News Forum - FTI wants Test & Go dropped, all entry restrictions lifted for vaccinated arrivals

[Thaiger]

The Federation of Thai Industries is urging the government to ditch the Test & Go scheme and to lift all entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, the industry body is calling for an end to quarantine and PCR testing in a bid to restore the country’s shattered tourism sector. Chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree says he will discuss the matter with the CCSA when it meets later today. “Thailand should allow foreign tourists who already received 2 doses of vaccines to enter the country without going through those screening measures.” Supant adds that international arrivals should only […]

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[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

15 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

ditch the Test & Go scheme and to lift all entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists.

From 1 April. The only sane way forward.

[Mazz11]

15 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The Federation of Thai Industries is urging the government to ditch the Test & Go scheme and to lift all entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, the industry body is calling for an end to quarantine and PCR testing in a bid to restore the country’s shattered tourism sector. Chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree says he will discuss the matter with the CCSA when it meets later today. “Thailand should allow foreign tourists who already received 2 doses of vaccines to enter the country without going through those screening measures.” Supant adds that international arrivals should only […]

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The Federation of Thai Industries seem to have a much better grip on reality than the people who will make the decisions.

Business and public groups need to be allowed to have input when decisions are being made.

[Fanta]

1 hour ago, Mazz11 said:

Business and public groups need to be allowed to have input when decisions are being made.

You mean groups with vested interests? Ha! These are health department decisions. I am sure the junta boys would love nothing more than to open the borders and let the money flow in (but never out) however these decisions must be guided by professional medical advice. People against the restrictions are like children crying that their crayons were taken away because they kept eating them. 

[fpschubert]

It makes perfect sense but the fear mongering who seems cannot moved on from Covid-19 are going to have a fit.. They don't want to move on. They want other countries to each Thailand's lunch in tourism arrivals and derail the economic recovery. 

[Politenessman]

1 hour ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

From 1 April. The only sane way forward.

I would disagree on one point - why wait until Apr 1? make the decision as to what test/s and/or restrictions will be dropped and announce that they are gone as of now, communicate that fact immediately to the airlines and border officials and proceed on that basis.

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

4 minutes ago, Politenessman said:

I would disagree on one point - why wait until Apr 1? make the decision as to what test/s and/or restrictions will be dropped and announce that they are gone as of now, communicate that fact immediately to the airlines and border officials and proceed on that basis.

Fine by me. As long as 1 April is the deadline.

[Politenessman]

1 hour ago, Mazz11 said:

The Federation of Thai Industries seem to have a much better grip on reality than the people who will make the decisions.

Business and public groups need to be allowed to have input when decisions are being made.

When your business is on the line, it tends to concentrate the thinking, public servants and politicians worldwide have not had any skin in the game, so a leisurely approach to decision making does them no harm (hence changes to restrictions made to come into effect at bureaucratically neat times like "at 0001hrs on April 1" rather than more the urgent "effective as of this time" announcements).

[Poolie]

4 minutes ago, Politenessman said:

I would disagree on one point - why wait until Apr 1? make the decision as to what test/s and/or restrictions will be dropped and announce that they are gone as of now, communicate that fact immediately to the airlines and border officials and proceed on that basis.

They're following the UK example. With everything except tax increases it's sometime in the distant future.

[fpschubert]

Asian Countries who will reopen by April:

Malaysia, 

South Korea (!) 

Indonesia 

Countries who will further loosen their restrictions:

Cambodia, Vietnam 

Philippines (will accept any nationality by April 01)

 

MEANWHILE, Thailand..... 

[Poolie]

Thanks very much Philippines Tourist Association. Duly noted.

[fpschubert]

2 minutes ago, Poolie said:

Thanks very much Philippines Tourist Association. Duly noted.

Farangs are welcome at Makati Avenue. Also, I heard that Fields Walking Street in Angeles City is bustling. They want you here. 

[Poolie]

I've been. No ta!!

[Noble_Design]

Anyone is welcomed at Makati Avenue as long as they have money. And no, it's not you that they want there hansum man, it's your money 

[longwood50]

I have said from the beginning that all countries were going to have to learn to coexist and function with Covid and not believe they can somehow shield themselves from it by exhaustive testing, quarantines, and curfews. 

You can't stop illegal drugs, illegal workers, banned products, HIV, TB, Influenza, or any other disease from entering the country, so what on earth would make them think that somehow this time would be any different with Covid. 

 

[Mazz11]

2 hours ago, Fanta said:

You mean groups with vested interests? Ha! These are health department decisions. I am sure the junta boys would love nothing more than to open the borders and let the money flow in (but never out) however these decisions must be guided by professional medical advice. People against the restrictions are like children crying that their crayons were taken away because they kept eating them. 

The requirement for overseas arrivals to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure from their home country could soon be scrapped. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA will discuss dropping the requirement when it meets tomorrow. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says international arrivals would still be required to take a PCR test on arrival

These are the decisions being made by the Health Ministry. I'm sorry but there is no logic in this suggestion. All this will do is provide an opportunity to extract more money out of the tourists who have sat on a plane with a hundred other untested people are then forced into quarantine after a positive test once arriving in Thailand.

Sorry, not much faith in Health Ministry decisions.

And just for the record I am not against restrictions. I would prefer to be tested prior to boarding the plane, this way I would know that everyone else on the plane has been tested. I am fully vaccinated (3 covid vaccinations mandated by the Western Australian Government to be allowed to work in my industry) and am also required to wear a mask while travelling to work, all day while in my workplace 14+ hours a day and in any indoor areas while not at work. So I am very used to restrictions.

I have more faith with decisions being made by someone with a bit of skin in the game.

 

[TSS]

 

Way too complicated now, the average tourists will go elsewhere. Fully vaxed proof on departure>arrive Thailand>enjoy your holiday. The only way, to perhaps, eventually see meaningful tourist arrival numbers again 

[TheDirtyDurian]

Bring it on!!

Just a vaccine cert will suffice...

[BIGGLES]

The authorities are still pursuing their cash grab with this nonsense!

Given how transmissible Omicron (all variants is), you run a very high risk of falling foul of the entry requirements as suggested. 

Omicron in all forms currently is not a major problem if you have been fully vaccinated, as such, scrapp all entry restrictions for the fully vaccinated. 

For those who can't or will not get vaccinated either, let them roll the dice, or simply Barr them from entry and let everyone move on.

[Poolie]

Nope, still only 40 infected folks arrived in Thailand yesterday. No cash grab yet, not even a 'but they could...'

[Dr.Sivada]

6 hours ago, fpschubert said:

Asian Countries who will reopen by April:

Malaysia, 

South Korea (!) 

Indonesia 

Countries who will further loosen their restrictions:

Cambodia, Vietnam 

Philippines (will accept any nationality by April 01)

MEANWHILE, Thailand..... 

the only reason South Korea is opening is due to their incredible infection numbers daily…if they had it under control, no way they d be opening. All scums think alike, especially the ones in charge. 

[Rookiescot]

Look we are stuck with covid now. Its never going away.

So if you are fully vaccinated restrictions should be lifted.

[TWS60]

This is what I'm waiting for.  All jabbed up but the prospect of flying out on holiday only to return and possibly wind up in hotel COVID Jail in Bangkok somewhere, puts me off. 

[Manu]

23 hours ago, BIGGLES said:

The authorities are still pursuing their cash grab with this nonsense!

Given how transmissible Omicron (all variants is), you run a very high risk of falling foul of the entry requirements as suggested. 

Omicron in all forms currently is not a major problem if you have been fully vaccinated, as such, scrapp all entry restrictions for the fully vaccinated. 

For those who can't or will not get vaccinated either, let them roll the dice, or simply Barr them from entry and let everyone move on.

At this point, taking vaccinated or unvaccinated apart has absolutely no logic either. I am not going to mention the transmission matter, I hope it is very clear for everyone by now. But since you need an insurance to come to Thailand anyway, so what's the difference? It is not like Omicron is decimating unvaccinated etiher, I know personally 6 who caught covid recently (5 in Thailand), 2 are the same age and are similarly healthy than me, no difference whatsoever with the symptoms I had personally. I am not even mentioning young people whom already had quasi 0 risk with previous variants. A 19 years old healthy young person not vaccinated has less chance to be badly ill with Omicron than a 75 years old fat guy with diabetes and 3 doses vaccinated: why the latter should have the green light and not the other?? So the age and comorbidities matters, science, make no diiference at all? And finally what does that even mean "fully vaccinated"? 2 doses? 3? 25? So I got my second dose a year ago, am I still considered fully vaccinated? And what about the multitude of people of all ages who got Omicron and are naturally immuned but not vaccinated? Etc... etc... This non-sense is getting on and on and on... when does it stop? Well it did at least in the UK: NO restrictions left at all, regardless if you are vaccinated or not, you are welcome there as a normal person. Normal... does anyone remember what that means???

[Soidog]

On 3/18/2022 at 10:46 AM, Fanta said:

You mean groups with vested interests? Ha! These are health department decisions. I am sure the junta boys would love nothing more than to open the borders and let the money flow in (but never out) however these decisions must be guided by professional medical advice. People against the restrictions are like children crying that their crayons were taken away because they kept eating them. 

I agree that there is a big element of this being a Health Department decision. However, overall, this needs to be a decision taken by politicians who need to balance the advice from Health officials and from those who drive the economy. There is little point keeping everyone safe, only to find their lives are ruined by economic stagnation. It is a balance only politicians can make and at the moment they have been leaning towards the Health advice.
 

I believe with high vaccination rates and with lower hospitalisations and deaths from Omicron, the balance needs to shift much further towards reigniting the economy. In my opinion they are making the wrong judgement calls. They are also playing politics with the steps announced yesterday. Removing the preflight PCR test is not progress at all. It does nothing to restart tourism and at the same time is not following health advice. It’s a stalling tactic. Why they are stalling I’ve no idea. There is a bigger picture here that I can’t see.