Tourism

Medical chief in favour of re-opening borders, calls zero cases target unrealistic

Published

7 months ago

Friday, October 9, 2020

Maya Taylor

PHOTO: Erik Odiin on Unsplash

A senior Thai medical professional has confirmed he’s in favour of Thailand re-opening its borders, saying attempting to maintain zero cases of Covid-19 is “unrealistic”. Somsak Akksilp, from the Department of Medical Services, insists the country is adequately prepared in the event of a resurgence of the virus and, with no date set for vaccine availability, the country must move on.

“We cannot afford to maintain zero cases forever. We need to re-open the country. The country must move forward, and people have jobs to do. This means we may have to see a small number of infections, but if we work together to prevent them, the country will be able to achieve a balance between public health and the economy.”

Somsak is confident the nation’s hospitals have enough beds to treat Covid-19 patients if necessary, adding that the public can have faith in the country’s healthcare system.

“We have upgraded our medical system. We won the first round because of the trust between the people and doctors. We believe we will get through this.”

He was speaking as the Public Health Ministry seeks to reduce the quarantine period for foreign tourists to 10 days initially and, if that proves successful, to 7 days for arrivals from “low-risk” countries. However, Interior Minister, Anupong Paojinda, says more research is required before this can happen.

The chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation echoes Somsak’s claim that Thailand can handle a fresh outbreak of Covid-19. Sophon Mekthon says there are sufficient supplies of PPE and Thailand has the ability to produce more if necessary.

The Bangkok Post reports that the Department of Disease Control says it has the necessary manpower to control the spread of the virus. It’s understood the DDC plans to triple the 1,000 rapid investigation teams currently in place, in order to curtail any potential spread of the virus and reduce the death rate to below 1.4%.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Thailand’s first tourists in over 6 months, scheduled to take place in Phuket this week, has been pushed back. A group of 120 Chinese visitors arriving under the Special Tourist Visa scheme were supposed to land yesterday, but their much-anticipated arrival has been delayed, for reasons that are not entirely clear.

Officials have been vague on the delay, at one point blaming paperwork issues associated with the STV, but later saying the delay was to avoid deterring anxious Thai tourists from travelling to Phuket for the Vegetarian Festival. Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand insists the foreign visitors will arrive by the end of the month.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

Want more from the Thaiger family?

📱 Download our app on Android or iOS for instant updates on your mobile
📧 Subscribe to our daily email newsletter
👍 Like/Follow us on Facebook
🔔 Subscribe to or Join our YouTube channel for daily video updates

25 Comments

Paul

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:42 am

Finally.. we see a break through.. Of course this is the most logic thing to do. We can not live in a bubble for ever. The rest of the world is moving on.

Reply
patty

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:47 am

Finally, someone with common sense. Whether the idiot Prayut will listen or not is a different story. Probably not as he has his muppet doctor from the CCSA

Reply
- Brian Dunbar
  
  Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:53 am
  
  My sentiments exactly!! If this virus is going to be around for a long time, it is time to accept that and get things going again even though it may be too late.
  
  Reply
Issan John

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:58 am

I agree with him that “zero cases” has to be over-optimistic, and that there has to be a “balance”, but that doesn’t necessarily mean reducing quarantine.

Thailand’s got it right so far and, for once, is showing that its policies are among the best in the world – let’s hope greed and the selfish few don’t betray that and cost people their lives.

Reply
- Andre
  
  Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 12:10 am
  
  How come so many Thais from sars-cov-2 free Thailand arrive in Japan testing positive for Covid-19? It cannot be that there actually is local transmissions going on? Might have been going on all the time since the first person outside of China tested positive for the virus in Thailand? The climate conditions in Thailand if very favorable in regards to corona virus survival.
  
  Reply
Don R

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:58 am

Sounds sensible, but I’ve lost all hope in Asia as a tourist destination in the near future. Even if borders opened by the end of the year, most of the dystopian policies, irrational fear, and distrust will remain for years. It simply won’t be a pleasant place to visit for many years.

The damage is already done, and the fear of covid has been programmed into the population. Perhaps in a few years, a new crisis will grab people’s attention, and they’ll gradually start to forget about covid. Maybe an economic crisis that brings real hardship, as opposed to a flu virus that mostly effects the elderly…

Reply
murika

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 10:01 am

they clearly say they sacrifice 1.4 % of their population for money, about 1 millions people, and it’s in the best case scenario. meanwhile 20% gdp lost will not kill 1 million people, it’s a sacrifice for the god of money, meanwhile their is banana, coconut, manioc, fish, wild chicken, and many other free food all over the jungle of the country, nobody starve here, this is motivated by money and pushed by the billionaires hotels owners who don’t care for a millions lives

Reply
- Fabian
  
  Friday, October 9, 2020 at 1:00 pm
  
  They clearly say they have a plan to keep the death rate below 1,4%. That means that out of 1000 people with Covid a maximum of 14 people will die (1,4% is already high, they can go much lower still).
  
  You suggest *everyone* would get Covid, which is very unrealistic. That hasn’t happened in any country yet.
  
  Reply
  - murika
    
    Friday, October 9, 2020 at 2:07 pm
    
    did i miss something or the virus has stopped spreading ? at the rate it mutate it will at one point reach everyone of us, because immunity will not happened. Unless a vaccine is found witch is highly unprobeable again because of the mutation rate of it. the famous french professor Raoult a world renown epidemiologist just said a few days ago that a new mutated strain with is much more aggressive has just been identified, their is a reason all those borders are closed, it’s not because polics are bad persons and enjoy make it citizen suffer like a lot of people claim, AND actually the global death rate is more close to 4%, witch would mean more than 2 millions thai people death, only thai governement comes with a make up number of 1.7%, based on what study ? are holidays more important ?
    
    Reply
    - Fabian
      
      Friday, October 9, 2020 at 2:44 pm
      
      You make all kinds of doom assumptions. I can say it’s just as likely what we all because we are all killing the planet (not too many people seem worried about that).
      
      Professor Raoult said the new virus strain spreads more easily but the mortality rate is lower. That could actually be a good thing because maybe that way many people develop immunity against a more dangerous strain too (although I’m not sure about this).
      
      That 4% is completely false.
      
      “Fauci and other public health experts have since put the COVID-19 death rate at about 0.6% — six times that of a typical flu season — which is the latest CDC projection.”
      
      The number is getting lower and lower because the treatment is getting better and better.
      
      Reply
    - Jayce
      
      Friday, October 9, 2020 at 9:00 pm
      
      You’re making the classic mistake of confusing case fatality rate with infection fatality rate.
      The infection fatality rate (I.e. people who get infected but don’t turn into a hospitalized case) has a lot lower mortality than even the 1.4% mentioned.
      
      The case fatality rate might be 1.4% but can’t be applied to the total population as only 30% (depending on the country’s age composition) of the total population would be at higher risk of becoming a hospitalized case…
      
      Reply
      - murika
        
        Friday, October 9, 2020 at 11:36 pm
        
        CLOSED CASES
        28,849,016 Cases which had an outcome:
        27,779,592 (96%) Recovered / Discharged
        
        1,069,424 (4%) Deaths
      - Jayce
        
        Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 6:27 pm
        
        Murika, you’re basically reinforcing my point with those numbers: they are CASE fatality rates, it says so in the name when you say closed CASES.
        
        The INFECTION fatality rate is much much lower than that
- Albert Zweistein
  
  Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 5:25 am
  
  No nobody starve here but soon the banks will start knocking on doors to collect the unpaid loans for cars and credit card debts.
  
  Reply
Toby Andrews

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 10:41 am

They do not want tourists – that is up to them, but the property market will collapse.
Investment will cease. foreign money will flee.
They will become a pariah country, shunned by business.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaya, and Laos, will take what was once Thailands.

Reply
- TS
  
  Friday, October 9, 2020 at 11:10 am
  
  and the baht will collape??
  
  Reply
  - alkor
    
    Friday, October 9, 2020 at 2:59 pm
    
    It will as 1GBP will be at 50THB in the near future….
    
    Reply
- Don R
  
  Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:06 pm
  
  I agree that Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar are well positioned to steal Thailand’s massive tourist market. However, this assumes they don’t share the irrational fear of the virus that Thais have.
  
  As for Malaysia, there’s zero chance they’ll open to tourists. Malaysia is already much wealthier than Thailand. Surveys show Malaysians have the highest level of Rona fear of almost any country in the world.
  
  Vietnam too seems unlikely to open, as fear of the virus runs deep there.
  
  IMO, Asia is finished as a tourist destination. They’re not backing down from the fear campaign, which means even when things open it will be an unpleasant place to visit.
  
  Reply
Nipral

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 11:48 am

In any case the coming high season and at least the next one are lost for Thailand.
This brainless government has ample time to select comities, sub-comities, sub-sub-comities
to design more moronic schemes that make our joy reading but will never work.
Thailand is to be forgotten for international tourism for many years to come.
Hotels, restaurants, retailers, manufacturers etc… will suffer countless bankruptcies,
the economy will collapse, people will keep starving.
And the zero case stupid and unrealistic objective will never be reached.
Thai excellence !!!

Reply
- Don R
  
  Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:10 pm
  
  Agreed. Time to look for greener pastures. And I think it’s long over due.
  
  Reply
viktor

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 3:47 pm

can someone enlighten me on the following:
during the so called corona time over 6 month,
about 60 people have died and the country
has closed all borders….yet in one weekend alone
59 people died in raod accidents, but no closure
of any roads, to protect people, has been ordered.
if the death toll on roads accidents os by far greater
then the death toll of influencia, why is the goverment
not able to use the same meassures to ensure road safety ?

Reply
- Don R
  
  Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:13 pm
  
  Because the media doesn’t hammer fear of traffic accidents into people’s heads non-stop for 9 month straight, thus people tolerate the risk and pack a whole family of 4 onto a 120cc motorbike.
  
  Same thing with tobacco which kills 7 million every year.
  
  Reply
Thomas

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 3:49 pm

How come? Running out of money? Remember only Farang dirty, not the money. The only places without Covid are a few island nations and North Korea, and of course Thailand. Nothing is low risk; ever crossed a street in Bangkok on foot? That scares me, not the virus.

Reply
wendy rigotti

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 10:15 pm

we are in the usa and have been in lock down at home since we got back from Thailand in early march.we own a house in hua hin and are trying our hardest to get back. we have no problem with quarentine testing or down loading apps to phone .please let us back in.we have a large bank account in bank of bangkok and want to buy 2 scooters and a car as soon as we can .

Reply
west tiger

Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 1:18 am

The country needs to open quick to save the economy and save the country

Reply

Up Next

Foreign Ministry to work with Tourism Authority to speed up entry paperwork for foreigners

Don't Miss

Mr ‘Phuket Seasted’ is back with his Crypto Cruise Ship

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.

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Multi-day traditional Thai funerals shortened for Covid-19 safety

Published

34 mins ago

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Neill Fronde

FILE PHOTO: Traditional Thai Buddhist funerals need to be shortened for Covid-19 safety.

Traditional funerals in Thailand last several days with ceremonies and mourning before the eventual cremation of the lost loved one. But with the rising death toll of Covid-19, funeral ceremonies have needed to be revised and shortened for the safety of attendees. With infections in Thailand catapulting from 29,000 in early April to 74,900 as of yesterday, funerals have to adapt to account for not only handling the remains of someone who died from Covid-19 but also infected mourners attending the funerals.

Traditional Buddhist funerals involve family members, friends, and often the local community joining together to offer condolences, pray, share meals, and view the body, placing flowers on the dead loved one before they are moved into an incinerator for cremation. Family members often sleep in the temple where the ceremony takes place, staying on-site for several days. But in the Covid-19 era, services need to be shortened and socially distanced, with family members that do come close to the dead body requiring disinfection and possibly isolation afterwards. Volunteers in full PPE protection gear often remove the casket from an ambulance moving it straight to the crematorium rather than allowing it to lie in repose first.

Siam-Nonthaburi Foundation is a volunteer group that is assisting people to conduct safe funeral services for those who may be unable to afford them. They work with the Nontha Buri temple of Wat Rat Prakong Tham just outside of central Bangkok to arrange free cremation services. Foundation officials pointed out they’re often handling 4 funerals per day because of Covid-19 when they usually only conduct 1 each day. They have to take severe Covid-19 precautions as it is a high-risk endeavour.

After assisting with many funerals and helping with Covid-19 safety, they advised maximum caution especially with older family members as the majority of the funerals they conduct were for the elderly.

Thailand has now had 315 death from Covid-19, with the third wave spreading faster and deadlier due to the B.117 variant that first appeared in evening entertainment venues in Bangkok and other hot spots. Yesterday the first recorded infection with the Brazilian variant was identified in Thailand, but in an arriving passenger who went into immediate quarantine, so there is hope that the strain has not made it into any communities yet.

With a difficult-to-control Covid-19 pandemic and Thai funeral traditions bringing people in close proximity to each other and to the deceased, precautions and revision of tradition has been necessary to speed services into the cremation process far more quickly.

SOURCE: France 24

Want more from the Thaiger family?

Protests

Activist lawyer contracts Covid-19 in prison

Published

1 hour ago

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Neill Fronde

PHOTO: Activiets lawyer Arnon Nampa has been infected with Covid-19 in prison. (via Wikimedia)

Arnon Nampa, an activist lawyer in jail without bail since February on lese majeste charges has been infected with Covid-19, according to his Facebook page. An anonymous source at the Corrections Department confirmed with Reuters that Arnon had tested positive yesterday and has been sent to the prison hospital for treatment. The department later released a press statement confirming the activist he had Covid-19.

Held without bail for more than 3 months, Arnon has been a leader in the pro-democracy demonstration calling for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, along with a revision of power for the Thai royal family. The protests had gained momentum last summer and still maintain widespread support though the government has cracked down on marches and demonstrations. They have discouraged political dissent by using the lese majeste law, which carries harsh penalties of up to 15 years in jail for anyone who insults royalty in Thailand.

Arnon, who is 36 years old, confirmed this morning he was being taken to the Medical Correctional Hospital in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok. He has been a key legal advisor who helped activists voice a push for reform that was previously unspeakable in Thailand. Once only whispered in private conversations, the call for reform has now been thrust into the spotlight by student protests.

Thailand has seen several outbreaks of Covid-19 within the prison system throughout the country. Clusters in Narathiwat that later spread to Surat Thani prisons as well, and outbreaks in larger prisons in Chiang Mai and Bangkok have recorded about 475 coronavirus infections within prison walls.

The jailed attorney is one of many protesters and activist leaders who have been held for weeks or months without bail on lese majeste charges. 22 year olds Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul are both on a hunger strike to protest being denied bail multiple times. Penguin was hospitalized last week after his health condition worsened, and there are reports that his trial may be delayed after the activist was exposed to Covid-19 by being held in a cell with a prisoner later confirmed to be infected.

SOURCE: Reuters and Coconuts

Want more from the Thaiger family?

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

COVID Update: 1,911 new infections, provincial totals

Published

1 hour ago

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Tanutam Thawan

Photo via Facebook/ศูนย์ข้อมูล COVID-19

1,911 new Covid-19 infections and 18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 76,811 Covid-19 infections and 336 virus-related deaths.

There are now 29,680 active cases. 1,073 patients are in critical condition including 356 on ventilators. The majority of the recent deaths were elderly patients. 12 of the 18 patients who died had contracted the virus from family members. A spokesperson for the CCSA says it’s important that family members be extra cautious around grandparents and elderly relatives who are the most at risk of infection.

Province	New cases	Total since April 1
Bangkok	739	16,048
Nonthaburi	273	2,831
Samut Prakan	143	2,737
Chon Buri	76	3,039
Samut Sakhon	65	1,230
Surat Thani	53	975
Nakhon Pathom	47	717
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya	35	575
Chachoengsao	35	402
Pathum Thani	31	1,060
Nakhon Si Thammarat	31	498