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

[Stargeezr]

Yes  this fully vaccinated, PM general had to wait until he and his government were all vaccinated.

  Then he had to wait until all the rich elites were also vaccinated, and one of them gave him the

suggestion to get the country open to tourism again.  We all know how Thailand works, and has

worked in the past.  The rest of the population is just cannon fodder. That is the simple sad fact of

the matter. In my opinion anyway.

Geezer

[CG1 Blue]

1 hour ago, mlmcleod said:

I think there would be a lot less risk if the government could manage to deliver Covid vaccine in a timely manner.  This all could have been avoided if the PM had been proactive and ordered the vaccines 6 months sooner.

I'm not sure why some expect Thailand to have enough vaccines for the entire population. Most countries don't have enough. Some countries don't have any at all!

Not sticking up for the government, but we have to be realistic. 

[CG1 Blue]

41 minutes ago, aboctok said:

It might be the life where you avoid the new Delta+ variant, and the ones that come after that. And who said they wanted to hide for their "whole life" anyway? I don't intend to.

So if we all agree new variants are going to keep on coming forever (variants which are likely to be more infectious but less harmful), at what point do we get back to doing the things that make life more fun, and at what point do we let the poverty stricken people start making a living again? 

[sambum]

2 hours ago, itsari said:

Draconian attitude to alcohol is life saving , please get wise to what social distancing means . 

 

Thank you teacher! Try telling that to the numpties in the Army whose boxing tournament was responsible for a "cluster"! And "social" distancing is impossible to police (pun intended)

 

[ifmu]

the risks you tell us about   are our lives   ... you have the vaccine a long time ago  how about your thai people ..?

 

 

[pomchop]

7 hours ago, VBF said:

They're free in every country I know of....the problem is Thailand doesn't have enough so free or not makes little difference.

i recall reading about some hi so thais jumping the lines by paying to get shots and suspect that if you are willing to pay your chances of getting a vaccination right away is good regardless of shortage of vaccines for the masses. 

[SiSePuede419]

Just read today that young people have a 12 out of a million chance of getting heart inflammation after either a Pfizer or Moderns vaccine, especially after the 2nd shot, and male.

 

I'd take that risk anyday, anytime.*

 

*Sitting in the 70% vaccinated San Francisco area with NO MASK even indoors, because SCIENCE says it's low risk if I'm vaccinated ????

 

VACCINATIONS, VACCINATIONS, VACCINATIONS. ✅

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by SiSePuede419

[Andycoops]

No surprise that the gamble of taking risk into account has now loomed onto the horizon, along with an election,

what a coincidence.

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

In comments related to possible amendments to the constitution he ruled out the possibility of a referendum. 

 

He said that amendments must be reasonable. 

I guess any changes wanted by the populous and not dictated by him to ensure his reign are deemed unreasonable.

[FarFlungFalang]

6 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

So if we all agree new variants are going to keep on coming forever (variants which are likely to be more infectious but less harmful), at what point do we get back to doing the things that make life more fun, and at what point do we let the poverty stricken people start making a living again? 

This is the new normal apparently we have to get use to it.Human dignity went out with the old normal.Now we have children being dragged from their families to be detained for two weeks whilst the hiso's party at Thonglor.

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

In order to do this he admitted that some risks must be taken.

What risks?

Any foreigner coming here must be jabbed up to the eyeballs, have multiple tests, documents that cover everything you can imagine, insured to the hilt, and be tagged on arrival.

The only risk taken is on the part of the tourist, coming to a country where vaccination is deemed ok at max 70% with only one-shot of Sinovac.

[FarFlungFalang]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

What risks?

Any foreigner coming here must be jabbed up to the eyeballs, have multiple tests, documents that cover everything you can imagine, insured to the hilt, and be tagged on arrival.

The only risk taken is on the part of the tourist, coming to a country where vaccination is deemed ok at max 70% with only one-shot of Sinovac.

The risk that people will find out the true nature of the third wave and that critical care beds are running out and hospitals are limiting testing and not being able to keep doctors from revealing such information and thus further exposing the Czar as greedy, inept and incompetent.

[hotchilli]

25 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

The risk that people will find out the true nature of the third wave and that critical care beds are running out and hospitals are limiting testing and not being able to keep doctors from revealing such information and thus further exposing the Czar as greedy, inept and incompetent.

When July comes and Phuket is opened up watch how the miracle of nationwide infections plummet to minimal figures, if any at all.

Doctors around the nation will be getting a middle of the night phone call to retract damaging fake news or be dealt with accordingly.

[FarFlungFalang]

35 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

When July comes and Phuket is opened up watch how the miracle of nationwide infections plummet to minimal figures, if any at all.

Doctors around the nation will be getting a middle of the night phone call to retract damaging fake news or be dealt with accordingly.

A midnight trip to a Kashgar Uighur attitude adjustment program might be the order of the day, or night in this case.

[golli]

Ministries are pulling together. We all know what the're pulling if they think anyone's coming to Thailand any time soon. I know many Aussies who want to come back but the media is not portraying Thailand as a very safe place at the moment.  Phuket nothing open and not likely to open any time soon. Bangkok people dropping in the street from covid. Not enough people  being vaccinated. 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, JomtienRay said:

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.. 

The blame for all that lies fairly on the shoulders of the unelected "PM". Compare the state of the country in 2014 and now, ie the rising baht, and making it hard for long term tourists under 50 to come here, etc, etc. There are people throughout the world serving jail terms for much less than what this self elected "PM" has bestowed on this country, and I sincerely hope that karma eventually gets him.

[Nanaplaza666]

15 hours ago, Disparate Dan said:

So who are these million people? In the 'informal' sector not paying taxes etc?

 

Remember also that the 20 percent includes domestic as well as international tourism.

People can keep on saying that some people don't pay taxes but it 's just that some people pay more taxes then others. Every person pays taxes , don't forget that every single thing you buy or rent or whatever is taxed . Every restaurant or gasoline or sigaret or whatever you can think of you pay tax over . So in fact every single person pays tax . And the money you make by working is being taxed and if you have a black income every single thing you buy or whatever is being taxed . 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours 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.

 

and space programmes.

[ChoakMyDee]

On 6/23/2021 at 8:47 AM, ThailandRyan said:

You mean he did not look into the magic mirror or ask his fortune teller before he decided Thailand was a mess.  A mess made because of his inaction in obtaining vaccines firstly instead of waiting for them to be produced in-house.  Amazing Thailand, where Risks must be taken yet they were never taken before......

 

Not sure why I see you and so many others on this forum pushing the "vaccine" so hard. Are you not aware how dangerous it is?

[metisdead]

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

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

We are not just talking about the virus extensions, I just wish there was a record of how many western expats there was in Thailand in 2014 compared to now, and also how many western expats left in the 7 years up  until 2014.

[NoshowJones]

22 hours 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?

The conditions mentioned here are mainly self inflicted, and I don't see how people who have looked after themselves should be put out in any way because of the fat beer bellied drinkers and smokers. If they can't take a bit of care with their health then that's their look out. 

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

The conditions mentioned here are mainly self inflicted, and I don't see how people who have looked after themselves should be put out in any way because of the fat beer bellied drinkers and smokers. If they can't take a bit of care with their health then that's their look out. 

Yet you still believe someone with diabetes has had it self inflicted without knowing anything about that person.  Good to know you believe what you do and don't understand reality......

[NoshowJones]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yet you still believe someone with diabetes has had it self inflicted without knowing anything about that person.  Good to know you believe what you do and don't understand reality......

Read my post again, I said diabetes is "mainly" self inflicted. Get back to me and if I'm wrong and I will apologise.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, jack71 said:

I get it. You're the kind of guy who has an answer for everything....

I have go to say that I think the posters answer makes sense, so what do we do? Keep on having restrictions that affects almost everyone as it is very likely that this virus is here to stay, or open up and fight against it? We have to try and help all these people who have lost their livelihoods to get back into work, even if it's going to take a bit of time.

How many of the main politicians in the world have had the lives inconvenienced because of this virus? Very few, if any, I would say, most of them are just on power trips.

[MrJ2U]

17 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

Does he hope that Covid (delta variant) will avoid entering Thailand?

Disaster ante portas !????

 

Delta variants already here and will be dominant within months.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

I see.

 

I’m just thinking about the UK as an example. They had a particularly botched response to Covid and reached a point of 60,000 daily cases and a high of 1,800 deaths in one day. 
 

the UK is about the same population as Thailand and I think most would say that’s it’s state medical care exceeds that available in Thailand, both in terms of capacity and overall quality (given regional variations in Thailand). Thailand is currently dealing with the same variant prevalent (alpha) in the UK earlier this year. So it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that Thailand could reach a similar situation.

 

Are those in government who are endorsing a weakening of the current Thai Covid response, prepared to own their decisions if deaths are 1800 a day, instead of 50 a day. I wonder?

 

the issue of course,  is that if daily cases and deaths reach a level that are just too much to bear, it’s too late. The range of policy options open at that point are really just two, both of which the UK government implemented. A harsh house lockdown for multiple months, and a huge vaccination drive.

 

Our own Brewsterbudgen on this forum will say that a house lockdown is not feasible in Thailand, and the Thai governments vaccination drive is currently a shambles.

 

so, the above is, I feel,  something to consider when modeling is done on the various scenarios that might play out. I wish I could say that I’m sure the Thai government is doing analytical work and modeling before reaching decisions, and not just flying by the seat of its pants. But I can’t.

 

 

Is it not the case that many of the deaths in the UK from the virus were in old folks nursing homes?

As there are not many of these in Thailand, and as far as I am aware, the vast majority of old folk live with their families and are mostly indoors all the time, so much fewer of Thailands old folk get the virus.

 

[aboctok]

12 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

So if we all agree new variants are going to keep on coming forever (variants which are likely to be more infectious but less harmful), at what point do we get back to doing the things that make life more fun, and at what point do we let the poverty stricken people start making a living again? 

You'll be relieved to hear those new variants arriving forever will occur with a larger fraction of people having been vaccinated.

[wensiensheng]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Is it not the case that many of the deaths in the UK from the virus were in old folks nursing homes?

As there are not many of these in Thailand, and as far as I am aware, the vast majority of old folk live with their families and are mostly indoors all the time, so much fewer of Thailands old folk get the virus.

 

The latest figures that I saw for care home deaths in the UK was about 42,000. A significant percentage of total deaths.

 

how it will play out vis a vis old folks in Thailand, I don’t know. I agree they mostly live at home, disagree that they are indoors most the time. The ones I see mingle in their village, but I don’t know how it is in Bangkok.

 

care homes or lack thereof, is a differentiating factor between Thailand and UK, but it’s not enough for me to not feel there are grounds for comparing the two countries.

Edited June 24, 2021 by wensiensheng

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

The latest figures that I saw for care home deaths in the UK was about 42,000. A significant percentage of total deaths.

 

how it will play out vis a vis old folks in Thailand, I don’t know. I agree they mostly live at home, disagree that they are indoors most the time. The ones I see mingle in their village, but I don’t know how it is in Bangkok.

 

care homes or lack thereof, is a differentiating factor between Thailand and UK, but it’s not enough for me to not feel there are grounds for comparing the two countries.

When I was in Bangkok and Pattaya, I never notice many, if any old folk at all, though I do see them regularly in my village up country.