Pheu Thai opposes PM’s plan to reopen Thailand to foreign visitors in 4 months

[webfact]

 

The opposition Pheu Thai Party is opposing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s call to reopen Thailand to foreign visitors in the next 120 days, describing the mission as “gambling with the lives of Thai people.”

 

The party spokeswoman, Arunee Kasayanont, told the media today (Thursday) that the government’s target will put the Thai people at unnecessary risk, because the COVID-19 pandemic is still widespread and the government remains unable to contain the spread of the contagion, which has been infecting 2,000-3,000 people domestically every day, with a 20-30 daily mortality rate, while less than 10% of the country’s population are inoculated, which is much lower than several neighboring countries.

 

She said that the Pheu Thai Party does not believe that Thailand will be ready to reopen in the next 120 days, nor will it be able to acquire up to 105.5 million doses of vaccine within this year as Prayut claimed.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pheu-thai-opposes-pms-plan-to-reopen-thailand-to-foreign-visitors-in-4-months/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-06-18

 

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[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

nor will it be able to acquire up to 105.5 million doses of vaccine within this year as Prayut claimed.

Yes, going on the past 6 months it does seem more Twilight zone than reality

[tingtong]

The catch-22 is: not reopening is also gambling with the life of millions of Thai ppl.... 

 

[sezze]

We all know Thais don't really calculate well , they need a a machine for telling them 1+1=2 . Counting on how many vaccines they got was like 1 yesterday , 2 today , 4 tomorrow , put this in the computer and he will surely count it as +100 million in 100 days .

[pokerface1]

1 hour ago, tingtong said:

The catch-22 is: not reopening is also gambling with the life of millions of Thai ppl.... 

 

Yep dammed if they do dammed if they don't

[ezzra]

All there is to say really that 4 months are a very, very, very long time in Thailand politics and the way it's conducting itself right now, so any comments would be supreflow as ol' Trink used to say...

[Flying Saucage]

I think quite a lot of Pheu Thais clientele will not appreciate this statement, given how many people from Isaan work in the tourism industry.

 

Anyway, everyone should see that the main problem in Thailand regarding Covid are the working and living conditions of workers, especially of migrant workers, who have to live and work together often under very cramped conditions. And, of course, the terrible situation in Thai jails.

 

Everything else you can compare relatively good with the situation in Europe now, where the weather now is similar to Thailand, and where the numbers are dropping strongly due to summer. People stay most time outdoors, and the hot weather is not much appreciated by the virus. Of course, the vaccination rate in Europe is higher, but around 25% fully vaccinated people is still far from herd immunity.

 

Therefore, tourists who spend most time outdoors anyway will never cause problems similar to those in factories and dormitories. Still there is a residual risk from unvaccinated tourists, though. But this can be minimised by testing prior the flight.

 

A good start would be to open to fully vaccinated tourists, because the risk coming from them is close to zero, if they are tested additionally before the flight. And again, tourists stay outdoors for the most time anyway, at the beaches, at the pools, when sightseeing, in the restaurant, in the bars. So, where is the risk from vaccinated tourists? It's literally tiny!

 

The benefit for the Thai economy will be much bigger than the risk.

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Flying Saucage

[baansgr]

Open up as soon as they want....but where are the tourists gonna come from..a family of 4 from UK has an extra £1,700 on top for testing, it just won't happen for a very long time

[realfunster]

2 hours ago, tingtong said:

The catch-22 is: not reopening is also gambling with the life of millions of Thai ppl.... 

 

 

That’s what happens when you not only allow but encourage unsustainable growth in a sector, which you then come to rely upon.

 

Of course, exploiting natural resources is the easy option, they should have been looking at improvements to education, and dare I say it, some liberalization of other business sector ownership to stimulate vocational training and knowledge sharing. 

[wasabi]

37 minutes ago, Flying Saucage said:

I think quite a lot of Pheu Thais clientele will not appreciate this statement, given how many people from Isaan work in the tourism industry.

 

Anyway, everyone should see that the main problem in Thailand regarding Covid are the working and living conditions of workers, especially of migrant workers, who have to live and work together often under very cramped conditions. And, of course, the terrible situation in Thai jails.

 

Everything else you can compare relatively good with the situation in Europe now, where the weather now is similar to Thailand, and where the numbers are dropping strongly due to summer. People stay most time outdoors, and the hot weather is not much appreciated by the virus. Of course, the vaccination rate in Europe is higher, but around 25% fully vaccinated people is still far from herd immunity.

 

Therefore, tourists who spend most time outdoors anyway will never cause problems similar to those in factories and dormitories. Still there is a residual risk from unvaccinated tourists, though. But this can be minimised by testing prior the flight.

 

A good start would be to open to fully vaccinated tourists, because the risk coming from them is close to zero, if they are tested additionally before the flight. And again, tourists stay outdoors for the most time anyway, at the beaches, at the pools, when sightseeing, in the restaurant, in the bars. So, where is the risk from vaccinated tourists? It's literally tiny!

 

The benefit for the Thai economy will be much bigger than the risk.

 

 

 

 

At every step they have failed to weigh risk vs rewards, but I agree with your post. Hopefully Thai hygiene theater & xenophobia gives way to the economic needs of the Thai people who cannot afford to wait for every cough to be cured and every surface to be scrubbed. I am a dedicated traveler to Thailand, but I won't be coming until at most proof of vaccination is required. 

[bojo]

30 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Open up as soon as they want....but where are the tourists gonna come from..a family of 4 from UK has an extra £1,700 on top for testing, it just won't happen for a very long time

Could you elaborate on that a bit........How much do tests cost? Sounds rather extortionate.............

[realfunster]

4 minutes ago, bojo said:

Could you elaborate on that a bit........How much do tests cost? Sounds rather extortionate.............

 

I can’t remember exactly but I checked FCO.gov a couple of weeks back to see requirements to visit UK which include a Day2 and Day8 test. IIRC there were a handful available under GBP 100 (not sure on waiting times..) but the vast majority were in the range of GBP 125-300 per test. 

[bojo]

1 minute ago, realfunster said:

 

I can’t remember exactly but I checked FCO.gov a couple of weeks back to see requirements to visit UK which include a Day2 and Day8 test. IIRC there were a handful available under GBP 100 (not sure on waiting times..) but the vast majority were in the range of GBP 125-300 per test. 

Thanks.......................... the latter tantamount to daylight robbery................................

[Wiggy]

1 hour ago, Flying Saucage said:

Everything else you can compare relatively good with the situation in Europe now, where the weather now is similar to Thailand, and where the numbers are dropping strongly due to summer.

Numbers of infections in the UK are increasing. And it’s summer. 

[doctormann]

2 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

Yep dammed if they do dammed if they don't

Caught between a rock and a hard place.  No easy answers and maybe no answers at all!

[atpeace]

32 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

Numbers of infections in the UK are increasing. And it’s summer. 

This seems to never end. Being locked down in the sticks for many more months will be difficult.  

 

UK deaths are not moving and close to zero which is a BIG positive.  Who is getting infected? If is the vaccinated, they are at a small risk of dying.  In the USA around 150 deaths of vaccinated individuals have been confirmed which is actually a sign the vaccine is working as expected.  Not perfect but nearly.

 

Looking across a Mekong river  on the patio in an empty resort.  Could be much worse.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The party spokeswoman, Arunee Kasayanont, told the media today (Thursday) that the government’s target will put the Thai people at unnecessary risk, because the COVID-19 pandemic is still widespread and the government remains unable to contain the spread of the contagion, which has been infecting 2,000-3,000 people domestically every day, with a 20-30 daily mortality rate, while less than 10% of the country’s population are inoculated, which is much lower than several neighboring countries.

He won't let facts get in the way of revenue.

[if people actually come]

[smedly]

6 hours ago, tingtong said:

The catch-22 is: not reopening is also gambling with the life of millions of Thai ppl.... 

 

they have plenty of money to support the people - their money priorities seem to be elsewhere - perhaps their own pockets 

[smedly]

3 hours ago, realfunster said:

 

I can’t remember exactly but I checked FCO.gov a couple of weeks back to see requirements to visit UK which include a Day2 and Day8 test. IIRC there were a handful available under GBP 100 (not sure on waiting times..) but the vast majority were in the range of GBP 125-300 per test. 

well it is 4 tests per person at say 4k baht each plus you will be rinced with lack of hotel choice paying top prices for rooms - and anyone that gets a positive test what then ? - the risk of which is high because Thais will not be fully vaccinated 

 

who on earth could be bothered with this 

[Darkside Gray]

If the airport borders are opening will the be opening the land borders?

[robblok]

5 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

I think quite a lot of Pheu Thais clientele will not appreciate this statement, given how many people from Isaan work in the tourism industry.

 

Anyway, everyone should see that the main problem in Thailand regarding Covid are the working and living conditions of workers, especially of migrant workers, who have to live and work together often under very cramped conditions. And, of course, the terrible situation in Thai jails.

 

Everything else you can compare relatively good with the situation in Europe now, where the weather now is similar to Thailand, and where the numbers are dropping strongly due to summer. People stay most time outdoors, and the hot weather is not much appreciated by the virus. Of course, the vaccination rate in Europe is higher, but around 25% fully vaccinated people is still far from herd immunity.

 

Therefore, tourists who spend most time outdoors anyway will never cause problems similar to those in factories and dormitories. Still there is a residual risk from unvaccinated tourists, though. But this can be minimised by testing prior the flight.

 

A good start would be to open to fully vaccinated tourists, because the risk coming from them is close to zero, if they are tested additionally before the flight. And again, tourists stay outdoors for the most time anyway, at the beaches, at the pools, when sightseeing, in the restaurant, in the bars. So, where is the risk from vaccinated tourists? It's literally tiny!

 

The benefit for the Thai economy will be much bigger than the risk.

 

 

 

You forget the real reason why in Europe things are going down and that is vaccinations they are quite high in most of Europe. In my country you see the numbers dropping and dropping. Has nothing to do with the weather but with vaccination. In most of Europe we are far past 25% in the Netherlands its far higher closer to 50% or so.

 

So your remarks are a bit strange however it echoes what many people want opening up to hell with the risks open up because they want their freedom or money. They don't care about safety. So it kinda depends in what light you see things. In my country things open up because of vaccination. Id say if Thailand wants to be risk free they have a lot vaccinations to do and they wont make it.

[atpeace]

  7 hours ago, webfact said:

nor will it be able to acquire up to 105.5 million doses of vaccine within this year as Prayut claimed.

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Yes, going on the past 6 months it does seem more Twilight zone than reality

 

Hitting 105 million doses give or take 15 million is reality based IMO.  Getting those shots into 70% of the pop might be out of reach in 2021 but 50% should be vaccinated.  The supply will be there by late November and almost definitely by years end and then it just a matter of not always being the country perpetually in the back of the dosage queue. 

 

 

[Excel]

9 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

If the airport borders are opening will the be opening the land borders?

Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying ????

[fvw53]

8 hours ago, tingtong said:

The catch-22 is: not reopening is also gambling with the life of millions of Thai ppl.... 

 

This was the Trump strategy before Easter last year in the US and now they have more than 600.000 people dead from COVID

[chilly07]

Correct! To have vaccinated 70pc of the population twice requires 90m jabs administered at the rate of 750000 a day! Opening after 120 days risks the unnecessary death of over 100000 innocent Thais as Bozo did in the UK!

[Chassa]

8 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

8 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

Yep dammed if they do dammed if they don't

Well! I'll be damned!

 

[Flying Saucage]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

You forget the real reason why in Europe things are going down and that is vaccinations they are quite high in most of Europe. In my country you see the numbers dropping and dropping. Has nothing to do with the weather but with vaccination. In most of Europe we are far past 25% in the Netherlands its far higher closer to 50% or so.

 

So your remarks are a bit strange however it echoes what many people want opening up to hell with the risks open up because they want their freedom or money. They don't care about safety. So it kinda depends in what light you see things. In my country things open up because of vaccination. Id say if Thailand wants to be risk free they have a lot vaccinations to do and they wont make it.

 

Both vaccination and climate have an impact, and the impact of the summer is quite high, as we saw last year already from 2020.

 

See also this, which speaks volumes:

 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.10.21258647v1

 

However, of course the progress of vaccination in Europe plays a significant role as well. But keep the numbers right: The Netherlands today have a rate of 26.1% fully vaccinated only, and 48% with one jab. Source: Our World in Data.

 

And I do not neither say Thailand should open completely without limits, nor one can expect that many would come anyway.

 

But I think the best is to open immediately for fully vaccinated foreigners without hassles, except a test before boarding, as this is quite safe.

 

Even if a foreigner is infected already, which per se is very unlikely with the low numbers in the Western world now, his immune system is strong enough to stop the virus multiplying itself in the body. Hence a vaccinated person is much less likely to infect othersndue to a very low virus load. And as tourists are outdoors most time, the resulting risk overall is very close to zero, and definitely neglectable compared to Thailand severe local risks.

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, Flying Saucage said:

 

Both vaccination and climate have an impact, and the impact of the summer is quite high, as we saw last year already from 2020.

 

See also this, which speaks volumes:

 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.10.21258647v1

 

However, of course the progress of vaccination in Europe plays a significant role as well. But keep the numbers right: The Netherlands today have a rate of 26.1% fully vaccinated only, and 48% with one jab. Source: Our World in Data.

 

And I do not neither say Thailand should open completely without limits, nor one can expect that many would come anyway.

 

But I think the best is to open immediately for fully vaccinated foreigners without hassles, except a test before boarding, as this is quite safe.

 

Even if a foreigner is infected already, which per se is very unlikely with the low numbers in the Western world now, his immune system is strong enough to stop the virus multiplying itself in the body. Hence a vaccinated person is much less likely to infect othersndue to a very low virus load. And as tourists are outdoors most time, the resulting risk overall is very close to zero, and definitely neglectable compared to Thailand severe local risks.

Not sure if the vaccination numbers are correct about the Netherlands. We have 13.3 million people of 18 years and older (we dont vaccinate younger yet) and there have been 13 million vaccines injected. So that would make different numbers then you unless you count kids too then your numbers are correct. 

 

Vaccinated people can still spread the virus so safe for who ?

 

Vaccines have far more impact then weather.

 

Anyway I don't think Thailand should open up until it has at least 50% of the population vaccinated with at least one jab. 

 

[bradiston]

Nothing adds up. Reopening in 120 days? Do they still mean 70% fully vaxxed and herd immunity by then? 84 million shots (70% of the 60 million population vaxxed twice) in 120 days is 700,000 shots a day. Even if they had the doses, of which I can see no evidence, they'd be hard pushed to achieve this on their current form.

[bangon04]

11 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Numbers of infections in the UK are increasing. And it’s summer. 

WE cannot point out that a large number of infections are among high density urban populations of BAME people who either did not get inoculated or are not observing social distancing and mask wearing etc.