• Alternative State Quarantine reviews

[soidog2]

Unfortunately for me, I will have to book a package soon in order to return home.

I was wondering if people that experienced it would care to recommend or warn people to stay away from specific hotels.

Thanks in advance.

[tonray]

1 hour ago, soidog2 said:

Unfortunately for me, I will have to book a package soon in order to return home.

I was wondering if people that experienced it would care to recommend or warn people to stay away from specific hotels.

Thanks in advance.

With the defamation laws being what they are,  it might be unwise for anyone to discuss hotels in a negative light online. 

[soidog2]

12 minutes ago, tonray said:

With the defamation laws being what they are,  it might be unwise for anyone to discuss hotels in a negative light online. 

There are many ways to express opinions without insulting anyone; also PMs work well.

[farang51]

You can find some reviews at Thaisest:
https://thaiest.com/bookings/asq

[eastbaybob]

I'm in the Movenpick right now.  60000 baht for the standard room, and because I am over 60 the first night I had to stay at Bangkok Hospital.

 

The WiFi is good, the a/c is good, the TV is good, the bed is great. The room is small but I do have a balcony, which is nice.  The food is OK I would equate it to the food at food court of an upcountry mall, if the food sat around for a while after it was cooked so it was served warm rather than hot. When you check you pick your meals for your entire stay and each meal has a Thai or western option. They have room service which I haven't tried. The room have a water kettle and the fixings for coffee or tea and 9 1.5 liter bottles of water that are refreshed every 3 day.

 

If I did it again, I don't think I'd stay here. I go on my balcony and get fresh air, but after a week here I would love to have some visual stimulation as the way this hotel is situated you only see a driveway and some trees.  I would love to have a view where I could see human beings. It seems like a small thing but after a week in a room all alone it starts to wear on you.

 

 

[soidog2]

Thanks for the insight, I was actually considering it. I hope it goes easy for you.

[TimBKK]

A bit in this thread, especially about the Maple in Bang Na:

 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

OP I take it you're from Calif. Were you able to choose the hotel you wanted or was it assigned? I'm getting conflicting info from folks.

[ubonjoe]

Just now, EVENKEEL said:

OP I take it you're from Calif. Were you able to choose the hotel you wanted or was it assigned? I'm getting conflicting info from folks.

You choose any available ASQ hotel you want to. They do not assign the hotels for non Thai applicants.

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You choose any available ASQ hotel you want to. They do not assign the hotels for non Thai applicants.

The way I understand it you have to pay for ASQ and flight before you can get COE I think that's the right acronym. But, some drinking buddies were telling me different.

 

Thanks for clarification.

[Polaky]

Plenty of reviews on facebook, *Thailand asq hotels*, you can also put a request in with your dates and budget to get quotes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/298606387906884/

[Tounge Thaied]

It won't really matter. You will spend all of you time in the room. You will do your own temps. You will communicate via LINE APP to the onsite nurse and staff. You may get to go out for short periods after you pass your first covid test. All depends on whether you want to pay for a high end hotel or a more simpler hotel. I would say honestly, the only difference in experiences may be the food. Presumably if you pay for a nicer hotel you will get better food? I stayed at the Miloft over by the river, 32,000 for the two weeks. The food honestly wasn't horrible, but was very boring packaged food like you would find at a low end hotel breakfast. 

[soidog2]

33 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

OP I take it you're from Calif. Were you able to choose the hotel you wanted or was it assigned? I'm getting conflicting info from folks.

I am in NY, nobody suggested assignment, perhaps for Thai citizens. 

[soidog2]

17 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

It won't really matter. You will spend all of you time in the room. You will do your own temps. You will communicate via LINE APP to the onsite nurse and staff. You may get to go out for short periods after you pass your first covid test. All depends on whether you want to pay for a high end hotel or a more simpler hotel. I would say honestly, the only difference in experiences may be the food. Presumably if you pay for a nicer hotel you will get better food? I stayed at the Miloft over by the river, 32,000 for the two weeks. The food honestly wasn't horrible, but was very boring packaged food like you would find at a low end hotel breakfast. 

Yes I am with you, the order of importance is : Good food, Good WIFI, Some movies, the rest is important but similar all over.

[farang51]

43 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

I would say honestly, the only difference in experiences may be the food.

Some places, you cannot open windows or doors, even if there is a balcony. Some places offers you a service buying stuff from outside, like from the local 7-Eleven. Some places offers food from a selected menu, while, as I understand it, some decides what to give you.

[richard_smith237]

This may help some.

 

I stayed at the TwoThree hotel (Sukhumvit 23) in July on an ASQ package - 45,000 baht / 15 nights. 

 

Room: Superior Double - 24 sqm - I felt the room was OK, nothing great. No complaints, the bed and pillows were comfy, the room was quiet. The bathroom had a shower only, no bath. 

Food: Outsourced to PAK Bakery - I was quite happy with the food, a choice of 3 options each meal (Western, Thai or Chinese-is)

Drink: As much drinking water as you want provided - Instant coffee in the room & a kettle (my wife dropped my nespresso machine round !)

Entertainment: I had a VR headset and laptop: I didn’t use the in room TV at all. 

Exercise: the bed moved to the side so I had more space and room to ‘exercise with VR’ (quite entertaining and passed the time). I didn’t use the Gym, but I was told on booking it was an option after day the result of the day 6 covid-19 test. The gym would need to be booked the day before. 

There was no where else, outside to walk (no hotel grounds etc), just the small pool area - the pool couldn’t be used. 

Staff: We’re very helpful, would get things from 7-11 for me (I didn’t need much anyway)

Laundry: The hotel wouldn’t launder our clothes but gave us 3 sets of ’scrubs’ - they washed those daily. Laundry powder was provide to wash our own ‘grundies’ and anything else we wanted to wash.

 

I left the room 3 times in the 15 nights - twice for a Covid-19 test, and once while they cleaned my room on day 7. 

I didn’t feel the need to get out more than that - I was in quarantine, isolated and I’d accepted that.

 

Would I stay there again, possibly but thats based more on ‘better the devil you know’ and reports that food in other similarly priced places not being that good. 

 

I think they key thing to tolerating an ASQ hotel is food. We are a captive audience and cannot vote with our feet. Once we are locked in, if I felt that the hotel was feeding us cheap food to save money it would be extremely annoying. 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

The way I understand it you have to pay for ASQ and flight before you can get COE I think that's the right acronym. But, some drinking buddies were telling me different.

 

Thanks for clarification.

 

Correct - there are a number of requirements to secure your Embassy issued CoE (Certificate of Entry).

- Meet the entry criteria (Marriage cert etc...  work permit etc etc)

- Insurance >US$100,000 cover including complications as a result of Covid-19

- Flight Booking (tickets can be refunded - I’m still waiting for a refund 14 weeks later from a booking).

- ASQ hotel Booking (payment arrangements depend on the hotel - mine was 50% fully refundable if cancelled <7 days before arrival date - each hotel will have differing requirements)

- Visa Application (meeting those requirements) if you don’t already have a visa which meets the entry criteria. 

 

There may also be some Embassy declarations to complete and ASQ forms to be filled out (I wonder if the paperwork has grown or diminished since I travelled in July). 

 

>> After meeting all these criteria the Embassy will then issue the CoE.

 

>> you also need to meet the following requirements before the flight

- >72 hrs before the flight - Covid-19 Negative test certificate

- >72 hrs before the flight - Fit to Fly statement from a Doctor

- Completed TM8 form

 

 

[Mops59]

There are a few Facebook pages. Search within Facebook for ASQ hotels. Very informative. Good luck.

[Sheryl]

21 hours ago, eastbaybob said:

I'm in the Movenpick right now.  60000 baht for the standard room, and because I am over 60 the first night I had to stay at Bangkok Hospital.

 

The WiFi is good, the a/c is good, the TV is good, the bed is great.

 

 

Could you elaborate on the bed? Are you someone who loves very hard mattresses or does this hotel actually have reasonably soft mattresses? (I have yet to find any in Thailand where this is the case...)

[Thaiophil]

49 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Could you elaborate on the bed? Are you someone who loves very hard mattresses or does this hotel actually have reasonably soft mattresses? (I have yet to find any in Thailand where this is the case...)

I am in the Movenpick and largely agree with the previous poster. The bed is very comfortable and a bit soft but not saggy. I find it a very good experience overall:

 

- fairly large room

- balcony with chair: nice for open air bkfst

- 45 mins exercise in the garden per day. Allowed from day 1 after negative test

- great food and hotel adapts to what you want (no red meat, spicy Thai food only, chopsticks not plastic cutlery etc). Not always hot though

- wifi good, but slow in busy periods

- good choice of tv channels

- staff respond quickly including room service

- tea, coffee, toiletries all replenished free

- plenty of room to exercise with yoga mat provided

 

I would certainly recommend it here, though nothing to compare it to. As a health resort, they have medical pros on site if you have any issues

[Sheryl]

Thanks, sounds good (hope I don't need it, but just in case...)

[jte]

My wife is staying at the Pullman G. It was 60000 baht for the package.

She says the rooms are very nice and the food is too much, and if you have every seen a Thai lady eat you know that is saying something.

She has had Thai and Falang food both and says everything is hot and tasty and too much.

Three meals a day as well as afternoon tea.

Another reason I chose it for her is I only had to put down 5000 baht. They changed the reservation for me without any problem when I thought that she needed a covid test, she is Thai so only needed the fit to fly certificate.

[soidog2]

I was going to stay at the Movenpick but after a transpacific flight with long layovers I don't feel like sleeping in a hospital on arrival. (obligatory first night if over 60)

I corresponded with 4-5 hotels, most professional was the Courtyard By Marriott. I am in the process of booking their ASQ package.

Check out the video if interested. https://youtu.be/ZAMzV3OVE08

Thank you to all.

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, soidog2 said:

I was going to stay at the Movenpick but after a transpacific flight with long layovers I don't feel like sleeping in a hospital on arrival. (obligatory first night if over 60)

I corresponded with 4-5 hotels, most professional was the Courtyard By Marriott. I am in the process of booking their ASQ package.

Check out the video if interested. https://youtu.be/ZAMzV3OVE08

Thank you to all.

 

 

If over 60 and arriving in Thailand *(with CoE while Thailand is under Emergency Decree) you have to stay the first night in hospital ????? or is that just a requirement of the Movenpick ASQ ???

 

[soidog2]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

If over 60 and arriving in Thailand *(with CoE while Thailand is under Emergency Decree) you have to stay the first night in hospital ????? or is that just a requirement of the Movenpick ASQ ???

 

As far as I can tell it's Movenpick only

[farmerjo]

I stayed at the Belaire in mid August.

59,000 good size room with 2 beds.

Windows locked but a view to pool area.

Suggest take a laptop and hdmi cable as tv channels basic and don't have netflix as advertised.

As a smoker it was the school kid way standing under the exhaust fan in toilet.

The Thai meals were more filling than the western one's,no 7/11 requests allowed.

Nobody checked the room for the entire time only sent temp results to office via Line.

On departure received complimentry 2 nights accomodation for the future if required.

I don't think it matters what hotel,just be prepared with ways to fill your time in.

 

[Pravda]

If you stay in ASQ can you watch pron? 

[Tounge Thaied]

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

If you stay in ASQ can you watch pron? 

My internet connection was only restricted by what the Kingdom restricts. There were no additional hotel restrictions. 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, farmerjo said:

I stayed at the Belaire in mid August.

59,000 good size room with 2 beds.

Windows locked but a view to pool area.

Suggest take a laptop and hdmi cable as tv channels basic and don't have netflix as advertised.

As a smoker it was the school kid way standing under the exhaust fan in toilet.

The Thai meals were more filling than the western one's,no 7/11 requests allowed.

Nobody checked the room for the entire time only sent temp results to office via Line.

On departure received complimentry 2 nights accomodation for the future if required.

I don't think it matters what hotel,just be prepared with ways to fill your time in.

 

 

Note to self: Belaire: The ‘No 7-11 requests allowed' is a show stopper.

 

During my time in ASQ (TwoThree) the staff went to 7-11 every 3-4 days for me for fresh-milk (my wife had dropped off my coffee machine) and on another occasion for batteries (for my VR controllers). 

 

It’s sometimes the little things which make a difference and if the staff were not prepared to go to 7-11 for me while I am locked in a room I’d be quite furious - its a basic thing. 

 

I understand why requests can’t be made for fresh food etc but for other items, chocolate, crisps, batteries etc it should be a given. 

 

[IronByron]

On 10/30/2020 at 8:18 PM, Tounge Thaied said:

It won't really matter. You will spend all of you time in the room. You will do your own temps. You will communicate via LINE APP to the onsite nurse and staff. You may get to go out for short periods after you pass your first covid test. All depends on whether you want to pay for a high end hotel or a more simpler hotel. I would say honestly, the only difference in experiences may be the food. Presumably if you pay for a nicer hotel you will get better food? I stayed at the Miloft over by the river, 32,000 for the two weeks. The food honestly wasn't horrible, but was very boring packaged food like you would find at a low end hotel breakfast. 

The food is not the strong point of this place.