News Forum - 17 more countries added to no quarantine list in Thailand

[Thaiger]

Late last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an amendment to the list of countries that can enter Thailand without quarantine starting tomorrow, adding 17 new countries to the list of 46. After rallying from country nationals and hopeful tourism industry advocates including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, India has been added to the list, along several Asian neighbours like Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The announcement was made, saying the Covid-19 situation was assessed and the decision was made to expand the Test & Go program that allows fully vaccinated travellers from approved low-risk companies to […]

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[Shade_Wilder]

" ...India has been added to the list..."

I can just imagine the conversation;

'Hmm... our economy is almost in collapse; I wonder if we should include a giant Asian neighbour whose citizens are actually allowed to travel?'

Get ready for the news stories about how Thailand and India have been the best of friends for centuries, and that India has been the true target market behind the current government's cunning plan.

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Shade_Wilder
smelling

[gummy]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

Late last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an amendment to the list of countries that can enter Thailand without quarantine starting tomorrow, adding 17 new countries to the list of 46. After rallying from country nationals and hopeful tourism industry advocates including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, India has been added to the list, along several Asian neighbours like Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The announcement was made, saying the Covid-19 situation was assessed and the decision was made to expand the Test & Go program that allows fully vaccinated travellers from approved low-risk companies to […]

The story 17 more countries added to no quarantine list in Thailand as seen on Thaiger News.

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Damn, with Laos on the list it means my nearest Macro, Nong Khai, will be flooded with Laos people again. Been great for 18 months without them cluttering the place up.  Mind you the upside is that hopefully the Laos beer will be coming to a place near me soon

[Jason]

Of course India has been added. Now that the Chinese are forbidden to come until the end of next year, they needed another big source of tourists to take their place. Although this whole idea of "approved countries" is a bit of a farce. Everyone has to be PCR tested and fully vaccinated, so why does it matter which country they come from. In fact, this is more likely to backfire on the Thai government, because countries not on the list will seek other places to visit and may never come back. 

In my own country, the criteria is the type of vaccine, not which country you come from. The vaccine needs to be approved in Australia by our TGA. Even Sinovac, just got the approval. At least that has some scientific basis. But the "Thaiway or the highway!" Let see how long that holds up! 

[Malc-Thai]

I can see it now.. walking down the road past Indians arguing over the prices for literally everything..  seen it before.. even an argument with a 1 legged cigarette seller was being haggled down was quite amusing when he turned and hopped away instead of dropping his already low price.. and 10 in a bar with a promotion bucket of 6 beers

[Brownie]

1 hour ago, Shade_Wilder said:

I wonder if we should include a giant Asian neighbour whose citizens are actually allowed to travel?'

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Brownie
typo

[PompeyLlama]

Interesting, they said that India was not on the initial list because most used a vaccine not recognised by either the WHO or the Thai FDA. 

Now they are saying sod it come anyway? 

Remember no use crying over spilt milk! 

[Nune]

I notice the list does not have a single African country… why is that? 

[Brownie]

38 minutes ago, PompeyLlama said:

Interesting, they said that India was not on the initial list because most used a vaccine not recognised by either the WHO or the Thai FDA.

Only Indians vaxxed with a WHO/Thai approved vaccine will be allowed.  The unapproved Indian vaccine has been used by less than 15% Indians

[Malc-Thai]

33 minutes ago, Brownie said:

Only Indians vaxxed with a WHO/Thai approved vaccine will be allowed.  The unapproved Indian vaccine has been used by less than 15% Indians

Don't worry they can print off any vaccine type of passport they need to enter here

[Brownie]

I think maybe we should grab the remaining seats on @Griff1315's Cessna

[Brownie]

1 minute ago, Malc-Thai said:

Don't worry they can print off any vaccine type of passport they need to enter here

Oh dear! So now there will be someone new to blame for the new outbreaks

[Rasputin]

I've never had much faith in the Thai government, either in their scientific or critical thinking abilities. I think this view is shared by many of the developed Western Nations. The decision to admit Indians is totally inexplicable IMO and again, IMO, will lead to an exponential increase in infections, the envelopes must have been well filled. Let's hope it doesn't backfire on them, only time will tell.

[PompeyLlama]

4 hours ago, Brownie said:

Only Indians vaxxed with a WHO/Thai approved vaccine will be allowed.  The unapproved Indian vaccine has been used by less than 15% Indians

According to a Google search this is the percentage vaccines given 

Covaxin 12.1%

Covishield around 80%

And the rest is Sputnik V

Now consider those percentages in a country of 1.4 billion approximately speaking. 

From what I read Covishield is a weaker version of the AZ vaccine so not AZ thus not approved. 

These have worked for them so great. 

I don't care as I don't have a say in who can come in. I was just saying what was being said a week ago. 

[gummy]

8 minutes ago, PompeyLlama said:

According to a Google search this is the percentage vaccines given 

Covaxin 12.1%

Covishield around 80%

And the rest is Sputnik V

Now consider those percentages in a country of 1.4 billion approximately speaking. 

From what I read Covishield is a weaker version of the AZ vaccine so not AZ thus not approved. 

These have worked for them so great. 

I don't care as I don't have a say in who can come in. I was just saying what was being said a week ago. 

12% of 1.4 billion still equates to a population over twice the size of Thailand so if even 0.5% of them travelled here that is still almost a million visitors

[Griff1315]

4 minutes ago, gummy said:

12% of 1.4 billion still equates to a population over twice the size of Thailand so if even 0.5% of them travelled here that is still almost a million visitors

You angling for a job at TAT. Almost a million Indian tourists only if your paying them to come.....

[gummy]

Just now, Griff1315 said:

You angling for a job at TAT. Almost a million Indian tourists only if your paying them to come.....

Definitely not. You misunderstood my subtle post.  Earlier it was stated that not many Indians would qualify due to their vaccine. I was merely being realistic with the actual numbers and possibilities in order to point out the scale of the threat 

[Brownie]

1 hour ago, gummy said:

Earlier it was stated that not many Indians would qualify due to their vaccine.

Actually most vaxxed Indians (88%) do qualify.  It's a separate matter there are no direct scheduled flights to Thailand as yet.  2 of us have managed to get seats on a chartered Cessna so we're probably the only ones coming

[PapayaBokBok]

16 hours ago, gummy said:

Damn, with Laos on the list it means my nearest Macro, Nong Khai, will be flooded with Laos people again. Been great for 18 months without them cluttering the place up.  Mind you the upside is that hopefully the Laos beer will be coming to a place near me soon

I like NK..nice sleepy town..I rented a thai wooden house along mekong for 3k/month and rode my bike around town and the river path.....never made it to the makro luckily....easy jump across for a visa!

[HiuMak]

12 hours ago, gummy said:

Definitely not. You misunderstood my subtle post.  Earlier it was stated that not many Indians would qualify due to their vaccine. I was merely being realistic with the actual numbers and possibilities in order to point out the scale of the threat 

Many of these countries have the possibility of buying or manipulating a covid certificate. 

[PompeyLlama]

13 hours ago, gummy said:

12% of 1.4 billion still equates to a population over twice the size of Thailand so if even 0.5% of them travelled here that is still almost a million visitors

And the 80%of covishield? That is not cleared either. 

And the point is being missed again. Yes I want tourists to return and I have never said otherwise. 

The point is the one minute they say the vaccines are not cleared and now they are.  Its the lack of clarity that is the point I am making nothing else although you think I don't want them to come. I don't mind let them all come back. 

Maybe next they will approve the vaccine called EDT haha

[gummy]

17 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Many of these countries have the possibility of buying or manipulating a covid certificate. 

I would suspect any country 

[Stardust]

20 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

" ...India has been added to the list..."

I can just imagine the conversation;

'Hmm... our economy is almost in collapse; I wonder if we should include a giant Asian neighbour whose citizens are actually allowed to travel?'

Get ready for the news stories about how Thailand and India have been the best of friends for centuries, and that India has been the true target market behind the current government's cunning plan.

Yes they are desperated with a private household debt of 98% of the gdp and state household deficit they have a huge liquidity shortage and this they only can compensate from outside (foreigners). Or they will use the shopping malls because it has aircon and free but who is paying the electricity bill? They are broke but they have a big mouth and want a ferrari but not even have the money to buy a car or motorbike without loans. Ok lets scam the foreigners to pay my bills and if it fail or not enough , then I only want the millionaire foreigner or best solution they transfer just only their money.

[Stardust]

8 minutes ago, Stardust said:

Yes they are desperated with a private household debt of 98% of the gdp and state household deficit they have a huge liquidity shortage and this they only can compensate from outside (foreigners). Or they will use the shopping malls because it has aircon and free but who is paying the electricity bill? They are broke but they have a big mouth and want a ferrari but not even have the money to buy a car or motorbike without loans. Ok lets scam the foreigners to pay my bills and if it fail or not enough , then I only want the millionaire foreigner or best solution they transfer just only their money.

It is always a joke that they not even can buy a motorbike with cash or without finance but talking about we want the quality tourist. They are broke and have no quality, maybe first start with quality standards by themself and then maybe the quality will come, too.

[Brownie]

1 hour ago, PompeyLlama said:

And the 80%of covishield? That is not cleared either. 

And the point is being missed again. Yes I want tourists to return and I have never said otherwise. 

The point is the one minute they say the vaccines are not cleared and now they are.  Its the lack of clarity that is the point I am making nothing else although you think I don't want them to come. I don't mind let them all come back. 

Maybe next they will approve the vaccine called EDT haha

Please see the attached WHO factsheet.  Covishield by Serum Institute of India was approved by WHO on 15 February 2021

Status_COVID_VAX_20Oct2021.pdf