News Forum - Are tourists flooding back to Thailand? | GMT

[Marc26]

6 hours ago, Soidog said:

Yes that’s fine and suits you as an individual. I just think for the majority of people coming from a country in Europe, it will feel like stepping back 3-6 months in to the pandemic and hence will feel at least odd and at worse frustrating.
 

Would you go to a place where the reviews are saying it’s restrictive, bars closing depending on how the local police feel that day, frustrating and an odd feeling to the place.  I still think that unless you have a reason to visit Thailand this year, then there are much better options closer to home. 

100% I agree with you

 

My wife is in Thailand now and she says it's the most worried she's been about getting covid since it started 

 

I will be in Thailand for 6 weeks and the only reason I am going is to see my stepson

I wouldn't go as a tourist, no

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, Manu said:

Good for you. Personally it bothers me a great deal.

Firstly, that adults wish to be stupid, fine with me. But to force tiny kids to wear it even when there is anybody around on the beach or else, to me it is an abomination.

Secondly, I never wear one apart from the rare occasions where I really must go to a shop (I usually send my partner). I personally genuinely and honestly cannot breath with it and it gives me almost instant rashes, even worse when it is really hot. Everyone knows each other here, all restaurants and most shops do not care if you arrive unmasked even when they do wear it themselves, which is quasi all of them of course as they have to as businesses. 3 months ago, it was a little different but since we almost all got covid anyway since, it is even more useless than ever and people start to realise that.

As I said, I don't wear a mask outside and pretty much haven't since about the summer of 2020

 

If I am in a store wearing one and then have to walk to another one, I just keep it on

 

The only thing I don't agree with you us if you go into a busy where they have to wear masks, I think you should as well, out of respect for them

[Manu]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

As I said, I don't wear a mask outside and pretty much haven't since about the summer of 2020

If I am in a store wearing one and then have to walk to another one, I just keep it on

The only thing I don't agree with you us if you go into a busy where they have to wear masks, I think you should as well, out of respect for them

Busy? Jungle island here, that means nothing…. Not that it makes any difference,… omicron came in, we are all having it, most of us already (love to understand natural immunity), no need for masks, useless and painful. Well  I don’t wear it and never go to places (not completely true) where I have to pretend there is any respect for that knowing actually some respect for me for not doing so.

[Marc26]

33 minutes ago, Manu said:

Busy? Jungle island here, that means nothing…. Not that it makes any difference,… omicron came in, we are all having it, most of us already (love to understand natural immunity), no need for masks, useless and painful. Well  I don’t wear it and never go to places (not completely true) where I have to pretend there is any respect for that knowing actually some respect for me for not doing so.

I look at it as common decency

 

If staff has to wear it, I will show them the respect to wear it as well

 

As I mentioned before, we went to Mexico with a mask mandate, we wore them in Cancun

But on the small island where no locals were, we did not wear masks

[TheDirtyDurian]

Flew in earlier today and currently drinking a fine vodka on the rocks.

 

Completely anecdotal, but I'd say the flight was about 80% full, but the airport generally is dead. Walked straight up to immigration with no queueing, hardly anyone there. Likewise no one around at the TP checkpoint. Baggage reclaim, I think our flight was the only one at the time. 

Anyways, the nurse called a couple of hours ago and gave me my negative result. So the gamble has paid off and I can focus on my family and forgetting work for the next month. 

 

[Marc26]

9 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Flew in earlier today and currently drinking a fine vodka on the rocks.

 

Completely anecdotal, but I'd say the flight was about 80% full, but the airport generally is dead. Walked straight up to immigration with no queueing, hardly anyone there. Likewise no one around at the TP checkpoint. Baggage reclaim, I think our flight was the only one at the time. 

Anyways, the nurse called a couple of hours ago and gave me my negative result. So the gamble has paid off and I can focus on my family and forgetting work for the next month. 

Congrats! Good result

 

I will be there in 19 days, hopefully with same result

[JamesR]

On 4/7/2022 at 6:08 AM, Soidog said:

100% spot on! The Thais still don’t understand the basics of this virus. They still think it’s about controlling numbers and then they can open. Well carry on, and when you do the deaths will go back up. How can they be so blind ? I guess if they can hold on until a new government is formed then they can blame them when things go wrong. You never know, may even justify another coup if Covid deaths increase. 

I don't think the government is blind but they cannot force the mostly uneducated Thais who refuse to have any vaccine as they have read it is dangerous. 

[Soidog]

4 minutes ago, JamesR said:

I don't think the government is blind but they cannot force the mostly uneducated Thais who refuse to have any vaccine as they have read it is dangerous. 

This is part of the problem for sure. There are so many scare stories and “alternative Thai herbal treatments” going around in the rural villages. I’m not sure what efforts the government has made to get the message across to such people? I did hear of local doctors and nurses visiting villages in the early days of vaccination, but this seems to have gone quiet over the past few months.  

[JamesR]

On 4/7/2022 at 4:45 AM, Manu said:

You are obviously not in Thailand. If your assumption is based on 20000+ "cases" (ha ha ha) in Thailand vs 1 million in a week in the UK (pointless number, mass testing is just as useless than mass vaccination as the numbers below are showing clearly), then you should do some rethinking.

Firstly, I have described a few times what is happening around me the past 2/3 months. I very doubt it is just happening here and not everywhere in Thailand, people I know in other places in Thailand confirm that indeed it is. Basically, it is now easier here where I am to count people who have NOT had covid the past 2/3 months. We pratically ALL got it, including myself. And indeed with the same symptoms you describe, and that includes 3 people I know personally who are NOT vaccinated by the way. Omicron entered Thailand end of December,how would it not be everywhere by now as it happened everywhere worlwide? Well simply cause it is. If Thailand was to do the same pointless mass testing as you still do in the UK, garanteed the number of "cases" would be very similar.

Secondly, numbers...

Thailand completed vaccinaton: 71.96%  (https://covidvax.live/location/tha)

UK completed vaccination: 72.59% (https://covidvax.live/location/gbr)

Thailand covid deaths April 5: 91

UK covid deaths April 5: 368

Yes, only one way, live your life and stop worrying too much about covid, there are multitudes of other ways to die. Keep your mask on and social distancing if it makes you happy and let everyone else do as they wish. But FFS, please stop spreading your fearmonging, keep it to yourself, nobody is listening to this narrative anymore.

That was a bit or a rant, as usual putting words into other people's mouths.

You said, "Yes, only one way, live your life and stop worrying too much about covid, there are multitudes of other ways to die."

In case you didn't know we are fully open in the UK, you are the ones in lockdown in Thailand, so "go and live your life", but that might might mean you going to an open country, not a closed one like Thailand.

 

 

[Manu]

22 hours ago, JamesR said:

That was a bit or a rant, as usual putting words into other people's mouths.

You said, "Yes, only one way, live your life and stop worrying too much about covid, there are multitudes of other ways to die."

In case you didn't know we are fully open in the UK, you are the ones in lockdown in Thailand, so "go and live your life", but that might might mean you going to an open country, not a closed one like Thailand.

Get back to your original comment. A rant? Yeah I am going back there next month for a couple of months, in wales. Not sure honestly what you are on about. Take care regardless.

[JamesR]

On 4/9/2022 at 5:27 PM, Manu said:

Get back to your original comment. A rant? Yeah I am going back there next month for a couple of months, in wales. Not sure honestly what you are on about. Take care regardless.

Wales?

Ok now I understand why you are not a happy man. 

[Manu]

7 hours ago, JamesR said:

Wales?

Ok now I understand why you are not a happy man. 

I am French but that works the same I guess … great that you all come out with only prejudice cliche… anything else? Give me your idea of happiness while you are at it, sounds great.

[Poolie]

4 minutes ago, Manu said:

I am French but that works the same I guess … great that you all come out with only prejudice cliche… anything else? Give me your idea of happiness while you are at it, sounds great.

Happiness is anything except Wales. Have you been to Port Talbut?

[Manu]

38 minutes ago, Poolie said:

Happiness is anything except Wales. Have you been to Port Talbut?

Yeah he he… everyone knows Port Toilet in South Wales, crazy stinky town, but I have also been to slough, reading, didcott and many other beautiful Uk sites, all I saw is happy everywhere, beautiful. And I mean it.

[JamesR]

4 hours ago, Manu said:

I am French but that works the same I guess … great that you all come out with only prejudice cliche… anything else?

Give me your idea of happiness while you are at it, sounds great.

Happiness.......not having to go to Wales. 

[Fanta]

On 4/9/2022 at 12:35 AM, JamesR said:

I don't think the government is blind but they cannot force the mostly uneducated Thais who refuse to have any vaccine as they have read it is dangerous. 

My missus gets all her news from Fakebook and consequently refuses to get the vaccine. I’ve begged and pleaded to no avail. I care about her so in shopping centers I enforce social distancing by pointing at her and saying “Covid, Covid!” Very effective. I’ve never seen such a fuss over a flu shot. On the bright side it’s been hot lately so the constant cold shoulder saves on using the aircon.  

[Poolie]

14 minutes ago, Fanta said:

My missus gets all her news from Fakebook and consequently refuses to get the vaccine. I’ve begged and pleaded to no avail. I care about her so in shopping centers I enforce social distancing by pointing at her and saying “Covid, Covid!” Very effective. I’ve never seen such a fuss over a flu shot. On the bright side it’s been hot lately so the constant cold shoulder saves on using the aircon.  

You might be saving money but how long for the scars to heal?

[Fanta]

4 minutes ago, Poolie said:

You might be saving money but how long for the scars to heal?

As long as she never learns about my life insurance and I hand over her monthly allowance that she never ever spends on gambling, I’ll remain “safe”. 

[Poolie]

4 minutes ago, Fanta said:

As long as she never learns about my life insurance and I hand over her monthly allowance that she never ever spends on gambling, I’ll remain “safe”. 

You know what they say about over-confidence?

[Fanta]

5 minutes ago, Poolie said:

You know what they say about over-confidence?

It’s no substitute for constant vigilance? Message understood. 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

On 4/5/2022 at 9:25 AM, Thaiger said:

Are Tourists flooding back to Thailand?

NO !  ……..

They are waiting for the Rainy Season !