Brits To Be Barred Entry To Thailand

[Manforallseasons]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2044975/british-visitors-to-be-barred-from-entry


The Ministry of Public Health will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to defer the entry of British visitors to the country after the fast-spreading B117 strain of Covid-19 was found in four British nationals entering Thailand on Dec 21.

[Nirish guy]

So much for all the hoop jumping that they were already insisting on including multiple tests before before departure and on arrival etc, it seems now that that whole scheme is all up in the air again and not worth pursing anymore. Lets hope none of our ( other) UK members were already mid process with paperwork and tests etc ;-(

[cdnmatt]

What's the point? To delay the inevitable?

That strain of the virus was first detected back in Sept, and has surfaced in many countries now. How is stopping travel from the UK going to help anything?

Cat's already out of the bag on this one. Well, unless you do like Laos, and shut your borders to every country.

[Zebedee]

To make matters worse there's talk that the new South African strain could be resistant to the vaccines, and it is now the predominant strain in South Africa replacing the original.
Yes the UK strain is more infectious, but is still believed to be susceptible to the vaccines... we hope!

[bkkguy]

obviously MFAS has the same lack of understanding of the meaning of simple expressions like "will ask" and "to defer" as the Bangkok Post headline editors do

[goji]

unless you do like Laos, and shut your borders to every country.

The Laos border might officially be shut, but quite a few people from Laos have still crossed the border.

[Marc K]

Lets hope none of our ( other) UK members were already mid process with paperwork and tests etc ;-(

Indeed. Let's hope we all exhibit some common sense. We have to defeat this enemy and we are not going to do it by hopscotching around the world. Let's be sensible guys, and ride this thing out. The more seriously we abide by the short-term inconveniences, the quicker the vaccine will have a chance to get pumped into people's arms and the scene should begin to lighten.

Anyway is it worth pining for a Pattaya which clearly no longer exists? It may come back, again, in a new form, let's hope.

[StevieWonders]

Indeed. Let's hope we all exhibit some common sense. We have to defeat this enemy and we are not going to do it by hopscotching around the world. Let's be sensible guys, and ride this thing out. The more seriously we abide by the short-term inconveniences, the quicker the vaccine will have a chance to get pumped into people's arms and the scene should begin to lighten.

Anyway is it worth pining for a Pattaya which clearly no longer exists? It may come back, again, in a new form, let's hope.
“Common sense” is one of the least common things on the planet.

[Nirish guy]

Whilst I dont disagree with the overall idea there Marc it is a maybe a tad unfair perhaps to suggest that those who do / did travel lack common sense. When in fact those who travelled stringently followed each and every Government rule and requirement to the letter and more and were probably repeatedly tested now way more than they ever would have wished for.

If so the after taking all of those (presumably) negative tests, over an extended period of time, JUST to travel and THEN also quarantining on arrival then surely they cant really be classed as lacking in common sense (assuming you meant our members there perhaps). Whilst their choice to go may have seemed a bit crazy to some ( not to me) but in terms of infecting others I doubt it was that "risky" I would have thought.

As the intent wasn't just some quick one week holiday in the Costa's and home again but them away for several weeks or months to escape the UK winter I doubt there trip caused to much harm perhaps in the bigger scheme of things.

And I guess whilst we all and should be responsible for our own actions as the Government allowed travel at all then they must have thought it ok as well .....you would like to think ???

[goji]

My decision to travel to Thailand was sensible and responsible.

The only time I went out in the week before travelling was for some rural walks and to get a covid test. When going to the covid test centre, I noticed many irresponsible people crowding into shops to buy tat which they mostly do not need.
Upon arriving in Thailand, I responsibly served my time in quarantine, with 2 further tests.

I'm now in a country with a relatively low level of covid infections and so far, the restrictions are not a problem for me.
Of the thousands who have travelled here and done quarantine, there is, as far as I know, not a single known case of covid transmission in the community. The problem stems from uncontrolled illegal immigration, without quarantine.

[Manforallseasons]

My decision to travel to Thailand was sensible and responsible.

The only time I went out in the week before travelling was for some rural walks and to get a covid test. When going to the covid test centre, I noticed many irresponsible people crowding into shops to buy tat which they mostly do not need.
Upon arriving in Thailand, I responsibly served my time in quarantine, with 2 further tests.

I'm now in a country with a relatively low level of covid infections and so far, the restrictions are not a problem for me.
Of the thousands who have travelled here and done quarantine, there is, as far as I know, not a single known case of covid transmission in the community. The problem stems from uncontrolled illegal immigration, without quarantine.

Well you’ve also taken yourself from a country where you are assured of getting the vaccine to Thailand where your chances of getting the vaccine in the foreseeable future are highly unlikely.

[StevieWonders]

My decision to travel to Thailand was sensible and responsible.Do tell the fabulously gay activities you’ve been undertaking in Pattaya, or are you merely increasing your Vitamin D intake?

[Zebedee]

The Covid-19 virus and its variants are "in charge" at the moment, we are "simply" attempting to control its spread... and not with great success. There was always a risk involved in travelling from one country to another in the height of this pandemic whether one conforms to all the travel requirements or not. I would say that risk has now increased given the emergence of the two latest variants . If the South African mutation does indeed prove to be resistant to the vaccines and spreads, well I would not like to be in a foreign country. Get out while you can would be my two cents worth.

[arsenal]

Doesn't make for happy reading. If the vaccines don't work on the new strains then all bets are off. The suggestion is that there may be many new strains already in circulation.

https://www.politico.eu/article/the-south-african-covid-19-variant-what-we-know-so-far/

[StevieWonders]

Doesn't make for happy reading. If the vaccines don't work on the new strains then all bets are off. The suggestion is that there may be many new strains already in circulation. When the pandemic first started we had numerous headless chickens (including on SGT) asserting that we would “never” find a vaccine - they particularly cited HIV in support of their hysterical posts. Yet here we are, vaccine needles at the ready. While no Dr Pangloss myself, I’m confident (and always have been) that human ingenuity will overcome this pandemic - while the next one will come as much of a surprise as this one did.

[StevieWonders]

A number of experts speak their minds - https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-the-south-african-variant/
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55534727

[Moggy]

If (deleted) British farang are banned from entering Thailand will it also be applied to the not for profit AstraZeneca's Oxford Covid-19 vaccine I wonder

[Zebedee]

Each to his own of course, but if it were my health and welfare at risk I'd rather err on the side of caution than rely on assurances.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0lOtdvqyg

[goji]

Well you’ve also taken yourself from a country where you are assured of getting the vaccine to Thailand where your chances of getting the vaccine in the foreseeable future are highly unlikely.
Even my parents don't have an appointment for the vaccine yet. By the time my turn comes, I may well have spent 3 months in Thailand, flown home and had several weeks at home. If there is a flight to go home on. If not, life is OK here.

[Blueskytoday]

I would assume foreigners would not be able to obtain the vaccine in Thailand ,,and if so....would be the last to be able to get it????

[Manforallseasons]

I would assume foreigners would not be able to obtain the vaccine in Thailand ,,and if so....would be the last to be able to get it????

So far the government claims to have secured a relatively small amount of the vaccine from the U.K. and China (seeing is believing). In the future when a vaccine is available in Thailand only a very small amount has been spoken for.....2,000,000 doses from China...26,000,000 ( 2 doses meaning 13 million people)....Thailand’s population is 80 million +.......If it is available at private hospitals I think foreigners will be able to get it for a price.

https://pattayaone.news/soon-35m-more-vaccine-doses-on-the-way/

[christianpfc]

The more seriously we abide by the short-term inconveniences...
I had an idea months ago: A worldwide* lockdown** for two weeks (maybe announced one week ahead so everyone can go home) would eradicate most of the virus. Intead, a lockdown here, a lockdown there.

*and afterwards prohibit travel or quarantine travelers from areas where a lockdown cannot be controlled/guaranteed/relied on like in failed states

**that would entail cancellation of all flights and travel across international borders, as do don't need to fly or travel across a boarder to shop for groceries or go to see a doctor

[goji]

1 I thought Thailand was going to be manufacturing the Oxford vaccine. If so, they should crack on with it and make it in serious volume. India will have made 200 million doses of the same Oxford vaccine by the end of this month.

2 A worldwide lockdown would need to be more than 2 weeks. If we could isolate every single person to one room perhaps just over 2 weeks would do, but since we can't do that, it would need to be much longer. The time for that passed long ago.

[StevieWonders]

1 I thought Thailand was going to be manufacturing the Oxford vaccine. If so, they should crack on with it and make it in serious volume. India will have made 200 million doses of the same Oxford vaccine by the end of this month.Yes and no, goji. Per the following story 200 million doses will be manufactured locally - mainly for export. Why waste money on the locals when there’s more money to be made from the suffering of foreigners. I see that in the context of Marc K’s “the Thai spirit of cooperation”:

https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thai-firm-joins-astrazeneca-make-covid-19-vaccine-southeast-asia

[StevieWonders]

If it is available at private hospitals I think foreigners will be able to get it for a price. As I posted on December 30:
“ One "enterprising" Thai hospital was selling future vaccinations at something like 10 times their cost from the manufacturer last week. Their enterprise was shut down on the weekend by the Thai government, not on the basis that it was unethical but because no vaccines have yet been approved for use in Thailand.

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/th...103500452.html “

[Nirish guy]

It seems the powers to be in Thailand have now confirmed that actually no restrictions have been imposed against travelling to Thailand from the UK after all “as Thailand's strict Covid-19 screening measures requiring all inbound travellers to be quarantined for 14 days remain effective.”

Let’s hope they’re right eh ....

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2046035/no-new-rules-for-arrrivals-from-the-uk