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

[snowgard]

They needed the Thaipass. So they knowed the rules. If you book on tui.dk you will get the following information before you book it:

Translated to english
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

 

Additional passport information is required to fly over Russian airspace. This is filled in via www.tui.dk/minrejse. Due to Covid-19, separate rules apply to the different countries. Most countries require a certificate of completed vaccination against Covid-19 or possibly a negative Covid-19 test. Many countries also require you to fill out an entry form before arrival. There may also be restrictions and requirements regarding Covid testing when returning home depending on your nationality, as well as whether you are traveling via another country (transit). It is your responsibility as a traveler to be able to meet the requirements of each country, as well as ensure that you have all the necessary documentation that is mandatory for entry to your destination. Read more about what is required for exactly your destination at the following link: https://um.dk/da/rejse-og-ophold/rejse-til-udlandet/rejsevejledninger/ More information can also be read at: https: // www .tui.dk / travel-with-tui / corona-travel-safe / new-initiatives / Due to Covid-19, separate rules apply to the different countries. Most countries require a certificate of completed vaccination against Covid-19 or possibly a negative Covid-19 test. Many countries also require you to fill out an entry form before arrival. There may also be restrictions and requirements regarding Covid testing when returning home depending on your nationality, as well as whether you are traveling via another country (transit). It is your responsibility as a traveler to be able to meet the requirements of each country, as well as ensure that you have all the necessary documentation that is mandatory for entry to your destination. Read more about what is required for exactly your destination at the following link: https://um.dk/da/rejse-og-ophold/rejse-til-udlandet/rejsevejledninger/ More information can also be read at: https: // www .tui.dk / travel-with-tui / corona-travel-safe / new-initiatives / Due to Covid-19, separate rules apply to the different countries. Most countries require a certificate of completed vaccination against Covid-19 or possibly a negative Covid-19 test. Many countries also require you to fill out an entry form before arrival. There may also be restrictions and requirements regarding Covid testing when returning home depending on your nationality, as well as whether you are traveling via another country (transit). It is your responsibility as a traveler to be able to meet the requirements of each country, as well as ensure that you have all the necessary documentation that is mandatory for entry to your destination. Read more about what is required for exactly your destination at the following link: https://um.dk/da/rejse-og-ophold/rejse-til-udlandet/rejsevejledninger/ More information can also be read at: https: // www .tui.dk / travel-with-tui / corona-travel-safe / new-initiatives /

[The Hammer2021]

11 minutes ago, Sig said:

FYI - Thailand also quarantines people in hotels! You need to clue in....
I have no idea whatsoever what control of the borders by other countries have to do with COVID in Thailand.... hahaha speaking of country bashers, you don't hide your prejudices very well.... And I did not in the least bash Thailand. I mentioned that I believe it is an insurance scam of sorts. If you'll notice, that is a kind of business scam. I didn't mention a peep at all about anything regarding the country. You are reading between the lines and attributing motives and thoughts that are non-existent, all the while specifically bashing other countries yourself.

They do quarantine  people in hotel  here. You are correct. But that is because there are not enough hospital  beds! This foreign family are very lucky to be in a real hospital with real treatment  and support  staff. There are many sick people unable to get hospital  treatment.

[Liverpool Lou]

12 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

If being infected with Covid is confirmed it doesn't matter whether symptoms are displayed or not, the patient still has Covid.  It's about isolating the infected, not just the money.

Isolation doesn't need to be in a hospital..Other possibilities are as good. If you are very sick you go to hospital

Perhaps he needed treatment!

[Tropposurfer]

I am just me imagining this or are humans defaulting to blaming others for their behaviours (like children) and lack of due diligence far more these days? 

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

They do quarantine  people in hotel  here. You are correct. But that is because there are not enough hospital  beds! This foreign family are very lucky to be in a real hospital with real treatment  and support  staff. There are many sick people unable to get hospital  treatment.

There's literally thousands of approved SHA plus hotels that people quarantine in on arrival, via Sandbox or other entry methods, nothing to do with hospital capacity. These places are far cheaper than a hospital and for the tiny minority that will go on to need treatment then they can be transferred once that happens.

[Sig]

1 minute ago, The Hammer2021 said:

They do quarantine  people in hotel  here. You are correct. But that is because there are not enough hospital  beds! This foreign family are very lucky to be in a real hospital with real treatment  and support  staff. There are many sick people unable to get hospital  treatment.

I hope your paranoia isn't infectious....  There was no information whatsoever that would make one come to a reasonable conclusion that they need to be quarantined in a hospital with need for medical care. The statistics are VERY clear that it would be an extremely rare case indeed if that positive tested child ever needed medical care of a hospital. And also highly unlikely that his parents would as well. I'd love to see the evidence you have of there being "many sick people unable to get hospital treatment". If I read between the lines as you do on regular occasion here, I'd call you a Thai basher for insinuating that Thailand is giving preference to a foreigner who doesn't need medical attention and is negligent in caring for "many sick people".  But I won't do that because just as your various presumptions reading between the lines and accusing people of ridiculous things, it would be absurd.

[The Hammer2021]

22 minutes ago, Sig said:

Your assumption is amazingly racist and classist. Beyond that... you again are displaying your penchant for reading between the lines to things that don't exist. People who need treatment should go to hospitals, not families who have a kid who is tested positive, but needs no treatment and who is extremely unlikely to ever need any treatment.

'very unlikely ' in your opinion  is not how highly infectious diseases are quantified. Interfamily infection  rates are high in all countries. Quarantine is recommended in all cases. The family do not have a home here so they can't isolate at home. If they were put in a hotel  you and your fellow critics  would criticise the Thai  authorities. You will criticize  the Thai authorities  whatever they do. Putting them in a regular  hotel is not fair  on other tourists at the hotel  or the hotel  staff. A hospital stay is the best thing for them and for the local community. The family  are lucky but I notice they are blaming the travel  agency not the Thai authorities. Evidently they are  not full time forum  member Thai bashers lol..

[khunPer]

It's amazing how Danes cannot take responsibility themselves, it's often somebody else's fault.

 

“We thought that if we became infected with covid-19, we would be able to isolate ourselves in the hotel room. There was no mention of any hospital stay. We got the impression from TUI that it was safe to come..."

 

Today with Internet and Google – and not to forget many great online forums like ASEAN NOW, where you can ask questions, including a number of Danish language Facebook-groups about travelling to Thailand – it's really easy to find information. The family in question could easily know the risk they took by travelling to Thailand during a pandemic.

 

I know that several fellow Danes have same opinion that me, we think the often Social Democrat Danish government, cares too much about it's citizens, and take too much independent responsibility away from them.

 

It's always bad to get a holiday spoiled. However, I'm sorry to say that I have no sympathy with this family, and even think they should not use the media to complain, it's purely their own fault that they didn't check upon rules before travelling.

[Bluespunk]

4 minutes ago, khunPer said:

It's amazing how Danes cannot take responsibility themselves, it's often somebody else's fault.

 

“We thought that if we became infected with covid-19, we would be able to isolate ourselves in the hotel room. There was no mention of any hospital stay. We got the impression from TUI that it was safe to come..."

 

Today with Internet and Google – and not to forget many great online forums like ASEAN NOW, where you can ask questions, including a number of Danish language Facebook-groups about travelling to Thailand – it's really easy to find information. The family in question could easily know the risk they took by travelling to Thailand during a pandemic.

 

I know that several fellow Danes have same opinion that me, we think the often Social Democrat Danish government, cares too much about it's citizens, and take too much independent responsibility away from them.

 

It's always bad to get a holiday spoiled. However, I'm sorry to say that I have no sympathy with this family, and even think they should not use the media to complain, it's purely their own fault that they didn't check upon rules before travelling.

The family is Norwegian according to the OP. 

[The Hammer2021]

42 minutes ago, Sig said:

FYI - Thailand also quarantines people in hotels! You need to clue in....
I have no idea whatsoever what control of the borders by other countries have to do with COVID in Thailand.... hahaha speaking of country bashers, you don't hide your prejudices very well.... And I did not in the least bash Thailand. I mentioned that I believe it is an insurance scam of sorts. If you'll notice, that is a kind of business scam. I didn't mention a peep at all about anything regarding the country. You are reading between the lines and attributing motives and thoughts that are non-existent, all the while specifically bashing other countries yourself.

Where do these imagined insurance scams originate? Where are the hospitals that are part of the so called scam? Where are the administrators who sign the documents? Where are the patients?

The answer to all these questions is Thailand. You have ZERO proof or evidence  of insurance hospital scams. But you are blaming Thailand not any other nation in the world. If you are promoting similar unproven  rumours on other nation or business  forums then your excuse  would be credible but I think you are only making these accusations on Thai forum about a situation  in Thailand. I don't  have to read between  lines.

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

BS!

Unfortunately  wishfull thinking. The reality  is ICU wards full, people on respirators  gurgling as their lungs flood.

[Jimbo53]

6 hours ago, bluemoon58 said:

Exactly right. They should be ashamed of themselves for not doing their research. Why just take the word of the travel agent and not check yourselves? Serves them right! 

They probably took the word of the Agent because they will most likely be an approved travel company,and would rightly have expected them to be fully informed with regard to the entry requirements of the country being visited,and provide them with the correct up to date advice at time of booking. 

[BritManToo]

57 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Out of all the mixed messages I get from your contribution it seems clear that like so many people on this forum you resent Thailand  and Thai  people. You want tourism  to fail. You seek to see  Thailand  punished..Lol

Looks to me like the world's governments want international tourism to fail.

I ain't the one randomly opening and closing borders.

If it were up to me the borders would be open, and tough luck for the weak, old and sick.

 

I certainly won't be getting on a plane, with the risk of incarceration at the destination.

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by BritManToo

[The Hammer2021]

14 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Unfortunately  wishfull thinking. The reality  is ICU wards full, people on respirators  gurgling as their lungs flood.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-and-other-leading-causes-of-death-in-the-us/

his brief examines how deaths from COVID-19 rank among other leading causes of death in the U.S. We find that COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in November 2021. We also find that in October, COVID-19 was the number 1 cause of death for people age 45-54 and in the top 7 leading causes of death for other age groups, aside from infants.

COVID-19 was the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. in November 2021

[The Hammer2021]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo53 said:

They probably took the word of the Agent because they will most likely be an approved travel company,and would rightly have expected them to be fully informed with regard to the entry requirements of the country being visited,and provide them with the correct up to date advice at time of booking. 

TUI are a large well known company but I've never heard of travel agent giving detailed advice about the medical  policy of foreign governments. Their only  advice  can be for the traveller to check that they are fully informed of their responsibilities and keep  up to date with any changes in policy.

[Virt]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

They do quarantine  people in hotel  here. You are correct. But that is because there are not enough hospital  beds! This foreign family are very lucky to be in a real hospital with real treatment  and support  staff. There are many sick people unable to get hospital  treatment.

Are the hospitals overburdened at the moment in Thailand?

 

Can't see to find any threads on this forum and posters are usually fast enough to post if there is a problem.

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

Another reason why no one should be travelling to Thailand now.  Yes they should have checked but to be fair the rules seem to change almost daily here so you never know what you might have to face.

Absolutely. They would have been in the air for what, 16 hours en route from Norway? Enough time for the rules to change at least three times.

[Cherrytreeview]

Just an observation if i may.

This is the second day in a row a thread has been hijacked by the same troll.

Personally, i won't be feeding him.

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

23 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Looks to me like the world's governments want international tourism to fail.

I ain't the one randomly opening and closing borders.

If it were up to me the borders would be open, and tough luck for the weak, old and sick.

 

I certainly won't be getting on a plane, with the risk of incarceration at the destination.

 

Yes its a conspiracy  against tourism. That explains  it all.lol

Regarding  'tough luck for the weak, old and sick'.

That's silly. The above  categories  are often  economic contributors in some way. They are loved and loving members of families who would be distressed by their death. This view is callous and when enshrined  in policy owes much to N**i ideas  of the 30s and 40s.

Plenty of people die or are damaged by Covid-19 who are not in your   weak, old and sick category and they include the the young, strong and healthy.

But the more I think about it your idea of an international  conspiracy against holidays make sense lol

[gejohesch]

12 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 true. I cannot help sympathising for that family though. What a way to spend holidays!

[The Hammer2021]

8 minutes ago, Virt said:

Are the hospitals overburdened at the moment in Thailand?

 

Can't see to find any threads on this forum and posters are usually fast enough to post if there is a problem.

Pattaya Hospitals have been reported to be full and hotels are in use again so I have been told. But I don't know the exact details.

Police in Soi Buakhao  are Covid-19  testing revellers and sending  them straight  to quarantine  hotels. This is hot news and yet to be confirmed..If the latter is true it will really put a dampner on bar life

[BusyB]

7 hours ago, elgenon said:

I never heard of the hospital isolation. Only hotel quarantine. It's a real crapshoot to go. Take lots of insurance and money!

And also make sure you have it in writing that your insurance will pay if you are hospitalized with no symptoms ...

[The Hammer2021]

5 minutes ago, gejohesch said:

That's true. I cannot help sympathising for that family though. What a way to spend holidays!

A nice clean air conditioned room. But non the less a pretty awful unwanted adventure. I hope they remain well and don't succumb

[The Hammer2021]

2 minutes ago, BusyB said:

And also make sure you have it in writing that your insurance will pay if you are hospitalized with no symptoms ...

The symptom is the presence of the virus.

[The Hammer2021]

3 minutes ago, BusyB said:

And also make sure you have it in writing that your insurance will pay if you are hospitalized with no symptoms ...

In writing? How else  are insurance  policies  drafted?

[VBF]

5 hours 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.

You're right about many readers here being better informed etc....BUT certainly in UK, companies supplying the public have a "duty of care" and should be informing their customers of potential dangers. I don't know if Norway has similar rules of course. So perhaps TUI has a paragraph somewhere on its website that this family ignored??

 

Bottom line though....we're all responsible for our own actions and the parents have a bigger "duty of care" to their kids.  UK Gov has loads of travel information - I wonder if the Norwegian equivalent does?  

Any Norwegians on here care to comment?

Edited January 1, 2022 by VBF

[MikeN]

1 hour ago, Sig said:

People who need treatment should go to hospitals, not families who have a kid who is tested positive, but needs no treatment and who is extremely unlikely to ever need any treatment.

If you read the linked article they chose to send the oldest son to hospital : Our oldest son had childhood asthma, so we are a little worried about how he copes with it. So we thought it was safest if he went to the hospital 

Of course, I guess the parents who tested negative could have stayed at the hotel instead of looking after their kids. Would that make you happy ?

[Virt]

10 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

TUI are a large well known company but I've never heard of travel agent giving detailed advice about the medical  policy of foreign governments. Their only  advice  can be for the traveller to check that they are fully informed of their responsibilities and keep  up to date with any changes in policy.

They might be large and well known, but the ratings they get are really crappy.

 

Site is in danish, but gives an overall idea how well they are rated.

 

https://dk.trustpilot.com/review/www.tui.dk?page=2

 

In December almost all the reviews were 1 stars.

 

Maybe the family complaining about TUI are not wrong by doing so?

 

Not saying they shouldn't have done their own research before buying tickets, but the reviews indicate the travel agency really has problems with their customer service.

 

But it's still not the travel agency that are responsible for keeping their customers updated on each and every situation.

 

Some do though.

On vacation at the moment and we received several texts during our vacation when the authorities changed anything major with the covid restrictions.

 

As for the family.

Is it their first time in Thailand?

If not they should have known it's important to keep updated with the situation in Thailand.

 

[thisisrascal]

This will keep happening until the world gets itself out of this hysterical funk. 

[geisha]

6 hours 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 ?

So many empty hotels with give away prices on all the booking sites. Why is it not easy to adapt these to isolation hotels ? With the small amount of people arriving actually positive , I’m sure a small hotel in each city would suffice. Bangkok and Phuket would be the main places to have these. Of corse with strict rules of healthy food, cable tv and deliveries.