Has Thailand’s reopening plan failed?

[webfact]

Jongkolnee Rittiyong

 

by Gregers Møller 

 

Before the pandemic, Thailand was one of the Danes’ favorite holiday destinations outside Europe. Almost 170,000 Danes visited the country in 2019 alone but since the pandemic closed the country’s borders in March 2020 not many tourists have arrived and the country’s empty beaches are a testimonial to that. 

 

Following Thailand’s reopening plan however with its ‘Test and go’ quarantine free travel scheme launched in November, the hope was that the white tropical beaches would once again be flocked by tourists. But the fear of traveling far away from home together with the new variant Omicron which has seen Thailand suspend its “Test and go’ travel scheme might have ruined the country’s ambition for a painless reopening by 2022, DR News writes.

 

In the past, about 40 million tourists came to Thailand every year, but in the first 10 months of 2021, only 106,000 tourists took the trip. The lack of tourists is very clear in most parts of the country. Perhaps less in Phuket after the Phuket Sandbox entry scheme around Christmas time became the only option to enter the country without having to undergo seven to ten days in quarantine upon arrival, but nonetheless, major tourist areas like Hua Hin are still deserted. 

 

Full story: https://scandasia.com/has-thailands-reopening-plan-failed/

 

-- © Copyright ScandAsia 2022-01-08

 

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[RichardColeman]

Has Thailand’s reopening plan failed?

 

The plan didn't fail, the people with their fingers on the on/off switch that change their mind every 24 hours are failing Thailand

[daveAustin]

Yes and no. No because it’s all good for the uncaring you know who.
 

Losers: tourists, ordinary Thais. 

[redwood1]

I would say everything is going perfectly according to plan...

[sezze]

Failed no , i wouldn't say so . Caught by reality is a different thing then failing . Many or better say all countries have been caught by the same thing . There's no running from this , neither hiding . It is what it is , and countries are trying their best , some more successful then others but basically there are no winners here .

[RandiRona]

Let's see...

1. Total utter confusion on what rules to be followed for letting tourists in... Check

2. Fully ensuring that nothing is opened for tourists ...Check

3. Playing favorite game of hunting tourists...name and shame and jail...Check

 

Well I think plan is totally working.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Has Thailand’s reopening plan failed?

 

The plan didn't fail, the people with their fingers on the on/off switch that change their mind every 24 hours are failing Thailand

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

[redwood1]

34 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

O-yea and the worlds covid rollout is going perfectly to plan too..

[RichardColeman]

48 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

If you can prove to me that the incoming thrice vaccinated, twice PCR tested tourist infection rate is higher than the rate of the same number of untested Thais in Thailand I'll take notice of you

[Captain Monday]

59 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

Mexico

[ikke1959]

Was there a plan???

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the hope was that the white tropical beaches would once again be flocked by tourists

I think the beaches look a lot better without too many tourist. ???? 

[Willy Wombat]

More backflips than Greg Louganis

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

If you can prove to me that the incoming thrice vaccinated, twice PCR tested tourist infection rate is higher than the rate of the same number of untested Thais in Thailand I'll take notice of you

Obviously it is . otherwise there would not be an Omega crisis on other countries ans we would not try to delay it from coming to Thailand. 

[phukettrader]

2 hours ago, JensenZ said:

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

Mexico, Florida, Sweden

[robblok]

2 hours ago, JensenZ said:

So failure has nothing at all to do with the world's skyrocketing omicron infection rate? It's someone in Thailand's fault? Where in the world are they doing it right?

Richard always moans about Thailand, frustrated that he can't go to his family (too expensive). I kinda understand the feeling as i havent seen my parents in 2 years. However if i really wanted I would have gone there. Something I am considering in this year as at some point you just have to bite the bullet and spend some extra money if you want to see your loved ones.

 

Expecting that things are when they were when there was no covid is just unrealistic.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

If you can prove to me that the incoming thrice vaccinated, twice PCR tested tourist infection rate is higher than the rate of the same number of untested Thais in Thailand I'll take notice of you

Eh it was actually and they imported the virus. Just that this virus has shorter incubation time and more infections. So it was brought in by tourists. Now closing things right now might not have been right as the virus is already rampart in Thailand. Still the approach does not differ too much from other countries.

[Cambodger]

Unless you have a important reason to travel to Thailand (wife, gf, family etc) or you have the funds to stay long term, you'd have to be insane to go there.

I will probably never go back as won't ever take the shots, get tested or wear masks.

Once it was obvious this wasn't going to end in the near future I just dumped my girlfriend and stopped paying the rent on my condo.

No regrets.

My love and infatuation of the place had already waned long before this covid nonsense anyway.

[Paul Henry]

Time and the people will eventually get the Government to plan and act with reality. As more and more Thai people lose income and more businesss close the pressure of knee jerk decsions and ill thought out plans will hopefully get the HISO'S in government to follow the lead of other countries that are planing ahead and accepting that the world is /has changed. 

[hotchilli]

The governments handling of Covid situation has failed the re-opening.

The procurement and administering of vaccines in 2020/2021 was a total disaster, born out of control freaks.

The world looked at Thailand and didn't want to come with a woefully low vaccinated population.

Even now in 2022 a large percentage are waiting for a second dose, boosters are only just beginning, while other countries have done the 1st booster and are administering the 2 booster.

Thailand missed the opportunity to say we're open & safe.

Instead they said we're open to tourists who can navigate a huge mountain of documentation to prove they are safe to come to a country with less than 50% of locals who could say the same.

Thailands bureaucracy ruled it out of any come-back to times of old... and it seems no lessons have been learned.

[Muhendis]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think the beaches look a lot better without too many tourist. ???? 

Yes they do look better thats for sure, but many individuals are struggling and really do need those flocking tourists to return. It is not as if people can easily change jobs is it.

[tlcwaterfall]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

Obviously it is . otherwise there would not be an Omega crisis on other countries ans we would not try to delay it from coming to Thailand. 

Omega? Assume you mean Omicron and it is already well entrenched in Thailand.

[jacko45k]

Just now, tlcwaterfall said:

Omega? Assume you mean Omicron and it is already well entrenched in Thailand. So what possible reason is there to delay tourists who are fully vaccinated and do quarantine and get thrown into hospital if they test positive?

Tourists under these conditions are no threat to Thailand. In fact they bring economic relief to the country.

They also brought Covid to the country in the eyes of the population!

[tlcwaterfall]

5 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

They also brought Covid to the country in the eyes of the population!

Thailands porous borders continue to allow Covid in to the country.

[Caldera]

I'd say it has failed. The flip-flopping on entry rules,  as well as the Thailand Pass process that has been described as stressful and/or cumbersome by many applicants, will long be remembered by those affected.

 

Add various "Covid prison" and "families separated" reports and you simply don't get the impression of Thailand being ready to reopen for tourists.

 

At the core of it, an ill-conceived and poorly executed money grab.

[metisdead]

Some offensive troll posts have been removed. 

[thaiman]

The Thais put their own tourism industry into a coma voluntarily.

[mtls2005]

"No risk it, no biscuit".

 

"Failure" is harsh.

 

Not every experiment is successful.

 

Hopefully they learned which things worked, and and which things didn't. And will improve going forward?

 

 

[Captain Monday]

I think the plan was fine they just did not stick to it over the Omi hysteria.

 

I am however surprised there are so many reports of tourist escapees dodging test results!

Fine them heavily jail then blacklist and deport

[bang saen guy]

The plan was to create panic and gov't control. Success