News Forum - Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries

[Thaiger]

It appears there’s dissension amongst the ranks once more, as Thailand’s Health Minister disagrees with restricting the PM’s proposed re-opening to 10 countries. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand should re-open to vaccinated tourists from more than 10 “low risk” countries. On Monday night, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha carried out a televised address in which he proposed a November 1 re-opening to fully vaccinated tourists from 10 “safe” countries. The proposal is to be discussed at a meeting of the CCSA today. If approved, fully vaccinated qualifying tourists would need to test negative for Covid-19 prior to […]

The story Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries as seen on Thaiger News.

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[kerryd]

Perhaps they'll announce the 10 countries today and then tomorrow announce another 10 and then announce that on 1 Dec they'll expand it by 10 more.

Somehow I get the impression that it would be good to be skeptical of whatever method they use to determine which countries are "low risk" and suitable for unrestricted entry.

[Bob20]

Just now, kerryd said:

Perhaps they'll announce the 10 countries today and then tomorrow announce another 10 and then announce that on 1 Dec they'll expand it by 10 more.

Somehow I get the impression that it would be good to be skeptical of whatever method they use to determine which countries are "low risk" and suitable for unrestricted entry.

If they insist on vaccination and a negative PCR test, then there are no "safe or unsafe" countries. Then whoever arrives is "safe", until they pick up the virus in Thailand of course

And they can make a list as long as they like. Until the EU removes Thailand from the red-list, no 2-3 week tourists are coming here to be faced with quarantine on return.

[TheDirtyDurian]

Go for it Thailand. Let's open 'er up!

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

Since it can take several days to test positive after exposure to CV19, a PCR test on arrival is useless.

[Pompies]

This is nothing less than Anutin trying to curry favour with business & MPs as part of his drive to become the next leader of the junta. He is the biggest meanest snake in the snake pit of Thai politics and knows that he needs to repair his tattered reputation for xenophobia, his dirty farandg statement, his hreats to any Thai medics who caught Covid and his utter bungling of vaccine acquisition. The most loathsome of a bunch of disgusting creatures in the cabinet.

[HolyCowCm]

Let the Elite and Junta fight it out. Nothing better than dividing them to where the good Thai people have a chance to get what they want and throw these bums out.. 

[Stonker]

8 minutes ago, Pompies said:

This is nothing less than Anutin trying to curry favour with business & MPs as part of his drive to become the next leader of the junta. He is the biggest meanest snake in the snake pit of Thai politics and knows that he needs to repair his tattered reputation for xenophobia, his dirty farandg statement, his hreats to any Thai medics who caught Covid and his utter bungling of vaccine acquisition. The most loathsome of a bunch of disgusting creatures in the cabinet.

Precisely - pure posturing and electioneering.

The whole idea of an arbitrary "10" without giving the criteria or any reason for it being ten rather than nine or eleven or however many pass the criteria is absurd, particularly when they haven't even chosen the ten so it's a purely arbitrary number.

[gummy]

2 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Precisely - pure posturing and electioneering.

The whole idea of an arbitrary "10" without giving the criteria or any reason for it being ten rather than nine or eleven or however many pass the criteria is absurd, particularly when they haven't even chosen the ten so it's a purely arbitrary number.

Well its pretty damn obvious why one of those ten were on the list and health issues had nothing to do with it, rather I suspect it was a simple instruction to include it.

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Bob20 said:

If they insist on vaccination and a negative PCR test, then there are no "safe or unsafe" countries. Then whoever arrives is "safe", until they pick up the virus in Thailand of course

No, @Bob20, that's not correct at all.

The only way of being 100% "safe" is to have quarantine and testing for 14 days (arguably 21, but most accept 14).

The less the period of quarantine, the less "safe" you are as the more chance there is of contracting Covid that has not yet developed / incubated.

Obviously also, as you've overlooked, the less "safe" the country you're coming from the less "safe" you are as there's more chance of you catching and transmitting Covid.

The problem here is that the ten countries selected are very obviously not the ten safest / lowest risk as they include the UK and the US which are the highest risk of any western countries.

[vvdb.fr]

who has the statistics on the sandbox tests? if 96% of the positive tests are on the test on arrival, that's good.

On the other hand it is also necessary to look at the reliable countries for the tests before the departure. in the positives there may be countries where the tests are less reliable.

I just had my 3rd injection, it is not planned in the COE...

[Stonker]

50 minutes ago, gummy said:

Well its pretty damn obvious why one of those ten were on the list and health issues had nothing to do with it, rather I suspect it was a simple instruction to include it.

I'm not so sure if it was an "instruction" unless there's a plan to have a China / Thailand travel bubble - just as likely to be un-instructed ass-kissing .

[gummy]

2 minutes ago, Stonker said:

I'm not so sure if it was an "instruction" unless there's a plan to have a China / Thailand travel bubble - just as likely to be un-instructed ass-kissing .

Could be and you are alluding to the PM's fetish perhaps of wishing to kiss Angela Merkels backside, ah all is clear 

[JackIsAGoodBoy]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

Let the Elite and Junta fight it out. Nothing better than dividing them to where the good Thai people have a chance to get what they want and throw these bums out.. 

If you have lived long enough in Thailand you will realize if they throw bums out you'll eventually get a new set of bums in. Nothing changes. Either democratic horse trading or junta horse trading. The trading stays the same, only players change.

Edited October 14, 2021 by JackIsAGoodBoy
typo

[Stonker]

11 minutes ago, vvdb.fr said:

I just had my 3rd injection, it is not planned in the COE...

That's good for you, but unless it makes you any less likely to carry and transmit Covid, which is a complete unknown, it can't make any possible difference to anyone here.

TBH, the numbers coming, and the numbers coming with Covid, will make only a marginal difference.

What will make all the difference is relaxing the restrictions and control measures for them, which is what will directly affect everyone here.

[Bob20]

3 minutes ago, gummy said:

Could be and you are alluding to the PM's fetish perhaps of wishing to kiss Angela Merkels backside, ah all is clear 

He'll have to be quick

[Guevara]

9 minutes ago, Stonker said:

No, @Bob20, that's not correct at all.

The only way of being 100% "safe" is to have quarantine and testing for 14 days (arguably 21, but most accept 14).

The less the period of quarantine, the less "safe" you are as the more chance there is of contracting Covid that has not yet developed / incubated.

Obviously also, as you've overlooked, the less "safe" the country you're coming from the less "safe" you are as there's more chance of you catching and transmitting Covid.

The problem here is that the ten countries selected are very obviously not the ten safest / lowest risk as they include the UK and the US which are the highest risk of any western countries.

Have you considered the fact that the UK has carried out 312 million tests, hence the identified new cases. Unlike Thailand who have carried out less than 10 million tests. Perhaps if the UK stopped testing they would have virtually no new cases. Thailand is a powder keg with pathetically low testing figures. Likewise with vaccinations, I believe around 33% have been vaccinated (with the placebo or pseudo vaccination Sinovac).

[HolyCowCm]

19 minutes ago, JackIsAGoodBoy said:

If you have lived long enough in Thailand you will realize if they throw bums out you'll eventually get a new set of bums in. Nothing changes. Either democratic horse trading or junta horse trading. The trading stays the same, only players change.

I don't see it that way these days. We have a bunch of great kids in this country now coming up who are eager for and to change. These are the leaders of the future. And yes I have lived a few decades here.

[TJM]

It’s obvious that the Thai government is divided on the question of opening the borders to tourists.   How can you open the borders when the schools are still closed ?  

[gummy]

31 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

I don't see it that way these days. We have a bunch of great kids in this country now coming up who are eager for and to change. These are the leaders of the future. And yes I have lived a few decades here.

Many of us , like you, think that way, but the way this regime has so far arranged for the young opposition to be discounted is appalling. 

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, Guevara said:

Have you considered the fact that the UK has carried out 312 million tests, hence the identified new cases. Unlike Thailand who have carried out less than 10 million tests. Perhaps if the UK stopped testing they would have virtually no new cases. Thailand is a powder keg with pathetically low testing figures. Likewise with vaccinations, I believe around 33% have been vaccinated (with the placebo or pseudo vaccination Sinovac).

Thanks, I was about to say something similar, you saved me the trouble. 

[pascal]

well, they said ticket price is skyrocketing lol ...... so you buy your ticket and take risk to not go cause your test is positive 72 h before T/O, bad luck, but what if the test is positive at arrival????????? ......you know what, i m going to wait and see how it goes , no rush ....... next few months are going to be interesting i reckon 

[JamesR]

9 minutes ago, pascal said:

well, they said ticket price is skyrocketing lol ...... so you buy your ticket and take risk to not go cause your test is positive 72 h before T/O, bad luck, but what if the test is positive at arrival????????? ......you know what, i m going to wait and see how it goes , no rush ....... next few months are going to be interesting i reckon 

I will wait too as if cases do rise in Thailand due to to an influx of tourists plus the extra workers needed then Thailand could go back onto the Red list in the UK.

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Pompies said:

This is nothing less than Anutin trying to curry favour with business & MPs as part of his drive to become the next leader of the junta. He is the biggest meanest snake in the snake pit of Thai politics and knows that he needs to repair his tattered reputation for xenophobia, his dirty farandg statement, his hreats to any Thai medics who caught Covid and his utter bungling of vaccine acquisition. The most loathsome of a bunch of disgusting creatures in the cabinet.

Just to be clear. Are you saying you don’t like him much? 

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Guevara said:

Have you considered the fact that the UK has carried out 312 million tests, hence the identified new cases. Unlike Thailand who have carried out less than 10 million tests. Perhaps if the UK stopped testing they would have virtually no new cases. Thailand is a powder keg with pathetically low testing figures. Likewise with vaccinations, I believe around 33% have been vaccinated (with the placebo or pseudo vaccination Sinovac).

Well said  The U.K. is often said to be a risky country, the worst in Europe blah blah. Take Germany for example. It’s reporting around 8,500 cases. Wow, that’s fantastic.  4 to 5 times less than the U.K.  How many tests are they performing? 128,000 a day. Wow, that’s  7 to 8 times less than the U.K.  How about Spain? 8,500 new cases. Wow, that’s 4 times less than U.K.  how many tests? 92,000. That’s almost 10 times less than the U.K.  Italy? 12,000 cases and 125,000 tests. So if we normalise just these European countries based on the testing levels in the U.K. we would get the following daily 7 day average cases:

UK 35,000

Germany 60,000 

Spain 85,000

Italy 75,000

UK not looking too bad now is it !