People enjoy at a beach as Phuket opens for foreigners, who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to visit the resort island without quarantine, in Phuket, Thailand, September 19, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has pushed back plans to re-open Bangkok and some other major cities to foreign arrivals until November, due to vaccination rates falling short of targets, a senior official said on Wednesday.

 

Officials earlier this month said they planned to welcome vaccinated tourists without quarantine to major cities like Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai in October to revive the country’s crucial tourism sector.

 

"Cities we've targeted have not reached 70% vaccination rates and so we have to push out the date to November," Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

 

Despite being a production hub for the AstraZeneca vaccine, Thailand's vaccine rollout has struggled to keep pace, though Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha pledged on Wednesday to speed up inoculations.

 

So far, 44% of residents in Bangkok have received two doses, government data shows. Overall, Thailand has vaccinated 22% of the estimated 72 million people living in the country.

 

Up to now, the tourism scheme has only been launched on the islands of Samui and Phuket.

 

Thailand welcomed 40 million arrivals in 2019, who accounted for more than a fifth of gross domestic product, but this year is targeting one million visitors.

 

At least 98% of Thailand's more than 1.5 million coronavirus infections and 15,753 deaths happened since April this year due to an outbreak driven by the Delta variant.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-09-22

 

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I don't know what they mean by "opening" Bangkok. 

4 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Officials earlier this month said they planned to welcome vaccinated tourists without quarantine to major cities like Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai in October to revive the country’s crucial tourism sector.

Perhaps they meant the above

This is understandable, October is not the month. November 15th probably the real deal.

6 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

I don't know what they mean by "opening" Bangkok. 

Nana, Cowboy

Yawn, another prediction that will likely be extended. The Boredom meter is past 100%!

Reopening for tourism is booking a flight and showing your passport at immigration at BKK.

What the Thai government considers as reopening will be completely different.

22nd September 2021, closed since April and still no clear road map to even opening bars etc.

 

Making it impossible for vacationers to make plans. Again. Looks like another High Season will be lost....

7 minutes ago, baboon said:

Making it impossible for vacationers to make plans. Again. Looks like another High Season will be lost....

No worries, the spinmasters at the TAT will work it out..

99.9 percent of expat residents could have told you that weeks ago. 

never mind the hype people who live here know the situation better than this government and the daily nonsense from its spokesmen. 

11 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Reopening for tourism is booking a flight and showing your passport at immigration at BKK.

What the Thai government considers as reopening will be completely different.

22nd September 2021, closed since April and still no clear road map to even opening bars etc.

 

You mean since March 2020 no ? The fact that they have accepted a select few in the meanwhile does not qualify as an opening

After all the hype, this will burst the bubble for many who are reliant upon the Tourist High Season for their Business success.

it is however, a very prudent move, as the Gov,t want to try and speed up Inoculations in order to get released from some of the Red Lists and restrictions placed upon the Country by other Governments.

I am not so sure that playing around with Vaccine Doses, and the way they are administered, will exactly go down well with many Foreign Governments. Many may well still see these practices as " not fully Vaccinated " due to there not being any WHO guidelines yet on the matter.

 

Another fail go to the back of the class face the wall and put the dunce hat on like bad little boys have to do. 

27 minutes ago, Almer said:

Nana, Cowboy

Those bastions of tourism

im not surpised

19 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

 

 

19 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I am not so sure that playing around with Vaccine Doses, and the way they are administered, will exactly go down well with many Foreign Governments. Many may well still see these practices as " not fully Vaccinated " due to there not being any WHO guidelines yet on the matter.

 

 

 

I am sure it never occurred to most nations to even try to play around with vaccine doses.......

 

 

TIT

 

2 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

 

I am sure it never occurred to most nations to even try to play around with vaccine doses.......

 

 

TIT

 

And this is what will make the whole thing very scary for many of the Foreign Governments, as there are no established guidelines, or research, unlike with the recommended Doses and Methods as issued by the Manufacturers after extensive research by them.

27 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

After all the hype, this will burst the bubble for many who are reliant upon the Tourist High Season for their Business success.

it is however, a very prudent move, as the Gov,t want to try and speed up Inoculations in order to get released from some of the Red Lists and restrictions placed upon the Country by other Governments.

I am not so sure that playing around with Vaccine Doses, and the way they are administered, will exactly go down well with many Foreign Governments. Many may well still see these practices as " not fully Vaccinated " due to there not being any WHO guidelines yet on the matter.

 

You mean the jab being under the skin to save on vaccine Instead of a full dose done intramuscularly right?

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

You mean the jab being under the skin to save on vaccine Instead of a full dose done intramuscularly right?

Yes, I did, but I also forgot to mention there has been no research published  on this practice, by either Manufacturers or Medical Institutions..

But also there is the issue of " Mix and Match Vaccines " and also the 12 doses from 10 in a Vial.

Thailand has been trying to skimp on Vaccines costs in many ways, now.

Some may be ongoing methods, while some could have been placed on the back shelf.

Who knows ?

1 hour ago, Almer said:

Nana, Cowboy

If you think that Bangkok bars will open as part of this “opening”, you are going to have a sad.

32 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

But also there is the issue of " Mix and Match Vaccines " and also the 12 doses from 10 in a Vial.

Several countries are accepting mixed vaccines for entry now, and 12 doses from 10 can be done by utilising vial overfill and low dead zone syringes, so aren't too far out there.  I've never come across anything on the intramuscular or not, except a trial that was taking place that I never heard results from.

Edited September 22, 20214 yr by treetops

1 hour ago, kevin612 said:

This is understandable, October is not the month. November 15th probably the real deal.

For what?

49 minutes ago, jippytum said:

99.9 percent of expat residents could have told you that weeks ago. 

never mind the hype people who live here know the situation better than this government and the daily nonsense from its spokesmen. 

Anyone with half a brain has been saying this whether an expat or not.

You just have to look at the ebb and flow of the pandemic globally.

If the bars etc open in November or December then a lot of saved expat money will ensure a decent income for farang facing businesses.

If they have survived this long, then they will make it to the New Year.

However, Thai landlords will be trying to recoup losses again. Not to mention key money.

I also wonder will Thai wholesalers start putting prices up again for alcohol etc.

Not exclusive to Thailand and this is another piece of the jigsaw that people aren't factoring in.

Thailand is about to get a lot more expensive, whatever your budget.

Who can blame them.

 

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

I don't know what they mean by "opening" Bangkok. 

Don't worry, neither do they! It would be funnier than the original Hangover movie if it wasn't so tragic.

2 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Anyone with half a brain has been saying this whether an expat or not.

You just have to look at the ebb and flow of the pandemic globally.

If the bars etc open in November or December then a lot of saved expat money will ensure a decent income for farang facing businesses.

If they have survived this long, then they will make it to the New Year.

However, Thai landlords will be trying to recoup losses again. Not to mention key money.

I also wonder will Thai wholesalers start putting prices up again for alcohol etc.

Not exclusive to Thailand and this is another piece of the jigsaw that people aren't factoring in.

Thailand is about to get a lot more expensive, whatever your budget.

Who can blame them.

 

When will the baht fall through the floor, it's not making any sense at all!

29 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Thailand has been trying to skimp on Vaccines costs in many ways, now.

Actualy Thailand pay more from chinese vaccine ,than what Pfizer or other vaccine's cost! Reason for that, i think everybody knows!

51 minutes ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

Those bastions of tourism

Nana and Cowboy were indeed bastions of tourism. Apart from the mongers, foreign couples would invariably drift through to soak in the debauchery, and often have a drink or two as well. 

They claim tourism accounts for a fifth of GDP I think that's grossly underestimated.

 

The vast majority of Thais who worked in it, or supplied it, from drivers to laundry workers, were often in the grey economy, not counted, or considered. The ripple effects of just one major hotel and its suppliers and staff and their families needs and consumption and so on, is also underestimated.

 

Thailand's failure to tackle institutionalised corruption, and formalise labour relations and social security is now burning itself alive. Som nam na.

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

I don't know what they mean by "opening" Bangkok. 

 

Neither do they.

 

It means whatever they decide it means. Maybe no quarantine? Maybe fully vaxxed? Maybe some pre-arrival and post-arrival testing? Maybe a CoE? Maybe insurance?

 

I think it's safe to say that pre-Covid and post-Covid "openings" will be drastically different, with nearly everyone disappointed.

 

There is a perception issue the regime needs to address: allowing fully vaxxed tourists to swan about while the majority of Thais remain unvaccinated, or vaccinated with a vaccine the government has acknowledged is less than ideal.

 

 

 

I submit to all that there are very few people willing to travel right now anyways, so it doesn't really matter. Particularly to a country where COVID is still out of control due to poor vaccination rates.  

Even with good vaccination rates, it will not go away.  It will be there.  

We're open here, and do you know who's coming?  Hardly anybody.  (vaccinated only)

 

Take away 1/5 of a country's GDP and they will suffer.  I think that they are sweeping the true pain under the rug.  

53 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

If you think that Bangkok bars will open as part of this “opening”, you are going to have a sad.

Has anybody been to Bangkok bars these two months? What's the situation there right now?