8 Tourist provinces Planning to Reopen October 1...???

[Old git]

The Independent is reporting:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b1919280.html

That Thailand is on the bad boy list for not reporting enough COVID genome results to GISAID - which appears to be the 'official' data collator.

For that reason their correspondent predicts that Thailand will be kept on the UK's Red List this week. The Telegraph however thinks that Thailand is a potential candidate for liberation from the Red List, and that Amber and Green will be abolished this week, which would make travel to Thailand restriction free from the UK perspective.

Incidentally, new reported Covid cases are tumbling in the UK (although it's not widely reported) today's figure is 29% down on last Tuesday

[Oliver2]

Probably correct....the rest of the year is lost for UK visitors , either due to the situation in Thailand or issues here. Still a faint hope for January, though P is still awaiting his first vaccination in Kamphaeng Phaet and I won't be returning until this is done. The hospital he attends is still saying there's no chance of this for two months.

[gerefan2]

As far as the UK goes most tourists don’t leave until mid December which is 3 months off. A lot can change.

Thailand being on the UK Red List is a small problem for those wanting to travel now, but for those going in December and returning in January or later it should not feature too much. Again things can change.

Anyone seriously thinking of going to Thailand should delay booking until the last minute when it should be a lot clearer what the situation is.

As we have seen with Thailand and the UK things change in an instant.

[colmx]

I have finally given up the ghost on my trip to Phuket next month. BF still not fully vaccinated, no changes to the alcohol restrictions in restaurants (not to mention the reopening of pubs) and no sign of the end of curfews on the mainland

Have booked a holiday to Spain instead and will be there this time 2 weeks!

Hoping now for my usual Thai trip at the end of December...

[Gaybutton]

Whether Thailand reopens of not, if you live in the UK you won't be going to Thailand any time soon. It was expected that the UK would remove Thailand from its list of banned countries. Unfortunately, the decision was to retain Thailand on the list of banned countries.

See: https://www.pattayamail.com/latestne...hailand-372364

[Andaman!]

Whether Thailand reopens of not, if you live in the UK you won't be going to Thailand any time soon. It was expected that the UK would remove Thailand from its list of banned countries. Unfortunately, the decision was to retain Thailand on the list of banned countries.

See: https://www.pattayamail.com/latestne...hailand-372364

It might have been expected in Thailand but certainly wasn’t expected here in UK. All the reports I read in advance of the changes announced this week suggested that Thailand would REMAIN on the red list due to the inadequate genomic sequencing of tests talking place in Thailand……and that is exactly what has happened.

[goji]

It might have been expected in Thailand but certainly wasn’t expected here in UK. All the reports I read in advance of the changes announced this week suggested that Thailand would REMAIN on the red list due to the inadequate genomic sequencing of tests talking place in Thailand……and that is exactly what has happened.

Last year, with some self interest at stake, I e-mailed gov.uk regarding the classification of another country on the UK list. Obviously they don't want to cause any diplomatic incidents, but they wrote back listing the factors that were taken into consideration. These included the general covid test programme, genomic sequencing and accuracy/integrity of information coming out of the country concerned.
So I also figured genetic sequencing could be a factor.

However, looking at the current red list, Thailand is on it and countries with less genetic sequencing, like Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam are not. Malaysia also has a higher reported incidence rate of covid.
Of course, what is missing is data about the accuracy of the reported number of covid cases AND whether or not the UK believes the Thai authorities have been honest with the figures,

Red list.JPG

[Dodger]

The UK moved Thailand to the red list because of the increase in covid case rates, as well as the low vaccination levels which leave Thailand vulnerable to the new covid variants. The data being collected and reported related to vaccination levels is clearly flawed and unreliable which may have also contributed to the "code red" designation.

I haven't seen any information released by the UK suggesting that genomic sequencing had anything to do with their decision - but could very well have missed this.

[Old git]

The UK moved Thailand to the red list because of the increase in covid case rates, as well as the low vaccination levels which leave Thailand vulnerable to the new covid variants. The data being collected and reported related to vaccination levels is clearly flawed and unreliable which may have also contributed to the "code red" designation.

I haven't seen any information released by the UK suggesting that genomic sequencing had anything to do with their decision - but could very well have missed this.

The organisation that is collating the genome data for the WHO (I forget the acronym) put Thailand on the bad boy list for not reporting enough data. Without sufficient surveillance and reported data, a new nasty variant of Covid might go unseen and then be spread by travellers. That (I think) is the primary logic for keeping some nations, including Thailand, red listed.

That it's been 8 months now since any significant new variant was last detected, and the scientist in charge of the AZ vaccine project is now publicly saying that she does not expect any new and dangerous variants to emerge now - should.. hopefully.. bring an end to the red list.

On the other hand, why the heck is a country like Thailand, well developed in terms of medical facilities, not reporting sufficient genomes?

[billyhouston]

Technically speaking UK residents are not banned from visiting Thailand. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office "advises against all but essential travel" to the country. It is 'advice' and, having not seen my family for 18 months, I consider visiting them to be essential. I shall be doing my ASQ shortly.