Thailand may INCREASE quarantine for some travellers

[webfact]

Thailand may INCREASE  quarantine for some travellers

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Thailand is considering increasing the length of time some travellers will be required to spend  in quarantine, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Monday.

 

According to CCSA spokesperson, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, the proposal is to help limit the spread of the more contagious South African strain of the coronavirus.

 

On Sunday, Thailand reported its first case of the South African strain, confirmed in a Thai national who had recently entered quarantine having travelled back from Tanzania. 

 

Dr Apisamai said the CCSA is considering increasing mandatory quarantine from 14 to 21 days for people who  travel from “high risk countries” or for those who later test positive for the South Afriacn strain of the virus. 

 

The proposed increase in quarantine will initially apply to people travelling to Thailand from Africa, but could also be applied to other travellers from elsewhere. 

 

While Dr Apisamai didn’t state exactly which other countries are considered “high risk”, Thai news site Daily News, reported that the more contagious variant is prevalent in many European countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland and has also been found in Australia and the United States.

 

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[Swiss1960]

They really do not want anymore tourists... 3 weeks of quarantine when you have a total of 4-5 weeks of holiday available per year from your work... 

[gunderhill]

6 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

They really do not want anymore tourists... 3 weeks of quarantine when you have a total of 4-5 weeks of holiday available per year from your work... 

I  don't  think most Africans get even 1  day  holiday.

[LazySlipper]

Roller coaster tide.... one day we are open, one day we will quarantine more...

 

Stay tuned for more gripping news...

[Bkk Brian]

This is what happens when you have failed to provide a speedy vaccination plan to the Thai people. 

[ukrules]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

The proposed increase in quarantine will initially apply to people travelling to Thailand from Africa, but could also be applied to other travellers from elsewhere. 

 

The African variant is a little too different to the other variants and there are questions about the vaccine efficacy but no real evidence yet - it's panic.

 

They're even quarantining people in hotels in the UK now due to this new African variant, British and Irish people only - if you're not British or Irish, forget about entering the UK from Africa  - it's not happening.

 

Apparently Portugal is on the list of countries where it's present as well which means it's gained a foothold in mainland Europe.

 

[NCC1701A]

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

[ukrules]

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

 

Perhaps, however there are 100's of vaccines in the pipeline and altering them is a small job compared with creating the first one.

 

The way out is to vaccinate everyone who moves around the world.

[Freeduhdum]

6 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

Once you take a look at all of the various government responses to these new emerging strains... it becomes clear, that New Normal is going to be anything but normal... and NCC1701A's comment is ever more relevant. 

[josephbloggs]

8 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is what happens when you have failed to provide a speedy vaccination plan to the Thai people. 

Seeing as how the vaccine is reportedly ineffective against the SA variant how exactly would that have helped?

Edited February 16, 2021 by onthedarkside
personal comment removed

[josephbloggs]

47 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

They really do not want anymore tourists... 3 weeks of quarantine when you have a total of 4-5 weeks of holiday available per year from your work... 

It's not about tourism at the moment, do you not get that?  No one is expecting tourists to do three weeks quarantine, this is about trying to protect Thailand from the virus.

[Boomer6969]

Makes perfect sense. But yes with regards to tourism we are back to the fifties.

[FarFlungFalang]

28 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

Global numbers of new infections and deaths are falling rapidly even with the more infectious variants which seems strange but that's the way it is.Maybe it was more infectious the whole time and herd immunity is being reached.So many unknowns. 

[BKKBike09]

Maybe it would make more sense to require Thai nationals to take a Covid test before travelling. Rather than sticking a potential carrier of a more infectious strain in a small metal tube with other people for 10 hours ... 

[mtls2005]

If the last test in ASQ (day 12 or 13?) comes back positive (after being neg. pre-flight and in ASQ), and they sequence the strain and it comes back as a newer, more contagious strain, I can see adding another 5 - 7  days quarantine, on a case-by-case basis, just to get a feel for situation. You;ve done a  lot of work to keep things under control, why get lazy now?

 

Most of the people returning are not really "tourists" anyway. The last figures I saw from the DCA pegged the figure at just under 5%.

 

 

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

 

The African variant is a little too different to the other variants and there are questions about the vaccine efficacy but no real evidence yet - it's panic.

 

They're even quarantining people in hotels in the UK now due to this new African variant, British and Irish people only - if you're not British or Irish, forget about entering the UK from Africa  - it's not happening.

 

Apparently Portugal is on the list of countries where it's present as well which means it's gained a foothold in mainland Europe.

 

There's a Brazilian variant which is present in Portugal.

 

Not sure whether an extra week in quarantine will make any difference.

 

Sounds like Thailand will still be quarantining when the rest of the (vaccinated) world might start to cautiously open.

[ezzra]

Yes indeed penalize money bringing tourist and allows ten of unchecked disease carrying foreign workers while cashed up tourist are put through the quarantine wringer...

[Bkk Brian]

8 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Seeing as how the vaccine is reportedly ineffective against the SA variant how exactly would that have helped? 

 

Just stating reality, eggs in one basket with the AZ vaccine has not turned out well at all for Thailand. Some other vaccines have proved effective at this variant.

Edited February 16, 2021 by onthedarkside
personal comment removed

[Blumpie]

Oh boy three weeks in quarantine.  

Maybe.  

Maybe not.

Oh look, a butterfly!

[JonnyF]

This is exactly the reason people won't be travelling en masse any time soon.

 

Book your flight, get your certificates, pay for quarantine etc. then a new strain or a new rule comes out just before you fly and you're locked up for 21 days instead of 14. Test positive for the SA strain and you might also end up in a private hospital for as long as some official decides is necessary. Thousand upon thousands of pounds down the drain.

 

Most people will decide it's not worth the risk. Certainly not for a holiday.

 

Maybe time for TAT to revise their worst case scenario down from 2 million?

 

 

[Blumpie]

18 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

This is exactly the reason people won't be travelling en masse any time soon.

 

Book your flight, get your certificates, pay for quarantine etc. then a new strain or a new rule comes out just before you fly and you're locked up for 21 days instead of 14. Test positive for the SA strain and you might also end up in a private hospital for as long as some official decides is necessary. Thousand upon thousands of pounds down the drain.

 

Most people will decide it's not worth the risk. Certainly not for a holiday.

 

Maybe time for TAT to revise their worst case scenario down from 2 million?

 

 

Of course it's not worth the risk or the expense.  

I mean really, if you want to waste 2 weeks maybe 3 in thailand and 2 when you get home, to do what?  Go see that everything is closed?  

That is why most civilized countries are not allowing tourists in (at least mass) for now.  There aren't any countries on the planet that aren't recommending against unnecessary travel anywhere.  

Thailand, as usual, is running around like a stoned hysterical person in circles babbling.  

2 million visitors?  Of course not.  

[Pravda]

2 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

They really do not want anymore tourists... 3 weeks of quarantine when you have a total of 4-5 weeks of holiday available per year from your work... 

 

Who gets 4-5 weeks of holiday? Most get 2 weeks.

[Taboo2]

I did my ASQ back in January...one time is enough.  It was easy peasy for me, but I will not do it again because I did not like wasting two weeks.

[bkk6060]

They seem behind Cambodia and Vietnam in their vaccine related rollout issues.

Even Vietnam has 30 mil. Oxford vaccines coming Thailand has 150,000??

 

[KC 71]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

Have being hearing '2025' being mentioned a lot lately !

[Cake Monster]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

you see how this will go on for a very long time. 

 

2023...

I am very inclined to agree with you on this one.

Until Thailand can prove vaccination for about 60 % + of its population, this will go on and on with very few Tourists.

[donnacha]

13 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

They seem behind Cambodia and Vietnam in their vaccine related rollout issues.

Even Vietnam has 30 mil. Oxford vaccines coming Thailand has 150,000??

Once-in-a-century chance for Vietnam to Leapfrog Thailand as the top tourist destination in S.E. Asia.

 

[Mike Rodik]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

On Sunday, Thailand reported its first case of the South African strain, confirmed in a Thai national who had recently entered quarantine having travelled back from Tanzania. 

 

he was there for BUSINESS and now enjoying FREE hotel, food, tests

 

make them pay, like the rest

 

maybe they will think twice before leaving for fun or business

 

nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[John Drake]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand may INCREASE  quarantine for some travellers

 

This message was ASQ approved.

[NorthernRyland]

This is never going to end. New year, new strain. Mandatory annual vaccinations but if one new strain is not protected against then shut the borders for 12 months until a new vaccine is developed. Once a population gets it into their mind that they can't live with a virus, the possibilities are endless.