THAI ready to cancel flights to avoid Ebola virus
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Aug 19 -- Thailand's flag carrier airline, Thai Airways International, is not reducing service in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Smud Poom-on, THAI director for emergency and crisis response, said the number of passengers on THAI flights to Johannesburg had not dropped and travelers remained confident of THAI services.

The cabin factor on those flights is at 70 per cent as usual despite reports on the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa.

He said that Johannesburg is in South Africa and is far away from the outbreak.

As precautions, Mr Smud said THAI staff are screening passengers at their check-in rows and would have passengers with suspicious symptoms checked up.

If airport doctors do not approve their flights, THAI would reject such passengers and wait for them to recover.

Such passengers whose health was subsequently certified could use their same tickets within a specified period afterwards, Mr Smud said.

He also said that THAI was following up EVD situations closely. If the World Health Organization asks the International Civil Aviation Organization to suspend flights to some risky destinations, THAI would be ready to cooperate, Mr Smud said.

However, the present situation is not critical, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-08-19

.............He said that Johannesburg is in South Africa and is far away from the outbreak............

Thank you for enlightening me; I never knew that!! Spot on for Thais, though, as most schoolkids' political geography is absolutely appalling.

Nice pic of an old plane. Really... Ready to respond if told? BA did so spread. Tho crisis is serious. Only REPORTED cases are showing and we are talking about countries very poor in everything and numbers and statistics are low priorities

Bang goes their new MD-11 service to Guinea-Conakry & Monrovia then !

Seems like a face-saving way to cut costs if they get to blame it on ebola

...."would have passengers with suspicious symptoms checked up". Presumably they would bleeding from their eye sockets, nose, ears and mouth and other orifices...... may not b obvious to spot at first!

...."would have passengers with suspicious symptoms checked up". Presumably they would bleeding from their eye sockets, nose, ears and mouth and other orifices...... may not b obvious to spot at first!

Or,as in the early stage of the disease, have flu like symptoms.......

Bang goes their new MD-11 service to Guinea-Conakry & Monrovia then !

Actually it was going to be a DC-8

Thank God when I booked Expedia said it was a little Focker

TOURISM
THAI steps up fight against Ebola
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION


THAI staffs demonstrate aircraft cleaning and vaccination against the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

Private and public organisations are putting more precautionary actions in place here against the Ebola outbreak in Africa to ensure safety.

BANGKOK: -- Thai Airways International (THAI) yesterday demonstrated aircraft cleaning and vaccination at Suvarnabhumi Airport to give confidence to passengers who will travel with the airline.

The airline said no Ebola-infected passenger has travelled with the airline, but they needed to carry out precautionary measures to ensure passenger and crew safety.

Earlier, THAI's Aviation Safety, Security and Standards stated that THAI is taking preventive measures on board and on the ground, similar to the preventative measures taken during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and during the bird-flu outbreak in 2004.

Those measures resulted in prevention of the spread of the outbreak, earning THAI a commendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Additionally, THAI does not fly to any of the three African countries - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - where there is an outbreak of the Ebola virus. THAI operates only to Johannesburg in South Africa, which has not had any reports on the outbreak.

AirAsia, the largest low-cost airline in the region, is also applying Ebola-prevention measures on the ground and on board. At the airport, the airline is operating with a 24-hour medical centre. Passengers on board will be monitored by crews.

The airline spokesperson said it also provided masks and gloves at the airport for immediate use.

Another preventative measure is asking passengers from China and India to provide travel information to the airline.

Surapong Techaruvichit, president of Thai Hotels Association (THA) said 800 members nationwide had received information about the Ebola situation. Key information is from the Health Ministry which is the official body dealing with the issue.

A representative of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said the authority is concerned about the problem. However, there's no official warning or special advice from TAT, as Thailand is not yet affected by the crisis.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/THAI-steps-up-fight-against-Ebola-30241288.html


-- The Nation 2014-08-20

Thai Airways International (THAI) yesterday demonstrated aircraft cleaning and vaccination at Suvarnabhumi Airport to give confidence to passengers who will travel with the airline.

They developed a vaccine which boosts the immune system of aircraft seats?

Thank God when I booked Expedia said it was a little Focker

In the traditional company bad-news colour-scheme of black, according to the som-tam lady, fount of knowledge on all things Thai !

AOT workers have measured the temperatures of all passengers, especially those from Africa, which is the source of the Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Passengers whose body temperatures exceed 38 degrees Celsius must be monitored closely.

Now ,there is no need for Thai Airways to cancel flights as the A.O.T. have all matters safely in hand thus all the the population of Thailand can indeed sleep soundly abed at night with nary a care about infectious disease outbreaks.

"Thai Airways unveil their new cabin-crew uniforms !"

"Ground-staff demonstrate the new cleaning method, for seats where farang backpackers have been sitting !"

"Forget plastic-cups, this is a far cheaper way to dispense in-flight drinks, comes in yucky-faux fruit-juice flavour or nothing !"

"We try to employ disabled-workers, for example the man who fits the seat-covers is colour-blind !"

"TAT visit Thai Airways, to view inbound aircraft packed-to-overloading with happy tourists !"

"New films on our IFE include 'Outbreak' and 'Ebola Zombies from Mars Strike Again', for your viewing pleasure !"

"This passenger asked for a second beer, but we know how to deal with trouble-makers,on board our flights !"

Thai Airways announces it is ready to cancel flights to Poland in response to earthquake in Chile. Plans to set up a tsunami early warning center in Mongolia. Flights from Mumbambu already cancelled as a precaution.

Why not Just cancel ALL flights? Thais dont like forigners anyway, especially the dark skinned variety!

On 8 August, the World Health Org formally designated the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

This is a legal designation used only twice before in the WHO history.

The "photo op" no doubt is less expensive than black paint.

Typical Thai, slow to respond, not doing enough.

Korean Air got it right: http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/15/korean-air-suspends-kenya-flights-as-ebola-precaution/14101227/

For a second thought it said Thai airways ready to cover logo. Sorry my Bad Only to protect from that virus is to burn plane and all in it.

The Thai reaction to Ebola has been brilliant over the last week.

1. Ebola will not make it to Thailand

2. We are well equipped to handle Ebola if it comes to Thailand

3. No Ebola has so far come to Thailand

4. We are monitoring 3 football players for Ebola who haven't been to Africa in months

5. We are ready to cancel flights to avoid Ebola

Clearly they are 100% in control of what is going on and understand Ebola...not.

maybe they can ask all the passengers to wear that kind of white suit / breather combination on all their flights...

do thai people know or not, that many deseases are transmitted because of NOT WASHING HANDS ?

Are they mixing up Vaccination with Vacuuming?

Last month an Ebola infected passenger departed Liberia and arrived in Nigeria and died a few days later. He infected 11 people that have so far been detected. Given the time between contagion and the onset of symptoms his victims have yet to manifest the symptoms and remain very mobile. Air transport of the virus is the most likely and most serious threat to containment. I would like to hear and see what measures are being taken by the government to ensure that the notoriously mismanaged Thai flag carrier airline is willing and able to prevent importation of the virus to our happy shores. Imagine if you will what a failure in this regard would have on this country.

...."would have passengers with suspicious symptoms checked up". Presumably they would bleeding from their eye sockets, nose, ears and mouth and other orifices...... may not b obvious to spot at first!

Uh, yes, but victims are non-symptomatic (and non-contagious) during the ~21-day gestation period. So not only would "checking for suspicious symptoms" not be a very reliable way of identifying those infected (if not yet presenting), it probably will catch anybody who happens show up for their flight with a common cold or flu! (Hmmm - maybe that's not such a bad thing...)

TOURISM

THAI steps up fight against Ebola

SUCHAT SRITAMA

THE NATION

I'm assuming the photographers and journalists are immune to ebola.....

Its funny that we haven't heard anything lately on the ebola outbreak or on the two evangelical doctors or aid workers that were

brought back to the usa are doing! The news were all over the story and now they have dropped it!

But good for Thailand for canceling the flights, from Africa, better to be safe!

Its funny that we haven't heard anything lately on the ebola outbreak or on the two evangelical doctors or aid workers that were

brought back to the usa are doing! The news were all over the story and now they have dropped it!

But good for Thailand for canceling the flights, from Africa, better to be safe!

Erm, actually, the point of the story is that they haven't cancelled any flights, as yet.

Their only African destination is South Africa, which is a long way from West Africa, where the current outbreak is centred.