Thailand closes borders to foreigners

[tandor]

12 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

How about laborers packed in pick up trucks no masks sitting in traffic , Ridiculous almighty baht

..and a dirty ole woman i saw yesterday..no gloves/mask squeezing all the breasts of chicken meat at the local market..sickening.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

Eldery people must stay home ..

okay, okay...

But at which age are we old ?

 

I'm 71 old and when I cycle with my MTBike, a lot of young 40 year olds find it hard to follow me ..

Why would 40 year olds want to follow you?

[AjarnMartin]

12 hours ago, domgaf said:

Has there been any mention of rules about leaving the country?

Good question! Could people in the ‘provinces’ still travel to Suvarnabhumi Airport to catch a flight unhindered?

[ThailandRyan]

51 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Great idea, they're letting sailors enter Thailand. Plan b is to spend a few years study to become a diplomat, have to do something waiting for the state of emergency to end.

Why not learn to fly and build a plane, pilots can stay....and go ......and return.......its just up in the air now....wonder if a hot air balloon pilot would work......lots of hot air being blown about right now.....

[Mosha]

13 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

I read it as "no".

 

WP and diplomats only.

 

And a post discussing moderation has been removed.

Perhaps like the tourists who are stuck, we can get a 2 month extension?

[cornishcarlos]

13 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

I'm 71 old and when I cycle with my MTBike, a lot of young 40 year olds find it hard to follow me ..

 

Try showering more often !!

[Crossy]

A number of posts with unfounded scaremongering (and some sensible responses) have been removed.

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Why would 40 year olds want to follow you?

To win the race, of course ...
When we pass under the "arrival" banner there are a few envelopes ( not brown ) to distribute ... generally to the first three of the event.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, emptypockets said:

They won't get in under the current announcement.

But Thais will? Brilliant.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, AjarnMartin said:

Good question! Could people in the ‘provinces’ still travel to Suvarnabhumi Airport to catch a flight unhindered?

I'm guessing that would be considered essential travel, if you have a valid flight ticket!

[JackThompson]

To keep this in perspective - the real death rate when all the asymtomatic carriers are tested, is much lower than what is often cited in news stories.
 

Quote

 

... what will ensure Vo’ Euganeo a place in the history of medicine is the decision made by the Governor of the Veneto region (which includes Padua, Venice, and Verona) to test all 3,341 inhabitants of the town twice: the first time before closing it off from the rest of Italy and a second time two weeks later.

The first piece of good news coming out from both these ‘experiments’ is that more than 50 percent of the documented COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic cases, similar to what researchers found in the Diamond Princess case.  

Once we adjust for this percentage, we have the second piece of good news: in both these samples, the case mortality rate (CMR)—the fraction of cases that die after contracting a disease—is “only” 1 percent (1 percent in Vo’ and 1.1 percent in the Diamond Princess after adjusting for the age distribution).

 

https://promarket.org/why-mass-testing-is-crucial-the-us-should-study-the-veneto-model-to-fight-covid-19/

 

That doesn't mean don't do social distancing, etc - because the few who get hit hard need respirators to survive - and there are only so many available.  That's the big why of "flatten the bell curve," vs "just let everyone get it" / herd immunity.  But no need to freak out, either.  Treatments are being tested now - so the fatality-rate will only decline, moving foward - barring a significant mutation.

[alyx]

3 hours ago, dcnx said:

Know your place, the answer is NO.

 

How about those who spent an obscene amount for the elite visa... also NO.

 

Define obscene

[LukKrueng]

5 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Unfortunately there are many people above 70 caring for young children in villages. The kids parents are starting to arrive back in the villages and will stay with their kids and parents over 70. Staying at home will become irrelevant. The virus is coming to their home, no need to go out to be exposed. This is going to be a monumental disaster.

This is going to be a monumental disaster any way you look at it. As can be noticed from what happens in other countries - partial curfew / movements restrictions / self isolation - nothing really helps to stop the virus. The only way to manage a complete stop of new infections is by TOTAL lock-down with no exceptions at all. However, even the partial restrictions cause havoc to the economy, so total lock-down will cause a total global economy meltdown - and many people will die from the results of it.

So as I see it - we either continue living normal life albeit with cautious (adopt some of the suggested measures such as no big events, not too many people too close together, keep clean and so on) while the the medical professionals try to develop a vaccine (which is going to take at least 18 months if not longer)

Or

We shut down EVERYTHING, and wait for the total destruction of civilization as we know it (or maybe all together)

[Geoffggi]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Thai government banned entry for all non-resident foreigners on Wednesday but held off on restricting people's movement inside the country as the government prepared to roll out emergency measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

In my opinion Thailand has played a big part in the spread of this virus when they continued to allow the Chinese to come to Thailand when it was only a problem in China, Thailand then became a melting pot for the spread of the virus around the world as tourists from other countries all walked the streets together and although many commented that this was not a good idea there was no warnings issued so people became complacent in their activities. Now it is coming back to bite them for their lack of sensible judgment.

[tifino]

... any adult etc coming back to village soi, from BKK etc 

 

well being where LOS is (in the tropics) ;

make those newly arriving stay outside, out the back under the rear shelter.

Any Thai 'rain' isn't going to cause them to catch the death of cold from it... 

 

The family walls can multi task the Isolation thing

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, tandor said:

..and a dirty ole woman i saw yesterday..no gloves/mask squeezing all the breasts of chicken meat at the local market..sickening.

Interesting point, I wonder what national policies / laws are now in place to seriously monitor wet (and other) markets, and what policies / laws are in place to ensure fresh foods are wrapped to ensure many hands can't touch them?

 

Actually silly question...

 

 

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling meme has been removed. 

[JackThompson]

19 minutes ago, LukKrueng said:

while the the medical professionals try to develop a vaccine (which is going to take at least 18 months if not longer)

Or treatments - much sooner, if with already known drugs.   Could be a week or two for news on that front.

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

4 hours ago, Creasy said:

Some Chinese thinking eating exotic animals

mate, chances are the bloke in this pic didn't cook bat soup in their lab. Gimme a break.

 

[Kerryd]

12 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Interesting point, I wonder what national policies / laws are now in place to seriously monitor wet (and other) markets, and what policies / laws are in place to ensure fresh foods are wrapped to ensure many hands can't touch them?

 

Actually silly question...

I went to Makro a couple days ago early in the morning. Picked up some dry goods and as I was finishing I decided to check out the fresh/frozen meat section.

 

Craploads of fresh chicken and pork in the open air with a dozen plus people (customers) milling around. I decided I really didn't want any fresh meat at the point so I picked up some frozen stuff instead.

As I headed to the front of the store I noticed the fresh fruit and vegetable section. Same thing. Lots of people browsing and handling the goods. Even if they were wearing masks (most of them) and had passed the temperature check at the entrance, that's not a guarantee that all that produce is risk free. (Who handled it before it got to the counter ? Who may have handled it that was infected and not showing symptoms - yet ? Who coughed their lungs out before entering the store, rubbed their hands all over their face, then put a mask on before entering the store ? Using the hand sanitizer provided was not mandatory and I noticed most people didn't bother with it at all.)

After I had my temperature checked (apparently I was only 33 degrees that day, which I thought was a little odd), I took a squirt of the hand sanitizer and as I was mucking it on my hands I grabbed a shopping cart and gave the handle a good once over with the excess goop on my hands.

I would have stocked up on canned vegetables but that is something that hasn't caught on over here it seems. A very tiny section with some Peas, Kidney Beans, Mushrooms, Corn and maybe some Carrot/Corn mixed.

Oh and tomatoes of course but I think that's mainly because they are used for sauces.

Half a row of shelves crammed with canned Tuna though.

[Antonymous]

2 hours ago, pookiki said:

I'm 72, don't smoke, and don't drink and have a very healthy diet.  I was exercising twice a day - resistance training in the morning and an aerobics class in the afternoon - until I decided that a personal lockdown was my best option. I've been in lockdown since Monday afternoon. I've been getting a flu shot for years. I had all the childhood diseases - measles, mumps, chickenpox (and shingles later in life - terrible!). I've had the 'normal' flu many times.

 

We all have to make our choices in life.  I am attaching a news article that I think you will find of interest.  I think us older folks have to face the fact that our bodies wear out no matter what we do. I wish you well.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/olympic-champion-swimmer-diagnosed-coronavirus-calls-it-worse-virus-i-have-ever-endured-1493664

 

In your post above you mentioned something that appears to be a common phenomenon:

 

"I've been getting a flu shot for years. . . I've had the 'normal' flu many times."

 

I have never had a flu vaccine and haven't had anything like the flu for 20 years and so I'm always interested in this subject. A couple of friends who, like you, get vaccinated every year and get flu in most years always find some excuse as to why.

 

Now there is evidence that influenza vaccines specifically increase the risk of coronavirus infection due to a phenomenon known as virus interference.

 

Furthermore, in September 2019, Italy rolled out an entirely new type of influenza vaccine that is different from others. Most available influenza vaccines are produced in embryonated chicken eggs. VIQCC is produced from cultured animal cells rather than eggs and has more of a “boost” to the immune system as a result. VIQCC also contains four types of viruses – 2 type A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and 2 type B viruses.2 It looks like this “super” vaccine impacted the immune system in such a way to increase coronavirus infection through virus interference that set the stage for what happened in Italy.

 

Source:

https://doctormurray.com/does-the-flu-shot-increase-covid-19-risk/

[toolpush]

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Was there any mention of any preferred immigration status when you signed up? I mean beyond being picked up by cart at the jetway and access to some mediocre golf courses?

 

In the end, it's still just an expensive non-immigrant visa that doesn't even support a work permit.

It is NOT an expensive non-immigrant visa. I wish it was. It is an expensive glorified tourist visa.

[toolpush]

8 hours ago, Drax said:

Elite visa no too? Just curious because usually no1 ever mentions it yet I always get Thai prices when using it. 

You get Thai prices? Do you mean at National Parks and other private tourist attractions? No kidding? Do you show them the visa in your passport? My experience has been that when I show any Thai this visa, they have no idea what it is and have never seen one. And I mean immigration officials at land borders and bank managers as an example.

[toolpush]

7 hours ago, Drax said:

Hope this helps. Official info from Thai elite. Only work permit & permanent residence status can enter.

Can someone explain to me the difference between "kind" understanding and just plain understanding?

[Pedrogaz]

14 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

what you believe!
I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol.
I live in the countryside in the middle of rice fields and heveas plantations.
My lung and heart capacities are in excellent condition, according to the last encephalogram and the radio of my lungs made a fortnight ago at the public hospital in Udon Thani.
I am not diabetic or fat, which my bike appreciates, moreover
When I climb Phupalek, 4.8 km at 10% average, I arrive at the top with pulsations at 115/120, so very below my maximum allowed which is, I remind you: 220 minus my age (71 ) = 149

You seem to have some sort of point to prove.....go ahead be my guest. Go twice as fast up your mountains. 

[Pedrogaz]

9 minutes ago, toolpush said:

Can someone explain to me the difference between "kind" understanding and just plain understanding?

Brilliant.....kind understanding is the understanding you just paid 1 million baht for.

[Mosha]

OK my wife has just got off the phone to Ranong Immigration. I'm on a type O based on marriage. Visa runs out in November.

She was told if I go down at the end of this 90 days. They will stamp my passport with another 90 days.

[lust]

6 minutes ago, Mosha said:

OK my wife has just got off the phone to Ranong Immigration. I'm on a type O based on marriage. Visa runs out in November.

She was told if I go down at the end of this 90 days. They will stamp my passport with another 90 days.

You’re on Non O multiple entry visa where you must leave the country every 90 days?

[DKStuntz]

I’ve been residing in Thailand, and teaching English there, for the past few years, but I’m currently visiting the USA during the Thai school break.  

 

I have read that, in order to get back to Thailand, I’ll need to present a health certificate, that confirms a negative coronavirus test result, upon checking in for my flight back to Thailand.

 

My main concern is that, according to what I’ve heard, it’s extremely difficult to get a Covid-19 test here in the USA, because such test kits are so scarce, that they are reserved only for the sickest of hospital patents.  

 

Therefore, I don’t know how to obtain a health certificate.

 

Although I have a current Non-Immigrant ’B’ visa and a work permit, for Thailand, I’m wondering how I can get back into Thailand if I can’t get a Covid-19 test.  I imagine that there are many other traveling expats who are in the same situation, and I’m wondering if there’s a solution to this issue.

 

I would greatly appreciate any information or advice, regarding whether there’s any way that expats can get a health certificate (to confirm that they are Covid-negative), while Covid test kits are scarce, and/or if there is any other way to obtain the required health certificate.

 

Thanks.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Rimmer
Fonts corrected

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

26 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Lots of people browsing and handling the goods. Even if they were wearing masks (most of them) and had passed the temperature check at the entrance, that's not a guarantee that all that produce is risk free

We all rinse the produce under the tap but then we're told only soap or sanitizer kills the virus. hmm.

So does it mean I should shampoo my lettuce head, anyone..?