November more likely for Bangkok’s reopening to tourists

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Comments made by the governor of Bangkok Aswin Kwanmuang strongly suggest that it will be early to mid November at least before the Thai capital opens its doors to tourists once more.

 

General Aswin told Daily News yesterday that three factors need to be considered before reopening.

 

1. 70% or more of the residents of the city need to have been double vaxxed. He expected that to be achieved by October 22nd. He said that after this a period of 7-14 days further wait needed to be made "to increase immunity according to medical principles".

 

2. Infection rates in Bangkok need to come down from the current 2,700 to 2,800 a day.

 

3. Less people need to be hospitalized with the virus.

 

Daily News did not report having asked what Aswin thought were acceptable numbers in factors 2 and 3. 

 

The three factors were important for the health and safety of Bangkok residents, he said. 

 

If the targets are achieved then City Hall will discuss further with the public health and tourism ministries to set guidelines before presenting these to the CCSA committeee for consideration. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that according to CCSA spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan's comments on Monday only 42% of Bangkok's registered 7 million residents have so far been double jabbed. 

 

Originally Bangkok was slated for an October 1st reopening but in a series of embarrassing flip-flops this could now be up to six weeks delayed. 

 

Meanwhile reopening in places like Hua Hin - where 80% of the population has been vaccinated after local officials paid for Sinopharm - looks set to go ahead on October 1st.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-09-21

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ezzra]

Opening BKK for tourists without quarantines and multi PCR tests will have it's downside of course and a price to pay, it remain to be seen whether the price will be worth it...

[HeijoshinCool]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

2. Infection rates in Bangkok need to come down from the current 2,700 to 2,800 a day.

 

.

 

Uhm....is that Thai math?

[ThailandRyan]

Talked with a friend who is in mall management here in BKK.  He indicated that the Malls he is associated with will be ramping up the Christmas decorations and outdoor lighting shows as they are expecting to have visitors from all over arriving for Christmas and New years.  I asked him where they were getting their information from and he indicated that it was from the expressed numbers given by TAT that they were relying on.  I told him that that could be potentially fraught with issues and could cause a loss of money should they go all out.  His statement to that was that it was out of his control as the upper management had decided that there will be a big push to welcome in visitors.

[smedly]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile reopening in places like Hua Hin - where 80% of the population has been vaccinated after local officials paid for Sinopharm - looks set to go ahead on October 1st.

yet more misleading numbers - vaccinated means 2x jabs not one

 

who writes this fake news

[MrJ2U]

14 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Talked with a friend who is in mall management here in BKK.  He indicated that the Malls he is associated with will be ramping up the Christmas decorations and outdoor lighting shows as they are expecting to have visitors from all over arriving for Christmas and New years.  I asked him where they were getting their information from and he indicated that it was from the expressed numbers given by TAT that they were relying on.  I told him that that could be potentially fraught with issues and could cause a loss of money should they go all out.  His statement to that was that it was out of his control as the upper management had decided that there will be a big push to welcome in visitors.

I wonder what Malls rely on TAT figures?

 

There probably also getting numbers from people in charge.  

 

I can even the richest people are finding these lockdowns and lack of tourists for almost two years financially troubling.

 

Many if not all have massive loans from banks.

[poskat]

so december it is!!!

[bristolgeoff]

dec or jan looks good xmas day in bkk   or even loi  krathong.if no hotel stay for 14 days people will return for sure

[KhaoYai]

Just stop mucking about with all these different ideas/announcments.  Get your population vaccinated and open the whole country up to all that have either been fully vaccinated or can't be vaccinated for medical reasons (potential additinal testing). 

 

Keep the quarantine arrangements for those who choose not to have the vaccine.

 

I believe that's the way most countries will go eventually - Covid 19 ain't going away anytime soon, we have to adapt to living with it. That will mean accepting that a low level of infections is inevitable but it will enable economic recovery.

Edited September 21, 2021 by KhaoYai

[Cake Monster]

6 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

I wonder what Malls rely on TAT figures?

 

There probably also getting numbers from people in charge.  

 

I can even the richest people are finding these lockdowns and lack of tourists for almost two years financially troubling.

 

Many if not all have massive loans from banks.

It would appear to me that it is not only the malls that are relying upon TAT figures and predictions.

I noticed today, some of the  made for Chinese Plastic Tourist Traps in Pattaya seem to be doing some spring cleaning.

Before there were no staff, and the places were close to totally neglected.

Now the Grass is cut, the windows cleaned, and there is a guy on Security at the Gate.

The 64k Dollar question is " will it all pay off ".

The Banks must be really worried at the moment, as so many Business's have huge Debt to Finance, and this opening has to work for them.

Although I cannot see the Business's paying off any of their Debt anytime soon, and  if anything there will be an increase in the debt as they struggle to open up and pay all the overheads without too many customers.

[ukrules]

What I see here is a delaying tactic which will tide them over until the winter COVID situation is known in Europe / other places where tourists come from.

 

It's only early yet and we don't know exactly how it's going to play out in Europe during the colder months.

 

When it gets cold there will either be an explosion of new cases all over Europe or nothing will happen as they've already had it or got some measure of immunity through vaccination.

 

This is how I viewed it last year, it came back stronger than ever in Europe during October - December 2020 and signalled a much longer term problem than many had previously predicted.

 

Personally I expect the same thing to happen this year as last year.

 

 

 

 

[snoop1130]

Bangkok can only reopen with fewer new COVID infections, cases in hospital, 70%+ vaccination

 

A fish vendor pushes her cart in the Chinatown area of Bangkok on May 28, 2021. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)

 

With uncertainties over whether Bangkok will reopen to foreign tourists anytime soon, the city’s Governor has revealed guidelines for reopening safely.

 

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang revealed yesterday (Monday) three key prerequisites for the city’s safe reopening to foreign tourists.

 

They are:

• At least 70% of the city’s population must be fully vaccinated with two doses by October 22nd and wait for another week to two weeks for the immunity levels to increase as suggested by medics.
• The number of new COVID-19 cases must decrease, as 2,700-2,800 new cases are currently being found each day.
• The number of new cases in hospitals must decrease.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkok-can-only-reopen-with-fewer-new-covid-infections-cases-in-hospital-70-vaccination-rate/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-09-21

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Homburg]

Did they say which November?

[zzaa09]

2 minutes ago, Homburg said:

Did they say which November?

As they continue to push back and changing the official opening dates every other week, one can expect the November to be 2024.

[Homburg]

41 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

As they continue to push back and changing the official opening dates every other week, one can expect the November to be 2024.

...or 2025, or 2026, or.....

[EricTh]

Wouldn't it be better to fix a date instead of shifting the date all the time?

 

A 1st december opening date would be more realistic, by that time most people would have been vaccinated in times for the Christmas and year end holidays. 

[Bkk Brian]

11 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Wouldn't it be better to fix a date instead of shifting the date all the time?

 

A 1st december opening date would be more realistic, by that time most people would have been vaccinated in times for the Christmas and year end holidays. 

Agreed, all these knee jerk reactions and conflicting statements on opening, be adults about it and stop setting yourselves up to fail. Get a realistic date and stick to it, job done.

[MrJ2U]

4 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

It would appear to me that it is not only the malls that are relying upon TAT figures and predictions.

I noticed today, some of the  made for Chinese Plastic Tourist Traps in Pattaya seem to be doing some spring cleaning.

Before there were no staff, and the places were close to totally neglected.

Now the Grass is cut, the windows cleaned, and there is a guy on Security at the Gate.

The 64k Dollar question is " will it all pay off ".

The Banks must be really worried at the moment, as so many Business's have huge Debt to Finance, and this opening has to work for them.

Although I cannot see the Business's paying off any of their Debt anytime soon, and  if anything there will be an increase in the debt as they struggle to open up and pay all the overheads without too many customers.

It should be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

Things have been shut for so long theres definitely a lot of defered maintenance.

[lolalol]

7 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Wouldn't it be better to fix a date instead of shifting the date all the time?

 

A 1st december opening date would be more realistic, by that time most people would have been vaccinated in times for the Christmas and year end holidays. 

Yeah I agree.  I think they should fix a realistic date and just go for it.  

 

Its not like people all over the world are just waiting for that moment Thailand finally reopen. 

 

I think it will be very easy for someone to just skip Thailand this year, and go somewhere else.  

 

It wouldn't be a hard decision to make.  

 

Anyhow. Looking at how things are going, not many tourists will come to Thailand this high season.  

 

 

[charmonman]

Why would allowing a group of people who are 100% vaccinated be dependent on the other group being 70% vaccinated? They quarantine the 100% group while the 70% group goes around spreading the virus. Quarantine made sense last year when Thailand had few cases and no incoming travelers were vaxed; now it’s just stupid .

[GrandPapillon]

it's all about 2022 now, forget 2021

[RichardColeman]

16 hours ago, poskat said:

so december it is!!!

2022 or 23 ?

[it is what it is]

 

just kicking the can down the road...

[kiwikeith]

21 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

Uhm....is that Thai math?

80% of Hua Hin have been vaccinated after public officials paid for sinovac.

Was that from the doses that China donated, or did they buy it from the Government.

My wifes mother is not yet vaccinated or her brother neither, and they are not aware that 80% have been vaccinated, where is the official figures?, did these officials give it away free.

My wife said most people were cuing at the hospitals. 

[ThailandRyan]

They still have not yet decided if they will remove the emergency decree or renew it.  The Communicable Disease Act which covers the same substance is also being revised and has not yet been approved.  On top of that should they remove the emergency decree the CCSA will still stay on in some form under the bloated administration running the CDA and MOPH.  Hell if they can not decide on this stuff then how can they even think about opening up the country as who the hell would be in charge of the programs needed...just complete duplicity.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They are:

• At least 70% of the city’s population must be fully vaccinated with two doses by October 22nd and wait for another week to two weeks for the immunity levels to increase as suggested by medics.
• The number of new COVID-19 cases must decrease, as 2,700-2,800 new cases are currently being found each day.
• The number of new cases in hospitals must decrease.

All of which can be manipulated.

[aussienam]

"2. Infection rates in Bangkok need to come down from the current 2,700 to 2,800 a day."

 

I hope they realise that once they achieve a vaccination level deemed acceptable and open back up, that infections will soar. 

 

Vaccinations do not stop infections, albeit reducing viral loads.  But they do significantly reduce serious cases.. That has been proven by global data coming in.  Inevitably we will all get infected. Virtually impossible not to.

 

But, most of us would only need rest at home, like a flu.  Like the flu, a very few vaccinated will die.  A tiny percentage.  Hospitalizations needed for vaccinated will be far less than unvaccinated.  

 

So when infection rates inevitably soar amongst the vaccinated, I hope the government does not decide to lock us all back into our homes again. 

The government will need to allow the virus to infect us all so we can all get it over and done with. It is unavoidable.  

 

I say this because criteria #2 has no further details.  

 

[Hanuman2547]

Look for January 2022 at the earliest for Thailand to re-open with no quarantine required unless unvaccinated.  

[GrandPapillon]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

They still have not yet decided if they will remove the emergency decree or renew it.  The Communicable Disease Act which covers the same substance is also being revised and has not yet been approved.  On top of that should they remove the emergency decree the CCSA will still stay on in some form under the bloated administration running the CDA and MOPH.  Hell if they can not decide on this stuff then how can they even think about opening up the country as who the hell would be in charge of the programs needed...just complete duplicity.

the emergency degree is just too convenient not to be removed, can play different purposes, it's too tempting to keep the degree in place

 

they are not ready yet, January 2022 is the earliest possible

[Bkktodd]

On 9/20/2021 at 10:46 PM, ezzra said:

Opening BKK for tourists without quarantines and multi PCR tests will have it's downside of course and a price to pay, it remain to be seen whether the price will be worth it...

How so??? Worried about vaccinated and multi tested arrivals being infected by unvaxxed thais and farangs ?  Seems abit unfair that i cant go to my condo fully protected while some unvaxxed  farang has a swim and enjoy s his condo with no recourse