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Original poster

Should I let my DD go travelling to South East Asia given coronavirus?

22 replies

emzy456 · 18/02/2020 17:18

My DD (20 years old) has a 6 week trip booked to Thailand and Vietnam due to leave next week. She is so excited to go but I fear that it is too risky for her to go given its close proximity to China. Am I being overly worried or am I making the right decision by making her postpone her trip?

Please give me any advice! I really don't want to force her to cancel her trip when it wasn't necessary.

OP posts:
MoreHairyThanScary · 18/02/2020 17:21

As a 20 year old you don't get the choice she's an adult.

However I do think it's risky, lots of countries within the region are now also a risk, as a parent I would be looking at her route and maybe making alternative suggestions....but back to my first point it's her choice!

MacAndDennisMoveToTheSuburbs · 18/02/2020 17:32

She is 20 years old. You cannot force her to cancel her trip, surely it is completely up to her whether she goes or not.

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 18/02/2020 17:43

How can you force a 20 year old adult to do anything? Confused she surely makes her own decision.

TrixieTheWhore · 18/02/2020 17:44

Well, you can't "make" her postpone the trip. She's a legal adult.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 18/02/2020 17:45

She’s 20. By all means discuss your concerns but you cannot make her do anything and nor should you try.

bank100 · 18/02/2020 17:45

She is 20. She can decide for herself.

Lllot5 · 18/02/2020 17:47

I would try to dissuade her from going definitely. I wouldn’t go and wouldn’t like any of mine to go. Whether or not she will listen though is a different thing.

NeverMindtheBotox · 18/02/2020 17:49

I think it's a bit disturbing to suggest that at 20 year old needs you to "let" her do anything, assuming you're not paying for it?

Also, I'm willing to bet that wherever you are in the UK will be in closer proximity to people with this illness in Brighton than she will be to Wuhan province when she's in Vietnam.

maddy68 · 18/02/2020 17:50

I wouldn't have any hesitation. She's fit and healthy , and yes there is a slightly increased risk but it's not huge

Patchworkpatty · 18/02/2020 18:02

My husbands family are all from SE Asia.. same area your DD is travelling to. DD 18 is off there as soon as A levels finish. Wouldn't dream of persuading her otherwise.. besides she's an ADULT...

Morporkia · 18/02/2020 18:04

I would advise her to read the foreign office travel advice section of the website. As a 20 year old she doesn’t need your permission to travel anywhere, so might be an idea to “let” her make her own mind up 😐

HappyHammy · 18/02/2020 18:06

I would look at flight info. Some airlines are cancelling lots of flights.

KoalasandRabbit · 19/02/2020 20:59

I think at 20 she should have the choice herself.

Outside China its not that big an issue and travel advice is OK to go ahead. I would ensure she has travel insurance and her phone will work in both countries and access to cash if things get cancelled.

1forsorrow · 19/02/2020 21:01

She's an adult, it is up to her.

HasaDigaEebowai · 19/02/2020 21:02

I would be trying to dissuade her. Its a massive unknown at the moment. Vietnam in particular has a town in lockdown. Theres a good chance at this rate that when she wants to return she might have to be quarantined.

Its a trip best left to another time IMO

MarciaMarciaMarcia · 19/02/2020 21:06

I live in Thailand and I would encourage her to go. The risk is so small here and as a presumably healthy 20 year old, I think she would be fine.
Good advice above about access to cash and making sure her phone works.

Idontkowmyname · 19/02/2020 21:08

Unless you are funding the trip you can not prevent her. By all means put forward your thoughts for her to consider but you can’t dictate now she’s a grown adult.

LeGrandBleu · 21/02/2020 01:20

As hard as it might be, you must let take her own decisions. There is however something you can do and that is buy her N95 or even better N99 masks, hand sanitisers, and maybe some antibac wipes to clean her plane tray and arm rest. There is a big face mask shortage and the surgical ones given to tourist don't really protect against the coronavirus.
Also make sure, she has a strong travel insurance

INeedNewShoes · 21/02/2020 01:41

I'm fairly sure that antibacterial wipes/gel won't scare coronavirus off.

I would strongly discourage anyone close to me from traveling to the area at the moment. Even if she doesn't come into contact with the virus, she may find that travel out of these countries becomes difficult if the outbreak were to develop seriously there over the time she's away.

Mouldiwarp1 · 28/02/2020 16:02

Did your DD go @emzy456? My 19 year old DD left last week for 3 months. She looked at the FO advice and the general situation, talked to a couple of friends who were already out there and decided to go ahead. For what it’s worth, she is having an amazing time and absolutely loving it.

mimbleandlittlemy · 28/02/2020 16:38

As InNeed says, antibacterial wipes are of no use whatsover and will not have any effect on coronavirus. Being as it's a virus.

If you are getting any form of hand sanitiser it needs to have alcohol in it otherwise it is next to useless.

angell84 · 28/02/2020 16:49

What do you mean "make her postpone her trip". That is very strange language.

Have you learned that she is an adult yet? And makes her own decisions

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