File Photo: Vijitra Duangdee

 

• Thailand has reduced quarantine for unvaccinated tourists from 14 to 10 days

• The restrictions will ease further in the coming months but would-be travellers still need to consider their home city’s rules

 

Jitsiree Thongnoi

 

Thailand  is the latest country after the US, Britain, Belgium and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to shorten its 14-day quarantine requirement to 10 days for unvaccinated travellers.

 

It is the first Southeast Asian country to reduce quarantine restrictions to speed up the recovery of its tourism sector, which has so far seen millions forced out of work and has plunged the country’s GDP to the lowest in the region.

 

The announcement was issued ahead of Thailand’s annual Songkran, or water festival, which takes place from April 10-18. While last year’s event was cancelled, the government is hoping to boost domestic tourism with this year’s Songkran. It will allow some celebrations to go ahead, but has banned the spraying of water guns in what has been described as the world’s biggest water fight.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3128031/why-thailands-10-day-coronavirus-quarantine-rule-sparking-hope

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand  is the latest country after the US, Britain, Belgium and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to shorten its 14-day quarantine requirement to 10 days for unvaccinated travellers.

I guess that's fine, as long s all the testing and results are done during the 10 days, before allowing release of the people.

".........millions forced out of work and has plunged the country’s GDP to the lowest in the region......."

 

 

First time I recall seeing reported in such dire terms.

 

 

But I suppose this source is from outside the kingdom.

 

 

Keep in mind, that in Thailand hospitalisation of one Covid infected tourist will create twice the profit, compared to a healthy tourist.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It is the first Southeast Asian country to reduce quarantine restrictions to speed up the recovery of its tourism sector, which has so far seen millions forced out of work and has plunged the country’s GDP to the lowest in the region.

I would imagine it's plunged to the lowest GDP in the region due to being the no.1 country with the highest GDP from tourism. Not exactly rocket science.

 

Unless Thailand reduces its reliance of tourism GDP , it will always be at the mercy of outside events 

How is knocking four days off the quarentine going to help tourism, most tourists are here for two week holidays or for long weekends if they live closer. 

1 hour ago, kevc said:

How is knocking four days off the quarentine going to help tourism, most tourists are here for two week holidays or for long weekends if they live closer. 

Well its a start isn't it? And with the hope of vaccinated people getting shorter or no quarantine and the start of sandbox sites at least they are trying something. 

  And maybe just maybe there are a number of tourists that don't fall into your definition of what consists as a holiday.    

F  F  S

On 4/3/2021 at 12:37 AM, webfact said:

the government is hoping to boost domestic tourism with this year’s Songkran

i doubt domesctic tourism will bring the much needed foreign currencies

Expect up to 5,000 tourists a month, with the 10 day hotel prison stay. Few tourists of sound mind will submit to this nonsense. 

 

Abandoning quarantine is the only sensible answer. Qualified vaccination and test results at home. And a test upon arrival. Maybe an overnight stay, to confirm results, if required. 

 

Anything else is draconian, regardless of what other nations are doing. Rather than be in step with others, why not be a step ahead, for a change? 

 

Thailand needs the trillions from tourism. The longer they wait, the harder it will be to get them back. As it stands now, I doubt Thailand will see 10 million tourists a year, within the next five years. 

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"and has plunged the country’s GDP to the lowest in the region."

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This happens when a journalist has no clue about statistics.  Which region South-East Asia, or East Asia, or Asia or ASEAN?  Is it nominal or real (inflation-adjusted) GDP So Thailand's GDP now less then Laos's or Cambodia's? Or is it about the per capita GDP? Or is it about the GDP growth rate?  

 

Sometimes I feel that 4 out of 3 journalists struggle with statistics????