‘Vaccine passports’ could allow foreigners to visit Thailand without quarantine: TAT

[placnx]

10 hours ago, Oldie said:

Okay - vaccinated people can come without quarantine. What will happen if they are here? Do they have to expect the same limitations as not vaccinated people here? Can they enjoy a soapy massage and not vaccinated people not? Can they drink alcohol when and wherever they want? And endless other things. How will this be? A two class society? 

 

And how do they check if the vaccination (still) protects? 

 

The digital WHO card is not the end. We have to have up to date information about individual vaccines, about when they may start to stop giving protection, as you say. Presumably only vaccinated tourists will be visiting, those whose jabs are still working.

[placnx]

13 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

From the WHO website

WHO | International certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis

This is the old form now. Estonia is working now on a new one.

[Sean60]

Finally a good idea. 

Green Passports are benign issued in some countries and should be good enough to enter the country.

It is now almost one year since the government closed the borders and the hospitality business has collapsed.

Please open the borders with no quarantine for people that are vaccinated. 

 

[Poet]

4 hours ago, robertson468 said:

"Thailand will replace testing and quarantine with a vaccination requirement, for all visas and visa extensions, within the next 3 months."   In view of how far behind Thailand is on obtaining the vaccine, I think you are a litte optomistic in your time line? 

In terms of their own population, starting in February should allow them to innoculate their most vulnerable (however they choose to delineate that) by May.

Resident foreigners will be expected to pay to get the vaccine privately and to present proof before receiving their next extension. By the time they introduce the rule, availability won't be a problem if you have the money.

For foreigners arriving by air, the airlines will already require passengers to present proof of innoculation. By around April the government schemes in the West will have extended beyond specific age groups and, for those who do not wish to wait, private availability should be high.

The main source of outbreaks will continue to be the relatively uncontrolled inflow from neighboring countries, in particular Myanmar.
 

 

4 hours ago, robertson468 said:

I also think the WHO should be involved in the design of the Certificate.

It will probably be more useful if the certificate is in languages other than Chinese.

P.S. It pains me that, yet again, I have somehow managed to make @Salerno sad. Truly, he must be the most sensitive soul in all Thailand.

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Poet

[placnx]

6 minutes ago, connda said:

Why not a full hazmat suit.  The airlines could make a killing by requiring hazmat suits if the get into the business of supplying them at the airport (HAZMAT REQUIRED  $300 per day)

Considering how many people were infected by a single superspreader in bars, you should consider that aerosols could be blown in your eyes when someone breathers or sneezes in your vicinity on a plane. The eyes are one of the most vulnerable sites to entrance by a pathogen.

[elliss]

11 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Love the photo with its "Immune Passport - Covid 19" showing.  The vaccine does not make one Immune to the virus, just lessens the impact it may have on a person.....

 

      What about 90 day reporting  to immi .

        Maybe , one would need to prove they have had,

       the vaccine jab , in the last 90 days ...

 

[placnx]

10 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

 

something like this?  maybe updated as a plastic card with embedded chip?

 

This is not enough of a solution. It needs a whole digital infrastructure to verify the document's authenticity, the continuing effectiveness of the vaccination, etc

[daejung]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

A reasonable approach.

 

Although vaccinated people may still present a risk of transmission. Those who have been vaccinated and taken a pre-flight Covid-19 test have a minimal chance of carrying the virus in to Thailand. 

 

 

Other countries have a smaller ‘quarantine requirements’ i.e. a Covid-19 RT PCR test on arrival and quarantine for a day while awaiting test results. Not idea, but much better than what currently exists. 

 

The issue with any of the plans is that there is no water-tight solution and any easing brings additional risk of the spread of Covid-19.

 

 

Confirmed vaccination along with pre-flight and arrival Covid-19 tests (and track and trace) should handle the vast majority of risk while allowing opening Thailands tourist sector back up.

 

It is critical that Thailands tourism sector be allowed off its knees and take steps towards getting back on its feet - the potential devastation to millions without a robust social welfare safety net is essential not only to those individuals but the fabric of the nation.

I fully agree. My extension of stay expires on the first days of april and I would immediately go to Thailand if I am vaccinated and if quarantine, covid insurance, application tracking are dropped when vaccinated.

But it seems unlikely for me to be vaccinated in France by march since I have no comorbities and with french government and bureaucracy

Edited January 27, 2021 by daejung

[madmen]

42 minutes ago, shackleton said:

Why don't the government just wait until all or  most Thais have received the vaccine then seriously think about letting the foreign tourist in 

Looks like they are getting desperate and running out of good ideas 

They are getting desperate running out of cash. This isn't some first world throwing around trillions of $$$ 

What could possibly be a better idea to kick start tourism @ 22% GDP? 

[Poet]

12 minutes ago, placnx said:

The eyes are one of the most vulnerable sites to entrance by a pathogen.

It amazes me that at this point, when proof of vaccination is not yet required for air travel, passengers are not issued with high-grade masks (rather than whatever nonsense they happen to bring themselves) and goggles.

If this pandemic has taught us anything it is that a substantial minority of people lack the abilty to process the simple concepts necessary to protect themselves and others.

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Poet

[connda]

4 minutes ago, placnx said:

Considering how many people were infected by a single superspreader in bars, you should consider that aerosols could be blown in your eyes when someone breathers or sneezes in your vicinity on a plane. The eyes are one of the most vulnerable sites to entrance by a pathogen.

Be afraid!!!!  Muhhhhaahhh.  Be very afraid............
Of a virus that kills 0.06 percent of the population, primarily those over 65 (raises hand: "That's me") with co-morbidities (serious health problems - like a lot of Farangs my age who continue to eat their Farang diets are suffer from obesity, diabetes, and other problems that can be mitigate). 

[connda]

5 minutes ago, placnx said:

This is not enough of a solution. It needs a whole digital infrastructure to verify the document's authenticity, the continuing effectiveness of the vaccination, etc

A Global Solution!!! 
Trouble is?  In a nationalistic place like Thailand.  They aren't going to play.

[placnx]

21 minutes ago, connda said:

Why not a full hazmat suit.  The airlines could make a killing by requiring hazmat suits if the get into the business of supplying them at the airport (HAZMAT REQUIRED  $300 per day)

A lot of airlines require masks, and I believe that Qatar Airway requires face shields as well.

[Poet]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

A Global Solution!!! 
Trouble is?  In a nationalistic place like Thailand.  They aren't going to play.

Money Number One.

 

[DavisH]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

A Global Solution!!! 
Trouble is?  In a nationalistic place like Thailand.  They aren't going to play.

They will play. They have to, or their tourism industry is dead (well, more dead than it is now). The longer it goes on the less likely it can recover. 

[placnx]

9 hours ago, internationalism said:

high season is winter time, not spring (too hot in thailand) or summer-autumn (rainy season). Even if not 10-14 days quarantine in thailand, tourists will have it in return to their countries (already to the UK, and now also to the USA).

 

before jumping into unknown, stick to the old ideas:

 

travel corridors with not infected countries. That first would be Asian countries, short, continental flights, allowing shortish stays, group travel and cheap enough for family holidays. China is the main country to have ready traffic, with korea, india following.

 

develop local tourism (the international one is 12% of gdp, domestic one 6% - not huge, but able to sustain)

 

limited quarantine on islands - beach resorts with 1km radius of free movement, after short time allowing on

all island, later to anywhere

 

in the meantime offer quarantine at cheap hotels hotels with less stringent health regulations. Starting from 1000b per night, allowing budget travellers (that price was offered for thai repatriating the last year, who didn't want to stay in military barracks).

 

 

Travel corridors haven't worked well so far, but in the future, even after digital WHO cards are used, some countries may differentiate between passengers arriving from countries where the virus in "under control" and others. There may be differing degrees of checking passengers depending on the probability that they might be infected.

[Stuart G]

Why do they still insist on saying a 14 day quarantine.

When  you cannot get a ASQ hotel for anything less than 16 days?

Those extra 2 days make a big difference.

In the UK its 10 days self isolation,which can be cut down to 5 if you pay for a second test.

You are also allowed to isolate at your home.

As far as I am aware(I could be wrong),the vast majority of people to have skipped quarantine in Thailand have been Thai nationals.

[VBF]

11 hours ago, robblok said:

I can hear the anti vaxers crying already. Boo hoo vaccinated people dont have to quarantine but I have too.. Discrimination I want the same rights even though i dont vaccinate.

 

Many people already thought that tourist countries would do this now it seems that it comes true.

I seem to recall you and I discussing that (and agreeing) back in about June?

As far as I'm concerned, the anti-vaxxers may insert their heads back up their anal orifices and enjoy the never-changing view!

I wanna travel ASAP!

[VBF]

10 hours ago, DaLa said:

I can understand your thinking, however this is Thailand and I personally believe that the enterprising Thais would have their businesses cleaned, re-painted, open and ready for trade before the first flight from the west had touched down.  I have friends in the UK that have to jump through hoops for months to open a business, here my wife was up and running ( not tourism related)  in a day when we first set up our operation here.

 

Back to your last sentence, I agree it will be the west that will pose the difficulty.  For example someone has to get BA to re-think their decision to cancel flights to BKK until November. 

Stuff BA which is nearly a third-world airline!!

Emirates will be back the day they're allowed...look at their website and the progress they're making (by the way, I'm British )

[ChouDoufu]

8 minutes ago, placnx said:

This is not enough of a solution. It needs a whole digital infrastructure to verify the document's authenticity, the continuing effectiveness of the vaccination, etc

 

cards

card readers

database

done.

 

it's not like we gotta reinvent the wheel.  credit cards, passports, id cards - the technology is already available.  you can even add blockchain if you wanna sound hip.

 

your card data will hold your personal information, date of initial vaccination and all boosters, vaccine version, manufacturer, lot number, facility giving the injections...scanned into the system from the barcodes on the vials.

 

the who can maintain the database with the various vaccines using information supplied by the manufacturers. 

[placnx]

7 hours ago, jonclark said:

Well lets just hope that Covid doesn't turn out to be one of those pesky influenza type viruses that rapidly evolves and mutates, so that a new vaccine is required every year, otherwise this proposal probably won't work, as it would require the production / updating of a new passport every year. 

 

I mean there is only one strain of covid isn't there? (rhetorical question). 

Airlines will probably have to check your vaccination record when you make a reservation. Answer may come back that you need a booster.

[Paradise Pete]

13 hours ago, luk AJ said:

 

can you please share the source that vaccinated people may still present a risk of transmission?

 

It's too soon to know, as there isn't enough data yet. It's considered unlikely but possible, so the word "may" seems like an appropriate choice.

 

A vaccine doesn't mean you can't get infected, it means your body can quickly fight it off when you do. It's possible that during that time you can still transmit it. Time will tell.

[Suetape]

Even though I have received Covid-19 vaccination already I'm staying put in the USA at least until the fall...

 

[daejung]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Then those who work with the pubic etc etc...

I guess you meant "public" 5555 . Those working with the pubic might be in danger too ????

[VBF]

2 hours ago, dash said:

For people who want to travel but have to wait until ...to get the innoculation becaus they are not in the acutual selection. Most over 85 who get now vaccinated do not travel a lot.

I'm 65 and have "guesstimated" that I'll get my first dose about March / April, IF things go as planned. If second dose is in June, I SHOULD be good to go...and ready to travel.

[daejung]

13 hours ago, madmitch said:

What the TAT think is not necessarily what the Governmant wants.

and what the "government/junta" wants is not necessarily what the people wants

[cjinchiangrai]

17 minutes ago, placnx said:

This is not enough of a solution. It needs a whole digital infrastructure to verify the document's authenticity, the continuing effectiveness of the vaccination, etc

It has been the solution for decades. No additional infrastructure required beyond execution for anti-vaxxers that might forge their documents. The vast majority would be authentic, just like the current forms.

 

An updated one linked to your passport would be cool, but it also creates a problem of loading previous vaccinations into the system. I would rather not go back for a dozen more shots.

 

[stuandjulie]

2 hours ago, connda said:

And yet from the Mayo Clinic:
"A vaccine may not prevent you from getting the COVID-19 virus. But if you do get it, the vaccination may keep you from becoming seriously ill."  <Google it.  It's out there>
So if you get the vaccine, and you can still get Covid, then that means you can still "carry (the) infection or transfer it" which means I'm still totally confused.  You get the vaccine you can still get Covid, carry it, and transmit it.  But you get a Vaccination Passport which allow you to .... <my head hurts>, show that you're not a carrier of a virus you may be carrying?  (I've got a headache).  ????

For a Cornovirus flu that kills 0.06% of those who get it and primarily those over the age of 65 (Raises hand - "That's me!!!")

Ok - why not.  Let's just take the entire world's economy off a cliff, well except for the Big Boys i.e., major multi global international mega-corporations who are anointed as "Essential Businesses." 
Yeah.  Why not?  Make perfect sense to me.
 

Why do people keep saying it is flu ? It isn't ! Also lets just make up random incorrect percentages ?

[VBF]

2 hours ago, curlylekan said:

 

I still don't think they get. It's not just about the ASQ. It is also about everything else that a person has to get together. If it was just a negative covid test and ASQ, I would honestly be there asap, but all the other paperwork to get together in the right amount of time and the Thai embassy people in the Netherlands are no help whatsoever/useless, make coming to Thailand nearly impossible. I don't understand the incompetence.

But requirements are changing on almost a daily basis, and with Vax being such a game-changer, I would expect all that to change as well.

[VBF]

1 hour ago, ThaiFelix said:

Nothing new here.  When I first traveled back in the 70's we all had to carry little yellow immunisation books (yellow fever, small pox etc) to enter certain countries.

 

Although vaccinated it never really helped my yellow fever though ????

Still got mine (book, that is, not YF) - until I looked at it recently I'd forgotten just how many vacs I'd had in the 70s / 80s. Add to that the ones I had as a kid, and I'm baffled by anti-vaxxers!