News Forum - Thailand should impose restrictions on Chinese tourists, says Pheu Thai MP

[Thaiger]

News that China is opening its borders to foreigners and relaxing Covid-19 restrictions was widely welcomed by Thailand yesterday as it looks to further boost its tourist economy. Today, MPs are warning that Thailand should tread lightly and impose restrictions on potential Covid-carrying Chinese tourists otherwise the kingdom could face another potential catastrophic pandemic. Former Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang, who is a member of Pheu Thai’s strategy committee, believes travellers from China and countries where a lot of Chinese tourists have visited should face restrictions. “Given the [Covid outbreak] situation in China, Thailand should cautiously prepare for the influx […]

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[Poolie]

So the opposition disagrees with the Government? Hmm.........suspicious, not!

Relax, there's no new strain, it's only a sniffle and where's the mask dissidents all gone?

[Soidog]

Agreed. Thailand and all countries should impose minimum requirements for PCR on arrival for Chinese. Taiwan, Japan, India, the US and Malaysia are all either doing so or considering such a step. 
 

As usual, the CCP continues to lie and not following international standards. It’s not testing enough and won’t provide data on virus sequencing tests. It seems the Chinese have learned nothing from this virus they inflicted on the world and the response thus far from many countries indicates they haven’t either.
 

The CCP are a laughing stock. They held on to their ridiculous Zero Covid policy when other countries had moved on. Failed to vaccinate their people and then abandoned the policy overnight without any explanation of why. Just a total farce of a country. They should be paying reparations for the carnage they have caused.    

[palooka]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Chaturon Chaisang,

Thank you for views, hopefully (after this statement) you and your party will still be here for the next elections

[Highlandman]

2 hours ago, Poolie said:

So the opposition disagrees with the Government? Hmm.........suspicious, not!

Relax, there's no new strain, it's only a sniffle and where's the mask dissidents all gone?

Let's hope these control freaks don't get into power. As much as I dislike the military and its proxies, when Anutin shows more common sense than the opposition you know things are bad.

You know how it goes, first the Chinese will be subjected to restrictions. Then as the article aludes [any country that has significant numbers of Chinese], which is every neighboring country and eventually, like in 2020, it's the whole world.

Before you know it, come March 2023 and we'll have another quarantine imposed and be back in lockdown.

These restrictions never worked before and they'll never work. It's all about control. Doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different result = definition of insanity (Albert Einstein).

If any controls are imposed, the Thai tourism industry will be decimated. I won't be coming to Thailand even if only a PCR or antigen test is imposed again.

I don't trust them to only impose controls on the Chinese. I am sure if this is done, everyone will have to suffer again. Then the mask mandate will come back and you know the rest. It will be 2020 all over again.

As for the ridiculous statement at the end "tourists will be more confident in coming to Thailand [if measures are put in place to control Covid coming from the Chinese]".

Nope, they won't be. Travelers on social media, TripAdvisor etc. will be fuming and boycotting Thailand in favor of more common sense destinations.

[Highlandman]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

Agreed. Thailand and all countries should impose minimum requirements for PCR on arrival for Chinese. Taiwan, Japan, India, the US and Malaysia are all either doing so or considering such a step. 
 

As usual, the CCP continues to lie and not following international standards. It’s not testing enough and won’t provide data on virus sequencing tests. It seems the Chinese have learned nothing from this virus they inflicted on the world and the response thus far from many countries indicates they haven’t either.
 

The CCP are a laughing stock. They held on to their ridiculous Zero Covid policy when other countries had moved on. Failed to vaccinate their people and then abandoned the policy overnight without any explanation of why. Just a total farce of a country. They should be paying reparations for the carnage they have caused.    

Bad idea, because it won't end there.

That's how it started in 2020. January 13, 2020 I was at Mae Sot crossing over to Myanmar. All Chinese rounded up and forced to have their details recorded at a table in front of immigration. Everyone else left alone. At first, I didn't think much of this. I simply thanked my lucky stars that i'm not Chinese.

I thought this was maybe a repeat of SARS Cov-1 or bird flu back around 2003 to 2004, which was barely noticeable because you could travel without any restriction except maybe to one or two countries (which I never visited at the time), such as Hong Kong and Guangdong, mainland China.

Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia - I visited all these countries in 2004 both by air and by land and there were no restrictions. No masks worn. Some spraying of tires as you entered Laos but other than that, nothing.

Returning to Australia, nothing either. All normal. No health declarations. No quarantines. No tests. No vaccines. No masks worn by anyone.

However, 2020 was different. First it's the Chinese in January. 3 weeks later, it's also the South Koreans, Italians and Iranians. Even if they're expats living in Thailand who haven't been back to those countries in years, they're flagged at immigration returning from a trip to a neighboring country and refused entrance or have a quarantine order imposed. 2 weeks later and more countries are added to the list and then it's every country.

You know the rest.

This is exactly what will happen next year IF the Chinese are restricted now. By March we'll have another quarantine imposed on everyone. It's not going to end well for the business community, the tourism industry, anyone that needs to travel or the economy in general.

Let's end the hysteria and not come up with useless measures that not only don't do anything, they result in making life difficult for everyone.

I like the way things are now. Just need your passport to enter Thailand and most neighboring countries. If that changes, tourism will be decimated.

[Highlandman]

3 hours ago, Poolie said:

So the opposition disagrees with the Government? Hmm.........suspicious, not!

Relax, there's no new strain, it's only a sniffle and where's the mask dissidents all gone?

Masks are still a thing in Thailand. Just today for the first time (get this) my son and I were refused entrance to an indoor children's playground for refusing to wear a mask. More specifically, we stormed out after I told off the staff for their superstitious habit. I told them the government ended the mandate more than 6 months ago. They shoved a sign in my face saying their playground still requires it.

It's child abuse. How can kids have fun playing in a playground all muzzled up, unable to breathe fresh air? Not to mention WHY is this still happening in December 2022?

One lady did ask if only I could wear a mask after telling her my son has never worn a mask and refuses to (and I don't allow it myself). I said no I won't because the mandate is gone AND how can I eat and drink with a mask on as my plan was to buy some snacks while I watch him play?

No logic and no common sense, so I left. Didn't feel comfortable remaining there. Hardly anyone else was there either and the entrance fee is quite steep too.

In Cambodia, mask wearing is down to like 5% throughout the country. They've moved on.

In Malaysia mask wearing outdoors is down to nearly zero as well. Indoors it varies, but at malls its around 60% compared with 90-99% in Thailand, a country that refuses to move on.

I also remember the hysterical talk on the radio in southern Thailand as I was driving to Malaysia earlier this month. The host told her listeners to stay home unless it was necessary to go out and if you do need to go out, avoid all contact with others. Always wear a mask. Don't invite people to your house during this time. Seriously???

Contrast this to Malaysia where just one reference to mask wearing was made and I was listening to the radio for 5 days straight, whenever I was driving (most Malaysian stations are in English, unlike in Thailand where you can only find English language stations in Bangkok, Hua Hin and other cities with large expat populations). I am fluent in Thai so could understand every word of what was being said on the radio as I was passing through Nakorn Sri Thammarat when that lady was rambling on about Covid for about 20 minutes, telling us we could die if we leave our homes. In December 2022. Seriously.

One country still treats Covid like the plague, its neighbor uses common sense. Says a lot about whats wrong with Thailand, especially at this stage of the game. Also explains the mask incident at the playground today.

[Marc26]

3 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Masks are still a thing in Thailand. Just today for the first time (get this) my son and I were refused entrance to an indoor children's playground for refusing to wear a mask. More specifically, we stormed out after I told off the staff for their superstitious habit. I told them the government ended the mandate more than 6 months ago. They shoved a sign in my face saying their playground still requires it.

It's child abuse. How can kids have fun playing in a playground all muzzled up, unable to breathe fresh air? Not to mention WHY is this still happening in December 2022?

One lady did ask if only I could wear a mask after telling her my son has never worn a mask and refuses to (and I don't allow it myself). I said no I won't because the mandate is gone AND how can I eat and drink with a mask on as my plan was to buy some snacks while I watch him play?

No logic and no common sense, so I left. Didn't feel comfortable remaining there. Hardly anyone else was there either and the entrance fee is quite steep too.

In Cambodia, mask wearing is down to like 5% throughout the country. They've moved on.

In Malaysia mask wearing outdoors is down to nearly zero as well. Indoors it varies, but at malls its around 60% compared with 90-99% in Thailand, a country that refuses to move on.

I also remember the hysterical talk on the radio in southern Thailand as I was driving to Malaysia earlier this month. The host told her listeners to stay home unless it was necessary to go out and if you do need to go out, avoid all contact with others. Always wear a mask. Don't invite people to your house during this time. Seriously???

Contrast this to Malaysia where just one reference to mask wearing was made and I was listening to the radio for 5 days straight, whenever I was driving (most Malaysian stations are in English, unlike in Thailand where you can only find English language stations in Bangkok, Hua Hin and other cities with large expat populations). I am fluent in Thai so could understand every word of what was being said on the radio as I was passing through Nakorn Sri Thammarat when that lady was rambling on about Covid for about 20 minutes, telling us we could die if we leave our homes. In December 2022. Seriously.

One country still treats Covid like the plague, its neighbor uses common sense. Says a lot about whats wrong with Thailand, especially at this stage of the game. Also explains the mask incident at the playground today.

The only incident is you sounding like a petulant child

 

Every kid in Thailand I know(we have a huge family) wears masks and don't bat an eyelash

Obviously you have influenced your kid

 

By the way, I actually agree with you, there is no need to be masked outside

But if a place requires it, I would either comply and have the kids comply or leave and not throw a hissy fit

[EdwardV]

3 hours ago, Poolie said:

Relax, there's no new strain, it's only a sniffle and where's the mask dissidents all gone?

How would anyone know? China isn’t giving any information particularly about gene sequencing. Never mind a huge population of unvaccinated people is a perfect breeding ground for a mutation. Asking for tourists to have a clean test prior to travel would be a small requirement to say the least. 

[Soidog]

36 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

You know how it goes, first the Chinese will be subjected to restrictions. Then as the article aludes [any country that has significant numbers of Chinese], which is every neighboring country and eventually, like in 2020, it's the whole world.

The policy would apply to any nationality arriving from China. Nothing to do with nationality . You’ve have been around the Covid pandemic as much as the rest of us. Why have you seemingly learned nothing? 

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

How would anyone know? China isn’t giving any information particularly about gene sequencing. Never mind a huge population of unvaccinated people is a perfect breeding ground for a mutation. Asking for tourists to have a clean test prior to travel would be a small requirement to say the least. 

Spot on post. Common sense you might say. If only that was the case when you have some of these CCP propagandist on the forum. 

[Highlandman]

10 hours ago, Soidog said:

The policy would apply to any nationality arriving from China. Nothing to do with nationality . You’ve have been around the Covid pandemic as much as the rest of us. Why have you seemingly learned nothing? 

Were you living under a rock in 2020 and 2021? You didn't even read my reply. First they restrict the Chinese. Then they restrict everyone. That's what happened in early 2020 and it's what will happen again IF this goes ahead.

[Highlandman]

10 hours ago, Marc26 said:

The only incident is you sounding like a petulant child

Every kid in Thailand I know(we have a huge family) wears masks and don't bat an eyelash

Obviously you have influenced your kid

By the way, I actually agree with you, there is no need to be masked outside

But if a place requires it, I would either comply and have the kids comply or leave and not throw a hissy fit

If people keep complying with this tyranny it will never end. 

Forcing children to be masked in December 2022? That's lunacy and another example of how out of touch with the rest of the world and superstitious Thailand is. 

You can see the fear in their eyes. They'll never move on. Corpses about to be cremated are still wearing masks. I mean when even the Chinese in Shanghai are ending mask wearing but Thais are not, more than 6 months after the end of the mandate you have got to ask whether there is something wrong with their sanity.

Every other Asian country is moving on except Thailand.

Telling people to stay home and fear each other, that's Thailand in December 2022 for you. 

[Highlandman]

10 hours ago, Marc26 said:

The only incident is you sounding like a petulant child

Every kid in Thailand I know(we have a huge family) wears masks and don't bat an eyelash

Obviously you have influenced your kid

By the way, I actually agree with you, there is no need to be masked outside

But if a place requires it, I would either comply and have the kids comply or leave and not throw a hissy fit

You comply because you're a compliant person and it's because of people like you that this doesn't end. You don't bat an eyelid because you haven't been outside of Thailand and this lunacy has been normalized here. 

Children forced to wear masks is child abuse pure and simple. It's no wonder that there is so much violence against teachers and parents in this country. Almost every day you read a tragic tale of a teen who stabbed their grandparents or teacher or something.

This doesn't happen nearly as much in the west. 

The extreme, authoritarian and brutal way children are raised here is an obvious culprit.

[Highlandman]

10 hours ago, EdwardV said:

How would anyone know? China isn’t giving any information particularly about gene sequencing. Never mind a huge population of unvaccinated people is a perfect breeding ground for a mutation. Asking for tourists to have a clean test prior to travel would be a small requirement to say the least. 

No it wouldn't. It's completely useless. These tests do nothing but enrich test makers and inconvenience tourists. I wouldn't come and millions would cancel holidays to Thailand if this madness returns.

It didn't work the first time, it won't work now. Covid is already here and everyone is vaccinated and masked so what's the problem?

Just let people move around freely. We're talking about a mild cold here. For God's sake, it's been 3 years now. Have you learned nothing?

[stuhan]

Beyond any shadow of a doubt Thailand must start restrictions now on chinese or anyone who has traveled through china,  if not it will be back to 2020/21 closures, no tourists, loss of jobs, business shut downs, pandemic again, come on thailand do you really want that again because it could all start once more and you will lose more than you gain.

[Ramanathan.P]

End of the day everyone has to die one day. The whole world is grumbling as if they are going to live forever. Even if an amoeba which is the primitive for the evolution of living being on earth can pose danger to lives, nothing is permanent. Corona virus is not as bad as the superpowers killing innocent people for money and fame directly and indirectly. Let us all open our eyes and try to live with it.  

[Highlandman]

Anyway, the clue about many more countries of origin than China being restricted is right in the article itself.

This former deputy prime Minister believes that countries where a lot of Chinese tourists have visited, should be subjected to restrictions.

That's basically every SE Asian country then. From Laos to Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. 

Cross border traffic from these countries would thus grind to a halt. Testing facilities in some of these countries are limited and they'd simply boycott Thailand.

Imagine Laotian drivers having to spend hours queuing to get a PCR test to enter Thailand for a day trip to do some shopping. Wouldn't even be an option anywhere but Vientiane, Pakse and Savannakhet. The other borders would effectively have to close because no one would be eligible to cross. Of course these countries would then impose a tit for tat restriction on Thais.

Technically, Laos still requires proof of vaccination or a test to enter anyway but some land borders no longer enforce this. For now anyway.

Later on, they'll claim the "virus has spread" thus necessitating (in their view) the need to impose controls on everyone coming in.

Like I said, its obvious where this is going. Impose controls on one country and eventually its the entire world. 2020 has proven this and from now on this is the reality of the world. 

We're not going back to the way things were. Every few years or so there will be a disruption of some sort.

Don't forget that in early 2023 the WHO are meeting to discuss imposing a global electronic vaccination passport. If this comes to pass the days of travel freedom will come to a permanent end.

I personally believe the last 3 months of travel freedom are only temporary and articles like this confirm that restrictions are the way of the future. 

[Highlandman]

36 minutes ago, Ramanathan.P said:

End of the day everyone has to die one day. The whole world is grumbling as if they are going to live forever. Even if an amoeba which is the primitive for the evolution of living being on earth can pose danger to lives, nothing is permanent. Corona virus is not as bad as the superpowers killing innocent people for money and fame directly and indirectly. Let us all open our eyes and try to live with it.  

Good post.

I'd rather die than have to live in a zombified, restricted society.

Life is about freedom. We've endured more than 2 years of restrictions (technically some minor restrictions still apply here and there even now) and they were bad enough.

We need to move on and live life again without fear.

Those living in fear ironically are the ones who will live the shortest because fear causes oxidative stress that can lead to all sorts of health issues and a shorter lifespan. 

Back to the topic at hand, let's end the hysteria.

The Chinese won't be coming back for months or longer anyway.

Some will be dissuaded by restrictions arriving at their destination. Others will be deterred by the PCR test to get back in.

Then you have limited flights to begin with. It will take 3-6 months minimum before flight schedules are restored to even 50% of pre Covid schedules further restricting flows of passengers. 

Finally land border crossings won't immediately open on January 8. Some might (for example the ones with Hong Kong) but it will take weeks to months before they're all running smoothly again. 

[Highlandman]

53 minutes ago, stuhan said:

Beyond any shadow of a doubt Thailand must start restrictions now on chinese or anyone who has traveled through china,  if not it will be back to 2020/21 closures, no tourists, loss of jobs, business shut downs, pandemic again, come on thailand do you really want that again because it could all start once more and you will lose more than you gain.

That will probably happen anyway because all of these decisions are political. Power hungry tyrants won't restrict just the Chinese.

Like I said, if arrivals from China are restricted then weeks later it will be arrivals from elsewhere.

The article already indicated "countries with large numbers of Chinese visitors" meaning every neighboring country.

Therefore, get ready for restrictions arriving back from Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam, among others and weeks later the whole world.

Covid is a mild cold now even in China. Don't be misled by hysterical mostly western accounts of what is supposedly happening in China.

We should welcome the Chinese, who won't be coming in droves for some time anyway. I've explained why already in my previous post.

It will take 6 months before any meaningful number arrives and that is predicated on restrictions in both directions being removed first, meaning China goes back to just needing a passport to enter (for locals) and passport + visa or visa exemption for foreigners. 

If common sense is applied, everything will go smoothly. Now that China has come to its senses, the rest of the world is ironically melting down with hysteria again.

[MrStretch]

Placing at least testing restrictions seems logical at this time.  Several outlets reported that nearly half of the passengers traveling from China to Spain, on two separate flights, tested positive for Covid.

The danger here is that there is a possibility of new variants that have or are being mutated for which we may not be prepared.

[Highlandman]

2 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

Placing at least testing restrictions seems logical at this time.  Several outlets reported that nearly half of the passengers traveling from China to Spain, on two separate flights, tested positive for Covid.

The danger here is that there is a possibility of new variants that have or are being mutated for which we may not be prepared.

Next thing you know, imposing a quarantine "seems logical" then a lockdown.

We've seen what happened in 2020. It didn't work then, it won't work this time.

The global economy, much less Thailand's, can't take another lockdown or travel restrictions. 

Like I said, the Chinese won't be coming in any meaningful numbers until at least July anyway, assuming no restrictions on either end, sufficient flights and open land borders. 

[HolyCowCm]

2 hours ago, MrStretch said:

Placing at least testing restrictions seems logical at this time.  Several outlets reported that nearly half of the passengers traveling from China to Spain, on two separate flights, tested positive for Covid.

The danger here is that there is a possibility of new variants that have or are being mutated for which we may not be prepared.

I fully agree with you. It is no secret that China is under a covid situation and whether specualtion or not as true, mutations of it have been mentioned in the media. I really do not see why some are critical of putting some safety precaution steps in place. No one wants to get sick or catch it, but if you open up unchecked flood gates then it will definetely rear its ugly little covid mutated head again.

[Vigo]

18 hours ago, Poolie said:

So the opposition disagrees with the Government? Hmm.........suspicious, not!

Relax, there's no new strain, it's only a sniffle and where's the mask dissidents all gone?

if only a sniffle why are there  so many dead bodies piling up? why is healthcare system reported on brink of collapse?

[Vigo]

3 hours ago, Highlandman said:

That will probably happen anyway because all of these decisions are political. Power hungry tyrants won't restrict just the Chinese.

Like I said, if arrivals from China are restricted then weeks later it will be arrivals from elsewhere.

The article already indicated "countries with large numbers of Chinese visitors" meaning every neighboring country.

Therefore, get ready for restrictions arriving back from Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam, among others and weeks later the whole world.

Covid is a mild cold now even in China. Don't be misled by hysterical mostly western accounts of what is supposedly happening in China.

We should welcome the Chinese, who won't be coming in droves for some time anyway. I've explained why already in my previous post.

It will take 6 months before any meaningful number arrives and that is predicated on restrictions in both directions being removed first, meaning China goes back to just needing a passport to enter (for locals) and passport + visa or visa exemption for foreigners. 

If common sense is applied, everything will go smoothly. Now that China has come to its senses, the rest of the world is ironically melting down with hysteria again.

Covid is not a mild cold now. It can leave serious inflammation of vital organs including heart that is not immediately identifiable. The health literature does not support your claim.  I was vaccinated 5X because of my work requirement. 7 days after booster in November, I tested positive for Covid. It was not mild cold. The sore throat was nasty, and the cough lasted 3 weeks. People who are in my office were knocked out for 2-3 weeks, and they are young and fit. I couldn't concentrate for many days and was unable to work.  Western economy cannot  withstand a large disruption like that.

The issue with China is that it refuses to release complete data and information about its infections. No one outside of PRC government knows which variants are running wild. Why repeat the same mistake as before and allow Chinese to infect the world before we can prepare?