Omicron panic decimates Thai tourism "high season" - foreign tourists cancel, events scrapped, flights stopped, insurance woes

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the new variant is overstretching them and means that many are facing losses after miscalculating the cost of policies. 

and they only have their xxxx government to blame for it... but this being the land of "hope, wish, estimates, new (bad) schemes, anticipates and so forth" believers were just following that trend

[wensiensheng]

37 minutes ago, ebean001 said:

The high speed train to China from Chiang Mai to be completed 2017. Ooops, that did not happen but China now has a train to Laos. my question is this...China has almost 30,000 klms of track. If Thailand had connect with China, it would have been connected to nearly all people in China...including ex-pats. What would Thailand be like today?  

And more importantly what does it have to do with the topic of Covid in Thailand? Bearing in mind Chinese cannot travel out of the country atm

[wombat]

its all the round eye farangs fault...if they hadn't booked to come to LOS then they wouldn't have had to cancel

[toolpush]

2 hours ago, ozfarang said:

But hospital admissions are not increasing dramatically.

Australian cases nearly doubled over night but hospital admissions only up slightly and ICU and ventilator case were down marginally.

If Thailand follows a trajectory similar to Australia then their health system will cope

Maybe take a look at South Africa? They have determined that Omicron is a dud.

[Scouse123]

Hey Ladies and gents,

You guys do as you please.

Best of luck.

I am 30 years in. I am done with being threatened by these lot.

Spent millions and millions.

I am OK. I am done with this country and luckily have a few quid left, 

 

I no longer accept this nonsense.

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

People aren't stupid.

We had the story of the Danish family yesterday, with the daughter being taken off to hospital for failing a test.

Indeed they are not.

Danish family forced into hospital.

Israeli tourist arrested under less than clear reasons for allegedly leaving quarantine, and after three clear tests being "miraculously"  found to be infected, so fined and deported ( incidentally how can they put him on a flight if he is infected?). 

 

So there are the Scandinavian and Israeli markets for tourism shafted. Two of the major sources of foreign tourists!

 

Splendid effort all round!

[daveAustin]

Never mind, TAT will be along in a minute to quell any fears and revise up visitor numbers for 2022. 

[sezze]

2 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Happy New Fear ?

 

28 minutes ago, rtco said:

It isn't ... look at the numbers and research ,,, faster spreading but like a common cold. Take the risk ... the more that get it the greater the immunity.

 

2 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

People aren't stupid.

We had the story of the Danish family yesterday, with the daughter being taken off to hospital for failing a test.

Area 39, a very popular bar near Treetown, Soi Bukahow, Pattaya has started ATK testing to get into the premises. They are not accepting proof of vaccination apparently.

Editor of the Pattaya News confirmed that if you fail that ATK test, an ambulance will be called and you will be taken to hospital.

Who in their right mind is going to travel 6,000 miles to put up with heads you win, tails your taken to hospital.

 

 

The new variant does seem to be a lot less dangerous , from all reports so far , and also the report of Thai specialist is also confirmed as Omicron does affect more upper area rather then the lungs . This with the vaccination and booster does not scare many people from traveling anymore . We are as good protected as we can be against the heaviest form of Covid . What does scare people is : quarantines , hospital admissions when not needed , huge bills , being stuck in a country which is about to be locked it for unknown time ( many people still need to go work after their holiday ) .

We will see how it turns out , but with the low vaccination number in Thailand , i can imagine it still can create a lot of havoc , in all of the regards i just said  . It is a very big gamble to go Thailand right now ( or in the coming 2-3 months ) , for different reason then before but with exactly the same result .

[Zack61]

It’s not people’s fear of covid it’s the extra time now required to spend in expensive quarantine since the Test and Go was scrapped. I just wonder if the numbers would have nose dived if test and go had not been scrapped. 
At the end of the day I’m not sure a few extra double vaxxed tourists slipping through the cracks would make much of a difference to the overall numbers. It’s in and it’s gonna stay. 

[Muhendis]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

That concert in Phuket is going to be empty even if any tourists were able to come.

 

I like Bocelli but I can't imagine many Thais flocking to that.

 

I can see Pryutt and his cronies listening to it on an old RCA Gramaphone sipping tea in their subsidized military mansions.

 

Thais want to drink,dance to Thai music, and have fun.

 

 

 

Like it.

What a vivid imagination you've got especially picking an old wind up with a digital display.

Come to think of it maybe Mother Nature is giving humanity nothing more than a big windup.

[herfiehandbag]

In further breaking news, we hear that proposed New Years celebrations in both Messrs Chang and Leo's production facilities have been cancelled as they would have strained the organisational skills of the authorities beyond breaking point!

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, stigar said:

Well..they been warned allready.Close down this country rigth now.UK(just england)with 130.000 new cases..france 180.000 new cases.USA 580.000 new cases.And thailand only about 3000 new cases????

Come on..start testing and tell the real truth.

Why close down the country? Hospitalizations and severe cases are dropping on a daily basis. 

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, RubbaJohnny said:

They'll be flying in in drops and dropping like flies, if this variant is as deadly as Delta.

 

It is far less deadly, so stop spreading fear.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

 

Slow down the rate, not halt the spread - the second is impossible.

 

 

Which you do by wearing a mask and wash your hands regularly, which doesn't happen enough in Western countries

[Enzian]

I'm planning next month to go with the gf to the farm near Khon Kaen where she has to attend to some government paperwork. I hope when I finally test positive it will be there. I'll isolate in her room, the only place for miles around with air con, and pull an "Israeli" if the authorities come attempting to drag me kicking and screaming to a hospital.

[spidermike007]

Let us be honest about this. It is Prayuth and Anutin, and their extreme cowardice that has decimated any hope of survival, within the tourism industry. It is a dead industry. This is likely the final nail in the coffin. 

 

Expect very high sustained unemployment for years to come. 

[Trip Hop]

1 hour ago, Trip Hop said:

Currently in Koh Kood but met up with a few of the lads last week and had a few nights out around Treetown.  I’ll be staying well clear of any bar that’s requiring a LFT to enter when I head back up in the new year. Even with a decent LFT and not Chinese <deleted>, it’s still too much of a risk in case of a false positive or you’re asymptomatic? 

Riding around Koh Kood and passed the entrance to one of the beaches where the police were carrying out LFT testing. Rode straight on past and stopped somewhere else. If they continue with that <deleted>, they can say goodbye to whatever little tourists they do have?

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Of one fact that is certain, if Thailand has the blasé attitude towards this Omicron Variant that it has taken over the previous Variants that infected the Country, the Hospitals will be overflowing in short order.

This Variant is not so much about severity, but is about sheer volumes of people infected.

And with massive numbers infected, it only takes a small number, percentage wise, to swamp the Hospitals

I believe Thailand is already in the 10's of thousands per day with Omicron, and the government is keeping it quiet because they don't want to have to put in restrictions again, economy being on the brink, and the hospitals being flooded by their Citizens who will run there at the first wiff if they know they have Covid, regardless if it's Omicron, a milder variant with cold/flu like symptoms, doesn't change a thing for them as the media and government has created a monster with their fear campaigns with Delta. 

 

Just hope they don't shut domestic travel down again as they did back in April as that will twice that I will have to let the kids down, albeit I have prepared them for the worst, still doesn't make it right.

 

Let it rip, I say, those vaccinated will have a good fighting chance, those who chose not to get vaccinated, whatever.

[nickmondo]

if everyone took the time to look more closely at Omicron.......nothing would be cancelled, and numbers will escalate.

[nickmondo]

Just now, 4MyEgo said:

I believe Thailand is already in the 10's of thousands per day with Omicron, and the government is keeping it quiet because they don't want to have to put in restrictions again, economy being on the brink, and the hospitals being flooded by their Citizens who will run there at the first wiff if they know they have Covid, regardless if it's Omicron, a milder variant with cold/flu like symptoms, doesn't change a thing for them as the media and government has created a monster with their fear campaigns with Delta. 

 

Just hope they don't shut domestic travel down again as they did back in April as that will twice that I will have to let the kids down, albeit I have prepared them for the worst, still doesn't make it right.

 

Let it rip, I say, those vaccinated will have a good fighting chance, those who chose not to get vaccinated, whatever.

at last!  someone else that has been following the facts.  Agree totally.

[RichardColeman]

Omicron Thai Government  panic decimates Thai tourism "high season" - foreign tourists cancel, events scrapped, flights stopped, insurance woes

 

There , corrected

[vandeventer]

3 hours ago, RandiRona said:

You cant handle the truth!!  Jack Nicholson

We all can't!!!

[FritsSikkink]

4 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I believe Thailand is already in the 10's of thousands per day with Omicron, and the government is keeping it quiet because they don't want to have to put in restrictions again, economy being on the brink, and the hospitals being flooded by their Citizens who will run there at the first wiff if they know they have Covid, regardless if it's Omicron, a milder variant with cold/flu like symptoms, doesn't change a thing for them as the media and government has created a monster with their fear campaigns with Delta. 

 

Just hope they don't shut domestic travel down again as they did back in April as that will twice that I will have to let the kids down, albeit I have prepared them for the worst, still doesn't make it right.

 

Let it rip, I say, those vaccinated will have a good fighting chance, those who chose not to get vaccinated, whatever.

Any proof that the hospitals are flooded?

[FritsSikkink]

4 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

at last!  someone else that has been following the facts.  Agree totally.

where is your proof for these "facts"

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

The issue for the UK is the impact on health services. Although hospitalizations with Omicron are shorter in duration and less often lead to death, the numbers of hospitalizations are rising so rapidly that the system could soon reach or exceed capacity. At the same time, staffing levels are affected by large numbers of medical personnel themselves falling ill.

 

There is a genuine need to try to slow down the rate of spread in the UK at this point to ensure that the system can handle it and people in need of health services (for all illnesses) don't lack access.

 

Slow down the rate, not halt the spread - the second is impossible.

 

 

"Falling ill" is too loose a term. If they return a positive test, they are obliged to stay at home. That's the problem. They might well feel fine. It's the shortage of hospital staff that has become the problem now, not the queues of sick people, surely.

[4MyEgo]

6 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

at last!  someone else that has been following the facts.  Agree totally.

You can't trust this government, let alone others to a degree.

 

I think the whole family has had it the past week, kids went back to school, one came home with the cold, soldiered on over the weekend, went back to school on Monday, the rest of us having the occasional cough and splatter, runny and blocked noses, being lethargic, having muscle pains, diarrhea and headaches, however we have all been vaccinated, so that is a plus.

 

Asked the kids, is anyone else sick at school, yes, half the classes.

 

Make of it what you will, we just stay away from people in hope of not spreading whatever it is that we have, that said, holding the kids back from school would be pointless as the cat is well and truly out of the bag.

 

[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Any proof that the hospitals are flooded?

Should read my post again, a little slower regarding the hospitals.

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

Should read my post again, a little slower regarding the hospitals.

Your words: "and the hospitals being flooded by their Citizens"  

[crazykopite]

I don’t believe that for one moment very few tourists would be coming even without this latest virus but it’s a good excuse to blame it rather than say we got out estimated arrival figures all wrong . At least they can

save face by spewing out a bit of BS

[ourdon]

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Actually USA deaths are now trending back up.. and the speed of the recent rises means your likely 2 plus weeks away from the current infections presenting in mortality figures. Omicron is milder but the infection rates are way way higher to compensate somewhat. 

The other issues are more economic.. People isolating on mass means lack of staff for services, a breakdown of these can lead to all kinds of economic chaos even with a mild virus. 

 

 

1 hour ago, rtco said:

It isn't ... look at the numbers and research ,,, faster spreading but like a common cold. Take the risk ... the more that get it the greater the immunity.

The disease may be milder but I'm more interested in its' seeming ability to move to other organs in the body..  The only covid that could do that was/is responsible for the "long hauler syndrome.  

 

So the disease is not as initially brutal and deadly as Delta.  This is good.  It may take 6 months to a year to recover fully.  Not so good.

 

I'm going to be cautious as hell until a couple of my questions are answered.  This includes not suggesting someone else run out there and get infected