Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Thai industry representatives push government on vaccine passport policy

Published

Thursday, March 4, 2021 09:33

PHOTO: Lukas on Unsplash

Industry representatives are urging the Thai government to press ahead with the adoption of a vaccine passport scheme to re-ignite international tourism. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking is also pushing for Thailand to form travel bubble arrangements with countries where Covid-19 infection rates are low to moderate.

Kalin Sarasin from the Thai Chamber of Commerce and a JSCCIB member points to the Digital Green Pass being introduced by the EU, which allows vaccinated people to travel more freely. He believes Thailand should introduce something similar.

“JSCCIB is confident a vaccine passport would boost economic sentiment. Many countries have already started mass vaccination regimes for their people.”

(Video below about the current world and Thailand Covid travel situation)

He adds that private companies should be allowed to purchase and distribute vaccines to employees in order to accelerate the national vaccine rollout.

The push for a vaccine passport scheme follows confirmation from the Thai PM that he has ordered a study into the idea. However, Prayut Chan-o-cha points out that nobody knows how effective such a scheme would be. The idea does have its critics, particularly among rights’ groups and doctors, who say there is not yet enough data to show that vaccines prevent transmission.

A limited number of Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in Thailand and have been distributed to 13 priority provinces. Healthcare workers and vulnerable groups are among the first people to be inoculated.

Supant Mongkolsuthree, a JSCCIB member from the Federation of Thai Industries, says a vaccine passport policy is one more way to restore tourism and, as vaccines are rolled out in the Kingdom, the economy has a chance at recovery.

“JSCCIB believes the economy is recovering. The vaccine will gradually build up confidence among business people.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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9 Comments

BangkokBen

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 9:48 am

Covid is already in Thailand, so tourists who have been vaccinated and test negative are safer than the general Thai population.

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EdwardV

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 11:36 am

Who cares if rights groups are against vaccine passports? Their objection is the unfairness it places on those who can’t get vaccinated yet. Besides the fact life isn’t fair, any unfairness is temporary. Maybe a year. How about the unfairness of the millions of people who depend on tourism being out of work for an extra year? Vaccine passports are coming, might as well get aboard it’s happening whether you want them or not.

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Issan John

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 12:12 pm

“Kalin Sarasin from the Thai Chamber of Commerce and a JSCCIB member points to the Digital Green Pass being introduced by the EU, which allows vaccinated people to travel more freely. He believes Thailand should introduce something similar.”

An excellent idea, except it’s not yet “being introduced by the EU, which allows vaccinated people to travel more freely.”

It’s a PROPOSAL, to be introduced possibly from June, subject to vaccine roll outs which will by then have been in place for up to six months and offered to all or at least a majority of the population by then.

When Thailand’s in a similar position, it only makes sense for Thailand to do likewise.

When …

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Thomas Gotschalk

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 2:41 pm

People are so easily fooled.

A vaccine passport will put an end to tourism for good.

The whole world could open up tomorrow at 8AM IF they wanted to.

People who are scared of covid or at risk from dying from a cold (should they catch one), they just don’t travel – simple.

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dispensed

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 8:56 pm

@EdwardV This is likely just another huge waste of time and money, a fraud that some tech firm will profit off of. They’ll use the app for 6 months and by next year no one except the most ignorant, backwater countries will care about Rona anymore. It’ll become a new cold/flu bug, most people will acquire immunity, the vast majority natural immunity.

We’re spending 80% of our resources on 0.2% of the problem. Meanwhile millions of people are starving to death, dying from air pollution, or having their life expectancy reduced by eeconomic insecurity, but not a peep about any of it from the media or the covid panic warriors…

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Rasputin

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 9:26 pm

“People are so easily fooled” yes some people are and you are a prime example, looks like you will be staying at home for a long time to come, along with the other idiots. If you can find an airline to accept you there’s always Brazil, they don’t care, they’ve nothing to lose. Yesterday they recorded 71,000 new cases and 1900+ deaths in a 24 hour hour period and those figures are growing. To put these figures into perspective, the UK averaged over a week 7173 new cases and 291 deaths per 24 hour period. Enjoy you holiday.

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Sanuk

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 10:08 pm

Require Vaccine with five day quarantine (average incubation time) with Covid test upon release from quarantine. This seems like a logical and fair for the time being. Any quarantine period above five days is not going to generate tourism. May as well take baby steps towards reducing the quarantine time until you phase it out at some point.

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Thomas Gotschalk

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 11:01 pm

@Rasputin Thanks, I’d happily travel there with no regrets. I already had covid once, last year after the CNY celebrations in Yaowarat. (4-5 days with a light cold, nothing to write home about really)

Try to be a little less scared of life and enjoy it, live life instead of merely surviving.

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Roger Bruce

Friday, March 5, 2021 at 1:55 pm

Thai need vaccines it is not happening
I feel as vaccines cost money it will be years before Thais get vaccines to allow them to get a vaccine passport
If Thai,s are not vaccinated many countries will not allow tourists to Thailand anyway It is also possible new strains are resistant to vaccines anyway???
Good luck Thailand

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Maya Taylor

A seasoned writer, with a degree in Creative Writing. Over ten years' experience in producing blog and magazine articles, news reports and website content.

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