OPINION
If I had been forced to bet on whether Thailand mandating Covid-19 vaccines would last longer than a few days, I would have immediately bet they would have been rescinded by the end of the week.
After all, hardly any country in the world is now mandating people traveling to their country be vaccinated against Covid.
Primarily because approximately 50% of the world’s population is not vaccinated and will never agree to be vaccinated, and because many governments are now starting to admit these so-called “Covid-19 vaccines” are not vaccines at all.
(A vaccine, by definition, prevents contraction of a virus and, thus, transmission of a virus. The Covid-19 “vaccines” do neither. They also do not prevent people becoming ill or dying due to Covid, as mortality figures out of America in late 2022 showing 58% of Covid deaths were in the “vaccinated” proved).
So then, to hear early this morning the government of Thailand has resinded mandatory Covid vaccines in 2023 less than two days after mandating them, did not surprise me at all.
Why were mandatory Covid-19 vaccines for Thailand in 2023 rescinded? No… the real reason
Of course the usual “saving face” common to Thai authorities was immediately implemented, with Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (how does that man keep his job?) saying the mandatory vaccination order for Thailand has been rescinded as there are “sufficient immunization levels in China and globally”.
Sure, he could have admitted the reason Thailand’s mandatory Covid vaccines were rescinded less than two days after they were implemented was due to a massive national and international outcry, as travel companies all over the world were suddenly forced to refund the cost of vacations for tens of thousands of travelers who were not/will not be vaccinated.
But, why would he do that when he can obfuscate?
Meanwhile in Thailand on Sunday, the Phuket Tourist Association blasted Thai authorities for their sudden vaccination requirement after they were inundated with foreign tour operators having to cancel flights, vacations and hotels.
As the Association stated, some people who were forced to cancel their holidays were on their way to the airport when they learned of Thailand’s latest vaccine mandate, as the mandate would have gone into effect for anyone arriving in Thailand after 1am today.
Continuing to believe he is fooling people, however, Health Minister Anutin then added “Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, and so the group’s decision is that it is unnecessary”.
Sure, that’s the reason why.
Mandatory health insurance for some Thailand arrivals still required in 2023
Although the mandatory Covid vaccinations for Thailand arrivals in 2023 have already been rescinded, the requirement for health insurance for some arrivals has not.
That new rule states anyone who is flying from Thailand to a country that requires a negative pre-entry Covid-19 test must still have health insurance showing coverage for Covid treatment before arrival.
That then still adds an unnecessary expense onto potentially hundreds of thousands of people’s holiday costs over the next year, which may force others to still cancel planned trips to Thailand as well.
Of course, the latest health insurance rule doesn’t make any sense either as, if it had to do with people being able to afford medical care for Covid while in Thailand, it would be implemented for every arrival.
Anutin and his ilk must save face somehow though, and at least look as if they know what they’re doing, which is why that new rule remains.
For now, at least.