Inaccurate A(H1N1) Reports Cost Thailand Millions

[george]

Inaccurate A(H1N1) reports cost Thailand millions

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Inaccurate reporting on the true incidence of pandemic A(H1N1), originally termed swine flu, in Thailand has damaged the country’s trade and tourism industries resulting in millions of dollars in loss.

Charoen Wangananont, president of the Office of Tourism Development (OTD), said inaccurate reporting on the spread of the virus had caused panic in many countries.

Charoen said the Chinese press’ inaccurate reports that Thailand had accumulated more than 30 million A(H1N1) cases had caused up to 90 percent of tourists from China and Japan to cancel their visits.

The Government of India was so alarmed by the reported spread of the virus that it sent an official letter to Thailand requesting the Thai Government impose Exit Screening measures on Thai citizens before they enter India, he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vorapol Socatiyanurak, deputy chairman of the national economic and social advisory council (Nesac), said that pandemic A(H1N1) will delay the economic recovery.

Dr. Vorapol said that the pandemic had affected the overall economy, including investments, the tourism industry, and domestic consumption.

He said that in his opinion it would therefore be difficult to improve the economy in the fourth quarter and he expected Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) to range between one and two percent.

As of the middle of last week Thailand had recorded 44 deaths and 6,776 confirmed cases of pandemic A(H1N1).

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-26

[noungning]

omg lol to inaccurately report 33 million cases in thailand in itself is bizarre! i can't believe someone can screw up like that. so i suppose the thai baht will be pretty cheap soon lol

[LaoPo]

Inaccurate A(H1N1) reports cost Thailand millions

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Inaccurate reporting on the true incidence of pandemic A(H1N1), originally termed swine flu, in Thailand has damaged the country’s trade and tourism industries resulting in millions of dollars in loss.

Charoen Wangananont, president of the Office of Tourism Development (OTD), said inaccurate reporting on the spread of the virus had caused panic in many countries.

Charoen said the Chinese press’ inaccurate reports that Thailand had accumulated more than 30 million A(H1N1) cases had caused up to 90 percent of tourists from China and Japan to cancel their visits.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-26

Can Mr. John Le Fevre and/or Mr. Charoen Wangananont provide a link where, when and in which Chinese press it was reported that Thailand had more than 30 million cases of A(H1N1) Flu ?

I'm very curious to learn if it is true what Mr. Charoen claims.

LaoPo

[photojourn]

LaoPo

Sorry, I can't. I only write about what Charoen Wangananont said.

[catmac]

Sounds more like a desperate attempt to save his job!

If it's true that tourist bookings from China and Japan are showing up to 90% cancellations, then the poor chap has got to find a scapegoat. Blame the Chinese press would seem a good one - though I wasn't aware that the Japanese were such avid readers of Chinese newspapers! Of course it couldn't possibly be any failing on the part of Thailand itself, like the never ending stream of bad news generated by the scams and corruption being exposed on TV.

[Scott]

The gov't policy of ignoring the problem and not reporting information in a timely fashion hasn't worked very well, it seems.

[ukrules]

I don't believe for one minute that any Chinese newspaper reported 30 million cases, it's a blatant lie.

[catmac]

I don't believe for one minute that any Chinese newspaper reported 30 million cases, it's a blatant lie.

Have to agree with you. Most statistics that emanate from any minister or bureaucrat involved with tourism usually are just blatant lies, blithely trotted out to save their faces and their jobs.

[wasabi]

No having burning buses careen down the road and shutting down the airport in the middle of high season cost Thailand millions. By the way I doubt those paper masks provide any measurable protection at all. Washing your hands is probably the best you can do to stave off the illness.

[pepi2005]

so i suppose the thai baht will be pretty cheap soon lol

no, it might affect a lot, but NOT the Thai Baht.

The value of the Thai Baht always remains the same, whether there are violent mobs running through the streets, airports are closed, States of Emergency are declared or if a pandemy is hitting the country!

It is as if some secret powers in Thailand want this country to remain part of the Third World forever, and doing exactly the opposite of what would be required to rise its image and its standards. The political situation, how they deal with the press, with tourists, their nationalism, their police, the corruption,... wherever one looks: Third World. Keeping the Baht at this ridiculous level is just another part of the greater effort to avoid the tourists coming back.

[Camelot]

The 30 million figure is a mistranslation or misunderstanding. A view by a Public Health Ministry subcommittee of what might or might not happen over the next three years.

According to the Bangkok Post edition of July 11, the previous day the Public Health Ministry had said:

1,200 Thais likely to die of flu

30 million could catch virus over three years

POST REPORTERS

Up to 30 million Thais are likely to contract influenza type-A (H1N1) with about 1,200 people likely to die from it, the Public Health Ministry forecasts.

Of those who contract the virus, only 30,000-130,000 would have symptoms serious enough to warrant hospital admission, said Prasert Thongcharoen, chairman of the ministry's subcommittee overseeing the response to the A (H1N1) flu outbreak.

The figures are based on the panel's estimate that the pandemic will last from one to three years.

[LaoPo]

The 30 million figure is a mistranslation or misunderstanding. A view by a Public Health Ministry subcommittee of what might or might not happen over the next three years.

According to the Bangkok Post edition of July 11, the previous day the Public Health Ministry had said:

1,200 Thais likely to die of flu

30 million could catch virus over three years

POST REPORTERS

Up to 30 million Thais are likely to contract influenza type-A (H1N1) with about 1,200 people likely to die from it, the Public Health Ministry forecasts.

Of those who contract the virus, only 30,000-130,000 would have symptoms serious enough to warrant hospital admission, said Prasert Thongcharoen, chairman of the ministry's subcommittee overseeing the response to the A (H1N1) flu outbreak.

The figures are based on the panel's estimate that the pandemic will last from one to three years.

So: the "Inaccurate A(H1N1) Reports" were from within Thailand and not from China....

A mystery to me why Mr. Charoen Wangananont, president of the Office of Tourism Development (OTD) said that the reports were from China whilst his own fellow country officials are responsible for the inaccurate reports.

LaoPo

[TAWP]

Inaccurate reporting about inaccurate reporting, or upset bureaucrat countering inaccurate reporting with inaccurate reporting about what the report had said and done in effect?

Monty Python wrote this, surely.

[LaoPo]

Inaccurate reporting about inaccurate reporting, or upset bureaucrat countering inaccurate reporting with inaccurate reporting about what the report had said and done in effect?

Monty Python wrote this, surely.

...didn't know he was Thai.

LaoPo

[TAWP]

Inaccurate reporting about inaccurate reporting, or upset bureaucrat countering inaccurate reporting with inaccurate reporting about what the report had said and done in effect?

Monty Python wrote this, surely.

...didn't know he was Thai.

LaoPo

No, as everything good, it came from outside...

[eurozhongguo]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country whereas theirs remains firmly in the Third World where it will remain for a long time to come. They hate to accept those wonderful roads, temples and beaches that Thailand has, plus its democratic credentials and the government which runs all Chinese newspapers will do anything to belittle and damage Thailand. Most Chinese people tell me Thailand is very dangerous because of demonstrations - strange coming from a country whose government shoots anybody that challenges them, just like we recently saw in Xinjiang. My Chinese girlfriends whom I have taken to Thailand tend to follow the official line. One of them complained that traffic in Bangkok was very ugly because one car drives behind the other in lanes. Of course, in China, you just go in any dirction until you hit something. In other words, they published wrong figures on purpose.

Edited August 3, 2009 by eurozhongguo

[Tod Daniels]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country

You might knows(sic) the 'Chinesians' quite well, but sadly you certainly don't know first, second, or third world country terms. Just a quick FYI, second world countries were the former soviet bloc countries. Last time I checked, thailand had developing third world country status, although I find that information dubious actually living here, as I don't quite see the "developing" part of the status reflected here.

Go ahead and Google it, I don't have the inclination to jump you the link here.

Back on topic;

Let me see if I got this straight; the error actually came from estimated projections about the possible numbers of people who could catch the virus in the next 3 years, and this study originated from INSIDE the country, written by thais for thais?

[CHINWA]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country whereas theirs remains firmly in the Third World where it will remain for a long time to come. They hate to accept those wonderful roads, temples and beaches that Thailand has, plus its democratic credentials and the government which runs all Chinese newspapers will do anything to belittle and damage Thailand. Most Chinese people tell me Thailand is very dangerous because of demonstrations - strange coming from a country whose government shoots anybody that challenges them, just like we recently saw in Xinjiang. My Chinese girlfriends whom I have taken to Thailand tend to follow the official line. One of them complained that traffic in Bangkok was very ugly because one car drives behind the other in lanes. Of course, in China, you just go in any dirction until you hit something. In other words, they published wrong figures on purpose.

Yep, it really shows how much you DON'T KNOW the Chinese! I lived there for 13 years and never heard anything wrong about this country... well, I have to say that I was not lucky enough to bring any female friend on holidays to Thailand like you did eheh!. it is more more frequent to hear "us" mentioning them than the Chines talking about the Thais, at least in a negative way! Dont lie to those who haven't been in China and due to the language barrier couldn't find out how the chinese really are and obviously cannot confirm your unecessary post!

PS I'm not chinese!

[LaoPo]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country whereas theirs remains firmly in the Third World where it will remain for a long time to come. They hate to accept those wonderful roads, temples and beaches that Thailand has, plus its democratic credentials and the government which runs all Chinese newspapers will do anything to belittle and damage Thailand. Most Chinese people tell me Thailand is very dangerous because of demonstrations - strange coming from a country whose government shoots anybody that challenges them, just like we recently saw in Xinjiang. My Chinese girlfriends whom I have taken to Thailand tend to follow the official line. One of them complained that traffic in Bangkok was very ugly because one car drives behind the other in lanes. Of course, in China, you just go in any dirction until you hit something. In other words, they published wrong figures on purpose.

You're either pulling a leg or two here or you are very badly informed.

And, coming in China for 30 years or so, both for business and private, your post is utter nonsense.

LaoPo

[sunsetlover]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country whereas theirs remains firmly in the Third World where it will remain for a long time to come. They hate to accept those wonderful roads, temples and beaches that Thailand has, plus its democratic credentials and the government which runs all Chinese newspapers will do anything to belittle and damage Thailand. Most Chinese people tell me Thailand is very dangerous because of demonstrations - strange coming from a country whose government shoots anybody that challenges them, just like we recently saw in Xinjiang. My Chinese girlfriends whom I have taken to Thailand tend to follow the official line. One of them complained that traffic in Bangkok was very ugly because one car drives behind the other in lanes. Of course, in China, you just go in any dirction until you hit something. In other words, they published wrong figures on purpose.

You've got to be kidding! Have you spent any time in China? Do you really "dream" that China even cares about a little country like Thailand?! China has its sights set on the US, that should tell you everything you need to know.

Why don't you take your Thai girlfriends to China and see for yourself? Oh Lord!

[eurozhongguo]

As one that knows the Chinese quite well, I can tell you that they are rather jealous of Thailand and don't like the fact that it's a Second World country whereas theirs remains firmly in the Third World where it will remain for a long time to come. They hate to accept those wonderful roads, temples and beaches that Thailand has, plus its democratic credentials and the government which runs all Chinese newspapers will do anything to belittle and damage Thailand. Most Chinese people tell me Thailand is very dangerous because of demonstrations - strange coming from a country whose government shoots anybody that challenges them, just like we recently saw in Xinjiang. My Chinese girlfriends whom I have taken to Thailand tend to follow the official line. One of them complained that traffic in Bangkok was very ugly because one car drives behind the other in lanes. Of course, in China, you just go in any dirction until you hit something. In other words, they published wrong figures on purpose.

You've got to be kidding! Have you spent any time in China? Do you really "dream" that China even cares about a little country like Thailand?! China has its sights set on the US, that should tell you everything you need to know.

Why don't you take your Thai girlfriends to China and see for yourself? Oh Lord!

What Thai girlfriends? You obviously don't understand much English. I think we Chinese know China better than you farang, especially the British ones amongst you who only go to Thailand to escape the doom and gloom of the British weather and the spy cameras of the British police state. The problem with you farang is that you are only intersted in starting an argument with everybody on everything. That is why you joined this website. Your mothers never taught you people any respect and your education system only teaches you how to be rude to other people.

Edited August 8, 2009 by eurozhongguo

[Scott]

Or your so wrong. The school system doesn't teach rudeness....most people learn that at home.

At any rate, I believe this thread is about the A(H1N1) and it is important for gov'ts everywhere to be as open, honest and informative as possible about health issues. Thailand has had a problem with this and part of it is because of the gov't holding such a tight control on information.

[TAWP]

eurozhongguo>> So you are trying to tell us that you are a Chinese lad with a low understanding of China?

[KhaoNiaw]

It doesn't sound totally unreasonable to be working with a figure of 30 million contracting this flu. The UK has talked about one third of the population getting it over a period of a few years.

Does it really put tourists off? How many countries can you reel off the figures for? I've been involved with a couple of programs over the last couple of weeks where we welcomed visitors from Japan and Korea, and they didn't seem particularly worried about it.

[LaoPo]

It doesn't sound totally unreasonable to be working with a figure of 30 million contracting this flu. The UK has talked about one third of the population getting it over a period of a few years.

Does it really put tourists off? How many countries can you reel off the figures for? I've been involved with a couple of programs over the last couple of weeks where we welcomed visitors from Japan and Korea, and they didn't seem particularly worried about it.

That's not the point; the point is that the Health minister was blaming China for reporting the # of 30 million; it appeared to be coming from his own country.......

LaoPo

[Maestro]

An off-topic post and the replies to it have been deleted.

--

Maestro