Health officials asks for a review of the list of 63 countries allowed to enter without quarantine

[webfact]

Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin addressed reporters on Friday at a briefing of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) as details emerged of changes to the entry regime for foreign tourists which are due to take effect in December. 

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is annoyed at reports of bars serving foreigners being open in central Bangkok as the door is shut on reopening the entertainment and nightlife industry until at least January 16th 2022. On Friday, Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), however, stressed that officials including the PM are aware of the hardship the decision is causing operators and workers allied with the sector. He said, depending on current preparation, the question of reopening earlier could be revisited.

 

Thailand’s public health leadership, on Friday, approved changes to the entry system to Thailand for foreign tourists from December 1st, chief among them the replacement of PCR tests for arriving passengers with less expensive antigen testing. It has also been revealed that an approach has been made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the current list of 63 countries eligible for the more convenient ‘Test and Go’ entry regime in the light of rising COVID-19 cases in Europe and fears of the new Omicron virus strain which has been detected in Southern Africa, Belgium and Israel. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), on Friday, also shut the door on an earlier reopening for now of the nightlife and entertainment industry until January 16th 2022. At the same time, the numbers entering are still seen by operators in the tourism sector as weak prompting the Association of Thai Travel Agents in recent days to request the government to defer the foreign tourist levy due to be introduced from January 1st 2022.

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has called on the government to yet again defer a scheme to levy a charge on all incoming tourists to provide automatic insurance cover and help to fund the development of tourism infrastructure throughout the country.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2021/11/27/officials-to-review-63-easy-entry-countries/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2021-11-29

 

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[bangkokbonecollector]

They should maintain the current 'test and go' with PCR and delay opening bars until more is known about omicron and just how many foreigners are arriving with it. Bloody selfish of some bars and foreigners flouting the rules.

[RichardColeman]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has called on the government to yet again defer a scheme to levy a charge on all incoming tourists to provide automatic insurance cover and help to fund the development of tourism infrastructure throughout the country.

I think most tourists would accept a automatic insurance cover charge if it was set reasonably - but i've not heard anywhere that they intend to change your need for insurance levy on entry. If they levied a £10/$10 charge that covered hospital treatment and covid I think it would generally be a hot

[ezzra]

And the confusion and the uncertainties are just keeps mounting, damn if you open and damn if you keep everything shut and difficult, the bottom line is how much  damage Thailand can take to it's existence as a tourist's destination in order to open it's borders albeit with cautions or throw the baby with the bath water and and face the doom and gloom of no income from tourism...

[Tracyb]

This latest round of infection, which at one point saw 20,000 cases per day surface, began while the country was in complete lockdown requiring 14 day quarantine of anyone entering the country.  There’s the measure of effectiveness attributed to slamming the doors closed.

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

This latest round of infection, which at one point saw 20,000 cases per day surface, began while the country was in complete lockdown requiring 14 day quarantine of anyone entering the country.  There’s the measure of effectiveness attributed to slamming the doors closed.

Ummm...hardly a complete lockdown.  The last 2 waves were caused by illegal immigrants being brought in...illegally.  And people coming in from Cambodia then partying in Thonglor.  Along with associated gambling dens.  Hardly a lockdown.

 

Not to mention few were vaccinated and if they were, it was with a dodgy jab.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

Bloody selfish of some bars and foreigners flouting the rules.

I guess you're not out of work, your business is not going bankrupt, you can still provide for your family, you're not hungry or in danger of losing all your possessions?

The only Bloody selfish one is you... 

 

 

[Jeffr2]

Just now, hotchilli said:

I guess you're not out of work, your business is not going bankrupt, you can still provide for your family, you're not hungry or in danger of losing all your possessions?

The only Bloody selfish one is you... 

 

 

Understood.  But let's not forget what started our waves.  Business owners flouting the rules.  If that hadn't happened, lockdowns might not have happened.

[engamann]

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is annoyed at reports of bars serving foreigners being open in central Bangkok.

 

Anutins blame game again , lets see if I remember what's been the reason behind many of the clusters of Covid19.

 

Illegal casinos in Rayong run buy the P....e , Illegal human smuggling over the borders run buy the A..y , Illegal night clubs in Thong Lor visited buy PM's from the J...a government , Illegal Thai boxing stadium run buy the A..y , Total failure from Cha Cha and Anutin whit the vaccine program etc etc....

 

This people like Cha Cha and Anutin do not have no shame in life blaming foreigners for everything when them have run Thailand in to the sad state it is to day over the last 8 years under Junta rules. 

 

[daveAustin]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is annoyed at reports of bars serving foreigners

And so he continues. Please speak about x10 bars serving Thais! Your countrymen are trying to make a living, you reprobate! Stop putting it on foreigners. Does anyone hate this character as much as me?

Edited November 29, 2021 by daveAustin

[khunPer]

In my modest opinion, the gain from a relative small number of tourist arrivals, with too easy entry and mingling in nightlife, might be an extremely high price to pay if another nationwide lock down becomes necessary; even that we would love things to be back to normal, we will hate a new round of hard restrictions...

[The Hammer2021]

6 hours ago, bangkokbonecollector said:

They should maintain the current 'test and go' with PCR and delay opening bars until more is known about omicron and just how many foreigners are arriving with it. Bloody selfish of some bars and foreigners flouting the rules.

Thais are flouting the rules by drinking, serving drinks, opening bars etc. This is NOT a divisive Thai/foreigner issue. It's the issue of people united against illogical laws promoted by an undemocratic government who are not financially supporting poverty-stricken people.

[Stargeezr]

If TAT and the General PM think that all tourists will be happy to be restricted on having

an alcoholic drink until January, well good luck with the big forecasted numbers of visitors

until Thailand actually opens up for tourism.  The number of people who own property and have family in Thailand

is finite, and I doubt that the floodgate of tourists need to be open very wide right now.  Actually the cost of

flying half way around the world to face the Thailand restrictions, and rules and Thailand pass, and other

extra costs are enough for most people to go to other tropical destinations like Mexico, and Central America

destinations which are much closer and way less restrictions. Good Luck Thailand have a nice peaceful Winter

season. I feel sad for the people of Thailand who are still out of work. I do not feel sad for the government of

Thailand or their high ranked handlers, as they are all still  causing a lot of suffering for a tropical country

which does depend on international travelers for a good part of their economy. Maybe by September of

2022 the situation will be better anyway, because a lot more of the population will have been vaccinated.

  Good Luck

[Tracyb]

4 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Ummm...hardly a complete lockdown.  The last 2 waves were caused by illegal immigrants being brought in...illegally.  And people coming in from Cambodia then partying in Thonglor.  Along with associated gambling dens.  Hardly a lockdown.

 

Not to mention few were vaccinated and if they were, it was with a dodgy jab.

That’s my point, actually .  Locking down the borders and implementing quarantine on arrival had little effect on stopping the spread of COVID 

[bangkokbonecollector]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I guess you're not out of work, your business is not going bankrupt, you can still provide for your family, you're not hungry or in danger of losing all your possessions?

The only Bloody selfish one is you... 

 

 

Who the f are you? 

[ukrules]

Ultimately they will fail in whatever they do, I'm confident in this.

[bangkokbonecollector]

4 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Thais are flouting the rules by drinking, serving drinks, opening bars etc. This is NOT a divisive Thai/foreigner issue. It's the issue of people united against illogical laws promoted by an undemocratic government who are not financially supporting poverty-stricken people.

I can agree that Thais will also be flouting rules but this poverty stricken people is being hyped up by the opposition. I guarentee you most bars would have played with their taxes for years, everyone does in Thailand. The staff would have been paying very low taxes if any so they should have saved money for emergencied. There have been government handouts and generally thais will get by with family support. All this 'poverty-stricken' stuff is hyped up by the opposition. Seriously 55 it isnt clear enough for you.