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

[lapamita]

40 international airplanes wooow

 

yesterday they said 110  airplanes will arrive

 

hope the tower and flightmanagment is not involved in this type of counting

[NanaSomchai]

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

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. 

What do you mean by "in case there's an outbreak"?

 

It's not a matter of "if" but rather a matter of "when".

 

Mark my words clearly; There WILL be another outbreak and this time yet again they'll blame it on the "dirty foreigners" yet again.

 

The Thais cannot cope or take responsabilities for anything, it's always someone else's fault.

 

This is Thailand.

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

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.

Maybe they confused it with the numbers leaving?

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Maybe they confused it with the numbers leaving?

Glad they didn't have more arrive. Apparently the transport vehicles were scant and caused some major delays as there were not enough.  Imagine what would have happened if all 7k or 30k arrived. God forbid it wasn't 100k. These folks are so unprepared for what they want....amazing Thailand.  

[khunpa]

32 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

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. 

I am sure they were all super-rich and just avoided flying private as they wanted to support the opening.

 

They are now out spending millions on condos to ensure their long-term visa.

 

Happy days!

[RichardColeman]

OK, assuming they average 1500 travellers a day (i think it will drop off after the surge same phuket), that would mean a total of only 45,000 tourists in the country at any one time if they all stay for 1 month. 45,000 extra people in the country will do next to nothing for the tourism industry at 3-4 people a hotel. Probably less as those thai arrivals are probably arriving with husbands and going home to their own accommodation  !

[BKKTRAVELER]

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

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. 

People coming are fully vaccinated and take a PCR test before flying here. They even get tested when they arrive here. They are less scary to me than the local population, knowing than less than half has been fully vaccinated. Tourists are more likely to get infected here by locals than vice versa considering numbers are still high in Thailand.

 

Now, opening bars, alcohol, schools etc will surely lead to a surge in cases. But This will be due to the low vaccination rollout organized by the government, not tourists.

 

[smew]

With the hoops that need to be jumped, and the checking and the processing will be a nightmare mixed with confusion laced with Thai anger.

It must be streamlined or the line up ques they will be out to the tarmac.

 

During COE requirements for entry, and only few hundreds daily arrivals the ques were 45 minute long... now ???

 

Departure testing, yes, agree.

Eliminate testing on arrival and this absurd one night at quarantine hotel...is the only way tourists will come back...         

[Kadilo]

22 minutes ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

People coming are fully vaccinated and take a PCR test before flying here. They even get tested when they arrive here. They are less scary to me than the local population, knowing than less than half has been fully vaccinated. Tourists are more likely to get infected here by locals than vice versa considering numbers are still high in Thailand.

 

Now, opening bars, alcohol, schools etc will surely lead to a surge in cases. But This will be due to the low vaccination rollout organized by the government, not tourists.

 

Yes an increase in new infections will be inevitable, as it has been everywhere else once a country reopens. The key will be the number of additional hospitalisations/serious illness and ultimately deaths that may occur as a result. 
 

Some of the main target tourist areas are already at 70% and others, like Chiangmai are being targeted with extra doses to meet that target this month. Bars are not yet open and school openings still appear to depend on the area. 
 

In addition with the low tourist numbers highlighted that are currently arriving, it gives them time to get these vac numbers higher across all the provinces in an attempt to reach the 70% target for the whole population.

 

Once complete, this should help minimise the serious effects of the virus as the numbers increase for Xmas/New Year. 
 

Only time will tell how much. 

[Deez]

2 hours 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       ???

You forgot to count the 3700 new police they hired. They must have had a hard day

[bang saen guy]

How many were airline crew? 40 flights? More than a few

[Smokey and the Bandit]

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

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

Yes that was my understanding. Maybe they found out all the bars are still closed and there is no alcohol being served anywhere?

[khunpa]

31 minutes ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

People coming are fully vaccinated and take a PCR test before flying here. They even get tested when they arrive here. They are less scary to me than the local population, knowing than less than half has been fully vaccinated. Tourists are more likely to get infected here by locals than vice versa considering numbers are still high in Thailand.

 

Now, opening bars, alcohol, schools etc will surely lead to a surge in cases. But This will be due to the low vaccination rollout organized by the government, not tourists.

 

Sure the amount of cases will go up as the tourists gets infected here. The good thing is that since all the foreigners gets tested, they can be blamed.

[dlclark97]

3 hours ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

Yes, was thinking the same.  Does not say much for the 15,000 expected later.  Not much of an alcohol consumer myself but I can easily see why people going anywhere for a holiday might want to relax with a drink or two.  I wish the country great success but see remaining COVID issues and restrictions putting a damper on things.

[Al BB]

3 hours ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

Beat me to it,  a certain Publication printed that 7000 had arrived. Can they be charged with spreading Fake News?........Maybe not as its a Junta mouthpiece.

[sandyf]

16 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Yes an increase in new infections will be inevitable, as it has been everywhere else once a country reopens. The key will be the number of additional hospitalisations/serious illness and ultimately deaths that may occur as a result. 

An increase in infections is unlikely to come from arrivals in the short term. The numbers are so low travelling is safer than anything else. When i arrived at BKK a couple of weeks ago there were only 2 other foreign aircraft at international arrivals and they had already disembarked. There was only about 50 on my flight, a 777, had to strain a bit to see another passenger. I think the majority were returning expats and had opted for business class. I got held up a bit at disease control and had to make my way through the airport on my own, bag was the last one on the carousel. Despite all the checks, out of the airport quicker than pre pandemic, and traveled to the quarantine hotel in Pattaya on my own in a covid secure taxi.

The risk will only increase when the numbers increase, the longer the government can keep them low the better for the country as a whole.

[Andycoops]

It's been admitted that 90% were returning expats, hence why they have not used the word tourists.

[Moti24]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

.....890 were Thai nationals and 1,534 were foreign travellers, .....

The 1,534 might have been transit passengers!  Who knows!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

Reality?

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

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.

Yep, we can wake up now each day to an un-healthy dose of BS served up luke warm from TAT and now CAAT have joined in the numbers game.

Shame they can't speak to each other and get the same numbers.

 

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

Thats Swampy alone.. +- 6600 in all airports. 

[arick]

4 hours ago, CRUNCHER said:

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

Exactly just a hand fall of x pays with their partners and a gig returning 

[Knocker33]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

What happened to the headlined 7000 from yesterday?

 

They couldn't get the Thailand pass to work

[raccos21]

Well done keep it up.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

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

The Civil Aviation Authority in another report said it was 5745. Take your pick. Three different figures merely proves that everyone is making them up. Everyone should just report that a trickle arrived. Saves them making up silly numbers that no-one believes anyway.

[Rhacsyn]

I have no interest in number nit picking but do like to report what I see first hand. I landed in Phuket yesterday on EK378 from Dubai and there were 264 passengers on board (777 plane). On my previous sandbox entry in early September there were just 65 passengers on the same flight, so things are picking up for sure.

 

It was reported that the first flight arriving from Zurich yesterday was also pretty full as was the flight to Phuket from Singapore which my friends flew on. Qatar air arrived in Phuket earlier today and again, according to friends on the flight, was busy.

 

There are nine PCR stations at the airport in Phuket and i was through, from landing in 30 minutes with hotel taxi waiting outside. PCR result (negative!!) was received within 6 hours. For anybody thinking of travelling from overseas to Phuket, suggest you download the COSTE app which has replaced MorChana app. You can register your ATK test result on this app  and this is done after 5 days. ATK kit is given out at the airport at the Covid test centre. Sorry, my post is Phuket biased and I have no idea how the system works in Bangkok.

 

 

[John Drake]

5 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

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

Incredible. That's one scam that never would have occurred to me.  

[Kadilo]

23 minutes ago, Rhacsyn said:

I have no interest in number nit picking but do like to report what I see first hand. I landed in Phuket yesterday on EK378 from Dubai and there were 264 passengers on board (777 plane). On my previous sandbox entry in early September there were just 65 passengers on the same flight, so things are picking up for sure.

 

It was reported that the first flight arriving from Zurich yesterday was also pretty full as was the flight to Phuket from Singapore which my friends flew on. Qatar air arrived in Phuket earlier today and again, according to friends on the flight, was busy.

 

There are nine PCR stations at the airport in Phuket and i was through, from landing in 30 minutes with hotel taxi waiting outside. PCR result (negative!!) was received within 6 hours. For anybody thinking of travelling from overseas to Phuket, suggest you download the COSTE app which has replaced MorChana app. You can register your ATK test result on this app  and this is done after 5 days. ATK kit is given out at the airport at the Covid test centre. Sorry, my post is Phuket biased and I have no idea how the system works in Bangkok.

 

 

Thanks for that. 
 

That’s good up to date information for anyone travelling to Phuket and nice to hear a first hand positive experience. 

 

Enjoy your stay. 

 

[crazykopite]

What happened to the other 6,000 +as we were told were arriving on Monday 

[SantiSuk]

5 hours ago, happysoul said:

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

Slightly offset by the thought that one in three of the passengers on average might be Thai and there is no requirement for returning Thais to have been vaccinated. Better to wait until that factor can be risk-assessed before coming will be my advice to family who are keen to get here from Europe.