Thai PM orders study on 'vaccine passports' to boost tourism

[webfact]

Thai PM orders study on 'vaccine passports' to boost tourism

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul applaud next to a container as they attend the arrival of a plane with a shipment of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from China at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, February 24, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's prime minister said on Tuesday he has commissioned a study to look into issuing COVID-19 vaccination certificates for international travellers, as the country seeks to revive a tourism industry battered by coronavirus curbs.

 

The Southeast Asian nation has been mulling the idea of so-called "vaccine passports", but no target date has been set and tourism operators have complained about lost revenue.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand will proceed with caution, waiting to see how effective vaccines are first in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

 

"I have already ordered the study so we can be prepared, but it's also important that we proceed in line with other countries," Prayuth said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday.

 

People in Thailand who are vaccinated would be given certificates, which could be used for international travel, he said.

Thai authorities will meet next week to discuss procedures to obtain such certificates, as well as quarantine arrangements for tourists with "vaccine passports" entering Thailand.

 

Previously, officials have said vaccinated visitors could have mandatory quarantine cut from two weeks to three days or waived entirely.

 

The global vaccine rollout has given hope to the pandemic-hit tourism industry, which makes up about 11% of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

 

In 2020, Thailand's tourism revenue slumped to 332 billion baht ($10.94 billion) from 1.91 trillion baht a year earlier, as visitor numbers plunged by 83%.

 

($1 = 30.3600 baht)

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Ed Davies)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-02

 

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[tribalfusion001]

Vaccine to enter, no thanks. Negative PCR test is enough and no quarantine.

[RichardColeman]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

 Thailand's prime minister said on Tuesday he has commissioned a study to look into issuing COVID-19 vaccination certificates for international travellers

Yes...

[Geoffggi]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's prime minister said on Tuesday he has commissioned a study to look into issuing COVID-19 vaccination certificates for international travellers, as the country seeks to revive a tourism industry battered by coronavirus curbs.

I cannot see how this will benefit Thailand as it is the rest of the world that need to adopt a means of registration for a passport/certificate for travelers to come to Thailand. Then Thailand to drop it's quarantine restrictions.

[hioctane]

US is expected to have enough supply to vaccinate adults by May... Get moving Thailand!  Figure out a way to make vaccine passports happen. The Middle East is already testing a version. Maybe Thailand can just piggyback off it.

[mtls2005]

Committee time.

 

 

[mjakob007]

3 minutes ago, hioctane said:

US is expected to have enough supply to vaccinate adults by May... Get moving Thailand!  Figure out a way to make vaccine passports happen. The Middle East is already testing a version. Maybe Thailand can just piggyback off it.

no no no

 

we have to RE-invent the wheel.

every time

[crazykopite]

????LOL????

[lazj58]

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I cannot see how this will benefit Thailand as it is the rest of the world that need to adopt a means of registration for a passport/certificate for travelers to come to Thailand. Then Thailand to drop it's quarantine restrictions.

Im pretty sure you'll fide thats what they meant. Der!!

 

[Jimbo2014]

The year is 2023.  Thailand convenes its 15th workshop to discuss the findings of the 3rd study into vaccine effectiveness.  A workshop to discuss the location of the seminar is being planned but first a committee must meet to review the lunch menu for the workshop.  The 7th discussion panel on vaccine passports is due to take place in 2024.  Thailand still remains temporarily closed on all borders. ????

Edited March 3, 2021 by Jimbo2014

[fordguy61mi]

16 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Vaccine to enter, no thanks. Negative PCR test is enough and no quarantine.

Unless they say so. It IS their country, lest you forget.

[newnative]

     Well, let's see.  First we would need to be vaccinated in order to get a vaccine passport to allow us to travel so first Thailand would need to have millions of doses of vaccines.  Instead of a study on vaccine passports, how about a study on why there are no vaccines in sufficient quantities now?  And, why there are none until June at the very earliest.  Maybe less study and more action.

[lks7689]

16 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Vaccine to enter, no thanks. Negative PCR test is enough and no quarantine.

Negative pcr is no indication the person is not already infected while during the incubation period. That's the whole idea of quarantine. It's proven so many times people can have a negative test today and test positive a week or two later. Some even three weeks later. 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

People in Thailand who are vaccinated would be given certificates, which could be used for international travel, he said.

And just how will any country know if a "Covid Certificate" issued in any other country is legitimate of fake, if every country has it's own system?

 

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, Jimbo2014 said:

The year is 2023.  Thailand convenes its 15th workshop to discuss the findings of the 3rd study into vaccine effectiveness.  A workshop to discuss the location of the seminar is being planned but first a committee must meet to review the lunch menu for the workshop.  The 7th discussion panel on vaccine passports is due to take place in 2024.  Thailand still remains temporarily closed on all borders. ????

Meanwhile the tourist industries of Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia continue to recover steadily, as vaccinated tourists are allowed to enter those countries...

[mtls2005]

4 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Meanwhile the tourist industries of Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia continue to recover steadily, as vaccinated tourists are allowed to enter those countries...

 

Links would help support such a statement.

 

Found a little info, but doesn't seem as sweeping as your pronouncement?

 

 

[John Drake]

How valid will the Thai vaccine "passport" be if it means the vaccination may have been with the Sinovac vaccine? Will other countries approve people entering with Sinovac if it is not approved in those countries?

[herfiehandbag]

5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Links would help support such a statement.

 

Found a little info, but doesn't seem as sweeping as your pronouncement?

 

 

I think the key phrase is "It is 2023" - at the start of the post I was quoting (adding to)!

[RR2020]

I will do the sums again.

 

Currently they say that vaccine passports prevent serious disease or infection in around 70% to 80% of people.

 

So that means 20% it does not, they get the virus and carry it and spread it (with or without any mild symptoms).

 

 

This means that 20% of vaccinated people - carry vaccine passports - are potentially carry Covid and spreading it to others.

 

So if Thailand has 5 million visitors who carry  "vaccine passports" it means potentially 1,00,000 of them are carrying Covid and spreading it to people in Thailand after their arrival...........

 

Even if they say that only 1% of vaccinated people can carry the virus and spread it to others........that means...........for 5 million visitors that means 5000 people carrying Covid and spreading it on their arrival.

 

 

VACCINE PASSPORTS CANNOT WORK !!!!!!!!!

 

The only way is PCR tests before travel and on arrival and again after 3 days with  a mandatory 3 day quarantine - this can come into effect after all at risk people  are vaccinated.

 

That is the only safe way of opening up.

 

None of this COE nonsense. 

 

All international arrivals book and pay for in advance a 3 day quarantine and PCR testing package before the flight.

 

Download quarantine app - enter into app flight details, hotel quarantine details.  Details are verified and App gives QR code for use at check in.

 

They present a negative PCR test result at check in along with their QR code.  No PCR and no QR code - no check in.

 

Immigration they must present the PCR and QR code.  Then escorted to a taxi and sent off to their quarantine hotel. (This is what Indonesia is currently doing and doing very well - Indonesia is a 5 day quarantine currently). Keeps taxi drivers busy and employed.  Taxi driver paid by the quarantine hotel who include transport costs into the quarantine package.

 

Any person found not checking in to their pre-booked quarantine hotel is subject to a 10 million baht fine, deportation and 20 year black list to enter Thailand again.   Assigned taxi driver is required to confirm that passenger delivered to hotel and handed over to hotel staff)

 

PCR test on day 1.

 

PCR test on day 3 morning - release at midday if PCR is negative.

 

[hioctane]

14 minutes ago, RR2020 said:

I will do the sums again.

 

Currently they say that vaccine passports prevent serious disease or infection in around 70% to 80% of people.

 

So that means 20% it does not, they get the virus and carry it and spread it (with or without any mild symptoms).

 

 

This means that 20% of vaccinated people - carry vaccine passports - are potentially carry Covid and spreading it to others.

 

So if Thailand has 5 million visitors who carry  "vaccine passports" it means potentially 1,00,000 of them are carrying Covid and spreading it to people in Thailand after their arrival...........

 

Even if they say that only 1% of vaccinated people can carry the virus and spread it to others........that means...........for 5 million visitors that means 5000 people carrying Covid and spreading it on their arrival.

 

 

VACCINE PASSPORTS CANNOT WORK !!!!!!!!!

 

The only way is PCR tests before travel and on arrival and again after 3 days with  a mandatory 3 day quarantine - this can come into effect after all at risk people  are vaccinated.

 

That is the only safe way of opening up.

 

None of this COE nonsense. 

 

All international arrivals book and pay for in advance a 3 day quarantine and PCR testing package before the flight.

 

Download quarantine app - enter into app flight details, hotel quarantine details.  Details are verified and App gives QR code for use at check in.

 

They present a negative PCR test result at check in along with their QR code.  No PCR and no QR code - no check in.

 

Immigration they must present the PCR and QR code.  Then escorted to a taxi and sent off to their quarantine hotel. (This is what Indonesia is currently doing and doing very well - Indonesia is a 5 day quarantine currently). Keeps taxi drivers busy and employed.  Taxi driver paid by the quarantine hotel who include transport costs into the quarantine package.

 

Any person found not checking in to their pre-booked quarantine hotel is subject to a 10 million baht fine, deportation and 20 year black list to enter Thailand again.   Assigned taxi driver is required to confirm that passenger delivered to hotel and handed over to hotel staff)

 

PCR test on day 1.

 

PCR test on day 3 morning - release at midday if PCR is negative.

 

Vaccine passports don’t prevent anything. It is just proof that you have been vaccinated.

 

There is no evidence to suggest that vaccinated people can spread the virus. It is still being studied. Until there is definitive proof, it is suggested that they assume they can.

[dogfish180]

PM order a study on the number of studies carried out by the government!

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, fordguy61mi said:

Unless they say so. It IS their country, lest you forget.

You are correct, but in the meantime, businessess are going broke, people are out of work and some going hungry. Does the Thai government care??

[Caldera]

Classic, if you want to drag out a decision, appoint a committee or order a study. Or both.

 

In this case though, I actually agree with the approach. The medium to long term impact of vaccinations isn't sufficiently known yet. Not all vaccines are effective against all mutations, nobody knows how long immunity will last, etc. etc.

[yogavnture]

I GUESS  u wont enter then . either get the shot or stay home

[stigar]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

How valid will the Thai vaccine "passport" be if it means the vaccination may have been with the Sinovac vaccine? Will other countries approve people entering with Sinovac if it is not approved in those countries?

Sinovac and Sputnik vaccines havent even ask for aproval in europe.

[Clarkey611]

There is already a system in place, which I have used for many years. This is the WHO International Certificate of Vaccination, which was started in 1969, when the WHO was not under the control of the CCP. 

[WhatupThailand]

Mr PM just said he will not take the jab.

Maybe he knows something you don't.

Hey how about building a Tourist Compound, with razor wire, and 20ft walls.

Good place for it would be Pataya, plenty of closed down business to make room for it.

As for Tourists getting the jab before they arrive, What, you want a bunch of Zombies ?

Sorry, go on and enjoy the Fear Porn.....

[Nanaplaza666]

IMHO the whole world should just be opened up again and let it pan out itself . All the pictures of chinese dropping dead and coffins in Italy and whatever have been proven fake and comparing the nr's of deaths with the years before covid are almost the same . Ok maybe a bit more deaths but not as many as they make is believe . And now they are saying that the normal flu is gone , has disapeared . This is just a little bit stronger version of the flu . The flu has evolved and got stronger . In the years before covid older and weaker people all over the world had to go see the doctor and get a flu shot every year and that's what willbe happening with covid as well . People in the years before covid got sick as well and high fevers and feeling like they where dying because they where very sick (from normal flu) . And a lot of people where actualy dying of normal flu every year as well but it has never been brought in the media like how they are doing it now with covid but if they would have the nr's would have almost been the same . Ok everybody can think of this what they want but this is my opinion and statistics have proven this . 

[akda]

Wait of some absurd requirement like get attestation on "Vaccination Certificate" from local embassy. 

 

[capriole]

8 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I cannot see how this will benefit Thailand as it is the rest of the world that need to adopt a means of registration for a passport/certificate for travelers to come to Thailand. Then Thailand to drop it's quarantine restrictions.

 

5 hours ago, hioctane said:

US is expected to have enough supply to vaccinate adults by May... Get moving Thailand!  Figure out a way to make vaccine passports happen. The Middle East is already testing a version. Maybe Thailand can just piggyback off it.

 

In middle east this is already a reality, in Bahrain where I work I have the vaccination certificate available in two forms one in digital form that comes within a goverment application on the phone and the second in the standard booklet that shows all the vaccinations taken.