The travel insurance paradox:

The number of people buying travel insurance rose sharply last month, despite the fact that most policies won’t pay out if people cancel due to concerns around coronavirus.

Travel insurer stops selling policies due to coronavirus impact
Wed 11 Mar 2020 21.12 GMT
The UK insurance giant LV has stopped selling travel insurance policies to new customers with immediate effect as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement on its website it said: “In light of the impact that coronavirus (Covid-19) is having globally, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause the sale of travel insurance to new customers.

“We considered a number of different options, such as excluding cover or significantly increasing prices for new customers. We strongly believe this temporary measure of pausing the sale of new policies and focusing on our existing customers is the right decision.” Existing LV customers are not affected.

The move by one of the UK’s biggest insurers underlines unprecedented turmoil in the industry caused by the spiralling cost of dealing with travel problems caused by the outbreak. Other major insurers are taking steps to limit the cover they sell to new customers, as global airlines are cancelling thousands of flights.

The number of people buying travel insurance rose sharply last month, despite the fact that most policies won’t pay out if people cancel due to concerns around coronavirus.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... rus-impact

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:37 pm

timmydownawell wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 3:01 pm AirAsia has some cheap fares right now, presumably as a response to cancelled bookings/empty seats. I just booked PP-KL return next month for $41. And they have KL-Melbourne/Avalon very cheap too. But be sure to pack your hand sanitiser and face mask, and *don't touch anything on the plane*

sr-phuket 1,130 baht ($35) direct

My trip is a visa run. If Malaysia closes its borders I'll have to make other plans (Thailand/Laos/Vietnam) I guess. I don't particularly want to get stuck here with an expired visa.

Duncan wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:43 am

atst wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:36 am I'm traveling to Australia from NZ in few weeks no request for whiskey,rum from duty free only to bring toilet paper hahaha

I'm traveling to Australia in a few days time and have been asked to bring some sunshine with me.

Last night / this morning flight from KL2 to Gold Coast OZ had about a 30 % or 40 % at the most, of the seats filled. Nearly everyone had a row of 3 seats to themselves and there were rows of 3 seats with no-one occupying them. Best flight I have had for many years.

Pissing down with rain here.

Good luck, travellers. It's conceivable that this could be counter-productive with so many hundreds of people in close quarters for long periods of time. Check out the pictures.

In the past few days since the regulation came into effect on March 7, lines to submit the form have seemed to grow exponentially as the health declaration staff became overwhelmed by the sheer number of international arrivals and crowds of passengers jockeying to be vetted first.

According to Nguyen Hong Tam, head of the International Health Quarantine Center of Ho Chi Minh City, nearly 10,000 international arrivals pass through Tan Son Nhat each day and the new regulation has added a significant hurdle to immigration procedures.

Apart from the compulsory medical declaration, passengers must also have their body temperature measured. Those with a fever are given more thorough examinations.

https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/202 ... 53434.html

I am in PP at the moment trying to get out by bus. I have a flight from Saigon on the 18th that is my second plan after Korean cancelled my flights.

Last night I visited 3 different travel agents and was basically told forget it by 2 of them. The third called 2 companies who both said no. Figured that's it I'm fucked but I called Giant Ibis this morning and after confirming my nationality (Canada) and that I already have a visa it should be fine (should). I read a review from a couple of days ago that said of the 30 or so people who were on the bus (all foreigners I am guessing) only 4 made it over the border.

I arrive at the border around noon. If I make it across I will update this from a AC room (assuming they will rent one to a foreigner) and relate my experience.

Wish me luck. Hopefully I won't need it!

At least they haven't banned Canadians yet. I am trying my luck by bus tomorrow. If that falls through I will have to bite the bullet and pay some big bucks to fly in. If that is the case will definitely do the application online!

ATTENTION: Tourist visas for India suspended from tomorrow, 13 March 2020.

India suspends tourist visas until April 15 amid COVID-19 scare
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-12 08:36:09|Editor: Liu

NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has suspended all tourist visas amid COVID-19 scare.

"All existing visas except diplomatic, official, UN/International organizations, employment, project visas -- will be suspended till April 15. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020 at the port of departure," said a statement released by the Indian government on Wednesday. "Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian mission."

The decision was taken during a meeting of a group of ministers after novel coronavirus cases in the country sharply spiked.

According to Health Ministry officials so far 60 cases were recorded across the country.

"Visa-free travel facility granted to overseas citizen of India (OCI)- cardholders will also be kept in abeyance until April 15, 2020. This suspension will also take effect on March 13," the statement said.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapa ... 868677.htm

Hi,
I have to do a boarder run because I have already extended my one month. But I heard the Vietnam boarder is closed so where is the best place to go right now? Which boarder is open and the quickest?

I only have four days so it's pretty urgent.

Any info appreciated

Thx
Julian

March 12, 2020 / 10:05 AM / Updated 24 minutes ago
Trump stops Europe flights, China says coronavirus could end by June
Liangping Gao, Andrea Shalal
5 Min Read

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Travelers scrambled to rebook flights and markets reeled on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on travel from Europe, hitting battered airlines and heightening global alarm over the coronavirus.

However, China, where the disease originated, said its epidemic had peaked and the global spread could be over by June if other nations applied similarly aggressive containment measures as Beijing’s communist government.

Trump had downplayed risks to the United States during the crisis, but with epidemics ballooning from Iran to Italy and Spain, he limited travel from continental Europe for 30 days.

“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history,” he said in a prime-time televised address from the Oval Office on Wednesday.

That sent markets into a tailspin, with European shares plunging to their lowest in almost four years and oil also slumping.

It also sent stressed travelers rushing to airports to board last flights back to the United States.

“It caused a mass panic,” said 20-year-old Anna Grace, a U.S. student at Suffolk University on her first trip to Europe who rushed to Madrid’s Barajas airport at 5 a.m. to get home.

The outbreak has disrupted industry, travel, sports and entertainment worldwide. But its progress in the epicenter of China’s Hubei province has slowed markedly amid strict curbs on movement, including the lockdown of its capital Wuhan.

Hubei logged just eight new infections on Wednesday, the first time in the outbreak it has recorded a daily tally of less than 10. Beyond Hubei, mainland China had just seven new cases, six of them imported from abroad.

“The peak of the epidemic has passed for China,” said Mi Feng, a spokesman for the National Health Commission.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... SKBN20Z0DY