If the virus was only confined to one or 2 countries I think there would be restrictions on travelling or should I say I hope so as I am due to travel on the 9th of March.

If I were in my home country right now, and mulling a trip to Thailand, one of the things I'd be weighing, apart from all the other issues, is the prospect that after arriving in Thailand and having my "vacation," I might well find that my home country at some point in the future is unwilling to allow my return unless being subjected to a two-week quarantine or something like that because of having come from Thailand....

Quote

If others are taking their chances I will sure as hell join them.

 

Come on, be serious. Surely you can't base such decisions on what others are ready to risk.

 

Things to consider:

 

1. We're still in a high uncertainty period when local clusters and chains of transmission can appear anywhere, anytime and give rise to sharp increases in the number of cases (see S. Korea, Iran and Italy for recent examples).

2. Most (if not all) travel insurance policies will NOT cover for medical expenses due to a pandemic disease. COVID-19 has not yet been officially declared a pandemic by WHO, but this is likely to happen soon if things proceed as they are now.

3. As others have pointed out, if things get worse in Thailand you may well find you're unable to fly back home, or be forced to go on quarantine for 2 weeks upon arrival. Can you afford/are you ready to do that only for a couple of weeks of fun?

4. Consider what would happen if you were unlucky enough to fall seriously ill from this in Thailand. Do you have friends here that you could rely on to take care of things and help you while you're in isolation or, worse, in the ICU?

5. Consider the situation back home (refer to #1 above). What if there's a sudden outbreak at home? Do you have close family members you'd want to be able to help at that time of distress?

 

I'm sure I'm missing other things, but for these reasons alone I would definitely change my plans, and even lose the ticket altogether if that's what it takes, as long as the situation isn't clearer than it is now. Your choice, of course.

Edited February 26, 20206 yr by Dalewhatdale

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

If I were in my home country right now, and mulling a trip to Thailand, one of the things I'd be weighing, apart from all the other issues, is the prospect that after arriving in Thailand and having my "vacation," I might well find that my home country at some point in the future is unwilling to allow my return unless being subjected to a two-week quarantine or something like that because of having come from Thailand....

Spot on. I fully agree.

Everything is now completely irrational here, not only in Thailand but in most of Asian countries.

I am in Japan and supposed, on my way back, to have a 14 day quarantine as well as my kids currently in Thailand. Even some of my co workers start to tell me that.

So, even if I personally think that you're quite safe to come here, much more than if you rent a motorbike, your government may decide all of a sudden to put you on quarantine on your way back.

 

 

 

So what you are saying anyone who has travelled from a country where there is Coronavirus will be immediately quarantined on arrival in their home country, plane loads 300/400o people met at airports will be taken away for quarantine ?

55 minutes ago, geoff65 said:

I'm flying in Saturday and not worried one bit, if the virus was airborne yes i would be worried, as the virus lives droplets and its highly unlikely you will catch it unless someone coughs or sneezes within 3 meters of you, A mask alone will not protect you as the virus can enter through your eye ducts, wear glasses and a mask and you be ok. As for door handles tables etc, after the droplets have dried the virus is dead and that won't take long and make sure if you use wipes or spray its alcohol and nothing else other wise all these so called disinfection wipe will only spread virus,bacteria germs etc. Just go on with your normal life with caution.

It is not known yet for sure if this virus can spread via aerosol or not:

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/2/20/21143785/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-transmission-how

 

As for surfaces of objects (called "fomites" in the medical field), it is not clear yet either. Experts think it probably doesn't spread that way, "probably" being the operative word here:

 

Quote

Transmission of 2019-nCoV probably occurs by means of large droplets and contact and less so by means of aerosols and fomites, on the basis of our experience with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV

Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2001126

 

Just a note of caution so that people don't take for granted things that have not been fully established by scientists working on this.

14 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

 

So what you are saying anyone who has travelled from a country where there is Coronavirus will be immediately quarantined on arrival in their home country, plane loads 300/400o people met at airports will be taken away for quarantine ?

 

The general trend for routine traveler people from CV areas who are NOT showing obvious symptoms is governments are asking/telling them to self quarantine at home...  not detaining them and sending them to some central place... 

 

Although that has been happening in some isolated situations... like with some of the evacuation flights from China.

 

not sure how effective condoms will be if your nana friend has the virus, try a little alcohol rubi suppose....

I have a non-refundable ticket but moving it to a later date is an option, but that too comes with quite an hefty fee.

_______________

This is what I plan on doing. I've been in Thailand since Jan 9 to Apr 28. i did purchase the cancelation insurance because I bought my ticket back in Sept. Long before I even heard of the Coronavirus. But because I purchased long in advance you never know what coud come up. Well as this thing is getting worse I actually contacted the company I booked through to see If I could change my return trip early. They still haven't replied to that email, there auto responder said they are so busy fielding questions it will take to to reply.  Based on the info I've gathered on there website and the insurance I have, it will cost me a large amount to change the dates. So I figured why not stay until my return date. If they cancel for whatever reason then they do have to compensate me and accomidate me on another flight, on there dime. Only issue I see with this sencario is the end of April I land in Canada and when they see I've been 5 hours in a Chinese airport, I might get quarantined for 2 weeks. 

 

Don't forget your mask. ????????????

1 hour ago, Dalewhatdale said:

It is not known yet for sure if this virus can spread via aerosol or not:

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/2/20/21143785/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-transmission-how

 

As for surfaces of objects (called "fomites" in the medical field), it is not clear yet either. Experts think it probably doesn't spread that way, "probably" being the operative word here:

 

Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2001126

 

Just a note of caution so that people don't take for granted things that have not been fully established by scientists working on this.

 My post was about "why i'm not worried about travelling to Thailand" and the steps i take to lower my chances of contracting the virus and nothing else. If i wanted to be technical i could have searched the 2,160,000,000 results and put links up my self.

This - https://apple.news/AGgF1L0uvSAys9j5ewMTsXQ 

Get home while your country still allows. Don’t expect any sympathy from thai immigration if your visa expires if flights from Thailand are blocked, March 22nd is a long way off.

I’ve got flights booked to the UK March 12th , returning March 30 th, via Dubai.

 

Already decided I’m not going, the risk of having to quarantine either there or here for 2 weeks is likely to get stronger. Plus I’ll be staying with my daughter and her 15 month old baby and visiting my 91 year old father, not worth the risk IMO .

 

Not cancelled yet as have a non refundable ticket and hopefully if they cancel the flight I might get chance of a refund .

1 hour ago, SpokaneAl said:

This - https://apple.news/AGgF1L0uvSAys9j5ewMTsXQ 

Have subscribe to read that. 

5 hours ago, geoff65 said:

 My post was about "why i'm not worried about travelling to Thailand" and the steps i take to lower my chances of contracting the virus and nothing else. If i wanted to be technical i could have searched the 2,160,000,000 results and put links up my self.

Indeed. And you said you were not worried because the virus is NOT airborne, which scientists do NOT know. Do you know better than them?

 

You then also added as reason for not being worried about touching potentially contaminated objects that "after the droplets have dried the virus is dead", which, again, we don't know for certain for this particular virus.

 

So maybe you should have searched, and read, a few of "the 2,160,000,000 results" before deciding if you're worried or not.

14 hours ago, steven100 said:

what other viruses are present  ?

Apart from the obvious ones of not using a condom TB is very prevalent in Thailand i should know, 5 weeks all up in isolation, followed by a year of medication with some nasty side effects, arthritis being the worst one. thanks to all doctors and staff at a government hospital i was cured, 5 yrs ago. KEEP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTHY ! 

I am also concerned that my daughter whom i have not seen for many many years is arriving about the same date, it is the airport that concerns me most, we wont be traveling by public transport or staying in touristy places, i will have to leave it up to her to decide to come or not. ???? ????

14 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I’ve got flights booked to the UK March 12th , returning March 30 th, via Dubai.

 

Already decided I’m not going, the risk of having to quarantine either there or here for 2 weeks is likely to get stronger. Plus I’ll be staying with my daughter and her 15 month old baby and visiting my 91 year old father, not worth the risk IMO .

 

Not cancelled yet as have a non refundable ticket and hopefully if they cancel the flight I might get chance of a refund .

Not sure this will help but you could advertise the ticket for sale, I know one of the option I have is I can change the name on the ticket at no extra fee. Even if you take a hit on the price, it's certainaly better than losing all your cash. Good Luck.????????

22 hours ago, khunPer said:

A lot can still happen between now and March 22nd...????

Agreed, but let's hope for the best.

Thanks

Warmest

22 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

What difference does it make flying Business Class, same airport, same aircraft same recirculated air !

The air inside an aircraft is much cleaner than the air outside, that's my knowledge.

Thanks 

Warmest 

22 hours ago, Autonuaq said:

STD and other unwanted things.

Where do I put the mask to stop STDs please?

Slight deviation from the opener so hope it's OK to hi-jack his thread, my Thai wife has ILR in the uk and must get stamped in at least every two years she is planning to fly to the UK in May this year to keep her ILR alive, more than a two year gap she will lose it, if UK comes up with a block on Thailand visitors i wonder if the UK will make allowances for such a scenario, she would hate to lose it for something completely out of her control, again apologise to the opener!