Bkk Brian

Its always positive news when the brutal effects of this latest wave wanes, but there are still very high numbers of cases each day, the hospitals burden is still high and deaths remain at an unacceptable level especially for the priority groups who were not vaccinated in time. If cases go up again I would imagine the comments will also reflect that. Here's the latest situation in Thailand analysis from WHO: "The number of laboratory-confirmed community COVID-19 cases reported is the lowest for more than two-months with the trend in declining cases continuing for nearly 6-weeks. This is welcome, however with an average of more than 13,000 case still being reported each day, there is a long way still to go with more than four-times higher number of cases currently reported on average than the average for the month of June (2,941 cases per day) during the height of the 3rd wave." https://www.who.int/thailand/emergencies/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

Sure, I don't know any other country that does not include them in official figures.

More details of Thailand’s reopening revealed The CCSA’s spokesperson, Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, announced that “blue zones” will allow people to travel freely, while businesses and activities can operate normally, under the control of the provincial communicable disease committees. This means restaurants, shopping centres, hair and beauty salons, schools and sporting facilities in the “blue zones” can open normally. Activities which draw large crowds can be held with no more than 500 people, while pubs and entertainment venues are to remain closed. At the same time, COVID-19 preventive measures will remain in place. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/more-details-of-thailands-reopening-revealed/

Shorter Curfew, Quarantine, But Longer Wait for Thailand to ‘Live with Covid-19’ Force the foreigners and returning Thai's to spend money in area's desperate for tourism revenue. Its clear however that foreign tourists and expats saw through the ruse. The sandbox drew only a third of the arrivals it expected, due in large part to price gauging for tests and hotels. The government and big hotel chains were the only ones to benefit from the shakedown, Phuket mom and pops are no better off 3 months after the sandbox opened. https://bangkokherald.com/coronavirus/shorter-curfew-quarantine-but-longer-wait-for-thailand-to-live-with-covid-19/

The report recorded 39 people suspected of being infected with COVID-19 after testing positive by antigen test kits (ATK), but the total number of people reported as currently being held at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ across the island increased by 472, from 1,507 to 1,979. The report did not confirm how many people who tested positive by ATKs were confirmed infected by RT-PCR tests or how many people had been released from ATK detention at ‘COVID-19 Care Centers’ and allowed to go home. More details here for those interested in the actual topic and thread. https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-marks-184-new-covid-cases-one-new-death-81536.php

Rapid tests positive cases, highest for previous 7 days, 6,855 bringing the unofficial total to 16,344 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ PCR test positive cases, total of 9,489 official new infections, with just 269 of those from prison and 9,220 from the community. 129 official covid deaths recorded. Rolling 7 day average (up to 26th Sept) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases from daily official announcements. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

I believe you're right, there is plenty of pent up demand but I also believe that it will be driven from countries that are highly vaxxed and living with the virus as an endemic feature in their own countries. The last thing these people want to do is travel to a country that still has restrictions in place. Be confined in their choices to SHA hotels, remaining in the same zone for 7 days, 2 expensive mandatory pcr tests in the first week, forced quarantine if found positive. The most you'll get is a few male tourists for obvious reasons to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, no hordes of families, groups or normal cultural experience visitors. Thats not enough to sustain opening up and fully staffing all the shops, hotels and businesses.

So still sandbox style, 2 PCR tests in the first 7 days, dragged to quarantine if found positive no doubt even if you've no symptoms. Must stay in SHA hotel same zone for 7 days, insurance, tracking apps etc. This with a supposed population of 70% vaccinated and all international tourists vaccinated. This is hardly opening up in the true sense of the word. Forget families with children, they're not going to risk being taken to quarantine after flying half way round the world to holiday in Thailand. Are they now expecting hotels to get up and running, get SHA certified, get their full compliment of staff back who have gone home to the Provinces, start paying wages again and wait for the tourists to flock in as promised? Didn't work like that in Phuket, majority of hotels struggling as are small businesses. If its going to be done it needs to be carried out properly in my opinion, only requirements being fully vaccinated tourists and negative test before departure. Done.

With other provinces offering similar scheme's then those expats and returning Thai's will have lots of options throughout the opening up provinces, diluting the numbers from anyone Province, currently Phuket.

At the weekend the new timetable arrives, I'll let you know, keep us updated on your daughters school also

I'm assuming, (I know thats the wrong thing to do with Thailand) that they'll open to its actual residents first, lift curfews, open up all the businesses, schools etc......

Latest one published today https://media.thaigov.go.th/uploads/public_img/source/270964.pdf

Interesting, at the moment the school said its opening up for all year 5 to 13, they've been open for under year 5 for some time. Yes same thing with vaccinations also, name sent off. Lets see if this changes as everything else seems to. Maybe it will be alternate days, not details yet?

Another very low day, this low has not been seen since back in August, yesterday was a new low at 112,215 Poor performance since the big show on the 24th of 1,300,677

You could of course always read the study from Oxford University to see how they calculated it https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyab207/6375510

Agree although my opening comment to that was more to do with some posters yesterday saying that testing was a waste of time.

This is in Phuket, all foreign teachers were vaccinated weeks ago and yes all parents and grandparents etc

Yes all teachers vaccinated and all parents vaccinated, aside from that then normal covid measures within school and one negative antigen test carried out weekly, the school provides them for 100 baht each.

Just got an email and am very happy, my daughter goes back next week, Phuket has been running a sandbox programme for year 5 and under, they are now extending it to year 6 to 13. My daughter is 13 and in year 9 Hope Bangkok follows suit for you!

So testing does work then............ Widespread testing cuts down Covid cases in Koh Tao Conducting tests among residents has effectively eased the Covid-19 situation in Surat Thani’s Koh Tao island, provincial authorities said on Sunday. The operation was launched when more than 100 Covid-19 cases were reported after the island opened to tourists on July 15 as part of the Samui Plus Model. However, the authorities announced on Sunday that almost 98 per cent of the island’s population has been tested for Covid-19 and the infection rate is under control. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006701

Not speculating just providing a correction to your claims as they were completely untrue, if you find that zzzzzzzzzzzzz so be it

Bangkok may reopen cinemas, gyms, spas – but no clubs or nightclubs A decision is expected today on whether preschools, museums, massage joints and other businesses in Bangkok and other hard-hit provinces may reopen – though nightclubs and bars were not mentioned. The COVID-19 task force this afternoon will consider 10 types of businesses, including cinemas, spas, tattoo shops, indoor gyms and museums in Bangkok and 28 other so-called dark red provinces may reopen months after they were shut to curb the spread of COVID-19. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/bangkok-may-reopen-cinemas-gyms-spas-but-no-clubs-or-nightclubs/

They have their own production of AZ Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Co. began production for the AstraZeneca in March

Taking a leaf out of Phuket's reporting style

As of 19th Sept vaccine brands used in Thailand have been: AZ: 19,484,396 Sinovac: 17,749,526 Sinopharm: 6,294,801 Pfizer: 1,213,326 So your claims are not correct Sinovac has not been the predominate vaccine used.