Thailand's opening: Half say no effect on economy, third say foreigners will bring in new Covid strain, poll

[webfact]

File photo: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File

 

The latest NIDA Poll asked respondents to assess the first two weeks of Thailand's reopening from November 1st.

 

Asked if the reopening had had any effect on the economy 48.11% said it had not had any effect.

 

29.85% reckoned the economy was better.

 

Around 18% said the economy was now worse or much worse. 

 

Only 3.48% said it was much better.

 

42.88% expressed satisfaction with the government's control measures to keep out infection, but about 46% were not happy or not happy at all.

 

Only 8.64% were very happy and the rest didn't know.

 

Over the next one to two months 43.11% said they were concerned about more infection while 32.50% thought that foreigners would bring in a new Covid strain. 

 

NIDA polled 1,320 people between November 15th and 16th, reported Daily News yesterday.

 

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[ezzra]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

Asked if the reopening had had any effect on the economy 48.11% said it had not had any effect.

What effect do you to have with 50-60 thousands or so of tourists coming in? ( or even triple and quadruple that number) Really,  i take these polls with a big pinch of salt, big, like 1 kg pinch of salt...

[DonniePeverley]

It's not just incoming tourism, but the 'lighter' border controls in Thailand means Thai's are now also able to travel abroad and return. 

[kevin612]

It may happen again for those people who came in illegally, I still remember those Myanmar people exploded from that seafood market.

[AgentSmith]

Foreigners will bring in other strains whether the border is open or closed. We've all seen that in February as the delta virus entered the kingdom and caused a surge. The border was shut tight back then. Closed borders only provide a false sense of security.

 

It's also typical they think only foreigners can bring in other strains. As if Thais abroad are somehow immune.

[mokwit]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

while 32.50% thought that foreigners would bring in a new Covid strain. 

The way these questionnaires are designed that would have to be structured as a question: i.e. Do you think that foreigners bring in a new Covid strain? Y/N

 

By who and with what purpose?

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, AgentSmith said:

Foreigners will bring in other strains whether the border is open or closed. We've all seen that in February as the delta virus entered the kingdom and caused a surge. The border was shut tight back then. Closed borders only provide a false sense of security.

 

It's also typical they think only foreigners can bring in other strains. As if Thais abroad are somehow immune.

 

 

Nothing is water tight and the risk of importing newer variants will always be present, as will the risk of newer variants developing within Thailands borders.

 

There are 1000’s of new variants of Covid-19 getting passed around, these are just variants and not of concern. 

 

What is of concern is the ’new variant of concern' against which the vaccines are ineffective - fortunately this has not occurred yet and the vaccines and other treatments are improving and evolving. 

 

 

It is at the stage now, as with the common cold and influenza - for the vast majority of vaccinated people who contract Covid-19 (of any currently known variant) the symptoms are either absent or like a cold. There are of course still rare breakthrough cases which are serious, but, there are also rare cases of influenza which severely impacted a minority of people. 

 

 

As many people keep repeating - We have to live with Covid-19 without the panic which surrounds it.

We have to keep taking boosters if we wish to minimise the risks of severe illness if we catch it. We have to keep taking boosters to ‘do our part’ in minimising the spread of Covid-19 while continuing to live our lives and going about our normal activities. 

 

 

The idea that ‘foreigners’ bring in covid is nationalistic (somewhat xenophobic) and inflammatory reporting - the idea that ‘any traveller’ can carry and transmit Covid-19 is more factual and honest, there are many Thai’s who are also travelling in and out at the moment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Over the next one to two months 43.11% said they were concerned about more infection while 32.50% thought that foreigners would bring in a new Covid strain.

How exactly, foreigners are tested to the max.... the chances of them infecting anyone is largely impossible.

If tested positive they're hauled off for immediate treatment? 

I can understand infection levels will rise domestically due to poor quality, low level or no vaccinations among Thais who are taking the relaxed regulations to mix more easily.

[dunroaming]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

NIDA polled 1,320 people between November 15th and 16th, reported Daily News yesterday.

Polled who exactly?  1,320 people in one day is not representative of anything.  We all know that polls mean nothing but this is hardly worthy of being called a poll at all.

[IAMHERE]

Wondering what it is about Thai's that they aren't capable of producing a new (of curse imiproved) Covid strain themselves?  

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

How exactly, foreigners are tested to the max.... the chances of them infecting anyone is largely impossible.

If tested positive they're hauled off for immediate treatment? 

I can understand infection levels will rise domestically due to poor quality, low level or no vaccinations among Thais who are taking the relaxed regulations to mix more easily.

This virus is like the Aids virus, you can't see it ,smell it ,or taste it but it's there. Whether your vaccinated or not you can still pass it on. Even with a few things opening it takes a certain type of tourist to travel in these times. One that is looking for??? 

[KhunLA]

Thread title ... 1/2 & 1/3 seems about right.  Didn't bother reading article as surveys are useless IMHO.

[zzaa09]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Thread title ... 1/2 & 1/3 seems about right.  Didn't bother reading article as surveys are useless IMHO.

Almost suggest a promotion of slight xenophobic senses among government circles and elite classes. 

All of which has been creeping in, of contemporary times, by way of a rather disparaging mode. 

Not only reflective in the manner in which the establishment envisions the casual traveler, but equally depicted through the ever increasing suppressed process and hoop-jumping bureaucracy extended foreign residents and long-stayers. 

[MrJ2U]

I wouldn't worry about foreigners bringing in another COVID-19 strain.

 

Thailand is perfectly suited to create its own strain.

 

 

[AgentSmith]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Nothing is water tight and the risk of importing newer variants will always be present, as will the risk of newer variants developing within Thailands borders.

 

There are 1000’s of new variants of Covid-19 getting passed around, these are just variants and not of concern. 

 

What is of concern is the ’new variant of concern' against which the vaccines are ineffective - fortunately this has not occurred yet and the vaccines and other treatments are improving and evolving. 

 

 

It is at the stage now, as with the common cold and influenza - for the vast majority of vaccinated people who contract Covid-19 (of any currently known variant) the symptoms are either absent or like a cold. There are of course still rare breakthrough cases which are serious, but, there are also rare cases of influenza which severely impacted a minority of people. 

 

 

As many people keep repeating - We have to live with Covid-19 without the panic which surrounds it.

We have to keep taking boosters if we wish to minimise the risks of severe illness if we catch it. We have to keep taking boosters to ‘do our part’ in minimising the spread of Covid-19 while continuing to live our lives and going about our normal activities. 

 

 

The idea that ‘foreigners’ bring in covid is nationalistic (somewhat xenophobic) and inflammatory reporting - the idea that ‘any traveller’ can carry and transmit Covid-19 is more factual and honest, there are many Thai’s who are also travelling in and out at the moment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you neglect the effects of having a much more contagious variant. That is what the delta variant turned out to be. It's true that the vaccines are still effective but pre-delta Thailand had almost no cases with a vaccination degree of 0. Delta is so bad that almost everyone has to be fully vaccinated for it to be fully stopped. For Thailand that basically means the required percentage went from 0 to near 100 almost overnight.

 

In the end the progress of a pandemic comes down to how easy a virus spreads regardless of the percentage of vaccination. A new dominant strain can be a game changer here. That said, closing borders doesn't really help when you have thousands of kilometers of land borders that are difficult to control.

[welshguy]

I take all these Thai "polls" with a huge sack of salt!

[brucegoniners]

Until there are actual tourists the country will be hurting.

 

The powers that be need to go full force to get the tourists back. And it won't happen overnight.

 

Government sponsored discounts on hotels and flights need to happen as well as taking off the ridiculous no booze and no bar rules.

[Denim]

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Only 8.64% were very happy and the rest didn't know.

Or put another way , 91.36 of them don't know if they are very happy .

 

Yea. That's a tough one.

[thailand49]

Does all the illegal migrants that were brought by Thais that started the last outbreak and continues number counted as Foreigners?????

[portlandtree]

6 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

It's not just incoming tourism, but the 'lighter' border controls in Thailand means Thai's are now also able to travel abroad and return. 

 

10 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

Does all the illegal migrants that were brought by Thais that started the last outbreak and continues number counted as Foreigners?????

Hell yeah! Farangs are tested so why blame them for bringing in new strains lol it’s their own people 

[natway09]

We are going to have to learn to live with it.

I see lower Sukhumvit Bangkok where they opened most of the bars 6 weeks ago in one of the

newer areas, 5 bars closed tonight as staff have caught Covid, from customers ? local ? tourists? 

or other staff.

Nobody knows & nobody including the CCSA cares anymore.

Having a look at Europe & lockdown in Austria for 10 days riots in France & Switzerland over possible restrictions it does not look rosy for 2022.

 

[jcmj]

If the vaccine is so good then why are they worrying. It doesn’t! You either learn to live with it and have a life or lock yourself in a room. 

[AgentSmith]

13 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

Until there are actual tourists the country will be hurting.

 

The powers that be need to go full force to get the tourists back. And it won't happen overnight.

 

Government sponsored discounts on hotels and flights need to happen as well as taking off the ridiculous no booze and no bar rules.

All it takes is open the border for vaccinated and pre-tested travelers without post travel conditions and requirements. As soon as arrival circumstances return to normal the tourists will come pouring in. Unless the rain really doesn't stop this year because it's back in full force now in Hua Hin. ⛈️

[AgentSmith]

On 11/22/2021 at 1:27 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Nothing is water tight and the risk of importing newer variants will always be present, as will the risk of newer variants developing within Thailands borders.

 

There are 1000’s of new variants of Covid-19 getting passed around, these are just variants and not of concern. 

 

What is of concern is the ’new variant of concern' against which the vaccines are ineffective - fortunately this has not occurred yet and the vaccines and other treatments are improving and evolving. 

 

 

It is at the stage now, as with the common cold and influenza - for the vast majority of vaccinated people who contract Covid-19 (of any currently known variant) the symptoms are either absent or like a cold. There are of course still rare breakthrough cases which are serious, but, there are also rare cases of influenza which severely impacted a minority of people. 

 

 

As many people keep repeating - We have to live with Covid-19 without the panic which surrounds it.

We have to keep taking boosters if we wish to minimise the risks of severe illness if we catch it. We have to keep taking boosters to ‘do our part’ in minimising the spread of Covid-19 while continuing to live our lives and going about our normal activities. 

 

 

The idea that ‘foreigners’ bring in covid is nationalistic (somewhat xenophobic) and inflammatory reporting - the idea that ‘any traveller’ can carry and transmit Covid-19 is more factual and honest, there are many Thai’s who are also travelling in and out at the moment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not at all scientific consensus yet we all need to keep taking yearly boosters. Quite a few virologists expect this to be only the case for elderly as they lose their antibodies so fast. There are signs that younger people might maintain a sufficient level of antibodies in their blood for at least 2 years.

 

Add to that the uncertainty of how this virus will progress. For instance there is now also a new strain that is even more contagious than delta but a lot less deadly. In fact that's what happened with many viruses in the past. They usually turn into a much less deadly variant simply because that's in direct advantage to the virus itself. The less people get sick and bed ridden the more it will be carried over.

 

This might very well be the last harsh covid winter. By the time summer arrives in the northern hemisphere most people will have antibodies either from vaccination or covid recovery. As I see it now I bet my money this thing will start to slowly transform into a much less critical virus and become a part of the usual arsenal of viruses that cause the common cold. The few people that might still get sick can then probably take some form of medication to ease the symptoms. Old people will get both a yearly flu shot and a covid shot. I wouldn't be surprised if the world is in the last covid storm.

Edited November 23, 2021 by AgentSmith