Popular blogger Richard Barrow shares experience of intensive screening at Suvarnabhumi

 

A thermographic device displays the temperature of arriving passengers before they enter immigration at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand Mar 14, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)

 

Thailand based blogger Richard Barrow has written about his experiences after arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport from the UK on Thursday. 

 

Mr Barrow described how he landed at Bangkok's main airport in the late afternoon and found it virtually deserted including the immigration hall that took just a few minutes until he was at the taxi rank.

 

He wrote that he was subjected to thermal scanning after getting off the plane then was encouraged to buy a 49 baht SIM card that would be needed for the next step, the downloading of an app and the filling in of the T8 form.

 

A picture of your passport needs to be uploaded and other details filled in including about your personal health.

 

He described the immigration hall as "absolutely empty" as "not many foreign tourists (were) arriving these days".

 

After a fairly strict customs check - the officials had little to do - he went to the arrivals hall that was like a "ghost town" and the taxi area was "completely deserted".

 

It was around 5 pm but a taxi driver told him he had been waiting all day for a customer.

 

He was not told that he had to go into self-isolation but said that he would be doing this voluntarily.

 

Richard’s post was reported by Thai news site Manager and translated into Thai and shared on Facebook by user Sasi Posayajinda so that Thai people could be reassured about the situation at the airport.

 

Manager called the measures "strict" in their headline.
 

Source: Manager

 

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7 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He wrote that he was subjected to thermal scanning after getting off the plane then was encouraged to buy a 49 baht SIM card that would be needed for the next step, the downloading of an app and the filling in of the T8 form.

 

A picture of your passport needs to be uploaded and other details filled in including about your personal health.

None of that at DMK yesterday evening, nurse with a head temperature probe, and a paper form to fill out as they couldn't get the AOT phone app TM8 form working.

I also arrived on Thursday night from Yangon and transited through to Phuket. I had no temperature check, did not complete a TM8 form, did not get asked to upload an App, and did not get asked to self isolate. The only thing they did was to take my fingerprints using a grubby fingerprint scanner with no hand sanitizer available. I had my own and regularly sanitized throughout the journey and also wore a face mask throughout. Seems tat some are taking this more seriously than others.

<deleted>! The guy just posts utter BS for his own self gratification!

My wife arrived back from the UK mid last week.  No health checking of any kind, bar auto temp, no questions, no advice on self isolating, just through immigration in seconds and on the way home by car. We stopped on the way home to do the shopping in Big C, Chon Buri, everything normal, no shortages   As usual people make up what they don't know and the World is full of drama Queens and B S's. Here's interesting; in the 6 months since we have known about Covid 19 it has killed 11,000 people.  In the same period, Malaria, in all its forms will have killed over 300,000.  I suggest that The World needs to get a little perspective before the whole world economic and financial order is trashed forever. 

41 minutes ago, dogfish180 said:

<deleted>! The guy just posts utter BS for his own self gratification!

Richard is a great resource and a very intelligent person. i wish everyone on TV was like Richard.

 

but ripping everyone to shreds here is what all so many of you do best.

As I posted directly on his FB page. I came through hours after him and despite coming from a 'country of ongoing infection' nothing was done. No T8, no app, no disease control office, no tracking, no request for 14 day self isolation, no ongoing point of contact... All lies..  

What I have worked out is if you exit immigration in bangkok, they are doing some things, if you transfer to chiang mai, phuket, samui etc in Swampy.. Nothing at all was done. 

6 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

My wife arrived back from the UK mid last week.  No health checking of any kind, bar auto temp, no questions, no advice on self isolating, just through immigration in seconds and on the way home by car. We stopped on the way home to do the shopping in Big C, Chon Buri, everything normal, no shortages   As usual people make up what they don't know and the World is full of drama Queens and B S's. Here's interesting; in the 6 months since we have known about Covid 19 it has killed 11,000 people.  In the same period, Malaria, in all its forms will have killed over 300,000.  I suggest that The World needs to get a little perspective before the whole world economic and financial order is trashed forever. 

How many died last week ?? 

 

Next week.. 3 months from now ?? 

 

Some people just dont understand how exponentials work. 

3 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

Richard is a great resource and very intelligent person. i wish everyone on TV was like Richard.

 

but ripping everyone to shreds here is what all of you do best.

I believe Richard Barrow was the one who scooped CNN, ABC, NBC and all the rest on the first boys successfully rescued from the cave.  The western media, though onsite, were all saying they didn't know if the boys were coming out.  Richard knew and gave accurate information.

geez, I'd be pretty stuffed arriving atm: 

 

 - I only ever have 30 baht cash in my pocket, and the ATMs are inside of Immigration!

 - my smartphone hasn't enough memory ever to load even one more App at a time, and I am sure they wouldn;t like it if I had to uninstall Maps to make room for their App.

 - my smartphone camera can't shoot a focused photo at anything lass than 10 feet 

 

He takes a flight in the midst of this unfolding pandemic and finds it noteworthy that he "was subjected to thermal scanning"?

 

I bet they made him fill in an arrival card, too, which would have been an equally exciting piece of information.

 

Attention whoring 4.0

 

he is also the first with breaking virus information from the government before it is translated. he has been working around the clock helping people.

 

has boots on the ground level headed reports at the airport, from London and all the info on tourist spots in thailand.

 

and of course just like the smart kids at school, he gets beat up all the time by the jealous bullies and worthless haters.  

 

8 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Richard knew and gave accurate information.

 

16 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

My wife arrived back from the UK mid last week.  No health checking of any kind, bar auto temp, no questions, no advice on self isolating, just through immigration in seconds and on the way home by car. We stopped on the way home to do the shopping in Big C, Chon Buri, everything normal, no shortages   As usual people make up what they don't know and the World is full of drama Queens and B S's. Here's interesting; in the 6 months since we have known about Covid 19 it has killed 11,000 people.  In the same period, Malaria, in all its forms will have killed over 300,000.  I suggest that The World needs to get a little perspective before the whole world economic and financial order is trashed forever. 

You really don't know what you are talking about, do you?

i'm sure it won't be long until the first thermal rejection story... 

 

John West writes... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

As I posted directly on his FB page. I came through hours after him and despite coming from a 'country of ongoing infection' nothing was done. No T8, no app, no disease control office, no tracking, no request for 14 day self isolation, no ongoing point of contact... All lies..  

What I have worked out is if you exit immigration in bangkok, they are doing some things, if you transfer to chiang mai, phuket, samui etc in Swampy.. Nothing at all was done. 

Lol...exactly what my thoughts were before my trip, and that is what happened to me too. I came in from a "high risk" country, but by-passed BKK. My entire inconvenience amounted to a temperature gun to the head while in an immigration line, and filling out the usual landing card. End of story.

2 minutes ago, AlienHermit66 said:

Lol...exactly what my thoughts were before my trip, and that is what happened to me too. I came in from a "high risk" country, but by-passed BKK. My entire inconvenience amounted to a temperature gun to the head while in an immigration line, and filling out the usual landing card. End of story.

I didnt even get (visibly) temp checked until the bangkok airlines staff checked me on the final leg plane entry.. 

I see a article in the bangkok post where immigration are denying some facebook posters info (which factually matches mine and other travellers on Friday) saying it was all a miss understanding.. Yeah yeah, another word for lies.. 

No controls tracking or tracing whatsoever in the middle of a pandemic, for someone who just came from UK (and belgium / Netherlands 2 days prior). 

48 minutes ago, dogfish180 said:

<deleted>! The guy just posts utter BS for his own self gratification!

Who posts utter BS (or pointless comments) for their own self gratification ????? 

44 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

In the same period, Malaria, in all its forms will have killed over 300,000.  I suggest that The World needs to get a little perspective before the whole world economic and financial order is trashed forever. 

Whilst I understand and agree with some of what you say, Malaria isn't infectious, nor is it likely to kill anywhere near as many people as an out of control corona virus could.

Richard right now with some great virus travel info on Twitter.

 

if you are following him check it.

 

i would post it but i was told specify not to.

 

 

Well, the situation is going to change starting this sunday.

 

Then we will see the real situation.

1 hour ago, dogfish180 said:

<deleted>! The guy just posts utter BS for his own self gratification!

A loser jealously tearing down a fellow farang with a high profile for their own self gratification.

Personally, I am very happy to hear from Richard Barrow and everyone else who make comments and observations about the country that I love and have adopted.

Yes, even the TV bar stool lawyers and sarcastic posters.

Because then, I can use my intelligence to work out what is relevant and what is not.

Thank you peoples. Keep posting. (Especially those of you with a sense of humour ????) We all know that in some areas here, things are covered. In others, they are not. It is not rocket science. Thailand does not have systems and communicates lines in place to be any different.

Richard Barrow is telling of his experiences. He is not telling lies. Other posters have different experiences. They are not telling lies either.

The only thing that makes me sad is the fact that this group of ex-army people do not have a clue what to do. They are really hurting the Thais that I have come to love and enjoy working with.

OK. Rant over. Back in my box now.

my iphone 5 has ios10, cannot update to ios11, app needs .... ios11

 

The less I read, the more I know. 

2 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

<deleted>! The guy just posts utter BS for his own self gratification!

Rubbish 

What is  missing from this is any information as to what anyone was subjected to  "before" being permitted  boarding  flights.

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

None of that at DMK yesterday evening, nurse with a head temperature probe, and a paper form to fill out as they couldn't get the AOT phone app TM8 form working.

 

Thailand 0.4  

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

As I posted directly on his FB page. I came through hours after him and despite coming from a 'country of ongoing infection' nothing was done. No T8, no app, no disease control office, no tracking, no request for 14 day self isolation, no ongoing point of contact... All lies..  

What I have worked out is if you exit immigration in bangkok, they are doing some things, if you transfer to chiang mai, phuket, samui etc in Swampy.. Nothing at all was done. 

 

Where did you clear Immigration, Swampy or your end destination.

 

Your final destination and where you cleared Immigration is presumably where any screening should have occurred.

 

Nobody to screen arriving tomorrow

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

He takes a flight in the midst of this unfolding pandemic and finds it noteworthy that he "was subjected to thermal scanning"?

 

I bet they made him fill in an arrival card, too, which would have been an equally exciting piece of information.

 

Attention whoring 4.0

 

 

I don't know why he needed to fly BKK-London-BKK lately. That's his business.

 

But given how poorly Immigration communicates here in English, anyone offering a clear and specific breakdown on how the arrivals process is working right now at Swampy deserves credit and appreciation, not churlish comments.