News Forum - BREAKING: Vaccinated travellers from 10 countries allowed to enter without quarantine starting November 1

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Hulu said:

No quarantine, but 2 tests.There is always something extra,to get Money.

 You may have to pay for it, but the test before leaving for Thailand can't possibly "get money" for Thailand.

 

[Rain]

Just can't please anyone. 

 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

What does he mean when he says “when they arrive they will have to present a negative Covid test”? When you arrive at the check in or at immigration? It’s obvious he means pre-flight or at least you would hope so, but he’s talking utter nonsense. If he means on arrival and if you can’t present, what then? 

It hardly matters if they have to "present a negative Covid test" at check-in, at immigration, or both, as it's the same test result.

I'm not defending him, but you're looking for problems that either aren't there or aren't going to be explained fully in any initial statement or press release.

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

It also seems as though there will be at least one test on arrival and it’s clear there will be some requirement to wait until that test on arrival is shown to be negative. How long will this take? 24 hours if it’s a PCR test? Will you have to wait in a designated SHA+ hotel? What happens if you are shown to be positive? Where will you have to go?  This is before it’s further watered down by the CCSA

Not "seems" - that's what the article and source article very clearly say!

... and "if you are shown to be positive" then obviously the same thing will happen as happens to anyone else testing positive on arrival here - hospital quarantine, as has always been the case.

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, JamesE said:

Apparently they don't.

I'm really concerned about three things in all of this. First, the rush to open is only because of the 120-days promise made back in June. Conditions on the ground haven't changed all that much from the end of September so why hurry? Why risk everything on an illusion because, Second, the cases and deaths just don't add up. The recent news from the rural doctors exposed the shell game that has been going on with "cases". Cases are only what PCR says, not what antigen says - officially. So "cases" have been moved from reality into Limbo. On top of that most countries are seeing a death rate of about 2%, Thailand keeps reporting about 1.1%. Even Vietnam, which has had a very similar COVID experience to Thailand's is reporting just over 2%. So either reported deaths are too low, reported cases are too high, or nobody really knows (or is saying). Which leads to Three, the lack of vaccination. You're entirely correct that releasing the world upon Thailand solely due to the low vaccination rate is a big mistake. Not only is the Sino-AZ fallback cocktail unproven but the lessons from the Delta variant were quickly forgotten. They're completely ignoring that, as with Delta, one person with a new variant entering Thailand is enough to ruin everything.

Fortunately, I think they are overestimating tourist demand for Thailand. If you look back at last year's big winter surge it started right about now. But the US and UK are still seeing the remnants of the Delta surge. If another winter surge starts we're going to be back where we were a year ago: no travel. But not due to government edicts, due to just plain fear.

Agreed on all counts, @JamesE, but even if there are minimal international arrivals as seems probable that may not save the situation if other restrictions are relaxed to encourage 'tourism', which seems likely.

It's just taking a big risk for a potential small gain, at best.

[Rain]

38 minutes ago, Stonker said:

It hardly matters if they have to "present a negative Covid test" at check-in, at immigration, or both, as it's the same test result.

I'm not defending him, but you're looking for problems that either aren't there or aren't going to be explained fully in any initial statement or press release.

Not "seems" - that's what the article and source article very clearly say!

... and "if you are shown to be positive" then obviously the same thing will happen as happens to anyone else testing positive on arrival here - hospital quarantine, as has always been the case.

Some are rather thick, Stonker. Making sh*t up as they go. 

It's all about blind agendas.

[palooka]

Smoke and mirrors/

Yesterday got caught out with Covid numbers, baht in freefall, promises of opening not looking good.

So BIG announcement that will affect all people in Thailand. (Music trumpets, full fanfare)

Captures everyones attention, baht goes up, his promises looking good, distraction from reality of the covid numbers. He's starting to learn how to play the  political game.

[palooka]

Like the way he only announced 5 countries also. Doesn't want to offend the Chinese or Russians or others ASEAN supporters, If they complain he has room to move.

[Thommo]

1 hour ago, Hulu said:

No quarantine, but 2 tests.There is always something extra,to get Money.

The first test will be in your coutnry of departure! To think the 2nd test to be a income earning for Thai Gov is streching it a bit. 

[gummy]

Just now, Thommo said:

The first test will be in your coutnry of departure! To think the 2nd test to be a income earning for Thai Gov is streching it a bit. 

Surely travellers from those countries to Thailand travelling on Thai airways should have the right to see negative covid tests by all the Thai flight crew before boarding ?

[Thommo]

I wont be flying thai,  SG is my chice at this time but I think it would be a a reasonable request

[TV7]

So, all the complainers, the computer bots, the negative people, basically 95% of this forum, needs to find a new activity during their days now! Complaining time is over, back to normal. Ooohhh wait, I still see them complaining about paying for a test, or it's only ten countries, or this must go wrong; otherwise, this country will get tourists again, and that means life goes back to normal and I cannot handle normal after living for 1,5 years behind my computer. Get a life, be happy with this announcement. Go for a walk, do something productive for your neighbour, success Thailand, great news!

[palooka]

16 minutes ago, TV7 said:

So, all the complainers, the computer bots, the negative people, basically 95% of this forum, needs to find a new activity during their days now! Complaining time is over, back to normal. Ooohhh wait, I still see them complaining about paying for a test, or it's only ten countries, or this must go wrong; otherwise, this country will get tourists again, and that means life goes back to normal and I cannot handle normal after living for 1,5 years behind my computer. Get a life, be happy with this announcement. Go for a walk, do something productive for your neighbour, success Thailand, great news!

We all hope you are right, but I think I'll wait a little while before I start throwing away my mask and protocol for covid prevention. Maybe when the Vax percentage gets up to 80-90% in about 9 months time not the 39% that is current. The tourists may be vaxed but millions in Thailand are not or is that irrelevant to your thinking.

[HiuMak]

25 minutes ago, TV7 said:

So, all the complainers, the computer bots, the negative people, basically 95% of this forum, needs to find a new activity during their days now! Complaining time is over, back to normal. Ooohhh wait, I still see them complaining about paying for a test, or it's only ten countries, or this must go wrong; otherwise, this country will get tourists again, and that means life goes back to normal and I cannot handle normal after living for 1,5 years behind my computer. Get a life, be happy with this announcement. Go for a walk, do something productive for your neighbour, success Thailand, great news!

Time to pack my bags. I hope to be in Thailand very soon

[Jayce]

4 hours ago, Stonker said:

Poor dears having to suffer an "uncomfortable bus ride".

How about the two thirds of the Thai population who have yet to be fully vaccinated and have no chance of being fully vaccinated until next year?

Or don't they matter as long as the tourists are happy?

Those people are more likely to be infected by a fellow thai then a tourist...

[gummy]

13 minutes ago, Jayce said:

Those people are more likely to be infected by a fellow thai then a tourist...

That's not the point and anyway whether it is one transmission from a tourist or 10 from a local it is all too many. The question to you from @Stonkerwas "don't you think that matter" ?

[Chaimai]

3 hours ago, Hulu said:

No quarantine, but 2 tests.There is always something extra,to get Money.

 

Is your glass always less than half full ?

[Chaimai]

Well done to the Thai government for having the balls to take a sensible risk based approach to opening the country. Many people have complained vociferously about the damage to the economy from a tight Covid policy.

 

Look at other countries and how they have opened up. The only/main failure was being slow off the mark with the vaccine rollout - now rapidly catching up.

 

Anyone who is serious about having a jab has had one and many people in my area have had two.

The Phuket Sandbox was the test case and the few Covid cases from tourists was from local infection.....no issues tourists fully vaccinated.

Whilst people may point to only 50+% of Thais having one jab, and 30+% being fully vaccinated most of the unvaccinated are in more remote areas and are unlikely to affect tourists. The Chinese tour buses in Pattaya are unlikely to head up to Nowhere.

Nok from Nowhere will need her 2 jabs before she goes back to work in the bar or massage parlour.

[Smithydog]

It will be interesting to see if the Chinese authorities lift all restrictions on Chinese Tourists departing China, including lifting passport restrictions. 

https://en.nia.gov.cn/n177/n5610/c93596/content.html

Does the Thai PM know something in advance?

[Leeshard]

1 hour ago, palooka said:

We all hope you are right, but I think I'll wait a little while before I start throwing away my mask and protocol for covid prevention. Maybe when the Vax percentage gets up to 80-90% in about 9 months time not the 39% that is current. The tourists may be vaxed but millions in Thailand are not or is that irrelevant to your thinking.

So unvaxed Thai’s still live amongst other unvaxed Thai’s. Suddenly a fully vaxed up, negative PCR tested tourist arrives. I fail to see how that poses an additional risk of spreading covid-19. But I’m open to suggestions.

[Grumpyoldman]

Vaccinated or unvaccinated, the fact remains that 98%+ of those who test positive don't get seriously ill.  Not everyone gets covid so the % seriously ill of the population is much smaller.

 

So this announcement still doesn't go far enough and no economies should be shut down for such a minor illness.

 

 A "pandemic" is a quickly spreading worldwide disease and doesn't mean a disease that will kill everyone. 

 

Before influenza vaccinations, that disease killed many and still can for unvaccinated older people. There is a striking similarity but we don't close the economy each year in the flu season.

[Wasminbe]

6 hours ago, Stonker said:

Completely untrue. 

Half the population have had nothing at all, and of the third that have been fully vaccinated most have been vaccinated with either two Sinovac or one Sinovac and one AZ.

Unless Thais are over 55 or have severe health conditions the only option available is Sinovac, followed by AZ after three months - so next year, and for many even that isn't available yet.

Foreigners are fortunate and have been prioritised despite the complaints, particularly for Pfizer, so your comment is simply uninformed nonsense - and that's being as polite as it's possible to be.

Agreed 100%!

My 19 year old daughter had been booked for her 1st. shot at school for around 6 weeks, only to get a call 2 days before she was supposed to go in that they didn't have the vaccine. My wife has also been waiting what seems like forever to get her 2nd. shot, despite numerous phone calls and efforts of trying to get in quicker.

While I do agree that some area's/provinces may have an abundance, that's definitely not the case across the whole country. 

[Malc-Thai]

The issues I can see is the tourists coming to the Sandbox for example, most that test positive are from being tested on arrival, and very very few on the 7 day test and most on day 14 I'd presume caught it here after a total of 17 days from the first test to leave their country. 

The bars are not going to be opening until Dec 1 at earliest from the report so only phuket will have any so called night life, will people want to come with these nightlife restrictions? Most come for late partying and watching girls wriggling on poles !

When the bars and nightlife finally open across Thailand then that will start mass migration of workers which is OK if they are vaccinated! but not so good if they return home to family that's still waiting for a vaccine.. 

Let's just hope they can "RAMP up" vaccinationsin in the next 6 weeks to when the bars open and make it compulsory for vaccinated staff 

 

 

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, palooka said:

Like the way he only announced 5 countries also. Doesn't want to offend the Chinese or Russians or others ASEAN supporters, If they complain he has room to move.

China is already one of the 10 - one of the 5 he named - as is Singapore.

Widely reported, and already noted in this thread.

[gazmo16]

6 hours ago, Bangkok_Gary said:

Fully vaccinated travellers (from an approved list of countries) can enter Costa Rica without Covid tests, without health insurance. All you need is proof of vaccination. Just get on the plane and enjoy. I will go there for a holiday. Too much bullsh*t to go to Thailand.

Possibly true but will you be considering a name change as well ? since it's hardly appropriate if your quitting Thailand in favour of Costa Rica.

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Jayce said:

Those people are more likely to be infected by a fellow thai then a tourist...

Agreed, as I've said several times.

The problem, as I've tried to explain several times as have several others, isn't the individual foreign tourists spreading Covid (although obviously they're no less likely to than anyone else) but the TOURISM they bring with them and need: bars, nightlife, travel, relaxed rules on masks and social distancing, etc.

Everything that's directly responsible for the spread of Covid.

What part of that don't you agree with or understand?

That's not being argumentative but a genuine question, as you either don't understand or you don't accept it, and I genuinely can't understand why not.