Thai Chamber of Commerce urges government to cancel pre arrival RT-PCR test to attract international arrivals

[webfact]

PHOTO: Siamrath

 

By Nop Meechukhun

 

Bangkok – The Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand (TCC) urged the Thai government to cancel the pre-arrival RT-PCR test for international arrivals before entering the country and speed up the shift of the Covid-19 pandemic to endemic in order to boost the recovery of the domestic economy.

 

TCC Chairman Sanan Angubolkul revealed today, March 16th, that the general Covid-19 situation around the world was considered stable and expected to improve. Therefore, many countries had relaxed their preventive measures and now planned to announce the disease as endemic.

 

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He advised that Thailand should accelerate the endemic plan as well: “Thailand should start to proceed the endemic declaration as soon as possible along with the gradual easing of various measures and activities to move the economy forward.”

 

“The country’s economy had been traumatized for quite some time. People and entrepreneurs had been affected a lot. So, the public health measures should be adjusted periodically according to the situation. All private sectors were always ready to discuss the matter with the government to help accelerate the country reopening.”

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/03/16/thai-chamber-of-commerce-urges-government-to-cancel-pre-arrival-rt-pcr-test-to-attract-international-arrivals/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-03-17

 

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[TooMuchTime]

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

[impulse]

58 minutes ago, TooMuchTime said:

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

Wacko is destroying your economy, putting millions out of work, and bankrupting millions of small businesses to reduce deaths by 0.2%.

 

Next time you go out, look at the people around you.  Some of them have Covid.  If they allow tourists in, the same number of people around you will have Covid.  And the other people around you will have jobs to support their families.

 

[TheFishman1]

Get rid of the thia pass

[Jimbo53]

1 hour ago, TooMuchTime said:

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

Can he block Wacko's that post idiotic posts like yours?

[Lingba]

How easy is this

New Zealand Will Reopen to U.S. Tourists Months Earlier Than Planned (msn.com)

[ezzra]

Tourists didn't bring the Covid into Thailand to start with and that's for sure....How about Thailand cancel all health requirement to enter Thailand and see how you go and whether more tourists are taking advantage of the new rules if no advantage to the new rules, Thailand can always go back to the old requirements right?...

[Scouse123]

2 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

Do you think first or just post the first thing that comes into your head?

 

Also, there are no such things as ' farang countries ' where do you get your information?

 

Western countries have far higher and far better vaccination rates with better quality vaccines than Thailand and it's neighbors which have predominantly used the Chinese vaccines. And where is Covid raging now?.......................... China and Hong Kong.

 

Your post is just daft.

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, Jimbo53 said:

Can he block Wacko's that post idiotic posts like yours?

Well said!

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Tourists didn't bring the Covid into Thailand to start with and that's for sure....How about Thailand cancel all health requirement to enter Thailand and see how you go and whether more tourists are taking advantage of the new rules if no advantage to the new rules, Thailand can always go back to the old requirements right?...

Some Covid was brought into Thailand by tourists..... so it is not for sure except in your own mind. Omicron was. Let Thailand make up it's own mind... whatever they have been doing has not done so badly so far.

 

No, there will be no going back on a decision this time.  I expect more easing Friday.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand (TCC) urged the Thai government to cancel the pre-arrival RT-PCR test for international arrivals before entering the country and speed up the shift of the Covid-19 pandemic to endemic in order to boost the recovery of the domestic economy.

Drop the whole nonsense, let people come & go freely.

[CartagenaWarlock]

39 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

And where is Covid raging now?.......................... China and Hong Kong.

Per capita, I think it is still extremely high in Europe. Look at UK, Germany France and other European countries.. Yes, US is under control for the last few days only.

[CartagenaWarlock]

Coming Friday may be some big announcements will be there. Hope so. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by CartagenaWarlock

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

By your standards the PM  should ban all road travel for Thais too then - since they kill each other in mass far more than covid ever will. 

[DFPhuket]

The article states, "the TCC urged the government to relax the “Test&Go” scheme by revoking the RT-PCR testing within 72 hours before entering the country and only doing the test on the day of arrival."

 

It should be the opposite - keep the pre-departure test and drop the arrival test. I want to know if I have Covid before getting on the plane and delay my trip. I do want not find out I'm positive upon arrival and face quarantine. That's what they are doing in the Philippines.

[RichardColeman]

8 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

 

It should be the opposite - keep the pre-departure test and drop the arrival test. I want to know if I have Covid before getting on the plane and delay my trip. I do want not find out I'm positive upon arrival and face quarantine. That's what they are doing in the Philippines.

I would say you are completely missing the point of the added cost to travellers. Asking a fully vaccinated family to pay say £400 or $500 extra for their holiday is a puter-offer ! For mass tourism the test will need to be removed completely. It's an if not now, then when scenario !

[DFPhuket]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I would say you are completely missing the point of the added cost to travellers. Asking a fully vaccinated family to pay say £400 or $500 extra for their holiday is a puter-offer ! For mass tourism the test will need to be removed completely. It's an if not now, then when scenario !

No, I'm not missing the point. The article says that the proposal is to keep the arrival test and drop the pre-departure test. It's nuts to have people fly here, test, and put them in quarantine rather than taking a pre-departure test.  While dropping both would be my preference, that's not the proposal. 

[mtls2005]

Would be nice to understand the IDB/cancellation figures as the result of a positive pre-departure test?

 

Once countries drop testing requirements I can see airlines requiring them. Most airline passengers assume everyone is tested. 

 

Without that guarantee airline travel may dip for a while.

 

 

 

 

[Jimbo53]

4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Would be nice to understand the IDB/cancellation figures as the result of a positive pre-departure test?

 

Once countries drop testing requirements I can see airlines requiring them. Most airline passengers assume everyone is tested. 

 

Without that guarantee airline travel may dip for a while.

 

 

 

 

I don't see Airlines requiring them after Governments cancel the requirement,but they may  refuse passage to unvaccinated passengers,time will tell.

[RandiRona]

Get rid of all this BS forced Quarantine Thai pass...it didnt help and wont help with Covid spread. If you want tourist, help yourself by getting rid of any forced control!

[zzzzz]

4 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Bad move.  I would still keep it for farang countries but allow neighboring countries of Thailand to come in normally.

 

Can Prayuth block these wacko tourism board proposals?

New travel rules for travellers entering Cambodia: 
No tests before arrival -
No tests upon or after arrival -
No insurance
Open visa on arrival -

Unvaccinated travelers required 14-day quarantine

should apply to Thailand as well!!!

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

New travel rules for travellers entering Cambodia: 
No tests before arrival -
No tests upon or after arrival -
No insurance
Open visa on arrival -

Unvaccinated travelers required 14-day quarantine

should apply to Thailand as well!!!

Be patient.... Cambodia is no shining beacon in the world. In fact I struggle to think of anywhere that handled Covid with perfection. Thailand has done OK, is an independent country and can make its own decisions.  

[impulse]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

whatever they have been doing has not done so badly so far.

Millions of unemployed Thai people would disagree, many of whom lost their life savings when their businesses closed.  

 

It's easy to call for lockdowns when you've already made your nugget and stand to lose nothing by staying home.

 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

Millions of unemployed Thai people would disagree, many of whom lost their life savings when their businesses closed.  

 

It's easy to call for lockdowns when you've already made your nugget and stand to lose nothing by staying home.

 

I am not calling for lockdowns.... just a measured approach. Listening to ranting internet warriors, who are not even in the country is not recommended. 

 

[impulse]

Just now, jacko45k said:

I am not calling for lockdowns.... just a measured approach. Listening to ranting internet warriors, who are not even in the country is not recommended. 

Except that those ranting warriors are either going to make or break the Thai economy...  The hospitality industry calls us "customers". 

 

And most of us have seen the opening up and its benefits where we live.  Folks in Thailand are pretty well insulated from what's going on beyond the borders.

[Pimoo2]

Would it not be better to cancel the on arrival test and keep the pre arrival test. Incoming travelers would feel less exposed to the on- arrival test leading to mandatory isolation and ruining their holiday plans?

[impulse]

1 hour ago, DFPhuket said:

It should be the opposite - keep the pre-departure test and drop the arrival test. I want to know if I have Covid before getting on the plane and delay my trip. I do want not find out I'm positive upon arrival and face quarantine. That's what they are doing in the Philippines.

But that's simple.  Buy a test kit (they're about $10 in the USA) and test yourself.  Anyone who tests positive and still hops on their flight knowing they'll be tested again on arrival is an idiot.  It's self policing...

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

Except that those ranting warriors are either going to make or break the Thai economy...  The hospitality industry calls us "customers". 

 

And most of us have seen the opening up and its benefits where we live.  Folks in Thailand are pretty well insulated from what's going on beyond the borders.

Most, near all, the Thais I know are the wife's family and not involved in any way with tourism. They are doing fine. I really don't see that the internet warriors will make or break Thailand.... the currency has held up very well. It looks awful around Pattaya admittedly. 

[alex8912]

19 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Be patient.... Cambodia is no shining beacon in the world. In fact I struggle to think of anywhere that handled Covid with perfection. Thailand has done OK, is an independent country and can make its own decisions.  

If anyone should be patient it should be you. Take a few days off and chill. 

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

If anyone should be patient it should be you. Take a few days off and chill. 

Comment noted... who passed you the scepter?