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Entry requirements for young children accompanied by parents


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Me, my wife, and our 6-month old son are considering a long stay via STV or Non-ED. I have been digging around for information on the entry requirements for our son and have not turned up much useful information.

He is a U.S. citizen and can enter visa-exempt. My wife is not Thai.

We are wondering whether he will need to undergo PCR tests. Nasal COVID tests on such a young child seem like a bad idea.

 

For example, the USA does not require minors under 12 years old to get a PCR test for entry. Does Thailand have a similar age exemption?


Also, does he need his own STV or Non-X visa, or will he be somehow covered under our status?
 

Bonus question: can anyone who has done the ASQ comment on how gentle the nurses have been with the nasal swabs? I have had a test done in another country and it was extremely uncomfortable. It felt like they were reaching for the edge of my brain. 

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I have not seen anything about what age a child does not need the covid 19 test.

Your child will need a their own visa to stay in the country. Children under the age of 15 do not pay overstay fines but still need the correct visa to stay in the country.

There is a mention of dependents under the age of twenty getting visa on the STV requirements page here. They be able to get a non-o visa as your dependent. https://thaiembdc.org/2020/12/10/stv/

If you could enroll in a formal school here your wife and child could then get non-o visas if you apply for a non-ed visa.

Info is here on the embassy website about a non-ed visa. https://thaiembdc.org/2020/07/11/visa_coe_education/

 

 

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I asked the Thai London Embassy if our 5 year old required a test, yes please was the answer. The first clinic I contacted they won’t do tests on children as there is a risk, they didn’t say what the risk was ?


Different topic, I was also told I would have to submit 3 separate applications for a COE, one for myself, U.K. national, my Thai partner and 5 year old son who has a Thai and U.K. Passport. This would mean all documents in triplicate, a mountain of documents. I have asked if they do a family application but as yet no reply but I doubt they will.

 

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That's correct, each person seems to need a full stack of documents. That's what we were also told by the Thai consulate in LA.

As for the risk to a young child, I can only guess that having a young child screaming and squirming while a rod is inserted through deep through his nostril into his throat carries a risk of something inside the nasal passage being damaged.

We were wrong about the U.S. policy. Children 2 years old and younger are exempt from PCR testing. For Canada the age ceiling is 5 years old. In any case these exemptions indicate some common sense.

 

We would argue that PCR testing in general is not a good policy for diagnosis due to the inherent inaccuracy of this type of testing but that's fodder for another debate.

 

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2 hours ago, Bourney0 said:

That's correct, each person seems to need a full stack of documents. That's what we were also told by the Thai consulate in LA.

As for the risk to a young child, I can only guess that having a young child screaming and squirming while a rod is inserted through deep through his nostril into his throat carries a risk of something inside the nasal passage being damaged.

We were wrong about the U.S. policy. Children 2 years old and younger are exempt from PCR testing. For Canada the age ceiling is 5 years old. In any case these exemptions indicate some common sense.

 

We would argue that PCR testing in general is not a good policy for diagnosis due to the inherent inaccuracy of this type of testing but that's fodder for another debate.

 

I am not sure what sort of testing they carry out in your country but I had a Covid test carried out at a private hospital here in Thailand last week

There was no use of rods only a type of cotton bud which the nurse lightly moved around one nostril.

Nothing being inserted in your nostril is pleasant but what’s the option ?

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1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

I am not sure what sort of testing they carry out in your country but I had a Covid test carried out at a private hospital here in Thailand last week

There was no use of rods only a type of cotton bud which the nurse lightly moved around one nostril.

Nothing being inserted in your nostril is pleasant but what’s the option ?


Steve, how deep would you say that they inserted the swab? Was it just inside the part that protrudes from the face?

Typically a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR is inserted 8-10cm inside the nose in adults--practically to the back of the throat. That's downright unpleasant. At best, it makes your eyes water.

Perhaps they gave you a different type of test. The problem is, there are at least three different methods for doing a COVID PCR test. There's a nasopharyngeal swab, a more "gentle" swab, or a saliva test.

 

The saliva test is the least invasive. You simply spit into a collection cup and that's what's used for the test. It seems like that's the rarest type, unfortunately.

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5 hours ago, Bourney0 said:


Steve, how deep would you say that they inserted the swab? Was it just inside the part that protrudes from the face?

Typically a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR is inserted 8-10cm inside the nose in adults--practically to the back of the throat. That's downright unpleasant. At best, it makes your eyes water.

Perhaps they gave you a different type of test. The problem is, there are at least three different methods for doing a COVID PCR test. There's a nasopharyngeal swab, a more "gentle" swab, or a saliva test.

 

The saliva test is the least invasive. You simply spit into a collection cup and that's what's used for the test. It seems like that's the rarest type, unfortunately.

I had a covid test in the U.K. and it was very unpleasant, a swab lonber than a cotton bud was inserted in both nostrils, I thought the nurse was trying to stir my brain. She then inserted one down my throat so far it made me wretch. I couldn’t I imagine trying those tests on a young child.

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My 7 year old had two of the nadal swabs done in Canada before departure and I believe three upon arrival in Thailand. One at the airport and two at the ASQ. May be wrong about the on upon arrival though. 

Slightly unpleasant was how she put it. Not painful, but an activity she would not want to repeat often. 

It did break up the boredom of the stay. Gave her and mommy something to talk about for an hour.

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1 hour ago, rct99q said:

My 7 year old had two of the nadal swabs done in Canada before departure and I believe three upon arrival in Thailand. One at the airport and two at the ASQ. May be wrong about the on upon arrival though. 

Slightly unpleasant was how she put it. Not painful, but an activity she would not want to repeat often. 

It did break up the boredom of the stay. Gave her and mommy something to talk about for an hour.


Good to know. Do you know if it was the deep swab or a shallow one?

We are leaning toward scrapping any plans for Thailand until the entry restrictions have been relaxed to some extent. 

Even if we went now there's also the risk that one of us gets a false positive test in ASQ. If it were the baby or my wife it could be a total disaster as the baby is still dependent upon breastfeeding. If one of them were to get a false positive (it's about a 4% chance, so I have heard) then one of them would be whisked off to a hotel and put into isolation for 10+ days. If it were my wife I would be forced to transition him to bottle formula. If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

We aren't interested in starting a debate on immunology here, but we have all already had the virus and recovered so I am confident that any near-term PCR test would be a false positive for any of us.

It would be great if Thailand and other countries accepted a serum (antibody) test in lieu of PCR tests and quarantine for those of us that have had the virus and recovered.

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24 minutes ago, Bourney0 said:


Good to know. Do you know if it was the deep swab or a shallow one?

We are leaning toward scrapping any plans for Thailand until the entry restrictions have been relaxed to some extent. 

Even if we went now there's also the risk that one of us gets a false positive test in ASQ. If it were the baby or my wife it could be a total disaster as the baby is still dependent upon breastfeeding. If one of them were to get a false positive (it's about a 4% chance, so I have heard) then one of them would be whisked off to a hotel and put into isolation for 10+ days. If it were my wife I would be forced to transition him to bottle formula. If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

We aren't interested in starting a debate on immunology here, but we have all already had the virus and recovered so I am confident that any near-term PCR test would be a false positive for any of us.

It would be great if Thailand and other countries accepted a serum (antibody) test in lieu of PCR tests and quarantine for those of us that have had the virus and recovered.

In a similar position only our son is 5, if his Mother was hospitalised it would be a nightmare for me to look after him not as bad as you though with a baby. If he had a temperature, tested asymptomatic or positive would they hospitalise him with out his Mother that would be unimaginable.

I have set targets over the last year for going back, first it was Christmas then Easter now no idea. I will have had my second vaccination by March, I could wait till my partner has hers but the vaccines haven’t been tested on kids as yet. It will be year in March since we have been here with no end in sight, I sympathise with others who are in a similar position.

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On 2/14/2021 at 8:40 AM, Bourney0 said:


Steve, how deep would you say that they inserted the swab? Was it just inside the part that protrudes from the face?

Typically a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR is inserted 8-10cm inside the nose in adults--practically to the back of the throat. That's downright unpleasant. At best, it makes your eyes water.

Perhaps they gave you a different type of test. The problem is, there are at least three different methods for doing a COVID PCR test. There's a nasopharyngeal swab, a more "gentle" swab, or a saliva test.

 

The saliva test is the least invasive. You simply spit into a collection cup and that's what's used for the test. It seems like that's the rarest type, unfortunately.

I have had two Covid tests in the last 6 months carried out out a International accredited private hospital prior to having operations carried out

The test was carried out using what I would call a large “cotton bud”

It was inserted inside one nostril and only went to the top of my nose nothing went anywhere near my throat

After reading your original post I spoke to my sister in the UK whose husband requires regular hospital visits and is tested each time she confirmed his test is the same as mine.

I have never heard of people having the test you describe

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19 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I had a covid test in the U.K. and it was very unpleasant, a swab lonber than a cotton bud was inserted in both nostrils, I thought the nurse was trying to stir my brain. She then inserted one down my throat so far it made me wretch. I couldn’t I imagine trying those tests on a young child.

I agree it is not pleasant I have had 2 in the last 6 months pri.or to operations carried out the first by a male nurse was very rough

The second time It was carried out by a female nurse who was very gentle and although it’s not something I enjoyed I have had worse procedures in my life

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13 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I agree it is not pleasant I have had 2 in the last 6 months pri.or to operations carried out the first by a male nurse was very rough

The second time It was carried out by a female nurse who was very gentle and although it’s not something I enjoyed I have had worse procedures in my life

 

Thanks. It could be that they don't use the nasopharyngeal swab in Thailand. If that's the case, good on them.

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On 2/15/2021 at 2:49 AM, Bourney0 said:

If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

 

That doesn't happen, your wife/you/both of you would go to the hospital with your child (most likely your wife obviously).

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2 minutes ago, Bourney0 said:

Source? How can we be sure of this?

 

Because there's precedent, check any of the FB groups such as https://www.facebook.com/groups/298606387906884 (for information from the horses mouth as it where) where there are reports of it having happened. Thais aren't prone to "kidnapping" and in many cases family members stay with ill people in the hospital with them to help look after them in any case.

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Just now, Bourney0 said:

Salerno, this is quite helpful. Thank you for the Facebook group link. 

 

No worries, been following it for a while and seem to be a very helpful bunch of people that are more than willing to answer peoples questions. Also, you get info from those that are actually going through/have gone through exactly the same processes and faced the same issues/"fears" that people have. As valuable as TV is, IMO you have a larger cohort to tap into with up-to-date real-time experience in that group (and I can assure, as a dedicated non FB user, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever be pointing people in the direction of FB!). Good luck with whatever action you decide to take.

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On 2/14/2021 at 10:49 PM, Bourney0 said:


Good to know. Do you know if it was the deep swab or a shallow one?

We are leaning toward scrapping any plans for Thailand until the entry restrictions have been relaxed to some extent. 

Even if we went now there's also the risk that one of us gets a false positive test in ASQ. If it were the baby or my wife it could be a total disaster as the baby is still dependent upon breastfeeding. If one of them were to get a false positive (it's about a 4% chance, so I have heard) then one of them would be whisked off to a hotel and put into isolation for 10+ days. If it were my wife I would be forced to transition him to bottle formula. If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

We aren't interested in starting a debate on immunology here, but we have all already had the virus and recovered so I am confident that any near-term PCR test would be a false positive for any of us.

It would be great if Thailand and other countries accepted a serum (antibody) test in lieu of PCR tests and quarantine for those of us that have had the virus and recovered.

All tests were the deep nasal swab. As she stated at the time it was uncomfortable but not painful for her.

Never considered the false negative issue. At the hotel (wife and daughter returned first) they were told that there would be a series of steps and consultations prior to being taken to a hospital if either or both tested positive.

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