Thousands of passengers who had flights cancelled last year by Thai Airways will have to wait another three months to discover whether they will be refunded or have lost their money.
The airline has faced financial problems since last spring, leaving a trail of passengers who had flights cancelled waiting for refunds. Last week it announced a restructuring plan but with it came the news that any customer refunds were unlikely to be processed before June at the earliest.
Some passengers have been waiting almost a year to get their money back from the Thai national carrier, which continues to take new bookings.
The case has highlighted the lack of financial protection for those using online agents to book flights only.
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Customers who had booked flights and accommodation from an agent were protected by the package holiday rules, as were those who bought flights directly from the Thai Airways website and paid by credit card.
However, those who used an online travel agent to book flights but organised their accommodation separately will have to claim on their travel insurance – and will be successful only if they bought one of the 50% of policies that pay out in such circumstances.
Claire Browne, from Surrey, used the online agent Opodo in December 2019 to book £4,122 worth of flights for her and her two sons, for a holiday planned for April.
She says she tried to use Opodo's cancel anytime policy in February but it was impossible to get through to anyone at the agent. Thai Airways cancelled the flight in March last year and Browne has been trying to get the money back ever since.
"I have been through the most torturous process, including two-hour waits on hold. Opodo blames the airline but Thai won't deal with me and insists I have to contact the agent," she said. "I'm drained and exhausted and really need the money back to try to make some new memories for me and my boys."
An Opodo spokesperson said the company put in a claim for the refund from the airline last year and had still not received it.
"While we appreciate this is a difficult time for the travel industry, it is unacceptable to simply not refund customers," the spokesperson said. "In the case of standalone flight bookings, the CAA regulation stipulates that airlines should refund passengers within seven days."
The Guardian understands that there are thousands of people in Browne's position after asking for a refund rather than a voucher, not only with Thai Airways but with a number of airlines.
Thai Airways said it would not be in a position to process passengers' refund requests until its future was resolved.
It said: "Thai completely appreciates the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of its current legal situation, which is why a number of policies have been put in place in the interim to accommodate passengers to the best of its abilities, including flexible rebooking at no extra cost, extension of the validity of tickets until December 2022. We are truly sorry about this."
Tourism reopening: Four phases on the cards - No quarantine at all from October
File photo//Reuters
In the clearest indication yet of the likely way forward for the reopening of the country to foreign tourists Thai business media has said that there will be three phases, according to their sources.
Tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan's plan that will be discussed at the end of this week will see tourists from low risk countries like the UK, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and India able to visit.
Plans are also afoot to add to the number of countries creating a medium risk category, reported Bangkok Business News.
BBN said that D-Day for the start of what is known as Area Quarantine - part of what is now being called "Open System" - will be April 1st.
Tourists will still have to quarantine for 7 days from April to September if they have been given two doses of vaccine in their home countries.
It's ten days for those not vaccinated.
There are three phases:
Phase 1 - April and May: Tourists will be able to use fitness facilities, swim and go on cycle rides in the grounds (subject to protocols). They can eat food delivered from outside the hotels.
Phase 2 - June to September: would involve the setting up of an exclusive travel area or "seal route" in which tourists could move around while doing Area Quarantine for 10 days. They would be restricted where they could move.
After they have completed their quarantine they can travel anywhere in Thailand.
The plan is to have Area Quarantine in Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani (Khon Tao, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan), Phangnga and Bangkok.
Phase 3: is called the "Sand Box" and will be done from October to December in seven specified tourism provinces that are mostly by the sea. This could involve one day in quarantine with a swab test requirement for tourists who have already been vaccinated twice abroad.
Along with it will be an end to the Certificate of Entry document that will be replaced by a vaccine certificate (perhaps the so-called "vaccine passport).
Phase 4 from January onwardswould see quarantine ended and free movement throughout the country though a one day quarantine with swab test might still be required. Tourists would still need to have been vaccinated twice abroad and have documentation related to that.
Under the Open System tourists will be able to come for a stay of 45 days (up from the previous 30) or utilize Special Tourist Visas, Yacht Quarantine or Elite cards.
Picture: Bangkok Business News
Thaivisa notes that this is all speculation based on Thai media sources at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and potential visitors to Thailand are advised to await official clarification probably this Friday.
Even then caution is advised as the Thai authorities have been known to flip-flop especially amid the uncertainty of the vaccine rollout and unpredictability of the next stage of the pandemic.
BBN also indicated that the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine, halted abruptly amid concerns about clotting, is likely to be resumed following contact with the WHO and other worldwide agencies who are saying that there is no cause for concern.
An initial decision is expected tomorrow, but a final decision and announcement will probably not come until a major Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) general meeting with relevant agencies on Friday, March 18th. Relevant related articles are below:
2. Decision on reducing quarantine for visitors from many countries expected this week
As stated above, and in the related article directly above under the Songkran discussion, this week the CCSA and Thai Cabinet are set to take up a proposal from the Ministry of Public Health to reduce quarantine….a much-awaited move from many potential visitors. Although any consideration to remove quarantine entirely would likely be quite a ways off (potentially October, see 3) this would be a first gradual step to re-opening the country to tourism. Here is what we know about quarantine so far and what they will be discussing. We could hear a decision on this as early as tomorrow, March 15th, but more likely at the end of the week.
3. Could we get a more long-term road map on a proposal to re-open the country in October for high-season?
It's set to be discussed, but too early to tell….although seven months is quite a ways away, there is already tense discussions brewing between multiple agencies and different interests. Some believe October is too far away. Some even believe that it will be too soon. So far, however, Thailand seems set on finding a way to open, at least to vaccinated tourists, by October with no quarantine. That doesn't mean it is promised, set in stone, or guaranteed of course but giving a goal to reach and giving tourism businesses time to prepare will be essential. The infrastructure of the tourism industry has nearly collapsed in many places and will have to be re-built and relaunched before any general opening.
4. Could Chonburi (Pattaya) finally become a green province once again in terms of Covid-19 risk zones?
In a week of big announcements, this is also a big one for those already here. The hope from many business owners is that Chonburi will be officially designated a "green" or surveillance zone, for Covid-19. Chonburi is currently a yellow zone, which is high surveillance. The CCSA will be reviewing all provinces and their "risk status" for the virus this week. With very few cases and no signs of potential clusters or issues in Chonburi, the hope is that the province will be downgraded, which could "possibly" see the strict midnight closing rule go away and also encourage more domestic tourism. It would also allow Chonburi to hold larger events, such as the planned Songkran festival. Look for this announcement possibly tomorrow, March 15th, but also possibly as late as Friday.
5. St Patrick's Day is here! Wednesday, March 17th should see many smaller events and parties in Pattaya
Although the larger city-wide St Patrick's events will not place this year due to Covid-19, many local bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues are holding their own smaller St. Patrick's Day events. As Ireland is still in a strict lockdown with pubs and bars closed, those who are here in Pattaya, Bangkok, and Thailand should rejoice that they are able to hold events here and enjoy the holiday. We will have coverage on the event mid-week!
That's it for this week, although another possible major announcement to look for will be possibly ending the emergency decree and re-introducing Communicable Disease Laws, which have been strengthened. This would be particularly important for Pattaya as it would allow Pattaya's special administrative zone rules to come back into effect, suspended for almost a year now under the Emergency Decree to control Covid-19. These rules give a lot of leeway to Pattaya, but the biggest one would be to officially allow later closings once more in the wee hours of the morning, something that would strongly benefit nightlife operators.
Warning signs at a screening point at a market in Bangkok's Bang Khae district urge visitors to wear masks after a new cluster of infections was detected in the area.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) on Sunday said a new cluster of Covid-19 infections in Bang Khae district will not become a new wave of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had conducted proactive testing of 4,046 people in several markets in Bang Khae between March 7-13. Of them, 96 tested positive for Covid-19, and the rest were awaiting the results.
As for details of the mass testing, the 96 cases were detected from among the 2,335 people tested at Wonder Market. It said 764 of them tested negative and the results of the rest are pending.
Another 1,711 people who were tested at another six markets nearby -- Sirisetthanont Market, Bang Khae shopping centre market, Kitti Market, Phasom Market, Talat Mai Bang Khae Market and Talat Klong Kwang were also waiting for the results.
DDC director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said the new cluster was found at markets in Bang Khae because the markets are located close to each other, covering a large area, with at least 1,000 people constantly moving in and out.
Some of the markets have low ceilings with poor ventilation, Dr Opas said, adding that most vendors were Thai while their employees were migrant workers.
"Even though vendors wore masks, they still kept them below their noses which defeated the intended purpose. Failing to wear masks properly will heighten the risk of infection,'' Dr Opas said.
The infected people from markets in Bang Khae comprised vendors and their employees and they have been sent to hospital. However, there had been no reports of customers being infected, he said.
Dr Opas also said health officials in Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Phetchaburi and Samut Sakhon had been instructed to closely monitor 15 people who visited the markets in Bang Kae after the department had sent names and personal details to them.
According to the department, five were from Suphan Buri, three from Nakhon Pathom, six from Phetchaburi and one from Samut Sakhon.
Residents sign up for Covid-19 tests at a mobile testing unit in Bangkok's Nong Khaem district, which is near the markets in Bang Khae district where new infections were found. photos by Arnun Chonmahatrakool
However, Suphan Buri governor Natthapat Suwanprateep later said that five vendors in the province who visited markets in Bang Khae tested positive for Covid-19 and all were sent to hospital. Disease control officials were sent to investigate those who had come into contact with the vendors.
Dr Opas said the new cluster had showed no sign of becoming a widespread infection or a new wave given that the markets in the area were not wholesale markets and the movement of people was easy to control.
"This is a new cluster, but not a new wave of an outbreak. New cases have been found constantly, though the number is still small. However, with cooperation from market operators, vendors and the public, the situation will be brought under control shortly as in the case of Pornpat Market in Pathum Thani which has now reopened,'' Dr Opas said.
He said Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited vendors in Bang Khae yesterday, and few were too concerned about the situation. However, those who had shopped at those markets during the past 10 days and had developed some symptoms such as losing their sense of smell and taste can have free medical checks at any hospital nearby, Dr Opas said.
He also said Covid-19 mobile testing units would provide free examination services at a public park near the Bang Khae shopping centre.
Bang Khae is the third market to become a Covid-19 hotspot following the outbreaks at Pornpat in Pathum Thani last month and Samut Sakhon in December. The outbreak at Pornpat market originated in Samut Sakhon but the source of the infections at Bang Khae remains unclear.
Mr Anutin said yesterday another 800,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine will arrive in Thailand this month, and another 1 million doses in April. He added the government was in talks with the producer to buy another 5 million doses. As for vaccines from AstraZeneca, they will be administered to priority groups from June onwards. "From now until the end of the year, there will be no shortages of vaccines,'' the minister said.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) yesterday reported 170 new cases of the novel coronavirus, more than half of them in Bangkok, as the accumulated total in Thailand since the start of the pandemic reached 26,927. The death toll remained at 86.
The country had 14 imported cases, three of them from Malaysia.
Bang Khae market COVID-19 cluster spreads to 4 more provinces
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The Bang Khae markets cluster of COVID-19 infections has, so far, spread to Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Phetchaburi, according to the Public Health Ministry.
Dr. Opas Karnkavinpong, director-general of Disease Control Department, said today that the Bang Khae fresh market, located on the Petkasem Road, is huge and normally frequented by more than 1,000 vendors and shoppers, adding that there are six other smaller markets close by.
He pointed out, however, that the some of the smaller markets are old and poorly ventilated, like the Pornpat fresh market in Pathum Thani, which was blamed for a cluster infections that spread to over ten provinces last month.
Worse still, he said that most of the Thai vendors and their employees, who are mostly migrant workers, do not wear their face masks properly, either wearing them under their chins or under their noses, making it an ideal environment for the spread of the virus.
Of the 85 confirmed cases, Dr. Opas said that 46 are Thais and 39 are migrant workers, adding that shoppers who spend a longer time in the markets and engaged in social conversation with the vendors were more prone to infection.
Citing the Pornpat cluster, he said that the sooner proactive screening is conducted, the faster the spread of the virus could be brought under control, as he urged people who have visited Bang Khae and six other smaller markets to contact health officials at their nearest hospitals or go to the park, next to the Mall Bang Khae on Monday, where a mobile lab will provide free screenings.
Tourists wave from an electric hop-on hop-off tour bus in Sukhothai Historical Park. Thailand's domestic tourism market is expected to resume in the second quarter this year, driven by the Songkran festival in April. AFP
Thailand should not expect a return to 40 million foreign tourist arrivals in the post-pandemic period, instead focusing on elevating the quality of tourism and preserving revenue for the local industry, according to Dusit International.
Suphajee Suthumpun, group chief executive of Dusit International, said after the global pandemic subsides, Thailand should emphasise improving the tourism industry's quality over quantity, offering potential products that can attract higher spending.
"If we look at the data for inbound travellers during the pre-pandemic era, average expenditure was not high as most stayed for 4-5 days per trip," she said.
"Instead of hoping for an influx of tourists, Thailand can generate the same revenue but with fewer arrivals if it turns to more high-value tourism products."
Mrs Suphajee said the level of 40 million tourists posted in 2019 may not be repeated as some markets are likely to take fewer trips, especially in the early stages of the resumption of global tourism.
"Business travellers may not bounce back to the same level as before, as now they are familiar with technology that enables them to cut back on travel," she said.
"They can execute their business plans from anywhere via online or virtual meetings."
International markets are predicted to return gradually in the third quarter this year in the best-case predictions, but more likely it will be the fourth quarter when entry restrictions are eased, said Mrs Suphajee, particularly the mandatory quarantine.
Travellers with specific purposes will be the first group to return, such as long-stay guests who seek medical and wellness treatments and business travellers who need to meet partners in person, she said.
Mrs Suphajee said although a number of hotels exited the market permanently, an oversupply is likely to overwhelm the market as long as the authorities fail to solve the problem of unlicensed hotels.
She said a lot of hotels suffered during the crisis because of intense competition.
Those that could not stay afloat were forced to sell their properties to foreign investors.
"This situation is problematic for our industry going forward," said Mrs Suphajee.
"When things get back to normal, a large portion of hotel revenue will leak outside the country, leaving only a small amount for hotel employees."
The domestic market will resume in the second quarter this year, driven by the Songkran festival in April, she said.
The country needs to remain watchful to avoid a fresh outbreak, keeping up health safety protocols during busy tourism periods, said Mrs Suphajee.
Key meeting on Monday may see a clear decision on fully reopening Thailand to foreign tourism from October 1st which is very much dependent on the country's vaccination programme and at the same time, progress in other countries. Without this, economic analysts see a downside to growth prospects even with a rebound in the kingdom's exports seen so far in 2021.
A key meeting on Monday chaired by the Prime Minister will address the reopening of the country fully to foreign tourists by the 1st of October. It comes as government officials are increasingly concerned at the potential fallout of the continued closure of Thailand's borders to foreign tourists and the potential to disrupt the country's economic prospects this year with exports rebounding.
Last week, Apisamai Srisangson of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said a critical decision will be made on Monday at a meeting of the body presided by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha on whether to reopen the country from October 1st next in order to allow the country's still dormant foreign tourism sector an opportunity to recover momentum as economic analysts increasingly voice concern about a potential downside while it is understood officials are equally worried about a collapse of the industry with the prospects of asset fire sales and further unemployment with many workers in the tourism economy already finding it difficult to find alternative employment.
A meeting, on Monday, of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will consider the easing or elimination of quarantine requirements for incoming tourists from October 1st.
This was the information given by Apisamai Srisangson, an assistant spokesperson with the CCSA last week, who said the final decision will be made on Monday by Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha who will chair the meeting.
It is understood the government is particularly concerned at the damage done to the country's tourism industry which has left millions underemployed in its aftermath since the closure of Thailand's borders in April last year.
Exports are looking up for 2021 as SCB economic analysis unit raises GDP growth projection to 2.6%
It comes as an economic update from Siam Commercial Bank, this week, showed a rise in projected GDP growth for 2021 on the back of a resurgence in the kingdom's exports linked with a worldwide recovery, especially in the United States.
The bank's Economic Intelligence Centre (EIC) saw Thai exports pulling ahead in 2021 by up to 6.4% compared to an earlier projection of 4%.
However, analysts saw a problem in the domestic economy where underemployment and lost income levels caused by the disruption of the foreign tourism industry have not been rectified.
Many of the workers employed in the industry have not adapted to other employment opportunities and the bank has highlighted this 'mismatch' of skills in the labour market as another source of concern for Thai planners.
Vaccination campaign is the critical factor
The bank saw the national vaccination campaign as the critical factor in reopening the country to mass tourism and saw this happening in the fourth quarter of the year.
It also expressed confidence that the Thai baht, which recently lost value against the US dollar amid a change in market sentiment in the United States which saw rising 10-year treasury bond yields indicating inflationary pressures.
It predicted this to hover within the ฿30 to ฿31 range for the rest of 2021.
Analysts predict only 2 million foreign tourists
At Kasikorn Research Centre, however, analysts saw reason for a downside view as concerns were raised that tourist arrivals in Thailand may be as low as 2 million this year.
Most analysts are working off a figure of 5 million visits being achieved in the last three months of the year with the current number of tourists arriving being off by over 99.8% due to the countries burdensome 14-day quarantine requirement.
Recently announced quarantine easing measures will not do the trick of reviving the foreign tourism industry
Even just announced plans to lessen this from 14 days to 7 and 10 days are thought not to be adequate to reignite the foreign tourism industry based on an International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey, last year, which showed 84% of international travellers and potential tourists would rule out a holiday involving any aspect of quarantine.
This figure is reinforced by Thailand's own experience since the Covid-19 emergency began even with more flexible visa opportunities in the last four months.
'Thailand's path to economic recovery will mostly depend on the tourism industry as to when the country will reopen for foreign tourist arrivals. The Covid-19 vaccines and the policy of each country will have a significant impact on the recovery of Thailand's tourism industry in 2021,' said Kevalin Wangpichayasuk, Assistant Managing Director with Kasikorn Research Centre. 'Other crucial factors are whether Thailand's quarantine period is reduced, the clarity of vaccine passport policy and if countries would allow their citizens to travel to Thailand.'
