Thread: Thailand's response to Covid

I keyed in BKK/HKT BKK/CNX

No flights at all. Cancelled.






I am just trying to say what I think, and in normal times I see and hear planes, not loud but they are there. Just more input, I do know that Air Asia has stopped, and is stopping and reducing payment to its staff.

Originally Posted by aging one

I do know that Air Asia has stopped,

Yep, after I booked with them.

Flights announced at bargain prices, bookings made, 3 days later cancelled.

Looks suspect. Now I can get a voucher for 1,600 baht if I contact them.

After 2 months waiting to get home (6 weeks waiting for my 2nd jab, 2 weeks quarantine in Pattaya) I reckon I'll just write it off.

I've had enough. **** airasia

Originally Posted by cyrille

Now I can get a voucher for 1,600 baht if I contact them.

Originally Posted by Norton

In their defense not much they can do

They can simply refund tickets, for a start.

Originally Posted by cyrille

They can simply refund tickets, for a start.

They sure should.

Originally Posted by cyrille

They can simply refund tickets, for a start.

It took me months to get my money back from them last year when Covid first hit. It was not easy. Tony coming out all friendly with 'We're all in this together." Total bollox. If I ever want to make an interest-free loan to a multinational corporation I'll be sure to think of him.

I know now that I was very wrong to have predicted Thai AirAsia's collapse by the end of 2020. AO called me on that at the time. I still don't understand how they survive. At the beginning of last year the published numbers showed they had enough cash to operate for 3 months. Here we are, 18 months later. Where is the money coming from? In the latest news piece about them stopping salaries there was a line buried in there that mentioned their recently failed attempt to secure a new loan. Even if you don't pay your staff you still have aircraft leases to worry about.

Those tickets sold for cancelled flights might be all the cash they have.

Back to a focus on Thailand's Covid response.

Last week Thailand received 1.5 million Pfizer doses, courtesy of the USA I believe. The government had already said that these would be used to give booster shots to the front line medical staff. That seems fair enough to me.

The total number of doctors plus nurses in Thailand is nearly 200,000. When the government talked about 'health workers' they previously mentioned a total of 677,000. There must be orderlies and drivers and pharmacists and cleaners and friends of the neighbours in there. Anyway, even with 200,000 qualified medical staff and 477,000 vaguely connected others, that still leaves more han 800,000 Pfizer doses going begging.

Last night the gf asked me where the Pfizer doses had gone. Not a question I can answer, but I get her point. Who in this vaccine deprived part of Isan can hope to see a Pfizer jab?

Pretty sure some of that Pfizer is going to the "well connected".

Originally Posted by Norton

They sure should.

Since they clearly don't plan to it definitely smells bad.

So like I said... **** airasia.

Originally Posted by Shutree

Last night the gf asked me where the Pfizer doses had gone.

One day on and some tales emerge.

Apparently the government has decided that in addition to the share allocated to healthcare workers, some 40,000 doses will be used to calibrate the effects of Pfizer on people who have already had a single AZ dose. The Thai news that the gf was listening to sounded more like a rant than a report. The gist of it was that AZ plus Pfizer has already been studied and results published in Germany so it was transparent nonsense to repeat it. And who will the lucky 40,000 be? (It wasn't stated, but I'd bet my pension it will not be me. More likely it will be people specially chosen because, well, just because.)

An additional 5,000 doses are to be set aside for students who need to travel overseas to study. The reporter was practically apoplectic by now. His view seemed to be that if they could afford to go to study overseas then they could just go and get jabbed there for free, because other countries were doing that for people.

The reporter must have said more than this, he was shouting on and on. He was unhappy about not knowing where the hundreds of thousands of Pfizer were going, or when, or why there should be any delay. The gf was right grumpy about the whole business and not much ruffles her feathers - except for blatant unfairness and people dying.

Originally Posted by Shutree

It took me months to get my money back from them last year when Covid first hit. It was not easy. Tony coming out all friendly with 'We're all in this together." Total bollox. If I ever want to make an interest-free loan to a multinational corporation I'll be sure to think of him.

I know now that I was very wrong to have predicted Thai AirAsia's collapse by the end of 2020. AO called me on that at the time. I still don't understand how they survive. At the beginning of last year the published numbers showed they had enough cash to operate for 3 months. Here we are, 18 months later. Where is the money coming from? In the latest news piece about them stopping salaries there was a line buried in there that mentioned their recently failed attempt to secure a new loan. Even if you don't pay your staff you still have aircraft leases to worry about.

Those tickets sold for cancelled flights might be all the cash they have.

So bloody true. I'm an BIG member lol with like a hundred+ flights with them and they give me a weak coupons
But I'll still fly AirAsia because they serve most places and the hostesses are hot. Oh #sorrynotpoliticallycorrectandandresponsibleI'llgo shootmyheadoff

One week after the Pfizer arrived they finally got around to getting it into people's arms. According to the Bangkok Post:

Dr Opas previously said that besides 700,000 doses set aside as boosters for the health workers, 645,000 doses will be allocated to the elderly and patients with seven underlying conditions, minors from 12 years old, and women who are 12 or more weeks pregnant.

A further 150,000 doses are for expats who are elderly or are suffering from one of seven underlying conditions, pregnant women, and Thai nationals planning to go abroad such as students.

There are also 5,000 doses for research purposes and 40,000 doses to be held in reserve for outbreaks.

Shortly after the shipment, social media was awash with a rumour that more than 30,000 doses of the vaccine had disappeared, with some "VIPs" getting the shots before everyone else.

Govt starts Pfizer roll-out

The story now about the 40,000 doses is that they will be 'held in reserve for outbreaks'. Has none of them noticed that there is already a massive, nationwide outbreak? Perhaps a better idea is to store the doses until they expire? I don't think so. Clearly there is a plan for those 40,000 doses which doesn't include the general public. Some time in the future we shall hear that they were used for an urgent outbreak, amongst generals, perhaps.

I’ve always felt that profiteering by private clinics was preferable to the realistic alternatives in Thailand.

Originally Posted by Shutree

Some time in the future we shall hear that they were used for an urgent outbreak, amongst generals, perhaps.

The cynic in me says they are already well taken care of. And have been for some time.

Originally Posted by aging one

I keyed in BKK/HKT BKK/CNX

No flights at all. Cancelled.

I think I saw some posts on Facetube talking about NokAir having a route from HKT-CNX (among others) via Utapao (Same day travel). Don't know about the other direction.

Might be worth looking into that.

Added: Here 'tis.

(almost) no-one is flying anywhere.

No AirAsia nor Nok Flights in the air around Bangkok

Taken just now ...

A few of those flights above were just flying the Air Corridor over BKK en-route to another (non_Thailand) destination.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

No AirAsia nor Nok Flights in the air around Bangkok

My wife's cousin got laid off from Air Asia this past week. No more pay packets from the end of this month.

Originally Posted by Clark77

My wife's cousin got laid off from Air Asia this past week. No more pay packets from the end of this month.

It is rough for all in the travel industry with no end in sight.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

(almost) no-one is flying anywhere.

No AirAsia nor Nok Flights in the air around Bangkok

Look at the dates...

Originally Posted by Norton

It is rough for all in the travel industry with no end in sight.

I am not in that industry, but the real bellwether for me will be when salary cuts come in. I am quite amazed that, to date, my salary has not at least been dinged a bit.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I am quite amazed that, to date, my salary has not at least been dinged a bit.

I've been wondering about my MIL's state pension.

Originally Posted by Norton

It is rough for all in the travel industry with no end in sight.

The planned October opening doesn't appear to be on the cards does it.

Originally Posted by Clark77

The planned October opening doesn't appear to be on the cards does it.

Yes, a bit unlikely now...

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I am not in that industry, but the real bellwether for me will be when salary cuts come in. I am quite amazed that, to date, my salary has not at least been dinged a bit.

My son in law works for a large Swiss plastic injection molding company in Prachinburi. They are very busy and his wages have not decreased either. Mind, near all they produce go for export.

^If the factory is within an Industrial Estate in Prachinbury - as they are few such Estates around the country with incentives (BOI) - they mostly are operated by foreign companies for their demand abroad only.