the beginning of the repatriations and failed to self quarantine

 

I have from a reliable source that there are multiple bar girls in CM.

[Scouse123]

2 hours ago, darrendsd said:

 

But again it wasn't a Westerner so again what's your point?

 

Oh there isn't one

 

The point is the different ways Thai nationals breaching the Covid19 regulations are treated as opposed to foreigners!

The Thais are getting a fine and quarantined for illegal entry back into the country and breaking covid19 rules and procedures, and that's it.

A foreigner would be paraded through the media, have a photo of with the usual 20 policemen,they would then be on TV and vilified for their actions, spend time in  jail on remand, be charged by the police and put before the courts to be sentenced.

And finally they would have a spell in IDC and no doubt be blacklisted from the country.

The double standards is the point!