Cash over caution in Thailand’s viral response

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 8:48 am

Appears that the Chinese are very important to the future of Thailand

But as Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s government appears in the eyes of many Thais to put economic over health interests – as widely and often hotly expressed in local social media postings – political risks are rising coincident with economic ones.

Outside of China, Thailand has the third most coronavirus infections worldwide, with 19 confirmed cases as of February 2. On January 31, authorities acknowledged the first case of Chinese-to-Thai transmission, with a Bangkok taxi driver contracting the disease.

.....Over 925,000 Chinese tourists landed in Thailand between January 1-27, a 3.4% rise over the same 2019 period, according to Thai tourism ministry data. Those inbound numbers are now reportedly in free-fall with China’s imposed ban on outbound tour groups, the same data shows.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told local media that if the situation does not normalize by April, Thailand could lose as much as 98 billion baht ($3.1 billion) in Chinese tourism-related revenues.

Tourism now accounts for around 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), a shift from manufacturing and other industries that has exposed Thailand to Beijing’s whim on where to send government-controlled tour groups and more broadly to China’s economy.

https://www.asiatimes.com/2020/02/artic ... -response/

Here in Phuket their absence is notable, fewer Chinese shoppers, very few on the beach, (but they never were big beach goers), fewer large tour bus's on the road

Robins · Post by **Robins** » Fri Feb 28, 2020 9:13 pm

It was the Chinese Government that stopped the tour groups leaving on the Friday before Chinese New Year, not the Thai Government that stopped them from coming. Thank you, China unbelievable

pczz · Post by **pczz** » Sat Feb 29, 2020 4:25 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 8:48 am Appears that the Chinese are very important to the future of Thailand

But as Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s government appears in the eyes of many Thais to put economic over health interests – as widely and often hotly expressed in local social media postings – political risks are rising coincident with economic ones.

Outside of China, Thailand has the third most coronavirus infections worldwide, with 19 confirmed cases as of February 2. On January 31, authorities acknowledged the first case of Chinese-to-Thai transmission, with a Bangkok taxi driver contracting the disease.

.....Over 925,000 Chinese tourists landed in Thailand between January 1-27, a 3.4% rise over the same 2019 period, according to Thai tourism ministry data. Those inbound numbers are now reportedly in free-fall with China’s imposed ban on outbound tour groups, the same data shows.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told local media that if the situation does not normalize by April, Thailand could lose as much as 98 billion baht ($3.1 billion) in Chinese tourism-related revenues.

Tourism now accounts for around 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), a shift from manufacturing and other industries that has exposed Thailand to Beijing’s whim on where to send government-controlled tour groups and more broadly to China’s economy.
https://www.asiatimes.com/2020/02/artic ... -response/

Here in Phuket their absence is notable, fewer Chinese shoppers, very few on the beach, (but they never were big beach goers), fewer large tour bus's on the road

great. just need to get rid of the Rusians and it can go back on my places to visit list

Cruisemonkey · Post by **Cruisemonkey** » Sat Feb 29, 2020 7:23 am

pczz wrote: ↑Sat Feb 29, 2020 4:25 am ...it can go back on my places to visit list

Thailand will NEVER go back on my places to visit list.

I used to like the place, but they shot themselves in proverbial foot with their: prejudice, greed and practice of extortion.

Fuck Thailand!

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:48 pm

A store in Thailand repackaged and sold up to 200,000 used face masks for coronavirus, police chief says

A Thai worker wears a face mask to protect from a new coronavirus as he repairs Buddha statues at Suthat Temple in Bangkok, Thailand, March 10, 2020.

In a central Thailand province northeast of Bangkok, the novel coronavirus creates an unlikely opportunity for extra cash: recycled face masks.

Last week, police and health officials found a second-hand goods vendor selling used face masks, which had been washed, ironed, and repackaged as new.

“Police found six workers sorting out used face masks and ironing them before folding them in boxes to look like new, unused ones,”The Nation Thailand reported.

The workers, all in their teens, put the masks in washing machines before flattening them with an iron and sending them to market, police said.

According to the Saraburi province police chief, the 47-year-old store owner said she sold up to 200,000 used masks. Workers earned the equivalent of $US0.03 for every mask they recycled, and they each turned out 300-to-400 masks a day.

Full story: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/thai ... sks-2020-3