Thailand increases number of 'low risk' countries from 46 to 63

[richthai]

Let's see, 63 countries, including the 4 most populous in the world (PRC, India, USA, Indonesia). Seems like this probably includes about 50 of the 60 most populous countries (not including Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Ethiopia, Congo, Iran or  Russia).  Rough estimate this is about 6 Billion people out of 8 B.

[BusyB]

"Satish Sehgal, chairman of the India-Thai businessmen association, said Indians should be included in the 'low risk' list as Indian tourists are amongst the top 5 spenders in Thailand, ..."

 

Can anyone tell me what spending has to do with risk? Bit blatant eh? Sheesh ...

[raccos21]

They can add as many countries as they want to the “low risk” list but if the complicated paperworks and requirements are still there, then people will travel to other places. The insurance policies that they are offering to the travelers look like scams to me.

Let see how many millions are coming.

[sambum]

How on earth Thailand can classify the UK as a "low risk country" when a country with a population approximately the same as Thailand has daily cases of Covid in the TENS of thousands (Yesterday 41,278) baffles me, and I am a Brit!

[sambum]

1 hour ago, Gordon Large said:

Australia still not aloud to travel to Thailand. 

Maybe something to do with having a reputation of being  "aloud" nation? ????

Edited October 31, 2021 by sambum

[daveAustin]

5 minutes ago, sambum said:

How on earth Thailand can classify the UK as a "low risk country" when a country with a population approximately the same as Thailand has daily cases of Covid in the TENS of thousands (Yesterday 41,278) baffles me, and I am a Brit!

Doesn’t matter because most are vaccinated and you’d be tested in any case. Also, Thailand is STILL ONLY testing like 50k people per day, at lest a 10th of UK. People really need to get a grip over infection rates and move on with their lives. 

[decca60]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

No African, no Central or South American countries no Mexico......So what does this mean?

Is Chile not in south America???

 

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

No African, no Central or South American countries no Mexico......So what does this mean?

Is Chile not a south American country ?!?

[sambum]

12 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Doesn’t matter because most are vaccinated and you’d be tested in any case. Also, Thailand is STILL ONLY testing like 50k people per day, at lest a 10th of UK. People really need to get a grip over infection rates and move on with their lives. 

I particularly agree with your last 5 words!

[AlfonsV]

This list of the so called "low risk" countries is partially just ridiculous. In the 3 Baltic states the numbers are rising dramatically, not to speak about the situation in Romania, India and Indonesia!

Now it is proved that money has more power than the fear to loose face. "Low risk" should be replaced by another term. Any suggestion?

Edited October 31, 2021 by AlfonsV
missed last sentence

[hotchilli]

Opening up to more countries hoping for tourists to flock here..

yesterday I learnt that the usual Loy Krathong festival in mid-NOV and associated 10-ish day trade market in the temple grounds has been canceled due to Prayut no gathering order.

Makes perfect sense... NOT

Nothing for tourists to visit and hurting the Thai traders who usually come to set-up and sell their goods.

[jacko45k]

7 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Dont expect to see to many Indians any time soon with all the reams of paperwork Thailand and India want...

That's a shame......

[aussiexpat]

1 hour ago, Gordon Large said:

Australia still not aloud to travel to Thailand. 

Says who? Singapore Airlines has been doing daily flights for months now for any Aussies with exemptions and all Australian can fly overseas from 1 November

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by aussiexpat

[Cat Boy]

6 hours ago, RafPinto said:

62

63

 

Why not by alphabetical order?

Because Hong Kong earlier listed, and now Taiwan, are "Territories", integral to mainland China, to refer to them as "countries" would ire Beijing 

[10baht]

6 hours ago, RafPinto said:

62

63

 

Why not by alphabetical order?

I am sure not wanting to upset China.

[10baht]

6 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

If above justifies India being added to the Covid 'low risk' list, then Russia needs to lift their game.

Russia is have a shut down period right now. Few vaccinated and numbers are rising, especially deaths.

[10baht]

3 minutes ago, 10baht said:

I am sure not wanting to upset China.

If you haven't heard Taiwan is not a country. 555

[Senyo]

Bulgaria and Romania are deep in dark red zones. 

[Senyo]

40 minutes ago, 10baht said:

If you haven't heard Taiwan is not a country. 555

... and Hong Kong for that matter. 

[WinterGael]

7 hours ago, petermik said:

Here’s hoping in a few weeks time when arrival figures are way below expectations these stupid entry requirements are dropped.

Not stupid by any means.

[MaiChai]

They must be desperate...

[XJPSX]

Letting India in not because they have Coronavirus under control or they have a high % of the population vaccinated.

Approved because they are in the top 5 spenders in Thailand.
Says it all about this country.

[MrJ2U]

Anything compared to the sparsely vaccinated country is "low risk".

 

I think everyone is eager to see how this goes.

 

Many hospital ER's are pretty full and hospital staff streched out and stressed out.

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, XJPSX said:

Letting India in not because they have Coronavirus under control or they have a high % of the population vaccinated.

Approved because they are in the top 5 spenders in Thailand.
Says it all about this country.

And that comment says an awful lot about you and racism you hold towards Indians. 

 

What greater Covid-19 risk to Thailand does an Indian present than an Englishman when both are fully vaccinated and both have PCR tested negative for Covid-19 prior to travelling ????

 

 

 

 

 

[aussiexpat]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

And that comment says an awful lot about you and racism you hold towards Indians. 

 

What greater Covid-19 risk to Thailand does an Indian present than an Englishman when both are fully vaccinated and both have PCR tested negative for Covid-19 prior to travelling ????

For one, brits aren't known around the world for expertly forging education documents, so a covid vaccine dicument should be pretty simple in India.

 

I think India actually has the lowest vaccination rate of any country on the list ( even lower than Thailand), so if verified vaccines, not really an issue

Edited October 31, 2021 by aussiexpat

[jaiyen]

How can they possibly say that UK is a low risk ??  140,000 dead and 41,000 new cases every day !!!!  Western Australia is what I call low risk.  Zero cases for months now. 

[Why Me]

28 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

For one, brits aren't known around the world for expertly forging education documents, so a covid vaccine should be pretty simple in India.

 

I think India actually has the lowest vaccination rate of any country on the list ( even lower than Thailand), so if verified vaccines, not really an issue

aussiexpat, you are talking out of your, er, downunder.

 

Like Thailand India has a vaccine database based on national id. If Thailand-India choose to travel bubble (no flights yet between the two) they'll share access to these DBs. So forging vax docs is not going to be a smart option. Plus, vaccination is easily available in India and there is almost zero anti-vax lunacy there.

 

As for numbers, fully vaccinated in India currently 25% and new infections yesterday was 13k in a country of 1billion+. Which suggests that if you are fully vaxed the chance of being infected in India is near zero.

 

The reason India wasn't in the initial 46 countries is that one of their two main vaccines is not yet listed by WHO. They use Covishield which is AstraZeneca and recognized and fine. The other one is Covaxin which is in the final stages of WHO approval but not done yet (final meet next Wed.). Thailand didn't want to be in the situation of having to choose between fully vaxxed Indians but now they seem to have jumped the gun by a few days.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Why Me

[Mitkof Island]

Foreigners already inside Thailand pay no insurance for Covid. Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, India ,Vietnam no insurance for Covid? Been vaccinated three times I pay for Covid insurance to enter. Got It!

[aussiexpat]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

How can they possibly say that UK is a low risk ??  140,000 dead and 41,000 new cases every day !!!!  Western Australia is what I call low risk.  Zero cases for months now. 

Yeah and West Alcatraz has cut itself off from the rest of Australia and we all hope you leave for good. Time to live life, not be stuck in some politicians lock down view of life that has brainwashed all of its citizens that covid is bubonic plague..

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by aussiexpat

[Rocking Robert]

And in the USA for the last nine weeks they have been going to football stadiums by the millions shoulder to shoulder without mask damm it they must know something that we don’t know

[gejohesch]

6 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

Luxembourg and Slovakia must have been oversights on the first list surely

I'm concerned about The Vatican, Liechtenstein, Monaco + Monte Carlo, San Marino, Andorra. Please reassure me, do their citizens travel with French, Spanish, Italian or Spanish passports???

 

Surely, that would be an important omission, these countries total up to some 200,000 people....

Edited October 31, 2021 by gejohesch