UK to Thailand...and back?

[Oliver2]

It is claimed that the UK Government -when or if it is eventually able to get its act together- is planning to lift quarantine requirements for visitors from a large number of countries. The Bangkok Post thinks that Thailand will be on the list, as it should be in view of its success in fighting the virus.

If this is true it's good news for those of us straining at the leash to return to our boyfriends . It may encourage the Thais to consider adding the UK and its vast tourist potential to favoured countries in a couple of months and, of course, any proposed trip to Thailand for me depended on being allowed back to my home without some form of imprisonment.

The full list was due to be released today; now it's intimated that it'll be tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

[Nirish guy]

Lets face it, if you were Thailand and were looking at our shitty number death numbers would YOU !!! :-( But lets hope as you say in a few months the changes for the better perhaps.

[Nirish guy]

The full list was due to be released today; now it's intimated that it'll be tomorrow..

Full list below as just published.....but remember that "for now" this is just the ENGLISH Government and not the full four nations all agreeing this list ( although Im guessing they'll all fall into line shortly and it's ridiculous that they couldn't all agree that at the one time anyway between themselves ! )

From 10 July 2020, unless they have visited or stopped in any other country or territory in the preceding 14 days, passengers arriving from the following countries and territories will not be required to self-isolate on arrival into England.

Andorra Germany New Zealand
Antigua and Barbuda Greece Norway
Aruba Greenland Poland
Australia Grenada Réunion
Austria Guadeloupe San Marino
Bahamas Hong Kong Serbia
Barbados Hungary Seychelles
Belgium Iceland South Korea
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Italy Spain
Croatia Jamaica St Barthélemy
Curaçao Japan St Kitts and Nevis
Cyprus Liechtenstein St Lucia
Czech Republic Lithuania St Pierre and Miquelon
Denmark Luxembourg Switzerland
Dominica Macau Taiwan
Faroe Islands Malta Trinidad and Tobago
Fiji Mauritius Turkey
Finland Monaco Vatican City
France Netherlands Vietnam
French Polynesia New Caledonia
Ireland is already exempt as part of the common travel area, as are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

In addition, we will be exempting the 14 British Overseas Territories.

This list may be added to over the coming days following further discussions between the UK and international partners.

Information for travel into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published in due course by the Devolved Administrations.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors#travel-corridors-countries-and-territories-exemption-list

[Manforallseasons]

Lets face it, if you were Thailand and were looking at our shitty number death numbers would YOU !!! :-( But lets hope as you say in a few months the changes for the better perhaps.


Not a chance but as crazy as it seems China is expected to be added to the list, also South Koreans, Singaporeans and Japanese.

[goji]

Not a chance but as crazy as it seems China is expected to be added to the list, also South Koreans, Singaporeans and Japanese.

South Korea and Japan are already on the list, just in case you missed it.

China and Singapore are not. Both countries have lower infection rates, so why would it be crazy to add them to the list ? The decisions should be made using data, not prejudice.

[gerefan2]

Thailand is not on the list. Official FCO List below...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

[Patanawet]

Thailand is not on the list. Official FCO List below...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

It certainly is now.

[Nirish guy]

??? Where - below is as taken from the UK Gov site at 23.45 on the 3rd July 20Coronavirus (COVID-19) and entering or returning to the UKIf you’re a resident or visitor travelling to the UK, you must:


provide your journey and contact details (https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk)
not leave the place you’re staying for the first 14 days you’re in the UK except in very limited situations (known as ‘self-isolating’)

https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control

[arsenal]

No it isn't and it might not be for quite some time. If Thailand opens up to China, which is likely and sensible considering China is almost clear then it's possible other countries will leave Thailand off their list of visitable countries. A political decision as much as anything else.

[arsenal]

A post on GB says it is on the list but not the one shown. So if it is, which list is it on?

[Oliver2]

Nil desperandum. The Telegraph (the voice of the Tory Party and defender -in chief of this benighted government) suggests that there may be other countries that will be added soon. It was originally reported that seventy-five were on the list so, if that's true, we can expect more.
It may be possible, of course, that it's the Thais saying that they don't want us. Which makes sense.

I'm still clutching at straws.

[Patanawet]

Part of list covering SE ASIA
Full list https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel

Coronavirus (COVID-19): countries and territories exempt from advice against ‘all but essential’ international travel
The FCO updated its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ travel, exempting destinations that no longer pose an unacceptably high risk for British travellers.
Asia-Pacific
Australia
Brunei
French Polynesia
Hong Kong
Japan
Macao
Malaysia
New Zealand
Taiwan
Thailand
Singapore
South Korea
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna

Thailand also mentioned on BBC World braoadcasts last night.
Of course, getting INTO Thailand is another matter.

[Oliver2]

I fear that this list may not be the "excused from quarantine" one, but consists of those countries which the FCO deems safe to visit. Not quite the same.However, one of the things that Johnson's crew will always be remembered for is confusion so who knows? I suspect that further cock-ups are in the pipe-line.

It has one benefit, namely that insurance for UK travellers to Thailand will not be automatically denied by some insurers.

[arsenal]

At this point it's difficult to imagine a second wave not happening with all these exemptions. Hope I'm wrong.

It might have been more sensible to remain closed and get everything up and running internally first. Also, people would be spending their holiday money in the UK rather than in another country.

[goji]

I fear that this list may not be the "excused from quarantine" one, but consists of those countries which the FCO deems safe to visit. Not quite the same.
Exactly. As you say, that is not the quarantine list.
One list covers quarantine exemption. Thailand is not on that list, so quarantine IS still required.
The other covers advice against travel. The UK government no longer advises against travel to Thailand.

I would recommend carefully reading both documents, but at the time of posting, both web pages are down. Were OK yesterday.


At this point it's difficult to imagine a second wave not happening with all these exemptions. Hope I'm wrong.
Exempting countries with a lower infection rate than the UK should not be a problem, but all the other general opening up of the economy is more likely to be problematic -e.g. Pubs
There is hope, as if we keep higher than normal levels of hygiene and wear masks in certain scenes, the spread of the disease should be slower than under previous conditions. Countries like Japan have not done too badly, with near normal economic activity and hygiene measures.

[Patanawet]

Yes indeed. Looks like another u-turn from Boris. He makes more u-turns than Prayut and Trump combined.
This from Bangkok Post:

LONDON: Travellers from Thailand arriving in England will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days, according to revised guidelines.

The updated guidelines published on the UK Government website late Friday list 59 countries and territories for which no quarantine will apply, starting from July 10.

The United States and China are not on the “travel corridors exemption list”, but neither is Thailand, despite earlier reports that it would be

[Nirish guy]

Johnson's crew will always be remembered for is confusion

Oh THAT there’s no doubt that’s for sure ! They’ve certainly made a total screw up of this whole travel list quarantine nonsense and would in face have been better just not bothering when gauging the benefit gained against the chaos caused !

I going forward a driving holiday in the south of France and Switzerland next week after numerous “unofficial” announcements to say the reciprocal quarantine rules with France would be cancelled on the 6th of July I booked my boat to arrive on the 9th to give them plenty of time to ease things in, only for the UK to now announce it’s actually the 10th as they couldn’t get organised enough to get the other 3 UK to all announce together at the same time.

So, I’m going anyway as it’s booked and it will now be interesting to see if the French police ALLOW us off the boat or insist we go into a 14 day quarantine on arrival ( whilst meanwhile letting people in then with no issue the very next day).

My only hope is that I see the French quarantine is classed as “voluntary” so as I was always taught “in life NEVER volunteer for ANYTHING” I think I’ll just politely decline their request and see how that goes ( or change my plan and drive to Belgium for a day instead as I believe “in transit” travel IS allowed.

But what a load of stupid unnecessary stress and all thanks to Boris and his boys not being able to get their acts together over one simple policy even.

[goji]

Yes indeed. Looks like another u-turn from Boris.

How do you deduce that ?

All I see is that the official UK government list differs from the earlier speculation in the Bangkok Post.
That does not constitute a U-turn.

On the other hand, requiring quarantine for people arriving from Thailand makes no sense at all, considering low reported infection rates in Thailand.

[gerefan2]

but all the other general opening up of the economy is more likely to be problematic -e.g. Pubs.

Who in their right mind would reopen pubs on a SATURDAY in July? Why not a Monday and allow things to settle down gently? After three months closure it makes no difference.

The powers that be should be extremely grateful that the weather is total crap and many will be spending the weekend at home, rather than getting totally pissed for the first time in 3 months and spreading the virus about.

[Nirish guy]

Who in their right mind would reopen pubs on a SATURDAY in July?

100% Right ! What NON drinker came up with THAT gem - as it MUST have been a non drinker and a non business owner that's for sure ! My local was a joke last night, they'd spent a ton of money on screens and dear knows what but still hadn't got it quite right in their own heads - so on the arrival of myself and 3 friends ( one a woman) they tried to herd us into the tiniest corner of the pub next to the pool table ( that was in use) - I suggested we could / should go to the EMPTY part of the bar ! but "oh no sir, social distancing, thems the rules" etc. I then bought a round and held up my card to pay "yeah, just give me your card there sir, the machines behind the bar here so I'll need to take off you (and hand it back again) - I could go on about a 3 ft screen and 20ft bar etc,,,,but wont....suffice to say it was a joke even though they were "trying".



powers that be should be extremely grateful that the weather is total crap and many will be spending the weekend at home, rather than getting totally pissed for the first time in 3 months and spreading the virus about.

Aye of beating the head off the bar man for "short measuring them" as "they're not stupid and they KNOW what a measure tastes like MATE" - forgetting that they've been at home free pouring probably doubles and trebles every drink for the last 3 months ! It's going to be a very interesting few weeks to come as everyone reverts to the "new normal" thats for sure !

[riverdee]

40.000 odd deaths reported but how many natural deaths would have occured in that time the word here in Scotland is many doctors wrote on death certificates was covid related to save on paper work and deaths were subsidised by the westminster goverment

[riverdee]

its a bloody shambolic system here in UK

[bkkguy]

40.000 odd deaths reported but how many natural deaths would have occured in that time the word here in Scotland is many doctors wrote on death certificates was covid related to save on paper work and deaths were subsidised by the westminster goverment

I am not quite sure what barrow your are trying to push here, but unless the situation in Scotland is radically different from the rest of the UK, the reality seems to indicate otherwise based on excess death numbers (the difference in the number of people who have died in a given week compared with the average number of deaths that occurred in the same period in the previous five years)


By week 20 of 2020 the UK death toll - inclusive of both Covid-related and non-Covid deaths - was 21% higher than the average of recent yearsCoronavirus excess deaths: UK has one of highest levels in Europe, The Guardian, 29 May, 2020 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/may/29/excess-deaths-uk-has-one-highest-levels-europe)

and more generally relating to death certificates


Last week, the ONS reported that undiagnosed Covid-19 could help explain many of the excess deaths. “It is possible that symptoms may not be apparent or that Covid-19 could be mistaken for illnesses with similar symptoms,” it said. “Some death certificates state that more information will be provided later, and some of these have since been updated to mention Covid-19. This supports the theory that Covid-19 is under-diagnosed at present on death certificates.”

It said underreporting could be due to people dying with a severe underlying conditions exacerbated by Covid-19, such as chronic lower respiratory disease, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The Guardian, 9 June, 2020 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/excess-deaths-in-uk-under-coronavirus-lockdown-pass-63000)

google it, there are lots of similar articles, but hopefully you have some non-anecdotal sources to share on Scotland doctors scamming the system because that would be interesting to read

[Nirish guy]

That very same story has been doing the rounds here too about Doctors signing people off who died from some normal everyday thing but may ( or may not !) have had some minor trace of Covid (or not) and if so the Doc's were signing off normal heart attacks ( as a random example ) as Covid related deaths - BUT whilst there are plenty of "stories" about that ( usually from the same people banging on about how it's all 5G thats killing people anyway) - there is very little ( ie NO actual proof) and surely it's not for us mere mortals to tell doctors that NO, they didn't die from Covid, even though it was that that weakened them and that lead to a heart attack anyway, surely they know best.

Plus people are forgetting - this is our OWN Doctors we're talking about, why over night should we suspect that the same Doctors that have looked after us for all these years are ALL automatically staring such practices - for what, for money ? Or to save on a bit of extra paperwork perhaps !? No, sorry I'm not buying that at all Im afraid.

Plus as has been said above the simple truth about that WILL come out ( if it hasn't already) when we look back at the normal usual death rates for the said periods compared to this years numbers and it wont be rocket science to see if theres an overall increase or not I guess.

[StevieWonders]

As I said a few weeks ago, anyone here who thinks they’ll be back in Thailand in calendar 2020 has rocks in their head

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/thailands-international-flights-may-not-restart-until-september/

https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/thailand-still-tepid-tourists-virus-fears-linger

[goji]

This paper identifies some correlation between Covid deaths and previous flu intensity.
Whilst that obviously needs more study before we can have much confidence in it, the data shows some correlation AND there are possible theoretical explanations for the correlation. e.g. Countries which have had less flu in the last couple of years have more frail people ready to be finished off by Covid.

https://insight.jbs.cam.ac.uk/2020/flu-and-coronavirus/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_content=%23COVID19

[siscu58]

As I said a few weeks ago, anyone here who thinks they’ll be back in Thailand in calendar 2020 has rocks in their head


I've just cancelled my August flight to Thailand (Thai borders closure) and my January 2021 flight (second Europe's Covid19 resurgence and subsequent lockdown). I hope some day we can have an effective vaccine. Otherwise Thailand holidays will be unlikely.

[christianpfc]

As I said a few weeks ago, anyone here who thinks they’ll be back in Thailand in calendar 2020 has rocks in their head

When I left in April, I was optimist to be able to come back in August. That seems improbable now. Fortunately I found other entertainment in Europe for August, and now hope to return to Thailand in September. If Myanmar opens before Thailand, I will go there.

Thailand heavily depends on tourists and there are two options: not letting tourists in and suffering from severe economical problems, or letting tourists in and having a few covid cases.

[gerefan2]

Whilst some countries in Europe looked dodgy (UK for example) they are beginning to pale into insignificance compared with the USA, South America and now India.
So God knows where Thailand is going now going to get its foreign tourists from unless they bite the bullet and accept the possibility of some Covid as Christian suggests.

[francois]

Thailand heavily depends on tourists and there are two options: not letting tourists in and suffering from severe economical problems, or letting tourists in and having a few covid cases.

Or perhaps a few thousand covid cases?

[Marc K]

Or perhaps having a few tens-of-thousands of cases??

Viral outbreaks are analogous to a spark in a parched forest. The resulting size and ferocity of the incipient forest fire is unpredictable. I don't think any country (including Thailand) would knowingly open its borders to probable "sparks" even though the economic hell which results might be (will be, already has been) quite severe. I'm in the US now (Hawaii) and since our country stupidly happy-talked while the virus was able to grab hold, I figure I'll be lucky if I can travel back to Thailand any time before the second half of 2021.

[a447]

Australians won't be travelling to Thailand soon, as the virus is now running riot again in Victoria.

This situation is partly due to the fact that certain security guards were having sex with some of the people in quarantine in a hotel!

My state, Western Australia, hasn't had a case of local transmission since April - only returnees are now responsible for bringing the virus in - but Thailand obviously won't decide on a state by state basis.

So next year it is. Maybe.

[latintopxxx]

...u dont think having 30,000 BLM crowds mingling didnt play a role...??

[a447]

...u dont think having 30,000 BLM crowds mingling didnt play a role...??

Maybe.

But those rallies were held all over Australia, including my home town, and yet the virus only resurfaced in Victoria.

The virus was brought in by people returning from overseas.

[Nirish guy]

This situation is partly due to the fact that certain security guards were having sex with some of the people in quarantine in a hotel!.

Wow, I didn’t know you’d taken up a new position as a security guard A447 ! As I’m guessing if there was a guilty party to uninhibited multiple cases of random shagging then that most probably was down to you there eh ! :/)

[a447]

Lol

I'd have to turn straight and there's absolutely no chance of that!

However, many of the security guards were handsome horny Indians and if I could have traveled to Victoria, I'd have turned up at the hotel with my fingers crossed!

[Nirish guy]

I could have traveled to Victoria, I'd have turned up at the hotel with my fingers crossed!

Unlike your legs I'm guessing !!! :)