Tourists walk their dogs on a beach on the Thai island of Phuket on November 1 as Thailand welcomes the first group of travellers fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 coronavirus without quarantine. Photo: AFP

 

OPINION

 

● Tourists from China, Japan, South Korea, Laos and Cambodia still face a variety of hurdles, from mandatory quarantines on return to outright re-entry bans

 

● But if Thailand can provide a road map towards a safe reopening for the rest of us to follow, it will not have come a moment too soon

 

Mercedes Hutton

 

It’s official, Thai tourism is back in business. After 18 long and economically arduous months, the Land of Smiles is getting back to doing what it does best – showing international travellers an excellent time.

 

Since November 1, vaccinated visitors from 63 “low-risk” countries and territories have been able to enter the kingdom without having to undergo quarantine. And while this might be the norm again for those jetting around Europe, on this side of the world the move is pioneering.

 

Among those allowed in under the new arrangements are tourists from Australia, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Britain and the United States.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3154596/thailand-travel-opens-vaccinated-visitors-who-asia

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-11-04

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

Tourists walk their dogs on a beach on the Thai island of Phuket on November 1 as Thailand welcomes the first group of travellers fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 coronavirus without quarantine. Photo: AFP

Going to go out on a limb here and say they are not recently arrived foreign tourists and they live in Thailand. Hard enough getting to Thailand during covid without worrying about importing your dog.

did they do a test & go for the dogs 

37 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Going to go out on a limb here and say they are not recently arrived foreign tourists and they live in Thailand. Hard enough getting to Thailand during covid without worrying about importing your dog.

Indeed.

Who makes up these fallacy "news" items with the obviously false accompanying photo? 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists walk their dogs

The only time you will see a tourist and a dog in the same photo, apart from TAT propaganda that is,  is when a pack of Soi dogs sniff or bark round them!

 

 

PS;  BREAKING NEWS; TAT's/PM's next headlines.  All tourist massage shops to be converted to dog Beauty salons as 5,000 doggie visitors expected weekly!

 

 

 

Great other surprises on the beach than cigarette ends and beer bottles!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists walk their dogs on a beach

Not many tourists bring their dogs for a holiday to Thailand .

These 2 are certainly not tourists .

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Going to go out on a limb here and say they are not recently arrived foreign tourists and they live in Thailand. Hard enough getting to Thailand during covid without worrying about importing your dog.

They gotta get the numbers up somehow.

Anyone flying in from anywhere even domestically is a tourist.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Great other surprises on the beach than cigarette ends and beer bottles!

Richard III camouflaged in sand... nice under-foot.

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Going to go out on a limb here and say they are not recently arrived foreign tourists and they live in Thailand. Hard enough getting to Thailand during covid without worrying about importing your dog.

I have friends coming from Germany this month and yes, they are bringing their dog.

Paperwork for the dog is easier than COE/Thailand Pass they said.

whoever want's to come, thailand is in a desperate state. Possibly indians are a better bet than infamous chinese ones.

For the last few days it was japanese, singaporean, qatar and chinese travellers. India was never mentioned.

India is the most populous country in the world, so certainly they have potential equal to chinese tourists. Just India has a very similar climate and similar culture to thai, so it's less exotic.

For most of china thailand is attractive because of high temperatures, that especially important in winter months, when china is freezing.

Yes, india is poorer, but there is no language barrier, as they speak english (unlike chinese).

Expect very few Western tourists for years to come. Over 60 nations have been open for a long time now, and Thailand has been the scared and timid one cowering in the corner of the room. 

 

In 2019, the vast majority of arrivals were lower to lower middle income Malaysians, Indians, and Chinese. Expect that pattern to only build upon itself. Tourism here is basically done, as an industry. Call it the great slaughter of the Golden Goose. 

16 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Going to go out on a limb here and say they are not recently arrived foreign tourists and they live in Thailand. Hard enough getting to Thailand during covid without worrying about importing your dog.

Some are. I follow Digital nomad groups and many are medium and long term "tourists." Some for the first time because they can work remotely now. Regardless, do they not spend money that goes into the economy? I don't get everyone's obsession with only wanting to count those that go back home after a week or 2.

The Indians are coming to get away from the air pollution in their own country; just in time for Thailand's burn season.

On 11/4/2021 at 5:17 AM, zzaa09 said:

Who makes up these fallacy "news" items with the obviously false accompanying photo? 

"Journalists."  I wish I could say it's a minority of sneaky and dishonest people that only care about clicks and the general public are too wise to fall for their lies, but, sadly, it's pretty much standard for online "news" these days, even from the big boys.