Immigration officer on duty at Suvarnabhumi airport contracts Covid-19, reports Thai media

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 minutes ago, Cheesekraft said:

Thailand has at least 53 confirmed cases

 

Keep up... 6 more announced today upping the official tally to 59.

 

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

My bad!Presumably they should still be able to track the passengers he dealt with using the digital TM30 versions each country has of tracking individuals.

With an expected incubation period of up to 14 days, it would be a needle in the haystack search. Depending on his duty days on station, and of course certainty that he caught it at the place of work.

[WhyamIhere]

Let's continue to 'welcome' in all of the Chinese that want to come here!  Thailand wants your RMB.

[terminatorchiangmai]

so masks and gloves are not helping ?

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, WhyamIhere said:

Let's continue to 'welcome' in all of the Chinese that want to come here!  Thailand wants your RMB.

 

Looks like they're FINALLY dealing with China, long long after they should have.

 

 

Quote

Thailand cancels visa on arrival for 18 countries, visa exemptions for 3 to limit virus spread

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand on Wednesday cancelled the grant of visa on arrival for 18 countries and visa exemption for three others to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the country's interior minister said.

 

Previously, nationals of 18 countries or territories could use their passports or travel documents to apply for Visa on Arrival (VoA) at Thai immigration checkpoints.

 

The 18 places include Bulgaria, Bhutan, China (including Taiwan), Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.

 

Visa exemption will be cancelled for South Korea, Italy and Hong Kong, the minister said.

 

Perhaps it took a CV case finally confirmed among Immigration staff to get them off their duffs....

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[robsamui]

1 hour ago, outsider said:

 

Err... the mask protects other people from YOU. Not the other way around. You lot still don't get it, do you?

 

While on the subject of COVID-19 infection - about two weeks ago, while Thailand was registering about 40+ cases, Malaysia was registering cases in the 30s. Fast forward to today, Malaysia has 129 confirmed cases (refer to link below) - thanks to a few 'high-profile spreads'. Thailand, despite its more 'relaxed' approach to contain the spread, is registering 'just' 59 cases' at the time of writing. 

 

So either Thailand has been more successful in its initiatives (despite its 'mai phen rai' approach) or the military government is chock-full of blatantly lying b^stards.

 

https://infographics.channelnewsasia.com/covid-19/map.html

 

 

So many people here umming and ahhing about the thought that Thailand is hiding the numbers of Covid infections.

First of all, I would very much doubt that anyone in Thailand actually KNOWS these numbers. The screening and detection process is as effective, consistent and reliable as the numbers of deaths on the roads - most of which actually happen later in hospital and are not recorded.  Like everything else that the Thai Govt says, you have to read between the lines.

Some observations:

 

1.   The Chinese New Year was at the end of January: it lasted for a week and there were 500,000 Chinese visitors in Thailand.
2.   5,000 Thais have already returned from S. Korea - 1,181 of them seem to have disappeared without trace and have not been tested.
3. The are still no restrictions on any nationality entering Thailand - this includes China and S. Korea.
4.  "Scanning" at airports and land borders only involves thermal scanners, which are ineffective with Covid.
5.  Official isolation is ineffective: 80 Thais walked out of an isolation center last week and are now 'untraceable'.
6.  The results of tests seem to be taking weeks: very large numbers would be impossible to manage.
7. The government's instructions to Thais infected with Covid is to stay at home and not go out.
8. The government have stated that there are "at least 3,000 cases" of 'viral pneumonia'.
9.  Foreign visitors returning from Thailand are now returning home having been infected.

 

The only conclusion I am drawing from this is that the infection is far more widely-spread in Thailand than is being stated, and that the Government simply doesn't know the actual numbers.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by robsamui

[ravip]

8 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Reminds me that one of the most recent cases in Beijing was somebody who'd returned from Italy. You reap what you sow.

Are you 100% sure of who 'sowed' the virus?

[Dasekel]

I am not surprised at all. Everybody is asked to screen their fingerprints and that is an invitation for the virus to spread. Everytime I go through the airport I try to not touch my clothes or my skin after going through the passport check and I am heading straight to the rest room to wash my hands thoroughly. Last time I left (early Feb) they also did not have hand sanitizewrs for customers at the immigration booths.

[DerThaiPin]

Consequences: Cancel all immigration checks. Let everyone flock to the heaven of prostitution, bribery, road carnage and viruses. Oh, sorry TAT for damaging the perfect image of the tourist hot-spot. 555

[dallen52]

5 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

hopefully they can track and quarantine everyone he processed

All the officers have a unique stamp number so anyone he processed is not only on the computer, but its stamped on thier passport page. 

[keystonecoppers2]

 

 

                      For tracking the ones he processed, bring in the Smart BMW:s,

                      that will do it!

[wensiensheng]

3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Singapore is colder than Thailand. Don't know about the controls in Malaysia.

I am a Singaporean National living in Thailand. I’m afraid that I know from personal experience that your statement is utterly false

[TheFishman1]

So what’s the real number of the people in Thailand with this virus now does anybody have any idea TIT

[FritsSikkink]

6 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

I am a Singaporean National living in Thailand. I’m afraid that I know from personal experience that your statement is utterly false

That you know nothing about the weather doesn't make my statement false:

 

http://www.singapore.climatemps.com/vs/bangkok.php

 

Other parts of Thailand are even warmer than Bangkok

Edited March 11, 2020 by FritsSikkink

[IAMHERE]

5 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Oops. That is not good.

If true he has covid-19; so far it is symptoms similar to coronavirus. How quickly do they get test results that are bankable? Heck, they may be out of test kits by now or hording them to sell to China. I'm filing this one under 'the sky is falling' column.

[Magenta408]

Maybe he gifted it to hundreds upon hundreds of innocents whom he processed upon arrival?

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

Hmm...headline 'CONTRACTS CORONA VIRUS'

 

Underneath...came in with symptoms of corona virus. I.e. might have a common cold.

.....and if u also read the Nation report..... “Preliminary report revealed that the staff had fever and went for a physical exam at Lat Krabang Hospital, where he tested positive for Covid-19.”

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Attempts to clarify the news with the Immigration Bureau, Public Health Department and airport authorities had been met with tight lipped responses.

 

Thai Rath said a press conference would be held to announce the details on Wednesday.

Why do we need a press conference.. just acknowledge it, why all the dramatics?

Or maybe you need time to get a poster made up?

 

[Tayaout]

4 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

That you know nothing about the weather doesn't make my statement false:

 

http://www.singapore.climatemps.com/vs/bangkok.php

1.1C wow that's some huge difference. 

[SunsetT]

4 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Exactly! It's not Covid 19 until he's been tested and confirmed.

....Go back and read all............ “Preliminary report revealed that the staff had fever and went for a physical exam at Lat Krabang Hospital, where he tested positive for Covid-19.”

[Greenhill]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Might have to do with the weather, a lot warmer here than in China, South Korea and North Italy at the moment.

But similar temps to Singapore & Malaysia, who both have more cases, per capita than Thailand.   Singapore, significantly more and with a population of 5.6 million!!!!!    Doesn't make sense to me!!!!

[shady86]

Hopefully they will switch the annual visa extensions by online application and documents submission instead of wasting time at CW the whole day which increases risk of contracting the virus.

 

Ah, I forgot this is Thailand... things never change for the better.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, zhounan said:

it's just the typical arrogance. 

After arrogance comes a mighty fall!

[PlastikbinLina]

Terrible for the officer if it gets worse. But more concerning is the number of road fatalities yesterday. Over 90 fatal accidents in one day and 3000 so far this year.  It makes the Corona virus look like a walk in the park.

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

And how many people over the 14 days + did this IO infect? 

The officer was processing people leaving the country so they will be all around the world by now.

 

So many potentially contaminated passports.

 

The first person who handles the passport when people get to where they're traveling - immigration officers in the destination country.

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, earlinclaifornia said:

I am curious why Thailand has 37 cases and my own country, America has over 1000?

Because neither country tests enough people. Italy has conducted 20x the number of tests than US. Other high testing places are S Korea and UK, both now reporting more cases. You test more, you find more.

[newnative]

  It was only a matter of time--surprised it wasn't sooner.

[ianezy0]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Singapore is colder than Thailand. Don't know about the controls in Malaysia.

Singapore is only 1 degree off the equator,  therefore as warm if not warmer (definitely more humid) than Thailand.

[Millcx]

6 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Oops. That is not good.

They have all the relevant equipment to quarantine .. What a load of tosh .. Are they bringing in the smoke machine that cleaned Pattaya towed by the smart car ???

[WalkingOrders]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

On the other hand, maybe some have issues comprehending what asymptomatic transmission entails and the varying medical estimates relating to Covid-19 incubation and related quarantine that have been universally ballparked at 14-days for the best part of two months already. That and the fact they regardless of what any country has done up until now, this will keep spreading.

 

But yes, this is a Thai forum so I can see why those here that are either scared or have no viable backup plan tend to lash out at what they see as local incompetence.

I live in Bangkok. I have zero worry about Corona virus. None zip nada. First Thailand is way down on the list. 2nd recovery rate from this virus seems very high. According to the compiled cases - I aint worried,

 

but stay indoors kids its a dangerous world out there...

 

Just back from 6 days in Patong Phuket, it was awesome,  back home in Bangkok now...didn't where a mask once.

 

https://ncov2019.live/