Thai tourism minister says "Omicron" won't affect tourism arrivals

[webfact]

Picture: Manager

 

Manager reported that Thailand's minister for tourism and sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan responded to questions in the House about the new coronavirus variant Omicron and its possible affect on tourism.

 

He said that he was confident that it would have no effect.

 

He assured the house that tourist arrivals from the US and Europe in particular had shown no signs of cancellations. 

 

To back this up he referred to the "Phuket Sandbox" with 60,000 arrivals and only 200 positive Covid cases. 

 

He also said that measures were underway to trace arrivals from Africa before restrictions were placed in relation to several nations on that continent where the omicron variant has been discovered. 

 

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[darksidedog]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that he was confident that it would have no effect.

I can confidently say he is an idiot.

[Jeffr2]

Guaranteed it's going to have an impact. 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-variant-starts-to-hit-travel-business-flights-and-events-11638290053

Omicron Variant Starts to Hit Travel, Business Flights and Events

Executives are paring back travel plans and events are getting canceled in the wake of the discovery of a new Covid-19 strain

[JonnyF]

He has a point.

 

Nobody was coming anyway.

[ezzra]

25 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I can confidently say he is an idiot.

The man, like many others in this country living in a LA-La land, absolutely oblivious to what other countries are going through, how do you get to be a minster in this country i wonder? not by being switched on that is for sure...

[Danderman123]

Promises from the Tourism Ministry are like money in the bank. For sure. 

[Meat Pie 47]

Hunt on for 783 Africans - PM orders travellers from Omicron areas to be traced and tested

[trainman34014]

33 minutes ago, ezzra said:

The man, like many others in this country living in a LA-La land, absolutely oblivious to what other countries are going through, how do you get to be a minster in this country i wonder? not by being switched on that is for sure...

You get to being a Minister by knowing another one; it's all about who you know and not what you know because none of them know anything about what they are supposed to be doing anyway !

[trainman34014]

According to these Fools an Atomic Bomb wouldn't affect Tourism prospects in Thailand !

[Meat Pie 47]

1 minute ago, trainman34014 said:

You get to being a Minister by knowing another one; it's all about who you know and not what you know because none of them know anything about what they are supposed to be doing anyway !

And it helps if you spend time in prison

[Kadilo]

Hopefully the hysterics will calm down soon and the knee jerking will stop:

 

Covid: Pfizer and Moderna jabs give best overall boost, UK trial finds https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59489988

 

“Researchers said there were promising signs the boosters would still protect against illness and death from Omicron.”

[Karma80]

It's not the "tourist" arriving. It's now how they now get back. Restrictions and requirements are coming back all over the place.

 

I want to see Thailand thrive, but now is not the time to keep banging the short visit tourist drum hoping to drown out the practicalities, no matter your personal take on the new variant.

 

Would have been nice if he stood up and said Thailand is a perfect place for remote workers and long stay visitors. Here is how we will make this happen. Sit back and watch overseas money come in. Thailand could finally be a hub of something, other than announcements. 

[sammieuk1]

As a minister he is right it wont have any effect on him ????

[djayz]

The practically zero arrivals you mean?

[koratkarlos]

He thinks only about what may be happening in Thailand.  But it is clear other people will not travel until omicron is better understood.  Oh - they also are blocking travel in many countries now.  And Europe is having a stubborn outbreak.  Maybe he should reconsider his position.  It is becoming quite clear to me why things do not seam to change here in Thailand.

[klauskunkel]

Nothing affects Thai tourism. Even tourists have no effect on it whatsoever.

[vivananahuahin]

Is it him saying last year to make the jails as attraction for the tourists?

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Hopefully the hysterics will calm down soon and the knee jerking will stop:

 

Covid: Pfizer and Moderna jabs give best overall boost, UK trial finds https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59489988

 

“Researchers said there were promising signs the boosters would still protect against illness and death from Omicron.”

Is it known if anyone has actually died from Omicron?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that he was confident that it would have no effect.

Back to his old ways again.

spouting BS

[Cake Monster]

1 hour ago, vivananahuahin said:

Is it him saying last year to make the jails as attraction for the tourists?

Yup !

Along with newly announced guided tours of Fish Processing Factories

[madmitch]

So what's the explanation for the two cancellations we had yesterday, both of whom had their Thailand passes and had booked their first couple of nights in an SHA+ hotel prior their stay with us at rock-bottom prices?

 

With only four bookings for December, that's the occupancy halved!

[Karma80]

1 minute ago, madmitch said:

So what's the explanation for the two cancellations we had yesterday, both of whom had their Thailand passes and had booked their first couple of nights in an SHA+ hotel prior their stay with us at rock-bottom prices?

 

With only four bookings for December, that's the occupancy halved!

Clearly, one of you is lying. And it's not you ???? I'm sorry to hear it though...

Edited December 3, 2021 by Karma80

[PETERTHEEATER]

Omicron wont but Omigod will.

[Burma Bill]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

to trace arrivals from Africa

"Doctor Livingstone I presume"

[wensiensheng]

How can he or anyone else know at this point, that there will be no effect on thai tourism? Data has yet to be analyzed by scientists and conclusions reached on the key questions.

 

clearly the jury is still out.

[Blumpie]

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I can confidently say he is an idiot.

A complete idiot.  

 

Allow me to assure you we are right back to square one - we have travellers stuck in south africa, and it's all over the news here that by the time she reaches home and gets special tickets she will have to shell out 4k in COVID tests before hitting our soil.  The USA has announced negative testing too, as have many other countries.  

 

For now, it will affect tourism and, of course, this is just par for the course for Thailand's government.  They make these idiotic statements to pander to common thais, much like our governments do to us.  Mothers milk - it tastes good but eventually we need something more to sustain ourselves.  

[Blumpie]

55 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

How can he or anyone else know at this point, that there will be no effect on thai tourism? Data has yet to be analyzed by scientists and conclusions reached on the key questions.

 

clearly the jury is still out.

What we know about the virus is irrelevant.  Governments are imposing travel restrictions as I type.  

[MrJ2U]

"Thai tourism minister says "Omicron" won't affect tourism arrivals"

 

Yes it will.

[Gottfrid]

What do you say? Once an idiot always an idiot.

[habanero]

Says the man hiding behind the glass shield.