News Forum - Billionaire asks PM Prayut to scrap Thailand Pass and Test & Go

[Thaiger]

An outspoken American-born Thai billionaire has written another open letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister PM Prayut Chan-o-cha calling for an ease in entry restrictions to help the country’s tourism industry recover. William Heinecke says scrapping Thailand Pass and Test & Go will attract international tourists back into the kingdom. The letter, written yesterday, presents quite the turnaround from a letter Heinecke wrote to PM Prayut back in March 2020 in which he called for a full lockdown of the country to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases. William “Bill” Heinecke is the owner of Minor International PCL which owns hotels […]

The story Billionaire asks PM Prayut to scrap Thailand Pass and Test & Go as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Johnmc17]

Only interested for his own benefit 

[Pompies]

555, his last 17 requests have been totally ignored so why does he keep on doing it. Billionaire or not he is not going to influence the closed minds of Prayuth, Anutin et al.

[anarchofarmer]

Another billionaire striving to become a trillionaire!

[JJJ]

Of course it benefits his company’s interest. But he has the pulse of the tourism economy better than anyone else — forward bookings, interest, etc.  If you wanted know how the electric car business is going would you ask Elon Musk or just the guy down the street? 

The fact is Thailand’s current rules were moderate for 2021. In 2022 with another year of information, the rules are way too restrictive—and Cambodia, Singapore, Philippines already have much more reasonable policies.

Every day these rules are kept results in permanent economic loss.  Thailand will likely economically contract this year. Something needs to be done ASAP.

Thailand Pass and the testing scheme serves essentially no benefit but is a major detraction for tourists including the horror stories rightfully highlighted.

There is no limit to vaccine or booster access. If you want to protect yourself you have means to do so. And there are therapeutic treatments for high risk.

What is the point of waiting any further? The typical bureaucrat response: Let’s wait and see has had enough.  

[piyanat]

2 hours ago, Pompies said:

555, his last 17 requests have been totally ignored so why does he keep on doing it. Billionaire or not he is not going to influence the closed minds of Prayuth, Anutin et al.

It's going to happen....maybe he offer more this time?? ;) 

However... independent on his needs, Thailand need to step up now. Or the goverment will fall....that happens usually like every 4 years in the history. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by piyanat

[Janneman]

Good advice. Will they listen (and lose face)? No.

[ace035]

Again and again for the 3rd time, Prayut will blew him off again.

[farang]

willam heinecke is a buiness man ,and a great one at that. the man understands money and how to get it coming in.hes  100 % right.all these restrictions and changes back and forth has tourtist not knowing what to expect on coming,so they are not coming.the sooner all these restrictions are dropped the sooner thailand will boom.you will have a great recovery of thai buiness.so i hope pm will consider this letter from a true thai buiness leader. chock dee to all.

[Stevejm]

2 hours ago, Janneman said:

Good advice. Will they listen (and lose face)? No.

There is already a plan to drop both Test and Go and TP so the only question is timing. I have to question why he is quoting arrival figures for Don Muang when most international arrivals enter through Suvarnabhuni

[Zorba_the_Geek]

How come we can have Thai-Amercans, Thai-Australians, the Brits don't even distinguish anymore, British Citizen? You're British regardless of colour. 

Are we ever going to see Australian or German Thais, OR a farang in Thai Parliament, or the police?

Plenty Chinese-Thais,

No Indian Thais even tho the religion came from there!

This place is racist AF.

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Zorba_the_Geek

[larry_conley]

While I agree with some other commentators that the government will ignore his letter, it is time to open up Thailand. With the vaccines available and the various treatments for those infected with Covid, it is time to return to a more normal existence. 

[Zorba_the_Geek]

3 hours ago, Stevejm said:

There is already a plan to drop both Test and Go and TP so the only question is timing. I have to question why he is quoting arrival figures for Don Muang when most international arrivals enter through Suvarnabhuni

Go on flightradar app.

Count the moving planes at Swampy right now, then count the moving planes at DMK.

Be surprised. 

This time yesterday there were just THREE active aircraft at Swampy. 

Have not looked today.

[Stevejm]

2 hours ago, Zorba_the_Geek said:

Go on flightradar app.

Count the moving planes at Swampy right now, then count the moving planes at DMK.

Be surprised. 

This time yesterday there were just THREE active aircraft at Swampy. 

Have not looked today.

I checked the arrivals list there are loads coming into Swampy yesterday from international origins, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, TG, Scoot, SQ and many more. 180 flights according to flight arrivals website 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Stevejm

[Stevejm]

2 hours ago, Zorba_the_Geek said:

How come we can have Thai-Amercans, Thai-Australians, the Brits don't even distinguish anymore, British Citizen? You're British regardless of colour. 

Are we ever going to see Australian or German Thais, OR a farang in Thai Parliament, or the police?

Plenty Chinese-Thais,

No Indian Thais even tho the religion came from there!

This place is racist AF.

Have you never met a farang or Indian with a Thai passport? I have

[TWS60]

9 hours ago, Zorba_the_Geek said:

How come we can have Thai-Amercans, Thai-Australians, the Brits don't even distinguish anymore, British Citizen? You're British regardless of colour. 

Are we ever going to see Australian or German Thais, OR a farang in Thai Parliament, or the police?

Plenty Chinese-Thais,

No Indian Thais even tho the religion came from there!

This place is racist AF.

I wouldn't argue against the notion of general racism/xenophobia here, and broader Asia in general, and certainly not limited to just that either.  One event from my late teen/early 20s was observing outright, skin-deep racism toward African Americans in Africa (Kenya) - the slight I heard muttered by a local was "Sell Out".  It's everywhere.

On the other hand, from personal experience and having watched many "man on the street' type interviews sussing out why younger Asians like (Western) foreigners, or at least the stereotype idea of them, some of the universal responses were an admiration of their individualized personality and appearance, ease at which many think outside the box and take chances, trend setters for social/cultural themes, and generally speaking, a willingness to push manufactured boundaries of cultural norms and social expectations, up to and including criticizing very senior government/elected officials.   This may also point to the oft stated differences between styles of instruction at school, institutions of higher learning in particular, and one reason why the West remains a magnet for foreign students. 

Helps me understand why, in certain situations, like this one, why media thinks it adds a level of outside perspective to an internal issue at hand.  This guy's American by birth and certainly looks more farang than Thai.  Came here as a child, got citizenship in the 90s., and being a successful business guy may not help, but it doesn't hurt either.  Not unusual for media to broadcast the musings of rich and famous people.  

[rc1]

Gotta admire his persistence.
 

Gotta keep asking, as he is right, it's time to open up. 

[Stevejm]

5 hours ago, TWS60 said:

wouldn't argue against the notion of general racism/xenophobia here, and broader Asia in general,

I think the racial profile of individual countries depends on a lot of factors and just because countries in Asia aren’t generally as cosmopolitan as many western countries it doesn’t mean they are racist or xenophobic 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Stevejm

[Fanta]

He is a billionaire. He should stop being cheap and just write the cheque if he wants the restrictions dropped.