Unify

8 hours ago, JCP108 said:

If you believe that the PCR tests carry a false positive rate of 0.5% (I do) and each sandboxer will have a 1.5% chance of getting a false positive, then out of every 1,000 travelers, 15 of them will get a 14-day stay in one of the two field hospitals they have set up on the island. One thing I wonder about: if an asymptomatic person gets a false positive test result and ends up in the field hospital (read hospitel or forced quarantine in a hotel), how much will they have to pay out of pocket? I can't imagine their insurance policy paying if they aren't symptomatic and aren't put in an actual hospital to get actual treatment. 

Firstly, the probability of a .5% probability event, repeated 3 times, is not 1.5%. You don't just add the percentages together.

If you think it's correct, ask yourself that following question. If you flip a coin twice, is it 100% probable that one of the tosses will be heads? That's a 50% probability plus a 50% probability. 100%, right? No.

Secondly, it would make sense to give someone another test, after a positive test, to see if the initial test was a false positive. Not that I would count on a logical procedure being in place, here.

22 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

why does it have a drop down list of provinces, districts and sub districts then?

When you get to the section that's supposed to let you choose a date for the vaccine, you must select a hospital, and only three are available: Vimut, Medpark, and Phyathai2. I'm assuming those are all in the Bangkok area.

Also, no dates are available to choose -- all greyed out.

It's my understanding that people coming into Phuket will have to stay 7 days at an SHA+ approved hotel.

They're going to inject 14,000/day for 10 days and that will add up to 200,000? Did I read that correctly?

Maybe multiplication is different in Thailand.

4 hours ago, d2b2 said:

It is widely available for free for everyone (except perhaps young children as there haven’t been completed studies) .
I have a Thai friend (26 years old) who travels between  bkk and San Francisco/Chicago  as a courier and he recently walked into a CVS drug store in San Francisco and received the vaccine of his choice without reservation or cost. 
available to anyone upon request for free.

It did not start that was in the US. First were health care, and other front line workers, as well as others at risk because of age and medical conditions.

Vaccinations only opened up to most everyone, after there began to be surpluses available, and the at risk groups had already had a chance to become vaccinated.

5 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Let us pray the virus can wait until June the 9th ????

Second week in June for the first shot. A few weeks later for the second shot. The peak in immunity doesn't come for another couple of weeks after that.

Oh, and July 1st opening.

Hopefully they'll get the vaccinations rolled out as quickly as possible, and the first shot will provide a decent level of protection.

It appears to require a Thai ID number.

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

And at that point I'm afraid your logic breaks down. Because being vaccinated does not prevent anyone from contracting Covid, it only reduces the impact. So your vaccinated G/F could still catch Covid and pass it on to her father.

This is false. While vaccines don't prevent 100% of transmission, a recent study showed 89% effectiveness in stopping transmissions.

"The Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine appeared to stop the vast majority of recipients in Israel becoming infected, providing the first real-world indication that the immunization will curb transmission of the coronavirus."

Stops 89% of transmissions, and almost completely eliminates serious Covid complications. Other vaccines may differ in efficacy, but I don't think they've studied one that doesn't prevent some transmission.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-21/pfizer-biontech-shot-stops-covid-s-spread-israeli-study-shows

46 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

Although deaths will continue to climb for a bit, it appears that the epidemic has reached a plateau.

What makes you think that? New infections hovered at just under a thousand for a few days, and then around 1400 for a bit before jumping, if I remember correctly.

My friend with a bad cough, who lives in Rawai (an area in which some of the known infectees from Patong visited) was turned down for a test yesterday.

At two hospitals, one of which would have charged her 2,300.

13 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

"The reason for the notice was that a person now confirmed as infected with COVID-19 had confirmed being on the bus during the times given, the PPHO reported".

The times were for 2 journeys, from airport to Phuket town and the Phuket town to airport. Surely there would only be two people making both trips - the driver and the bus conductress?

They may have felt there was danger of the material in the bus being infectious for a short time. So, the infected person was probably on the earlier run. After the later run, it had been too long for the virus to survive on the seats, or wherever.

Either that, or they're just making it up as they go along ????

4 hours ago, Xonax said:

Unfortunately the vaccines will NOT stop Covid, but only reduce hospitalisations and deaths. After all volunteers (maybe 60-70%) have been inoculated, we will still have to live with wearing masks in public, keep a high hygiene and practice social distancing. Anyone who believe that tourism and nightlife will ever reach the heights of past times, should have their head examined.

All of the vaccines stop the vast majority of transmission. The data is pretty clear, now.

6 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

559 to 789 is hardly exponential growth...and if hospital beds are running out it's because they put anyone testing positive in hospital even though 50% of people are asymptomatic and 80% never need hospitalization. 

That's a 41.1449% growth in one day. Project across 10 days at that rate, and you'd have 24,680 cases/day (I'm not suggesting it would happen exactly that way).

Rawai, Chalong, and Phuket Town are reasonably active now.

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Change that to a few million baht, and I'd agree fully. it doesn't take a few million dollars to self insure in Thailand. Can be done with 3-5 million baht (though you need a contingency plan for how to replenish this amount if/when spent, or else a plan to repatriate at that point).

 

And indeed vast majority of supposedly "self insured" people here are not insured, period. Most in my experience do not even have separate funds put aside for medical costs let alone adequate funds.

 

People seem to think deciding to not have insurance, with no special savings or plan in place other than to just hope nothing happens or that it is easily affordable if it does, constitutes being "self insured". It does not. It constitutes being uninsured.

For US residents, repatriation may not be a valid option as insurance rates are much higher than the 120,000 baht/year that the OP mentioned, and 'self insure' would also require a lot more money put aside.

On 2/13/2021 at 1:44 PM, zzzzz said:

PLenty of condos.  pick where you want to be, cheaper ones near central mall in town, & Kathu

more expensive near beach

Note; Patong, Karon and kata beach are dead

Kamala, Rawai, Chern taly have people and its fine

 

15-20 should get ya a nice studio/1 bedroom near beach

Agreed on all these points, except 15-20 will get you more than a studio on these areas.

Two things about Phuket. It's a big island. Where your live matters. Also, taxis are really expensive, so if you don't have a motorized means of transportation, you should either get one, or live where you can walk everywhere.

7 hours ago, fasteddie said:

I've already turned one down. As for needing them to travel, what's the point? They don't stop you getting the virus, they don't stop you passing it on, they just lessen the effects of the virus on yourself.

New evidence is pointing to at least some vaccines preventing the majority of infections, and the vast majority of serious infections.

17 hours ago, Felt 35 said:

 

Huh...better than most just couple hours ago Talat Yai, Mueang Air Quality Index (AQI) and Phuket Air Pollution | AirVisual (iqair.com)

 

Somewhat different in Hua Hin but 90 there is actually acceptable  Hua Hin International School Air Quality Index (AQI) and Hua Hin Air Pollution | AirVisual (iqair.com)

85 right now at the municipal health center in Phuket Town, which is the meter I usually check.

On 2/6/2021 at 1:53 PM, USNret said:

How's the air there?  It is absolutely ghastly here in HH; choking smoke for weeks.  The normally-beautiful green hills nearby can barely be seen through the smoke. 

The AQI was between about 80 she 127 up until the last few days. Now Phuket is hovering in the 45-90 range. However, usually it's better than that, depending on where you are on the island.