COVID-19: Thailand adds UK, USA and others to list of high risk countries - new “self-monitoring” measure for travellers

[Salerno]

It's a secret.

[bluedoc]

I came though the border from Cambodia, at Cham Yeam, the only checks going on there were for Europeans (Anutin called Dirty fallang), I saw in the time I was waiting to be checked about 150-200 Thai/Cambodians cross into Thailand. Not one of them was checked. It just makes a mockery of the whole process. The one Thai on our bus who Got on at Kampot had been sitting with us for eight hours. He just walked straight through. It’s madness.

[Apiwan2]

Getting silly now .

 

Fly back to the UK on Tuesday, trying to change date with Etihad 

But the call center keeps hanging up the phone after 5 mins now .

[legend49]

Lagging as usual way behind the rest of the globe.

 

Anyone arriving in Australia from overseas will to be forced to self-isolate for 14 days, the Prime Minister has announced.

Scott Morrison says the new measure will be in place from midnight (AEDT) as the Federal Government deals with the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Morrison says international cruise ships will also be banned from docking in Australia for 30 days.

[ExpatOne]

I want to mention that I came through CM airport about an hour ago from the US. None of this is in place. The only additional thing I had to do was fill in an additional form with all of the same info as my arrival card with the exception of checking boxes of countries I have been to. This might be something in BKK but it’s not up in CM yet.

[Ddbanksy]

Married and living in Thailand.

Going Taiwan on Tuesday for work on 17th March and return tickets for 24th and also domestic flight to UTH booked

 British expat,British passport,Thai medical insurance,Thai marriage extension(visa) expires 26th April.

 Q.Do i need a medical cert from Taiwan upon my return from TPE to BKK to UTH??

 Any advice asap appreciated 

[Jlop]

20 hours ago, JCP108 said:

This is good for me to know as I am heading to the U.S. tomorrow via Japan and returning via the same transit in about ten days. Will prepare to "self isolate" at home for two weeks upon my return. Let's just keep it at that, though. So, no new restrictions, please. I just need the U.S. to not ban people coming in from Thailand or Japan in the next 48 hours. 

Just send a tweet to the president I'm sure he will will take care of your concern

[30la]

A ..... and all his staff continue to follow the waving of the flags and, they have not yet noticed that the wind changes direction continuously ...

[Wake Up]

I am coming back to Bangkok in three weeks from the USA. Looking for a 20 year old female quarantine companion to take my temperature twice a day, soapy bath and exercise while the rest of the world goes mad. 
 

 Look at the bright side. ????

[30la]

Dear A ....., as you ardently follow the example of a World War II dictator, why don't you set up concentration camps ??? 

[scorecard]

23 minutes ago, legend49 said:

Lagging as usual way behind the rest of the globe.

 

Anyone arriving in Australia from overseas will to be forced to self-isolate for 14 days, the Prime Minister has announced.

Scott Morrison says the new measure will be in place from midnight (AEDT) as the Federal Government deals with the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Morrison says international cruise ships will also be banned from docking in Australia for 30 days.

I saw something about that, but I'm not clear if only meant other passport holders have to self isolate for 14 days, and not applicable to Australian passport holders? Did you hear anything about this point?  Also I wonder how this ties into rule already in place that folks from China, ital, Iran, ?? are totally banned from entering Australia until further notice.  

[Polaky]

People's comments are making it much worse than it is, surprised Australia isn't included in the list.

[ThaiBunny]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I saw something about that, but I'm not clear if only meant other passport holders have to self isolate for 14 days, and not applicable to Australian passport holders? Did you hear anything about this point?  Also I wonder how this ties into rule already in place that folks from China, ital, Iran, ?? are totally banned from entering Australia until further notice.  

The headlines are misleading; they say "all arrivals" but the body of the article says "all visitors" https://www.smh.com.au/national/pm-introduces-strict-travel-restrictions-for-all-arrivals-20200315-p54a8q.html

 

Other articles say it's "all arrivals", nothing about "all visitors" - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/coronavirus-covid19-self-isolation-announced-for-australia/12057772

Edited March 15, 2020 by ThaiBunny

[sahibji]

is it a typographical error as Italy the main epicentre is not in the list.

[Bangkok Barry]

21 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Travellers from the aforementioned countries also need to provide a medical certificate confirming they are not infected with COVID-19

Clear as mud. Do the 'aforementioned countries' include those at the top of the post, or only those in the second list of countries? Not that the medical certificate means anything other than 'you are not yet showing signs of the virus but you might have it as it could take up to 14 days to show'.

[sahibji]

41 minutes ago, bluedoc said:

I came though the border from Cambodia, at Cham Yeam, the only checks going on there were for Europeans (Anutin called Dirty fallang), I saw in the time I was waiting to be checked about 150-200 Thai/Cambodians cross into Thailand. Not one of them was checked. It just makes a mockery of the whole process. The one Thai on our bus who Got on at Kampot had been sitting with us for eight hours. He just walked straight through. It’s madness.

absolutely right. it must be a blanket screening to be useful, cannot even call it effective.

[crazykopite]

The Thai prisons are already riddled with disease especially TB yesterday Malaysia announced 40 new positive cases yet Thailand seems to be immune from all infections even though they welcomed 500,000 Chinese into the Kingdom in January of this year nothing seems to add up when they say less than 70 people in the whole of the country have tested positive 

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Mattd said:

In answer to those that have asked if they are holding a passport of one of the countries in the list, would they be subject to the restrictions if coming from for example Malaysia or another country that is not currently on the list, then no you would not be subject to any of the self checking etc. UNLESS you have visited one of the countries on the list within the past 14 days.

The instructions are very clear, it states coming from, so would apply for any Nationality who has arrived from the countries on the list, including Thais.

That is certainly the intent but how imm officers will interprwt/apply it may be a whole other matter.

 

It is time consuming and difficult to figure out what countries someone has recently been in especially if their passport is full of stamps.

 

As a short cut IOs are likely to look at boarding pass point of origin and passport nationality. So might at least have some hassle/questioning to enter a country if holding a passpirt from a banned or restricted nation.

[sahibji]

57 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

• Travellers must record their own symptoms in the reporting system and monitor their symptoms strictly as required by health authority.

 

 

hmm, what is this “reporting system”? Is it easy to obtain, operate and more importantly is the data robustly monitored?

 

 

like people are going to follow all these instructions!!!!!

[sahibji]

53 minutes ago, Salerno said:

It's a secret.

so many things are a secret. lesser said lesser evil?

[sahibji]

21 hours ago, JCP108 said:

This is good for me to know as I am heading to the U.S. tomorrow via Japan and returning via the same transit in about ten days. Will prepare to "self isolate" at home for two weeks upon my return. Let's just keep it at that, though. So, no new restrictions, please. I just need the U.S. to not ban people coming in from Thailand or Japan in the next 48 hours. 

they normally give a lead time for instructions to take effect. it is not like effective right now......

[sahibji]

20 hours ago, EricTh said:

I can bet these people will just ignore the quarantine just like they didn't want to take the masks from Anutin.

 

They came to Thailand to enjoy life and not be cooped up in a small hotel room for 14 days. LOL.

 

What is more practical is to force them to apply for a tourist visa with medical cert. No more visa exempt until the pandemic is gone.

i share your concern and agree totally.

[dallen52]

Probably said already in the reams of posts, but when do thai people actually do what they are told to do?

Or obey the laws of the land?

 

Drink, driving, drugs, helmets..

And now self isolation. 

The latest attempt saw 80 people leg it after a few days. 

But tourists have to follow the rules in fear of 100,000 fine or one years imprisonment. 

 

Not exactly a level playing field...

Not that it ever was.

[Salerno]

30 minutes ago, Ddbanksy said:

Q.Do i need a medical cert from Taiwan upon my return from TPE to BKK to UTH??

 

No.

[RandolphGB]

Travel ban is the only way to do it but Thailand doesn't have the balls because is too worried about the mighty Lord Baht.

[sahibji]

46 minutes ago, Apiwan2 said:

Getting silly now .

 

Fly back to the UK on Tuesday, trying to change date with Etihad 

But the call center keeps hanging up the phone after 5 mins now .

yes that seems the usual reaction when you need to contact them - you will not be able to get the call through.

[Bangkok Barry]

18 hours ago, madmitch said:

Phipat, take a holiday!

Or self-isolate.

[sahibji]

1 minute ago, RandolphGB said:

Travel ban is the only way to do it but Thailand doesn't have the balls because is too worried about the mighty Lord Baht.

they feel that there is no emergency to warrant a total " ban" on travel.

[malibukid]

21 hours ago, JCP108 said:

This is good for me to know as I am heading to the U.S. tomorrow via Japan and returning via the same transit in about ten days. Will prepare to "self isolate" at home for two weeks upon my return. Let's just keep it at that, though. So, no new restrictions, please. I just need the U.S. to not ban people coming in from Thailand or Japan in the next 48 hours. 

i was going to make the same trip, but feel safer here.

[Mattd]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

That is certainly the intent but how imm officers will interprwt/apply it may be a whole other matter.

 

It is time consuming and difficult to figure out what countries someone has recently been in especially if their passport is full of stamps.

 

As a short cut IOs are likely to look at boarding pass point of origin and passport nationality. So might at least have some hassle/questioning to enter a country if holding a passpirt from a banned or restricted nation.

Sheryl, 

Yes, I agree, it is all down to interpretation, worringly it takes common sense, which is lacking worldwide, especially right now!

 

Very shortly after I wrote this, I had a call from one of the Captains of one of the vessels I manage, who is an Iranian passport holder and a PR in Chile, he was checking in for a flight from Santiago to Bangkok via Dubai to join the vessel and they have refused him to board based on his citizenship, this despite him having a non-B Thai visa issued in Santiago on Friday 13th March, an OKTB letter from the company, he has not visited Iran in over 4 months and was holding a Seaman ticket / book, he spent over 3 hours arguing with them to no avail, they said it IS the citizenship that makes the restrictions COVID wise and not where you travel from, which is totally and utterly wrong, but there was no reasoning with them, using their logic, a passport holder of a country with no reported cases could arrive from China, Iran etc. with no problems, this is actually getting ridiculous now.