Travel agency TUI receives more criticism after Norwegian family was isolated in Thailand

[chuang]

yes blame everybody except thyself.....

[smew]

Gents, simply put it , an insurance scam. Had similar situation: second covid test inconclusive and hotel wants to send me to hospital, requested second test was denied. Refused to go to hospital.
Later found out hotel gets referral fee of approx 6000 baht, simple case of revenues 

 

[steven100]

3 minutes ago, smew said:

Gents, simply put it , an insurance scam. Had similar situation: second covid test inconclusive and hotel wants to send me to hospital, requested second test was denied. Refused to go to hospital.
Later found out hotel gets referral fee of approx 6000 baht, simple case of revenues 

 

yes .....  the usual Thai scam in that everyone wants a piece of the pie.  

who in their right mind would travel to Thailand now   !!    absolutely crazy.

[ArcticFox]

5 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

With Omicron coming Thai authorities will have to review how they plan to isolate people - it will be unsustainable to force everyone into different forms of hospitals.

Forcing foreigners into expensive hospital isolation is a serious income creation scheme.  Force everyone to have $100K Covid insurance and then test them numerous times just hoping that they'll pop a positive PCR -  jackpot for the hospitals.

[Percy P]

I agree, travelling in and out  of countries when theres a pendemic you can only blame yrself 

and be prepared for the cost should you get infected

[Hanuman2547]

1 hour ago, Dukeleto said:

Knowing Thailand I would be immediately suspicious of any positive test result. Not only from the operators perspective but the PCR test itself which is not completely reliable. I hope they insisted on at least a few tests or independent test result to confirm the result. Unfortunately in the land of scam it’s far too easy, as some posters have rightly suggested, that this whole quarantine situation has been turned into a nice money spinner for “quarantine hotels” and hospitals. Especially when they have holiday travel insurance and mandatory health insurance to siphon off to the max without too much complaint from the holders as it’s not their money. People should really suspend travel until all this nonsense of covid passports etc world-wide settles down and covid and all its variants takes its place among the various seasonal flu’s and colds we get each year. Stop travelling completely and Governments will very quickly change course and declare the pandemic as over regardless of a vaccine or no vaccine.

Well stated!  I agree there is too much of a financial motivation to make sure a certain number of people test positive upon arrival despite their previous negative tests.  Hospital quarantine $$ is huge.  That's why I don't advise anyone to travel to Thailand at this point in time.  

[KhaoYai]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

The thing here is that it's perfectly reasonable to expect to isolate in your hotel if you test positive because that's what all the sane countries in the world do.

Quite true but this seems to be a case of one law for foreigners and another for Thai's. My Thai friend and her daughter came to Thailand to visit family in early December.  Whist she was staying with her mother in Korat her mother became ill and tested positive for Covid. The mother was taken in to hospital but my friend and her daughter were allowed to isolate in her mother's house - obviously at no cost whatsoever.

[Deli]

Better stay home with breed and don't blame other for your ignorance.

[lks7689]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry, but I think when travelling for  holiday in the middle of a pandemic you should be reading and investigating the situation more fully yourself and not relying on 'we got the impression'

Exactly. I'm sick of people pinning the blame on everyone except themselves. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A Norwegian family’s Christmas holiday in Thailand has turned into a covid-19 nightmare after their 9-year-old son tested positive upon arrival in the country and the family was placed in isolation at a local hospital. Although it is fairly known that Thailand has strict measures in place in regards to positive cases, the family says that they had not been informed by the travel company TUI that they risked 10 days in isolation at a hospital if they became infected with covid-19.

But widely known if they bothered to do a little research themselves.

Som nam na

[Aussieroaming]

They could have at least provided the family with a sun bed so that they went home with a tan.

[Robin]

Many readers on this Forum are better informed about Thailand and Quarantine rules (scams) than the general public in Europe, so we should not criticise them if they come to Thailand for a holiday.  No rules say that Travel Agencies have to inform all customers of any potential risks, particularly in these troubled times.

Knowing the Ethics of Thai businesses, they are not going to warn tourist if they can make money from them.

Only hope for tourists to be informed is if the popular press in Europe catches on to this and make a big issue of it.

Thailand is now governed by a lot of rather stupid, frightened, old men, so why should we expect any sensible policies from them.

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Perhaps, but also about people never ever following rules. A hotel is not good for quarantine. Would you want to be in a hotel full with people who have covid when you have a holiday? They just will to get out and infect even more. There goes your holliday because then you have to quarantine too. 

 

I don't like the rules, but they make sense as people in general only think about themselves and break the rules. Look at that Israeli guy. At the verry least people with covid should be kept separate from others properly and a hotel is NOT a good place for that. 

 

Unless that hotel only has people in quarantine, but otherwise there will be no security nothing and people will wander. Destroying other peoples holiday. 

 

I don't let my parents come because of the possible quarantine if infected. People should know what they are getting into. Thailand is not the only country. Unlike what people say many country quarantine tourists. Maybe not all in hospitals but they are quarantined. 

 

But the bash Thailand at all cost crowd does not like to read about that. Plenty of Dutch people their holiday got ruined by rules in Austria and other countries where they go on winter holliday.

I partly agree with you. However if the country is open for tourist, and they have to wait for the result of their tests, than they should have at least 1 floor, which they use as a quarantine, and if people are positive and with almost no symptoms, they could stay on that floor or a another real quaratine floor. They paid for the holiday and their hotel and not for staying in a hospital. A hospital is a place where people with severe symptons should stay and not non sympton cases. That is my idea that there is money involved. Or if you don't can handle a tourist don't open the country. Just as you said that you told your family not to come now. and I agree that people should inform themselves ...but as you know Thailand can change everything, it mostly depends on who will handle the case. The Israeli is another story, but he tested many times negative, and still had a problem. 

[Bangkok Barry]

How many times do I have to write this: There is a pandemic on, the virus constantly mutates and there is no certainty about anything related to travel. If you attempt unessential travel then you play Russian Roulette and run the risk of quarantine. I thought this is obvious, but still people decide to take a chance. Up to them, but don't complain if it doesn't go as you planned.

[Venom]

Fully vaxed but still living in fear. ????

 

I guess in hindsight the vaccines didn't live up to expectations. 

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry, but I think when travelling for  holiday in the middle of a pandemic you should be reading and investigating the situation more fully yourself and not relying on 'we got the impression'

That's because the information is conflicting and changes on a daily basis. For example try finding out if you need to be fully vaxed to enter Phuket by land. Good luck with your investigation. ????

[Cake Monster]

I really cannot understand people such as these.

Why ? would you risk any kind od Travel in the middle of a Pandemic that is sweeping the Globe.

And to use your Children, that have been dragged around the World for a sympathy vote, and possible waiver of the Laws, is completely unforgivable.

My suggestion is they learn to become caring, Loving parents after this, and not to subject their Children to these kind of traumatic experiences. 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 minutes ago, Venom said:

That's because the information is conflicting and changes on a daily basis.

And that is exactly why people shouldn't travel.

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Then keep them in a hotel quarantine like so many have been kept. Thais go in state quarantine too. I would not want anyone with covid in my hotel if im holidaying. 

 

Bottom line.  Why should people be exposed to risk ?

You are not considering the bigger picture Rob.

Everybody in Thailand is being exposed to unnecessary risk because the average citizen is avoiding being tested , and who can blame them ?

The current system is simply not fit for purpose , there is no way on earth that the health system could accomodate the true number of covid infections.

In reality the domestic population are largely only tested once they become seriously ill , there are tens of thousands of mild cases strolling around but unacounted for.

The incarcenation of international visitors is consequently nothing more than a money grab.

Either test the whole country (,and if the UK can do 1 million + tests a day , so can Thailand) or test nobody.

Those who are ill go to hospital , those that are not isolate at home.

Yes it means the government will have to compensate those who miss work , but if the health of the nation is the priority......

[RubbaJohnny]

34 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Quite true but this seems to be a case of one law for foreigners and another for Thai's. My Thai friend and her daughter came to Thailand to visit family in early December.  Whist she was staying with her mother in Korat her mother became ill and tested positive for Covid. The mother was taken in to hospital but my friend and her daughter were allowed to isolate in her mother's house - obviously at no cost whatsoever.

Interesting example. Tends to reinforce the milk the foreign insurance companies scam. Even if these folks had large insurance why extort Thais when the foreign tourists are a soft touch. Co payment even 10% might make tourists assess the real risks. Once the hospitals are full it'll be altered to a hotel scam. 

For those new to LOS , Land of Scams the vax roll out the ASQ id always all about enrich a few and little to do with public safety.

The tcheow chow moguls rightly see every disaster as an opportunity, small mid size failed hotel swill be snapped up like a 24/7 chicken gobbet in a rubber band.

 

I'm sure when this situation becomes clear to foreign press it'll deter all but those with family here from visiting and LOS can return to a swamp like  Philippines without American protection and join China's other satraps.

[SiSePuede419]

Well, it's not like Norway isolates tourists who test positive upon arrival.

 

/ SARCASM

 

 

 

[RubbaJohnny]

7 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

if the health of the nation

there's the rub, for the powerful it is not, granny dead, no problem, workers die like flies as they already do on construction, call Burmese agent and pal on border send another truckload. Dead hookers hello Laos, 3 tons please?

[Lemonltr]

29 minutes ago, Robin said:

Many readers on this Forum are better informed about Thailand and Quarantine rules (scams) than the general public in Europe, so we should not criticise them if they come to Thailand for a holiday.  No rules say that Travel Agencies have to inform all customers of any potential risks, particularly in these troubled times.

Knowing the Ethics of Thai businesses, they are not going to warn tourist if they can make money from them.

Only hope for tourists to be informed is if the popular press in Europe catches on to this and make a big issue of it.

Thailand is now governed by a lot of rather stupid, frightened, old men, so why should we expect any sensible policies from them.

 

[Stargeezr]

If people travelling abroad are not prepared to pay for a hospital stay if they test positive, they should stay home as I have done.

 I have not sympathy for this family, after all COVID has been around for long enough for all people to think of the

additional risks.

   How stupid could these parents be, to rely only on their travel agent. Pretty stupid decision on their part.

[Lemonltr]

Just now, Lemonltr said:

 

Bit unfair to compare knowledge of expats with incidental tourists. Anyway where exactly is this information accurately published. Uk residents correctly accessing the UK government website would have little inkling of risks as the information is at odds with reality. Oblique warning. 

[drenddy]

I would travel to Thailand, even during these times, but with a solid insurance...Being covid positive, you are insured.My travel insurance said it clear to me, no insurance in case of close contact.

 

Should I travel, I would definetely look at Emirates Insurance, it seems they cover quarantine/isolation in case of close contact.But will not travel before having a clear answer from Emirates.

[Daithi85]

53 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Quite true but this seems to be a case of one law for foreigners and another for Thai's. My Thai friend and her daughter came to Thailand to visit family in early December.  Whist she was staying with her mother in Korat her mother became ill and tested positive for Covid. The mother was taken in to hospital but my friend and her daughter were allowed to isolate in her mother's house - obviously at no cost whatsoever.

Completly different situation, your friends were already in thailand and did not test positive for covid .if Thai people test positive on arrival they too have to go into quarantine. So throwing out that it's one rule for Thais and another for foreigners is not true. 

[robblok]

19 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

You are not considering the bigger picture Rob.

Everybody in Thailand is being exposed to unnecessary risk because the average citizen is avoiding being tested , and who can blame them ?

The current system is simply not fit for purpose , there is no way on earth that the health system could accomodate the true number of covid infections.

In reality the domestic population are largely only tested once they become seriously ill , there are tens of thousands of mild cases strolling around but unacounted for.

The incarcenation of international visitors is consequently nothing more than a money grab.

Either test the whole country (,and if the UK can do 1 million + tests a day , so can Thailand) or test nobody.

Those who are ill go to hospital , those that are not isolate at home.

Yes it means the government will have to compensate those who miss work , but if the health of the nation is the priority......

Maybe not, but if i book a holiday I don't want to be confronted (unnecessarily) with people who have covid. Of course you cannot prevent all contact because there is covid in the local population. 

 

But to put people in a hotel with other guests is asking for trouble, even a condo is better. People who have covid should quarantine. Just because we can't control the populace does not mean you should expose holliday goers to even more risk.

 

I agree that they should not have to go to a hospital but then put them in a covid hotel or something where they can be separated and extra precautions can be taken. Its a recipe for disaster in a hotel, staff come in contact with covid sufferer and infect other guests. Not a good prospect.

 

I get what you are saying about the other risk but why increase it many folds to put people in a hotel with healthy guests? Hotels are not made for this. The chances of it going to someone in the staf who then infects others is much higher than in other situations. 

 

I do agree about more testing and self isolation. But i would not take the UK as example. Sorry they are plague island at the moment. So id rather not take it as an example.

[Lemonltr]

More honest and ethical if this was explained clearly on the Thailand pass application site. 

[herfiehandbag]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

Of course they weren't - if they knew this then literally nobody would come to Thailand for a simple holiday, ever.

 

And now it is becoming known - that you and your entire family can be banged up, at great expense - then inevitably that is exactly what will happen.

 

Scandinavian family tourists are a significant proportion of the beach holidays in Thailand. TUI, the biggest player in the business have pulled the plug, doesn't look good.

[Longwood50]

Another example of " its somebody else's fault"  At what point does a person bear the responsibility of checking things out for themselves.  Travelling today every tourists has to be brain dead not to realize that their our implications if you or someone you are traveling with tests positive for Covid.  

If the person was really that concerned there is this wonderful invention called the internet.  Blaming others is nothing more than this pervasive attitude that it is always someone else's fault, and of course expecting them to compensate you for your own lack of due diligence.