Political opposition party blames Thai government for causing tourism collapse and economic crisis, says Test and Go must go away immediately

[webfact]

Jakkaphon Tangsuthitham

 

By Nop Meechukhun

 

Bangkok – Political opposition party Pheu Thai blamed the current Thai government for neglecting tourism experts’ warnings about domestic tourism failure due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

 

Jakkaphon Tangsuthitham, Deputy Secretary-General of the Pheu Thai Party, said yesterday, March 30th, that the party’s economic working group had previously warned Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha to pay close attention and accelerate the revival of Thailand’s tourism but, according to his statement, the Prime Minister did not come up with any solutions, causing the Thai tourism situation to remain in what they called a coma as the party had predicted.

 

Pheu Thai MPs from Chiang Mai continued that many tourism experts from the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) had also warned General Prayut and the government that the Thai economy was still in crisis and showing no sign of recovery at all. However, Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow instead denied the statement and claimed that the domestic economy in another 100 countries were also in the same state or worse.

 

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Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/03/31/political-opposition-party-blames-thai-government-for-causing-tourism-collapse-and-economic-crisis-says-test-and-go-must-go-away-immediately/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-04-01

 

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[SheikYabodyline]

Stagnation or worse in another 100 countries. No need to do anything in Thailand then, according to local logic.

Edited March 31, 2022 by SheikYabodyline

[Sambotte]

Mexico, Costa Rica, Salvador.... Big tourist income... They all doing very fine since they make it easy for tourists to come. And any country actually removing the bureaucratic hassle and getting back to normal-normal business.

And those countries are not doing worse relative to Covid (of course it's not like the covid is coming from "dirty Farangs" ????).

Pressure is mounting from Thai businesses (and Thai people since they almost all do business with tourists and expats), and since it's about big money, it should improve soon.

[mania]

Quote

Political opposition party blames Thai government for causing tourism collapse and economic crisis, says Test and Go must go away immediately

Yes true but the reason Test & Go ++ still exists has nothing really to do with careful or covid

 

It all has to do with keeping the protesters off the streets till after the next fixed election is completed

 

[Destiny1990]

Vaccinated tourists with an insurance are no threat whatsoever, so why endlessly continue to complicate tourists entry procedures?

[grego49]

One has to wonder who is pulling their chain to destroy the tourist industry,,,

[Excel]

1 hour ago, mania said:

It all has to do with keeping the protesters off the streets till after the next fixed election is completed

Well maybe that's a good thing as you know what the PM, when he was the army boss, did to many protesters in 2010 , so perhaps keeping them off the streets is saving lives.

[herfiehandbag]

29 minutes ago, grego49 said:

One has to wonder who is pulling their chain to destroy the tourist industry,,,

When the concept of reopening to foreign visitors was first considered, insurance and the provision of quarantine was required. A number of well connected organisations and individuals agreed to provide these services. Having established these business links with the new "system" for entering the country they will not allow this system, and the benefits/profits it brings to lapse.

They are influential (wealthy) and are able to bring that influence to bear upon the decision makers.

 

Remember here, the various agencies and ministries are run as personal fiefdoms by their executives and ministers. Their is little common purpose or central direction. What cooperation there is centres around political loyalties, which are often fluid and driven by opportunity. The "influential", understanding and exploiting that are thus able to exert considerable influence.

 

The damage they are doing to the medium and long term interests of the tourist industry, if considered at all, are regarded as collateral damage and subordinate to the immediate benefits.

 

It is not so much a matter of pulling strings as a product of crony government; but if anyone can be said to be pulling strings it is these cronies.

Edited April 1, 2022 by herfiehandbag

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai economy was still in crisis and showing no sign of recovery at all.

But, but, Phuket is booming - apparently !

[morrobay]

17 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

When the concept of reopening to foreign visitors was first considered, insurance and the provision of quarantine was required. A number of well connected organisations and individuals agreed to provide these services. Having established these business links with the new "system" for entering the country they will not allow this system, and the benefits/profits it brings to lapse.

They are influential (wealthy) and are able to bring that influence to bear upon the decision makers.

 

Remember here, the various agencies and ministries are run as personal fiefdoms by their executives and ministers. Their is little common purpose or central direction. What cooperation there is centres around political loyalties, which are often fluid and driven by opportunity. The "influential", understanding and exploiting that are thus able to exert considerable influence.

 

The damage they are doing to the medium and long term interests of the tourist industry, if considered at all, are regarded as collateral damage and subordinate to the immediate benefits.

 

It is not so much a matter of pulling strings as a product of crony government; but if anyone can be said to be pulling strings it is these cronies.

https://theaseanpost.com/article/growing-gap-between-richest-and-poorest-thais 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

However, Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow instead denied the statement and claimed that the domestic economy in another 100 countries were also in the same state or worse.

So Thailand must follow suit instead of going it's own way?

[MrJ2U]

Hopefully this government (junta)  all get whats coming to them.

 

 

[Excel]

7 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Hopefully this government (junta)  all get whats coming to them.

 

 

Whilst I agree with you unfortunately I don't think true justice will prevail.

[ChrisY1]

With around 150000 people entering Thailand each month…it’s no small money if they all need insurance and at least 1 night in a hotel and a test…..why would they be in a rush to stop this?

[Caldera]

Things will get worse before they'll get any better. The high cost of energy and generally higher inflation worldwide are poison to tourism.

 

Not really Thailand's fault, but if they did away with the insane Thailand Pass, they could scoop up more of those who are still willing and able to travel. 

[ThailandRyan]

Test and go means money for the Government and not for the people.  Lifting of all restrictions and entry guises would bring in money for the lower rung of people and then the government would have to lift it's emergency decree which would be another cause for problems in the streets this Government does not want.  Prayut has to keep the leverage somehow....dictatorial decrees are what keeps him in the seat his toot is firmly entrenched in.

[mania]

1 hour ago, Excel said:

Well maybe that's a good thing as you know what the PM, when he was the army boss, did to many protesters in 2010 , so perhaps keeping them off the streets is saving lives.

Well I guess the slave option is always available to those who fear liberty

[actonion]

Of course they"re to blame, they are the ones running this Circus

[Rimmer]

A misleading post has been removed

[newnative]

Tourism in a 'coma' sums it up nicely.

[Harveyboy]

6 hours ago, mania said:

Yes true but the reason Test & Go ++ still exists has nothing really to do with careful or covid

 

It all has to do with keeping the protesters off the streets till after the next fixed election is completed

 

exactly all about Control C19 was a blessing for the government no army needed to subdue the masses just issue a decree..

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, mania said:

Well I guess the slave option is always available to those who fear liberty

In what manner did this unelected PM take the country over in 2014? Did they just walk in to parliament and say "right you lot, all out now, we are taking over"?

Suppose the elected government said "no you are not, we will fight to stay here, we are the elected government"?

Would Prayut and his generals then get their armed soldiers with their guns and force them out?

Now, fast forward to the present day. Suppose the protesters arrive and say to Prayut, "we want you to leave now and let the opposition take over."

What is the first thing that Prayut and his generals would do? Would they get their armed soldiers to come and force them out, even shoot them?

If you go by Thailand's history, that is what they would do. Is that what would actually happen?

Edited April 1, 2022 by possum1931

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

When the concept of reopening to foreign visitors was first considered, insurance and the provision of quarantine was required. A number of well connected organisations and individuals agreed to provide these services. Having established these business links with the new "system" for entering the country they will not allow this system, and the benefits/profits it brings to lapse.

They are influential (wealthy) and are able to bring that influence to bear upon the decision makers.

 

Remember here, the various agencies and ministries are run as personal fiefdoms by their executives and ministers. Their is little common purpose or central direction. What cooperation there is centres around political loyalties, which are often fluid and driven by opportunity. The "influential", understanding and exploiting that are thus able to exert considerable influence.

 

The damage they are doing to the medium and long term interests of the tourist industry, if considered at all, are regarded as collateral damage and subordinate to the immediate benefits.

 

It is not so much a matter of pulling strings as a product of crony government; but if anyone can be said to be pulling strings it is these cronies.

Are you saying, for example, that the communist government of Vietnam is more flexible, caring, and responsive to its citizens employed in tourism and tourism connected industries than is the case in Thailand?

Edited April 1, 2022 by John Drake

[John Drake]

48 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Suppose the elected government said "no you are not, we will fight to stay here, we are the elected government"?

Would Prayut and his generals then get their armed soldiers with their guns and force them out?

I believe most of the key opposition was arrested in the middle of the night and sent to attitude readjustment centers.

[SomchaiCNX]

Dear CNX MP, nothing would have been different if your party was in charge. The money just would go to different pockets. What about the air quality in your province. Your party has the most followers there and they don't give a f.... about clean air. Something a tourist would prefer.

[sammieuk1]

A rebrand of the Pheu Thai to the State the bleeding obvious party should follow ????

[vinci]

at the beginning i think it was ok to have restriction, as time go by thing needed to go back to norm, learn to live with it, open or pay the consequences .

[biggles45]

They are right of course, but having spent 2 years blaming dirty foreigners for CV infections in Thailand, and with an election soon, they have a dilemma. 

They need tourists back for the economy but they can't remove the onerous entry rules as they are there to convince locals that they care about their health. 

They don't of course and the reality is that most CV infections in Thailand probably originate with Un vaccinated locals... Sssh, don't say that too loud! 

Edited April 1, 2022 by biggles45
Typo

[fusion58]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow instead denied the statement and claimed that the domestic economy in another 100 countries were also in the same state or worse.

Whataboutism: The only tool on their belt.

[herfiehandbag]

7 hours ago, John Drake said:

Are you saying, for example, that the communist government of Vietnam is more flexible, caring, and responsive to its citizens employed in tourism and tourism connected industries than is the case in Thailand?

No, I  know little anything about the "Communist" government of Vietnam, but I suspect that it may be a little more responsive to the needs of its citizens. But that has little relevance to the situation here, where if my analysis is remotely accurate, the non communist government really has no interest at all in its citizens employed in tourism and tourism connected industries.