9 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is what happens when you have failed to provide a speedy vaccination plan to the Thai people. 

Please enlighten us as to how the process could have been made any faster here or anywhere else in the world, given that these vaccines have already been created and tested in record shattering time. And would you also include your own plan for mass distribution to tens of millions of people? If you think it's so easy to do maybe you should volunteer instead of complaining. 

9 hours ago, Freeduhdum said:

Once you take a look at all of the various government responses to these new emerging strains... it becomes clear, that New Normal is going to be anything but normal... and NCC1701A's comment is ever more relevant. 

Each and every expert on this has already been saying for some time this is something that may always be with us, like the flu. Vaccines and protective measures will reduce the threat But it will likely never disappear. It is foolish for anyone to think otherwise

9 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

It's not about tourism at the moment, do you not get that?  No one is expecting tourists to do three weeks quarantine, this is about trying to protect Thailand from the virus.

No, he does not get it, obviously. 

17 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Please enlighten us as to how the process could have been made any faster here or anywhere else in the world, given that these vaccines have already been created and tested in record shattering time. And would you also include your own plan for mass distribution to tens of millions of people? If you think it's so easy to do maybe you should volunteer instead of complaining. 

It certainly could have been a lot faster here.

 

Did you completely miss the arrest of Thanathorn for questioning the vaccine purchasing process and lack of transparency?

Just another nail in the tourism coffin. 

10 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is what happens when you have failed to provide a speedy vaccination plan to the Thai people. 

tell that to the EU

1 minute ago, steve187 said:

tell that to the EU

No need they are already vaccinating have you not noticed? https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

None of the vaccines confer immunity.  They are only designed to prevent moderate to severe symptoms of the disease.  The J&J Vaccine is said to be 100% effective at preventing moderate and severe symptoms of the SA variant 69 days after the single shot vaccination.  In some people, protection against the virus wears off after about three months and people who have had and recovered from one variant of the disease can still catch a different strain.  Also, people who have had a mild case of the virus can be infected again with a more severe case.   In addition, the longer billions of people go unvaccinated, the more variant strains are likely to emerge.  This is likely to be a years-long complicated battle.  My money is on the J&J vaccine to become the best prophylactic for the foreseeable future but this is a war and there may be many twists and turns coming.  This is not the appropriate time to be thinking of leisure travel.  Beating the virus should be our sole focus.  As to the hungry and unemployed, governments and international institutions should step up to provide for their subsistence.  We need to go on a wartime footing against the virus.

8 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

Who gets 4-5 weeks of holiday? Most get 2 weeks.

Where do you live ? I get 7 weeks

Boy, that will get them 10 million tourists by the end of the year

5 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Absolutely agree, its still an unknown to a certain extent but plans are being made:

 

The UK vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said people may need a Covid booster jab in autumn as more variants emerge

 

“Efforts are under way to develop a new generation of vaccines that will allow protection to be redirected to emerging variants as booster jabs, if it turns out that it is necessary to do so,” said Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford.

 

All the manufacturers are now looking at creating new vaccines to better target the South African variant.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/07/covid-vaccine-booster-variants-emerge-minister

Whatever Prof Gilbert says - LISTEN! The lady is brilliant and very unassuming.

Watch this https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000qdzd/panorama-the-race-for-a-vaccine

10 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

Excellent news, the beaches will be worth visiting for another year... I'll be popping down to my fav guest house in Hua Hin soon... Soi 67

53 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

would you also include your own plan for mass distribution to tens of millions of people? If you think it's so easy to do maybe you should volunteer instead of complaining. 

Where can I apply?

8 minutes ago, VBF said:

Whatever Prof Gilbert says - LISTEN! The lady is brilliant and very unassuming.

Watch this https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000qdzd/panorama-the-race-for-a-vaccine

I would like to but its not available in Thailand to watch

The vaccins do protect from the variants but less . They are talking of adapting the vaccins not yet produced to adapt to the variants, apparently not a huge task. As for the S Africa variants , it’s practically all over Europe ! Easier to catch, not so deadly. GB has a lot due to its previously open borders and has a population of South Africans. So does the south of France where South Africans come to work on the yachts etc. 

10 hours ago, gunderhill said:

I  don't  think most Africans get even 1  day  holiday.

it's the Thais who do not have to have a neg. test result before getting a COE who are the spreaders 

It will be years of a roller coaster ride with Covid and all the variants now and upcoming. The “new normal” will be a tricky little <deleted> as countries try to hold their economies together. If they don’t acknowledge that this disease is here to stay and make attempts to balance the risk the country will lose much more than just tourism market share. There is a big reckoning coming and countries from around the globe will respond because eventually ... there is little choice. 

10 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

They really do not want anymore tourists... 3 weeks of quarantine when you have a total of 4-5 weeks of holiday available per year from your work... 

I don't know any Africans that come for a 4 week holiday

5 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Absolutely agree, its still an unknown to a certain extent but plans are being made:

 

The UK vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said people may need a Covid booster jab in autumn as more variants emerge

 

“Efforts are under way to develop a new generation of vaccines that will allow protection to be redirected to emerging variants as booster jabs, if it turns out that it is necessary to do so,” said Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford.

 

All the manufacturers are now looking at creating new vaccines to better target the South African variant.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/07/covid-vaccine-booster-variants-emerge-minister

The actual science is; that because of the protein spikes of the Covid 19, that are 'keys' to infecting cells, can change (Theoretically) simply on cell interaction, the number of variants could be large. Whether this will actually happen is something else...but the upside of such mutations is that they could also produce a strain that is less harmful.

10 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is what happens when you have failed to provide a speedy vaccination plan to the Thai people. 

Or supply ANY plan ... Maybe the Thai Space Shuttle will feed the country

 

12 minutes ago, geisha said:

The vaccins do protect from the variants but less . They are talking of adapting the vaccins not yet produced to adapt to the variants, apparently not a huge task. As for the S Africa variants , it’s practically all over Europe ! Easier to catch, not so deadly. GB has a lot due to its previously open borders and has a population of South Africans. So does the south of France where South Africans come to work on the yachts etc. 

You are somewhat incorrect on your SA comments for UK. Flights from SA were banned weeks ago, latest figures showed a few hundred cases with SA variant and surge testing has been conducted where these cases were found.  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/uk-total-of-170-cases-of-south-africa-covid-variant-reassuring

However, that is not to say it won't spread further and spread but given we are in lockdown then hopefully that should be limited. Given there is now manadatory hotel quarantine from 33 countries in response to SA and Brazilian variants, one would hope further cases from those areas aren't introduced.

 

Main concern is lack of AZ effectiveness against mild and moderate illness for SA variant but they state it should still provide good protection against severe illness i.e. hospitalisation. AZ state they are re-engineering their vaccine for SA and this will be released later in year and I suspect people will be given booster shots. Pfizer and Moderna state their vaccines offer good protection against SA variant, albeit reduced.

The CCP is trying to persuade its population into believing C19 didn't even originate from there and originated elsewhere. State media is pushing that narrative. ITV news in UK interviewed some people in Wuhan one year on and some of them stated it came from USA! The whole C19 thing is being pushed as a Chinese triumph over adversity. 

 

Also interesting to note the WHO were prevented from free access to the data and resources they have requested. CCP, as always, trying to control the situation. Just as they did when covering up the initial events and lying about it not being transmitted via human contact even when they already knew it was. 

10 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

Maybe it would make more sense to require Thai nationals to take a Covid test before travelling. Rather than sticking a potential carrier of a more infectious strain in a small metal tube with other people for 10 hours ... 

Thai nationals are required to take a PCR test with negative result not more than 72 hours before an international flight arriving in Bangkok.... not by the Thai government but by the airlines, including Thai International repatriation flights

5 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Thai nationals are required to take a PCR test with negative result not more than 72 hours before an international flight arriving in Bangkok.... not by the Thai government but by the airlines, including Thai International repatriation flights

Is that really the case? Several people on this forum throughout 2020 reported that Thai people were not being asked to provide negative C19 test prior to repatriation flight. Rather, being asked to provide a fit-to-fly certificate (for Thai International repatriation flights at least). Other airlines who got involved e.g Emirates, were taking a different approach and asking for a test afaik. 

5 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Thai nationals are required to take a PCR test with negative result not more than 72 hours before an international flight arriving in Bangkok.... not by the Thai government but by the airlines, including Thai International repatriation flights

Not on Thai Airways https://www.thaiairways.com/en_GB/plan/travel_information/travel_requirements.page#Entry Requirements to Thailand for Thai Nationals

 

Only a fit to fly certificate 

That would be great really. OK, I only remember the 70ties. We had a fantastic time. Not only just because of the ladies (well as well????) . Thailand was really authentic at the time. Less traffic, bars and rules. We will not see this again, but at least we  will get a little set back now.

3 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

Is that really the case?

 

No. Some airlines require all passengers to have a negative test, but not all.

Sad news indeed. Forget about the 5 million tourist... good by tourism 

25 minutes ago, Feingeist said:

That would be great really. OK, I only remember the 70ties. We had a fantastic time. Not only just because of the ladies (well as well????) . Thailand was really authentic at the time. Less traffic, bars and rules. We will not see this again, but at least we  will get a little set back now.

Meanwhile the Thai people who haven't got jobs or who are on reduced salaries/hours due to this pandemic are suffering but hey, as long as you have a good time like the good 'ol days all is OK. 

 

I understand why people want the Thailand without tourist overload back (I first came in early 2000s and it has changed a lot since then, so obviously huge changes since 70s). But if it's at the cost of ruining people's lives, they are hardly going to be sporting much of the Thai smile.