Bkk Brian

"Last night, the prime minister addressed the nation saying he will “consider” opening the country to vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries from 1st November, and re-open bars and pubs from 1st December." Read the full official translation here: https://www.thainewsreports.com/2021/10/11/national-address-of-the-prime-minister-of-thailand-on-monday-11-october-2021/

Exactly far more details still needed, I've got a daughter that wants to come over and bring her children to see me and also my mother but clarification on this and all other aspects are urgently needed for them to be here for xmas. At this time all we've got is that he is asking the CCSA and Health Ministry to consider this.

Full English version of the address includes this snippet which sounds promising and does not indicate the need for a sandbox arrangement. "All that visitors will need do is to show that they are COVID-free at their time of travel with an RT-PCR test undertaken before they leave their home country, and do a test in Thailand, after which they will be free to move around Thailand in the same way that any Thai citizen can do." https://www.thainewsreports.com/2021/10/11/national-address-of-the-prime-minister-of-thailand-on-monday-11-october-2021/

Exactly, details are needed now, COE, insurance, what happens if you test positive while here in Thailand, is an SHA booking required and do you need to stay in the same zone first etc etc. Lots yet to reveal.

I heard he may say sorry for the last 7 years...?..555 This just got tweeted however: The PM will address the nation at 8:30pm. He is expected to officially announce the delay in reopening the country to fully vaccinated tourists without having to do quarantine. This was supposed to happen on Friday 15th October. It’s not known if he will announce a new date. https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1447539465354833930

Further lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to be decided on Thursday Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA) will decide on Thursday (October 14th) whether to ease the semi-lockdown restrictions further after the first set of easing has seen decreased infections and mortality rates, although infections are increasing in a limited number of areas. Apart from the current measures being reconsidered, the CCSA will also decide on finalised details of the reopening of some provinces on November 1st. Numbers aren’t the only factor, however, and if the is a rapid increase in infections, easing of lockdown measures will have to be reconsidered. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/further-lifting-of-covid-19-restrictions-to-be-decided-on-thursday/

PM to say something ‘important’ tonight The prime minister’s office says he will deliver an “important” address to the nation at 8:30pm, and social media is speculating it could address his poorly aged promise to reopen the country by Friday. Although the topic of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s televised address is being kept under wraps, the comments class believe he might address his June vow to fully reopen the nation by mid-October, aka Friday. Others believe he will announce something in response to complaints his administration is passing the buck on relief programs back to the public. Other members of the Twitterati are just fantasizing that he will step down. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/pm-to-say-something-important-tonight/

Its a pity Thailand does not do a reciprocal gesture. From 11 October 2021, people who travel to Great Britain from Thailand and have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, will be able to visit the UK without quarantine. https://twitter.com/prdthailand/status/1447466690363592708 The we have Thailand's requirements............................. Latest on Thailand's Entry Regulation (For Alternative Quarantine Travellers) From 1 October 2021, quarantine period is reduced from 14 days to 7 or 10 days for all air travellers. This applies to all travellers, regardless of their port of origin. https://twitter.com/prdthailand/status/1447456939374366720

All hands on deck, Chiang Mai is supposed to be opening a sandbox on the 1st Nov! Health officials race to curb spread of COVID-19 cluster in Chiang Mai’s Muang Mai market Thai public health officials have been trying to track down 10 people from five different provinces who may have been exposed to COVID-19 during their visits to Muang Mai market in Chiang Mai, where 265 people, mostly traders and workers, have been found to be infected. The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) Assistant Spokesperson Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan said, today (Monday) that the Muang Mai and Sor Tor Gao market clusters, in which 91 people are infected so far, continue to spread, resulting in six additional clusters affecting another 106 people to date. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/health-officials-race-to-curb-spread-of-covid-19-cluster-in-chiang-mais-muang-mai-market/

Yes thats how I understand it, this mix is also one that is allowed for entry to the UK as an approved vaccine combination. If I remember rightly Angela Merkel took this cocktail.

The hidden costs of covid touching the lives of almost everyone in one way or the other, some seriously and some just through contacts.

Good visualization of the "official case" counts throughout Thailand from CCSA this morning, the decline in Bangkok which can in part be attributed to the vaccinations and other measures I would guess. They've got 60.5% of the population there now fully vaxxed. The upper provinces now in a plateau flat line and the southern Provinces now over taking Bangkok in daily cases. Blue = Bangkok and 5 Provinces bordering Green = 67 upper Provinces Orange = Southern Border Provinces Caveat this does not include the ATK positive cases. https://media.thaigov.go.th/uploads/public_img/source/111064.pdf

Spot on, I was at the vaccination site with my daughter yesterday for her first jab of Pfizer with the second now due on the 31st Oct. Place was heaving with students over 12 years, although all well organized, about 4 of the International Schools were there. No side effects reported from her apart from a sore arm, although when I drove her to school this morning she did ask whether she was still able to play football this week because of it....5555. She's in the academy.

Yes thats good news for Thailand, now they need to target the next level, perhaps also look at publishing some of their studies, I'd be particularly interested in a peer reviewed study on the 20% AZ dose under skin technique they are using for boosters in Phuket.

COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive poor mental health among children and young people in Thailand Marking the World Mental Health Day on 10 October, UNICEF and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) expressed concerns over the continued negative impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health in Thailand as significant numbers of adolescents face stress, anxiety, and depression. A recent mental health assessment among adolescents in Thailand found that 28 percent of adolescents experience high levels of stress, while 32 percent are at risk of depression and 22 percent are at risk of committing suicide, according to DMH’s Mental Health Check-in, an online mental health evaluation platform which collected data from 183,974 adolescents during the 18-month of COVID-19 pandemic from 1 January 2020 – 30 September 2021. https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/11/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-drive-poor-mental-health-among-children-and-young-people-in-thailand/

The "staggering scale of the fraud" of Ivermectin research for Covid, on top of its serious flaws. @GidMK reviews the nil effect of this drug after deleting fraudulent trials. "a number of very high-profile studies were revealed to be potentially or definitely faked. However, there remained hope, because there was one trial in the bunch that had enormously positive results, and this skewed the scientific appraisal to favour ivermectin immensely. Unfortunately, it turns out that this study was almost certainly not conducted as described in the published paper. Removing this trial from the literature entirely overturns any benefit for ivermectin and makes it quite likely that the drug is useless for Covid-19 after all." https://gidmk.medium.com/is-ivermectin-for-covid-19-based-on-fraudulent-research-part-5-fe41044dab13

Pfizer vaccine rollout for students continues for the 5th day in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Children ages 12 to 17 are eligible to receive the Pfizer doses, though the vaccination drive is facing misinformation about mRNA vaccine on social media sites like LINE and TikTok. https://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish/status/1447415695877103623

You missed out in my quote the most important part, ie: "As for the poster who shared his personal experience from "actually living in Thailand" for 26 years and provided some useful insight into a local situation. The fact that both parents have AIDS and a CD count of just 50 and so an already compromised immune system could indeed be called stressful for them and others who may feel empathy. These are a high risk category for developing serious complications with covid." They are not part of your so called majority and yet you still question the poster about being stressed. If you are going to claim facts then provide links to prove them.

When the "vast majority of people" have been vaccinated then its possible to make such as statement. Until then its incredibly dangerous and reckless false misinformation. As for the poster who shared his personal experience from "actually living in Thailand" for 26 years and provided some useful insight into a local situation. The fact that both parents have AIDS and a CD count of just 50 and so an already compromised immune system could indeed be called stressful for them and others who may feel empathy. These are a high risk category for developing serious complications with covid.

The US does count rapid tests as official as does the UK. Nevada among last states to add rapid tests to virus tally

Yes I mentioned that: "If they take a home test then they just phone the local number to make it official, they get a food allowance that way to help and also home medication." The authorities will only place you in a field hospital if its not possible to isolate at home or at a community center, or of course a real hospital if you have serious symptoms.

I just mentioned that in another thread, its the ones who don't report that you need to worry about although you cant blame them. As I understand it though, if a Thai takes a home test to find it positive then its worthwhile reporting it to get a food allowance and home medication if they are not suffering severe symptoms.

? Strange comment, of course they report it otherwise it wouldn't be in the official stats. Its the ones who don't report it that is the worry. How they report it depends on how they had an ATK test taken, if it was done through pro active measures then those taking the test such as the Rural Doctors Society will log it as an official result. If they take a home test then they just phone the local number to make it official, they get a food allowance that way to help and also home medication.

My understanding is the Thai Rural Doctors Society who themselves carried out mass testing in Bangkok with ATK's know what they're talking about. Its also my understanding that they are only pcr tested if taken as a hospital admission, they are not pcr tested when positive by atk and go to home isolation, community care center or quarantine. Considering that Thailand classifies its cases as 80% green which means no or slight symptoms these are the ones who remain at home in isolation, community care or quarantine.

PCR test positive cases, total of 10,035 official new infections, with 80 of those from prison and 9,955 from the community. 60 official covid deaths recorded. Rapid tests positive cases, 2,263 bringing the unofficial total to 12,298 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Last 7 days Ventilator Capacity: 05/10/21 = 701 06/10/21 = 720 07/10/21 = 715 08/10/21 = 682 09/10/21 = 677 10/10/21 = 689 10/10/21 = 680 Rolling 7 day average (up to 9th Oct) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases from daily official announcements. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand