No Travel Warning for Thailand: TAT fights back

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Should you travel to Thailand with the threat of coronavirus?

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday afternoon, saying that “contrary to a number of media reports, a travel warning has not been issued so far for Thailand in connection with the spread of the coronavirus.”

Earlier the Tourism Authority of Thailand was fighting back. Dov Kalmann, head of Pita Marketing in Tel Aviv represents TAT and also the African Tourism Board in Israel. He forwarded a statement to eTurboNews saying:

Regarding the recent inaccurate news reports in some Israeli media about a possible issuance of a travel warning on Thailand by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel as a result of the World Health Organization (WHO)โ€™s views on the situation in the country, the Royal Thai Embassy wishes to clarify as follows:ย 

1. Thailand has been highly praised for its efforts in managing the situation and containing the spread of the virus, and it is ready to work closely with WHO and other countries to overcome this global challenge as effectively as possible. As of today (7 February 2020), no country in the world has issued a travel warning against Thailand. 

2. Thailand is ranked by Johns Hopkins University as the 6th most prepared country in the world and the 1st among countries in Asia, for pandemics in its Global Health Security Index. Moreover, 2 Thai laboratories are among the 15 laboratories worldwide identified by WHO to provide reference testing support to improve the global surveillance of the spread of the virus

3. Relevant agencies in Thailand are doing their utmost efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand provides daily briefings to update the public on the situation. International travelers are well informed of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus upon their arrival in Thailand, and are urged to follow measures as stipulated in the advisory published by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. 

4. Out of the 25 hospitalized patients infected from Coronavirus in Thailand, 9 patients have been discharged from the hospitals. The remaining 16 patients are receiving the best medical care possible. No death in Thailand from the virus has been reported. Furthermore, Thailandโ€™s medical teams at Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, have contributed significantly to the global quest in finding a successful treatment of the virus

5. The Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand has issued several informative infographics on the current situation in Thailand, as well as guidelines for international tourists in Thailand to protect themselves against the spread of the virus. The infographic on the guidelines is attached herewith. Latest information about the situation in Thailand (updated daily) and guidelines for tourists and Thai nationals alike can be found at ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng. In this case, please be assured that international tourists and Thai nationals will receive the same standards of Thailandโ€™s world-class medical treatment, for Thailand is well recognized as a renowned medical hub of Asia. 

The Royal Thai Embassy wishes to emphasize that concerted efforts from governments, private sector, media and people are necessary in our ability to contain the situation. Thailand stands ready to cooperate with all involved in order to emerge from the crisis together. As Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said : โ€œThis is a time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.โ€ย 

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About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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