Nearly 2,500 travellers enter Thailand on first day of full reopening

[webfact]

 

A total of 2,424 travellers arrived in Thailand yesterday (Monday), the first day Thailand reopened to international arrivals, on 40 international flights. 890 were Thai nationals and 1,534 were foreign travellers, said Permanent Secretary at the Public Health Ministry Kiattibhoom Vongrachit.

 

Dr. Kiattibhoom said that the systems and processes within the airport went well.

 

Director of Suvarnabhumi airport Kittipong Kittikachorn said that there were some issues with the health screening process, with a number of arrivals being delayed due to documentation issues, while some of them were waiting for pickup. So far, no one has been detected with a high fever.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/nearly-2-5k-travellers-entered-thailand-on-first-day-of-full-reopening/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-11-02

 

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[tingtong]

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

[CRUNCHER]

One wonders how many of the foreign arrivals were genuine tourist and how many were long term residents trying to get home.

[Emdog]

The use of word "traveler" is a rather broad classification, aka "one who travels".

As the hope is for tourism to take off, it would be nice to know how many of those "foreign travelers" are on tourist visas.

"Everyone, Thai and non-Thai, arriving from abroad have to leave the airport in hotel vans." Like to get a bit of that action, eh?

[bkksteve123]

18 minutes ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

It was supposed to be 30 000 - https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2206455/suvarnabhumi-to-welcome-30k-passengers-on-monday

 

[Kadilo]

13 minutes ago, Emdog said:

The use of word "traveler" is a rather broad classification, aka "one who travels".

As the hope is for tourism to take off, it would be nice to know how many of those "foreign travelers" are on tourist visas.

"Everyone, Thai and non-Thai, arriving from abroad have to leave the airport in hotel vans." Like to get a bit of that action, eh?

Most of the foreign travellers are likely to be on VE. 

[steven100]

SO what about the 7000 tourists  that were arriving according to TAT   ??      only 1,534 ....   

where are the other 5,500 international tourist ????

 

did you get it all wrong TAT  ??     so your numbers are false then       ???

[khunPer]

Weird, it must be fake news, I just read that 7,000 foreign passenger would arrive; not expectations, but sounded like fully firm bookings...????

[Bkk Brian]

28 minutes ago, Emdog said:

 

"Everyone, Thai and non-Thai, arriving from abroad have to leave the airport in hotel vans." Like to get a bit of that action, eh?

Yep, I think you're right there!

 

Another problem that has arisen is the lack of vehicles at Suvranabhumi airport for transporting passengers from the airport to various places including those who go to Pattaya. There are not enough vehicles as drivers have to be SHA+

 

To make matters worse, different families members have to take different cars

This has prompted the cost of taxi to Pattaya to rise to 2,300 to 2,500 baht from 1,300 to 1,400 pre-Covid era.

[happysoul]

Average of 63 pax per flight... Must be comfortable to fly these days ????

[NanaSomchai]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

A total of 2,424 travellers arrived in Thailand yesterday (Monday), the first day Thailand reopened to international arrivals, on 40 international flights. 890 were Thai nationals and 1,534 were foreign travellers, said Permanent Secretary at the Public Health Ministry Kiattibhoom Vongrachit.

Again, the keyword being "travellers", not tourists.

 

What a failure and a loss of face for this government, buffoons.

[ThailandRyan]

Yet another OP said 3k arrived, another saying 13k for the week and another stating that CAAT was expecting 15 for the week. Competing news stories and numbers that do not add up, but then TIT.

[aussiexpat]

Why is the paper we are not allowed to quote stating 6,631 people arrived 1 November, conviently close to the stated 7000

 

Now we have a more realistic 2424, with 890 of those being returning Thai

[Eric Loh]

10 minutes ago, steven100 said:

SO what about the 7000 tourists  that were arriving according to TAT   ??      only 1,534 ....   

where are the other 5,500 international tourist ????

 

did you get it all wrong TAT  ??     so your numbers are false then       ???

The 1,534 tourists and 890 returning Thais came in via Suvarnabhumi airport. Slightly over 3,000 passengers arrived on Monday at other international airports in Thailand. Fall short of target but still positive news. 

[bdenner]

9 minutes ago, steven100 said:

SO what about the 7000 tourists  that were arriving according to TAT   ??      only 1,534 ....   

where are the other 5,500 international tourist ????

 

did you get it all wrong TAT  ??     so your numbers are false then       ???

No 7000 is where the dart landed BUT it's all the fault of this guy and the quality Thai IT engineers = blame them.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1237725-first-week-of-reopening-thailand-expected-to-welcome-13000-foreign-tourists-thailand-pass-has-opening-day-problems/

Tomorrows scape goat TBA!

[mtls2005]

43 minutes ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

The remainder arrived in Kanchanaburi, all from Myanmar, and said to be here for the temples.

[BKKTRAVELER]

I'm seeing so many numbers displayed in the news today, this is all so confusing as always. 

 

All I can deduct with certainty is that those numbers are very low. Still baby steps if they truly want to save the tourism industry here.

[Kadilo]

Just now, BKKTRAVELER said:

I'm seeing so many numbers displayed in the news today, this is all so confusing as always. 

 

All I can deduct with certainty is that those numbers are very low. Still baby steps if they truly want to save the tourism industry here.

Of course they are low. It was the first day of arrivals. Baby steps is what’s required to test the new system and the effect on the overall Covid numbers.
 

If everyone arrived on mass on day one then people would say they are being reckless and should have done it in stages in case there’s an outbreak. 
 

Whether by design or not, tourism slowly ramping up is good for both the economy and to monitor any resulting spikes in the affected areas. 

[Walker88]

If 2424 is 'almost' 2500, it might as well be almost 7000. Heck, let it be almost 30,000.

 

With 890 being Thai nationals, however, one could go the other direction and say 1534 is nearly just 1500, or nearly 1000, or nearly zero.

 

The airlines, who cancelled 80% of their gates at Suvarnabhumi for the Oct-Apr period, seem to have a more realistic view of things. Money and the bottom line tend to do that.

[Chivas]

Whilst numbers are small its good to see those that did arrive didn't overly suffer from difficulties with processing

 

Give it 3 months to iron out the issues and I might venture a visit again

[lopburi3]

The linked reference says "enter Bangkok" but forum says "enter Thailand".

 

Did they update to "enter Bangkok"?  If so perhaps we should also?

[stoutfella]

1 hour ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

I wondered that too, but maybe I was dreaming.

[Kadilo]

20 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

. Fall short of target but still positive news. 

 Be careful using that “p” word. ????

[Eric Loh]

5 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

 Be careful using that “p” word. ????

I am the glass half full kind of guy. I had enough of 2 years of negativity and will celebrate any p news even small. 

[RafPinto]

They make it sound like 25 Million.

 

2500, what a joke.

Probably each spending 69,000 Baht a day.

[RafPinto]

Soon, we will all get an email from Cha Cha.

 

All retirees, please volunteer.

Dress like a tourist, take an empty luggage and wonder around Suvarnahbumi airport.

We will take pictures and promote the 70,000 tourists landed in the last hour.

[Pedrogaz]

I have to say, an impressive start. Well done, Mr Prayut, Prawit and Anutin. I must say I was not a believer, but I have changed my opinion 180 degrees and am now, more than ever, convinced that we are on the right track. Just think how many visitors we will have if "nearly 2500" visitors come every day. Wot's 2500 times 365? Just figure out the answer to this sum and you will have the answer.

[Pedrogaz]

53 minutes ago, stoutfella said:

I wondered that too, but maybe I was dreaming.

Yesterday's number is out of date by now! We have a new forecast based on actual numbers arriving....surely the best way to estimate arrivals.

[Pedrogaz]

I'm wondering how many of the 1300 foreign visitors were multimillionaires per the government's strategy of targeting this group with especially bewitching baits? Anyone know the financial status of those who poured in yesterday. 

[NanaSomchai]

1 hour ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

Still baby steps if they truly want to save the tourism industry here.

Is there even any tourism industry left to save at this point?

 

Asking for a Thai friend who likes brown enveloppes...