News Forum - Tourism Minister defends PM’s re-opening plan on day 3 of no-confidence debate

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s Tourism Minister has defended the PM’s promise to re-open the country, pointing out that Bangkok and another 4 provinces should be in a position to welcome tourists from next month. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the re-opening of those 5 provinces will be followed by a further 21 provinces around the country. He was speaking during yesterday’s no-confidence debate against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his administration. Phiphat says his ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are working with provincial officials and communicable disease committees to advance the re-opening plans. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says not all parts […]

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[Graham]

Ah the puppet master has been pulling on the strings again.

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

PM’s promise to re-open the country,

With multiple "sandboxes"?  I wouldnt call that re-opening, rather semi-opening.

[HolyCowCm]

Oh god. Will someone please get these morons out. CM is not even close to anything, and no to Sinovac and AZ because it is not advised for people under 60. So they should not have the right to control and open when CM needs Pfizer or Moderna. My kids and wife will not take AZ and nor will I since I am still under 60 and hopefully will have another choice.

[Bob20]

1 minute ago, HolyCowCm said:

Oh god. Will someone please get these morons out. CM is not even close to anything, and no to Sinovac and AZ because it is not advised for people under 60. So they should not have the right to control and open when CM needs Pfizer or Moderna. My kids and wife will not take AZ and nor will I since I am still under 60 and hopefully will have another choice.

We're in the same boat. They've now opened the floodgates and a month after registering I've not hear anything about a jab.

I think it's criminal. All you can do now is be sensible and protect yourself as best you can.

[harry1]

a small matter is thailand, now on the red listing of travel,but dont let this small matter interfere with being delusional 

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, harry1 said:

a small matter is thailand, now on the red listing of travel,but dont let this small matter interfere with being delusional 

I know Thailand is on the U.K. Red list and of course it’s difficult for Australians and New Zealander’s to travel just about anywhere. But how many other main sources of tourism for Thailand have placed it on a red list or require returning citizens to pay for expensive hotel quarantine? Is it on the EU and US red list for example?  What about China? I’m being lazy as I could Google all this, but is there an article I’ve missed? 

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Bob20 said:

We're in the same boat. They've now opened the floodgates and a month after registering I've not hear anything about a jab.

I think it's criminal. All you can do now is be sensible and protect yourself as best you can.

Yep, more like the sewage gates. It is just criminal in my eyes, and I am really serious about not having my family exposed to AZ because of the danger.

[PeterK]

And does anyone expect that tourists will be flocking in with a 14-day quarantine even if one is fully vaccinated and an alcohol ban in place in hotels and restaurants?

By the way, where is this alcohol fascination coming from? During the last five (?) years we are more and more confronted with a ban, not just a Buddhist holiday and elections…. This must hurt the hotel, restaurant and the tourist industry in general tremendously. Mind I am not talking about closing the pubs, beer gardens etc. because of the pandemic, that happens all over the world. I mean having an aperitive before dinner and a glass of wine during the meal. Who books a dinner, pay a considerable sum of money and can’t have a drink, as a result the restaurants and hotels remain empty.

Just for the record: we are grateful visitors of the Kingdom for well over 40 years and were in the country last year after completing a 14-day quarantine. Since our last visit things have not improved in Thailand, far from it. We follow the situation on a daily basis and are sad to see, how your lives are still and increasingly worse affected by the pandemic. Apart from your professional lives you and your families are very limited by the lock down, your children again not being able to go to their schools, play with their friends, etc. We remain loyal to the country and already booked a flight, but the situation has to improve a bit before we can depart. Let’s hope that vaccination will help to get the daily numbers down and will be able to ease the measures in a meaningful way.

You are all in our hearts and wish you strength and good health.

 

[Rain]

5 hours ago, Graham said:

Ah the puppet master has been pulling on the strings again.

And most prefer this presentation without realizing what the play is really about. 

Mai phen rai.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

So they should not have the right to control and open when CM needs Pfizer or Moderna.

@HolyCowCmgot my Pfizer shot today in CM, even with the balls up with the Wall of Chiang Mai site not giving me a number. Hospital redid it on the spot. Hopefully 3 weeks get the next shot. I thought I was in your boat until this weeks vacations.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yep, more like the sewage gates. It is just criminal in my eyes, and I am really serious about not having my family exposed to AZ because of the danger.

I understand your concerns about AZ due to a lot of negative publicity and a very small percentage of issues. However, with ALL vaccines, it’s a risk and reward calculation. Your risk of being severely sick or dying if you contract Covid is many many times higher than complications with the AZ vaccine. AZ has been the main vaccine used in the U.K. and there have been 25 million doses administered with only 417 cases of people with blood clots and of that 72 have died. In percentage terms that’s 0.0017% chance of getting a blood clot and 0.0002% chance of dying. That means you have a 1 in 60,000 chance of getting a blood clot and a 1 in 350,000 chance of dying. When compared to data in the U.K. when vaccine rates were very low, 35 people/100,000 who contracted Covid were hospitalised. This is a 0.035% or 1 in 2,850 if you are unvaccinated. Clearly you have to factor in your chances of contracting Covid, which very much comes down to personal lifestyle choices and the care you take to protect yourself. Personally, I’d take my chances with the AZ any day of the week, and I have. I’ve had two doses, with my second in May. Apart from a dull ache in my upper arm for two days, all was well.
 

Good luck to you and your family. It’s not an easy decision and gets harder as the age of the person falls. Clearly for younger people the risk and reward calculation changes significantly and becomes more of an issue of transmission. This of course is less of an issue for the individual and more a concern at a national level. 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

@HolyCowCm 

 

UPDATE Pfizer Vaccination for Foreign Residents in Chiang Mai

Fri 3 Sept 09:00-11:00 Promenada Vaccination Centre

- Over 55 years age walk in (YOB 1966)

- 7 Underlying Health Conditions walk in

According to the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, Pfizer vaccinations for non-vaccinated foreign residents in Chiang Mai will be available for foreign nationals who were born in 1966 or earlier OR have a medical certificate of 7 underlying health conditions (renal, cardio-vascular, pulmonary, neurovascular, cancer, diabetes, obesity (weight > 100 kilograms) on Friday, September 3 from 09:00 to 11:00 at Promenada Mall.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Bob20]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

I understand your concerns about AZ due to a lot of negative publicity and a very small percentage of issues. However, with ALL vaccines, it’s a risk and reward calculation. Your risk of being severely sick or dying if you contract Covid is many many times higher than complications with the AZ vaccine. AZ has been the main vaccine used in the U.K. and there have been 25 million doses administered with only 417 cases of people with blood clots and of that 72 have died. In percentage terms that’s 0.0017% chance of getting a blood clot and 0.0002% chance of dying. That means you have a 1 in 60,000 chance of getting a blood clot and a 1 in 350,000 chance of dying. When compared to data in the U.K. when vaccine rates were very low, 35 people/100,000 who contracted Covid were hospitalised. This is a 0.035% or 1 in 2,850 if you are unvaccinated. Clearly you have to factor in your chances of contracting Covid, which very much comes down to personal lifestyle choices and the care you take to protect yourself. Personally, I’d take my chances with the AZ any day of the week, and I have. I’ve had two doses, with my second in May. Apart from a dull ache in my upper arm for two days, all was well.
 

Good luck to you and your family. It’s not an easy decision and gets harder as the age of the person falls. Clearly for younger people the risk and reward calculation changes significantly and becomes more of an issue of transmission. This of course is less of an issue for the individual and more a concern at a national level. 

Hi soidog,

I understand the "something is better than nothing" argument.

But I seriously dislike the country becoming a dumping ground for second grade vaccines.

AZ has been abandoned in western countries for the under 60's. Don't know which side of the line you are? Knowing the background, it's unethical to keep using it anywhere on under 60's.

Wouldn't like to see that it's still used in Thailand despite what we know, just because the factory was especially setup and has only been functioning properly a few months. That's the business risk.

I also seriously disapprove of the mixing and matching practice, until a proper testing regime has been setup and evaluated.

And what you may need to consider is that if, like me, you travel a lot (well, once the situation is under control again), you may be in another country when you need a shot. And they may not have something you had previously, requiring you to take the gamble to mix and match as you have no choice (even if that mix hasn't even been tested!).

Lastly, there will be v2.0, v3.0 and so on, improving the vaccine and including possible variants. If you stick with one vaccine brand, they will ensure compatibility instead of insecure mixing and matching, whilst each time improving efficacy. 

That's why I am in favour of picking one of the very few with excellent results, for protection as well as side effects, that are also available in just about every country and will attempt to stick with those.

[Bob20]

9 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

@HolyCowCm 

UPDATE Pfizer Vaccination for Foreign Residents in Chiang Mai

Fri 3 Sept 09:00-11:00 Promenada Vaccination Centre

- Over 55 years age walk in (YOB 1966)

- 7 Underlying Health Conditions walk in

According to the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, Pfizer vaccinations for non-vaccinated foreign residents in Chiang Mai will be available for foreign nationals who were born in 1966 or earlier OR have a medical certificate of 7 underlying health conditions (renal, cardio-vascular, pulmonary, neurovascular, cancer, diabetes, obesity (weight > 100 kilograms) on Friday, September 3 from 09:00 to 11:00 at Promenada Mall.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks, that is the news I was waiting for after hearing nothing from the expatvac app since being approved

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

6 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Thanks, that is the news I was waiting for after hearing nothing from the expatvac app since being approved

@Bob20. @HolyCowCm 

‘Facebook page for CM that keeps me informed. ….. 

https://www.facebook.com/covid.int.cm/

You may require a Wall of Chiang Mai number at promenada though. I got away without having one at the McCormack Hospital this morning, but maybe because they have all there setup there.   Good Luck.

Edited September 2, 2021 by AdvocatusDiaboli
Addition.

[Woifal]

3 hours ago, Soidog said:

 Is it on the EU and US red list for example?

Thailand is definitly on Austrias Redlist. On arrive from Thailand we have to stay 14 days in Home Quarantine too.

[HolyCowCm]

50 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

@HolyCowCm 

UPDATE Pfizer Vaccination for Foreign Residents in Chiang Mai

Fri 3 Sept 09:00-11:00 Promenada Vaccination Centre

- Over 55 years age walk in (YOB 1966)

- 7 Underlying Health Conditions walk in

According to the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, Pfizer vaccinations for non-vaccinated foreign residents in Chiang Mai will be available for foreign nationals who were born in 1966 or earlier OR have a medical certificate of 7 underlying health conditions (renal, cardio-vascular, pulmonary, neurovascular, cancer, diabetes, obesity (weight > 100 kilograms) on Friday, September 3 from 09:00 to 11:00 at Promenada Mall.

 

Hope this helps.

Thank you. Is there any cost? 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

10 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Thank you. Is there any cost? 

Just the air that you breath. This is kindly provided by the Thai government.

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

You may require a Wall of Chiang Mai number at promenada though

What is this Wall of CM number?

[HolyCowCm]

25 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Just the air that you breath. This is kindly provided by the Thai government.

I will gladly just keep thinking my government did something good for me, that is if I can get the jab. Family just said go for it and they will when they can.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

6 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

What is this Wall of CM number?

At the site below you fill out some information, and it either gives you a number or not.
www.cm-healthcare.net/CMCVR/

I was in the will not category but all was good as I showed my honest attempt. They did put it in their system whilst I was at the hospital. Unsure of what happens at promenada. Next jab is in 3 weeks. All the best for tomorrow.

[HolyCowCm]

29 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

At the site below you fill out some information, and it either gives you a number or not.
www.cm-healthcare.net/CMCVR/

I was in the will not category but all was good as I showed my honest attempt. They did put it in their system whilst I was at the hospital. Unsure of what happens at promenada. Next jab is in 3 weeks. All the best for tomorrow.

Do you think that is necessary? I hate to put my personal info out like that. Sorry to ask too many questions. 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

Just now, HolyCowCm said:

Do you think that is necessary? I hate to put my personal info out like that. Sorry to ask too many questions. 

Does not matter either way your information will be on the Wall of Chiang Mai site after you have completed registeration. As they will fill in the blanks to get a Wall of Chiang Mai registration number for you that your jab details and blood pressure etc will be attached to.

‘No problem on the question front, as I’m glad to assist. Many on forums have assisted myself in the past. Glad to pay it forward.

[HolyCowCm]

23 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Does not matter either way your information will be on the Wall of Chiang Mai site after you have completed registeration. As they will fill in the blanks to get a Wall of Chiang Mai registration number for you that your jab details and blood pressure etc will be attached to.

‘No problem on the question front, as I’m glad to assist. Many on forums have assisted myself in the past. Glad to pay it forward.

Just seems like a lot of info but no choice unfortunately. After looking at the FB site it seems they have been doing it for awhile. So maybe 55 and up will not have that many people going. Who knows.