Thailand must open to foreign tourism and accept some risk: PM

[JomtienRay]

It seems to me that the Govt would have been much wiser to have encouraged their expat community to stay here from the begging of COVID, instead of ridiculing us and treating us as unwanted dirty farangs..

Removing the 90 day reporting, and stop changing the immigration rules every day in order to drive us out of the Kingdom and keep us out..

Many farangs left and will never return.

Now they are trying to encourage farang tourism.

I can't imagine foreigners lining up like expectant dogs, knocking down the barriers to get back in..

The saying "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You" comes to mind..

Thousands of our compatriots that were forced out will have moved to other countries, or returned home, would have happily stayed and continue spending their safe money here, and supporting local families..

Many will never return, and will advise their families and friends accordingly.. 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, JomtienRay said:

Thousands of our compatriots that were forced out will have moved to other countries, or returned home, would have happily stayed and continue spending their safe money here, and supporting local families..

How were they forced out. 

Even those without extensions or in situation unable to extend their stay perhaps due to finances could have obtained 60 day covid extensions.

BTW..."Thousands" nup

[sathornlover]

1 hour ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

 

The Chinese will probably come they won't mind wearing those GPS wristband trackers like prisoners they're used to it.
In fact why not put em in Shackles whilst ya at it.
Can't see many Farang digging it though.

 

 

And I can't see China letting its citizens off the leash as tourists abroad this year.

[rodknock]

he does not care, he has been vaccinated along with his staff.

all they see is more money!!!

what are people dieing to him mean, he does not care other wise he would see to it that every one in the country was vaccinated.

he has had enough time to do that.

spend the money on vaccinations instead of submarines and new airplanes for billions of baht.

 

[Disparate Dan]

56 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

Reality.

 

To be fair, the manufacturing is still doing relatively ok, but this is not feeding the majority of people.

Last figures I could find: "In the first quarter of 2020, the tourism industry contributed around 12.91 percent to Thailand's GDP. In that same period, the total value of Thailand's GDP was around four trillion Thai baht." - https://www.statista.com/statistics/1143467/thailand-share-of-tourism-to-gdp/

Highest estimates I've ever seen show just below 20%, so even at its worst/best (depending on how you like tourists) more than 80% of GDP is NOT from tourism.

But the sector shouts loudest (and most shrilly).

[ICELANDMAN]

 

 Brilliant idea PM now you can follow the example of Sweden which closed nothing and had the same death toll as other countries, but as it seems you are two years late and your country is already financially destroyed.

 

 

[WineOh]

14 minutes ago, JomtienRay said:

The saying "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You" comes to mind..

Biting the hand that feeds is perfected to a Science in the Land of Smiles mate.

 

They will never learn, and once the country opens up again they will be back to their old tricks.

[faraday]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the PM accepted that the economy in Thailand was in a mess. 

 I wondered why he was saying this....

 

Then, in another news article on tvf, I read that "tax restructuring" is on the cards.

 

Marvelous...????

[jack71]

56 minutes ago, WineOh said:

Follow these 3 simple rules and you will be OK!

When you are in ICU and the grim reaper is knocking please log on and post here. Tell us if you change your mind.

[James105]

1 minute ago, jack71 said:

When you are in ICU and the grim reaper is knocking please log on and post here. Tell us if you change your mind.

 

I'd say the chances of that are incredibly slim unless he is extremely obese, or extremely old or both.     Even then the chances of death are very low with a 95% survival rate amongst the old/obese when they catch it.    Why do so many think catching covid is a death sentence?   It is not, especially if you are healthy and under 60 where it is either an inconvenience or something you don't even realise you have.   

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, The Cipher said:

Heck yeah! Let's do it. ????

 

Can't spend your whole life hiding. Well, you could I guess, but what kind of life would that be?

Sorry to ask a personal question The Cipher, but are you over 60 and/or have any health conditions such as diabetes, obesity or the like?

[WineOh]

8 minutes ago, jack71 said:

When you are in ICU and the grim reaper is knocking please log on and post here. Tell us if you change your mind.

5 of my family members have already had it back in the UK.

 

None of which ended up in ICU and all of which said it was just like the flu with a bit of shortness of breath.

My brother lost his sense of taste for 3 months and now it is back.

 

That's about the worst that happened.

 

 

[Stocky]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the PM accepted that the economy in Thailand was in a mess

Maybe they should rethink the budget and the big budget items like subs and tanks, before risking the lives of the Thai people in the hope a few foreigners will come on holiday.

[Disparate Dan]

7 minutes ago, WineOh said:

My brother lost his sense of taste for 3 months and now it is back.

Seems like most TV posters have no sense of taste and they haven't even had this virus thingie yet........

[ourdon]

2 hours ago, pegman said:

Not much risk in rigged elections and failing that the ability to put tanks in the street. 

I would much rather see them put the submarine in the streets and the tanks in the Andaman

[The Cipher]

21 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Sorry to ask a personal question The Cipher, but are you over 60 and/or have any health conditions such as diabetes, obesity or the like?

 

No worries on personal Qs. I'm not over 60 and am in good health. Just a little under-exercised lately. To get to the meat of it - yes, I'm probably at lower risk from Covid than the average TVF forumer and yes my low risk does probably affect my outlook somewhat.

 

However I don't think that invalidates my views. Covid is more than an individual health problem that may affect you or me. It's a society-level problem, which means that the appropriate risk measure to use when determining policy is the average risk across that society - Thailand, in this case.

 

We know that the disease has wreaked a terrible toll on Thailand's economy (even though it doesn't always feel that way when you go outside). Reading between the lines, we also know that the government is running low on ammo for further support. Although some people will die from Covid, we know that most people will be fine if they even contract the disease at all.

 

The government is basically admitting that they are accepting the lesser risk of a Covid calamity versus the much greater certainty of an economic and social calamity if strict restrictions were to continue. Is it an ideal situation? No. Is it the right call? Probably.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that all his ministries were pulling together.

 

..without saying precisely what they are pulling.

 

But we all know.

[sapson]

1 hour ago, rodknock said:

he does not care, he has been vaccinated along with his staff.

all they see is more money!!!

what are people dieing to him mean, he does not care other wise he would see to it that every one in the country was vaccinated.

he has had enough time to do that.

spend the money on vaccinations instead of submarines and new airplanes for billions of baht.

 

 

Exactly .....spot on!

 

i wish the Thai people were a little less pretty and with more tendency to be really revolting! then this guy and his gang might be forced to make a hasty exit

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

It was therefore necessary to re-open the country before it was completely ruined.

If he thinks that he has to step down... today... because he is the one to blame for ruining the country, with incompetence, no vision, and greed. So Mr Prayuth step down if you stand behind your words

[JonnyF]

I think we can finally put to bed the notion that foreign tourism is inconsequential to Thailand's economy.

 

Hopefully they will learn from this and show future tourists a bit more respect for the contribution they make to Thailand.

 

But frankly, I doubt it.

[mtls2005]

5 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I think we can finally put to bed the notion that foreign tourism is inconsequential to Thailand's economy.

 

Hopefully they will learn from this and show future tourists a bit more respect for the contribution they make to Thailand.

 

Yes, after years of suckling on the foreign tourist teat it's proven quite challenging to wean themselves and move up the food chain.

 

 

[ourdon]

Just a thought that occurred when I was talking to a friend in Phuket today.  She mentioned that it would be slow opening because most of the working staff had gone back to the family in Isan when Phuket shut down. The government has not really vaccinated heavily in Isan instead in places like Phuket. 

 

If the hotels and other venues actually have to open soon won't that mean the return of thousands of unvaccinated Thai workers right into the middle of the "safe Phuket sandbox".  What is the plan for vaccinating the returning workers?

[herfiehandbag]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that all his ministries were pulling together.

 

Or perhaps dragging it down?

[sapson]

6 minutes ago, ourdon said:

If the hotels and other venues actually have to open soon won't that mean the return of thousands of unvaccinated Thai workers right into the middle of the "safe Phuket sandbox".  What is the plan for vaccinating the returning workers?

 

 

Spot on! if they are to fully staff the hotels and bars etc for the avalanche of eager tourists they will need their return from the Issan provinces where testing has been miniscule and the vaccine roll out floundering staggered...........yep so untested unvaccinated staff to your positions in the shambox.

[herfiehandbag]

14 minutes ago, ourdon said:

Just a thought that occurred when I was talking to a friend in Phuket today.  She mentioned that it would be slow opening because most of the working staff had gone back to the family in Isan when Phuket shut down. The government has not really vaccinated heavily in Isan instead in places like Phuket. 

 

If the hotels and other venues actually have to open soon won't that mean the return of thousands of unvaccinated Thai workers right into the middle of the "safe Phuket sandbox".  What is the plan for vaccinating the returning workers?

Well, yes, following a digital analysis they will all pull together!

[mtls2005]

11 minutes ago, ourdon said:

The government has not really vaccinated heavily in Isan instead in places like Phuket. 

 

Some employees have traveled from their homes to Phuket for two doses of Sinovac.

 

 

Obviously the "informal" workers will not have been vaccinated, nor will they be allowed to sneak onto the island. Will they find a way? Yep.

 

 

[86Tiger]

2 hours ago, Disparate Dan said:

Last figures I could find: "In the first quarter of 2020, the tourism industry contributed around 12.91 percent to Thailand's GDP. In that same period, the total value of Thailand's GDP was around four trillion Thai baht." - https://www.statista.com/statistics/1143467/thailand-share-of-tourism-to-gdp/

Highest estimates I've ever seen show just below 20%, so even at its worst/best (depending on how you like tourists) more than 80% of GDP is NOT from tourism.

But the sector shouts loudest (and most shrilly).

 

 

To be fair, those are the "reported" numbers, most likely what is taxed or accounted for taxing purposes by the government.

 

The government only knows of what a receipt is generated.  After I spend time in Thailand there are many thousands of dollars spent but very few receipts.

 

I would offer the great majority of money spent by tourists is cash infused to the economy that is not recorded or taxed.  Matter of fact, I would guess there are untold millions if not billions of cash infused to the economy after tourists return to home country that is never reported or taxed.

 

So, believe the reported 20% and double it for unrecorded transactions may be a conservative estimate of total influence on the economy.

 

That ain't pocket change.....

 

 

[Disparate Dan]

9 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

The government only knows of what a receipt is generated.  After I spend time in Thailand there are many thousands of dollars spent but very few receipts.

So you're saying spending by long-termers is below the line? Well in that case, it's still being spent as most long-termers are still here (albeit spending rather less because of the restrictions).

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, Disparate Dan said:

Last figures I could find: "In the first quarter of 2020, the tourism industry contributed around 12.91 percent to Thailand's GDP. In that same period, the total value of Thailand's GDP was around four trillion Thai baht." - https://www.statista.com/statistics/1143467/thailand-share-of-tourism-to-gdp/

Highest estimates I've ever seen show just below 20%, so even at its worst/best (depending on how you like tourists) more than 80% of GDP is NOT from tourism.

But the sector shouts loudest (and most shrilly).

I think the point is that a large proportion of that figure whichever percentage quoted you may choose, is distributed amongst a large slice of the population, who work in various enterprises which rely upon tourism. Those people in turn support extended families which otherwise are reliant on small cash surpluses from what is essentially subsistence farming.

 

So you see, the money lavished on a young lady in Soi Cowboy, whether for a really good seeing to which left one in a state of post orgasmic stupor for the next week, or an in depth debate upon the influence of Aristotle upon the postmodern neo-liberal approach to democracy, will at least in part contribute significantly to financial affairs "up country"!

 

It may be an unpalatable thought (personally I quite relish discussion of post modern neo-liberalism. and in my younger days met a number of young ladies from Buriram who were surprisingly articulate on such matters - anyone remember Suzys bar in Soi Zero?) but there you are!

 

The other 80% or so of GDP is often rather more geographically and socially concentrated.

[86Tiger]

1 minute ago, Disparate Dan said:

So you're saying spending by long-termers is below the line? Well in that case, it's still being spent as most long-termers are still here (albeit spending rather less because of the restrictions).

 

 

The comment was directed to percent of GDP generated by tourism.

 

No reference or inference to "long-termers."