State Quarantine Will Be Shortened to 10 Days

[starky]

3 minutes ago, superal said:

All a bit sketchy on the testing cos you can guarantee they will be in excess of Baht3000 for each test .

Well it should be part of your asq package has been thus far. plus whatever you pay on your home country 72 hours before you fly. Currently 150 in Australia for a test 5000 baht at Bangkok hospital other hospitals may be cheaper but I havemt heard below 3800 which makes Thailand's pricing in the ballpark. Another thing most dont factor in when complaining about the price of asq hotels. That's minimum 7000 off the top . Plus your 16 nights accommodation and 3 meals a day and snacks and coffee and water ...

Edited March 21, 2021 by starky

[Scofield]

Just now, Jumbo1968 said:

A 3rd wave is sweeping through France, Germany and Italy, I can’t see many European countries being on the the list including the U.K. 

The classic will be if they allow China and the SE Asian countries, which I think they will. The origin for all of this will be deemed the welcome party, really couldn’t write it.

 

Still nothing official on the leaving room part which is the main deal for me. I’m close to calling 2021 if all this uncertainty continues. You then need to factor in if/when they do get a substantial wave that you could then be caught in a lockdown over there when your origin country is open!!

 

 

[Cake Monster]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said the 14-day quarantine period would remain in places for arrivals from countries where the Covid-19 virus has mutated, which is a global concern.

As the Virus has pretty much mutated on a Global basis, with variants known as the " Kent variant " in the UK." Brazil Variant ", " South Africa Variant ", along with a few others, there will be very little respite from 14 Days of Quarantine.

[starky]

1 minute ago, Cake Monster said:

As the Virus has pretty much mutated on a Global basis, with variants known as the " Kent variant " in the UK." Brazil Variant ", " South Africa Variant ", along with a few others, there will be very little respite from 14 Days of Quarantine.

Think they  talking about country of origin not necessarily every continent it may of turned up on. Who knows we aren't even at April fools yet.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

State quarantine for both Thai and foreign arrivals will be shortened to 10 days from 14 starting April 1, as part of the government’s plan to reopen the country from Oct 1.

That coupled to virtually no inoculations kiss foreign tourism goodbye his year.

[starky]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

That coupled to virtually no inoculations kiss foreign tourism goodbye his year.

Well what you suggest? They just open the floodgates and see what happens? Do a US and pretend it's all fine? Is 10 or 7 days not better than 14? I don't get the gloom and doomers on here. It's not ideal but every step forward is an improvement. 

[Cake Monster]

5 minutes ago, starky said:

Think they  talking about country of origin not necessarily every continent it may of turned up on. Who knows we aren't even at April fools yet.

These are the names that some of the variants are known by

Where did you get the impression I was talking about Continents

[polpott]

23 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

A 3rd wave is sweeping through France, Germany and Italy, I can’t see many European countries being on the the list including the U.K. 

Unlike the other European countries mentioned there doesn't seem to be any signs of a 3rd wave in the UK where new cases and deaths continue to fall, maybe due to 50% of the adult population having received at least one dose of the vaccine.

 

From yesterday:

 

UK: 5587 new cases, down from 6303 on the 18th. Deaths 96, down from 100 the previous day.

 

France: 70,417 new cases up from 34,998 on the 18th (no data for 19th). Deaths 461 up from 269 on the 18th.

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by polpott

[starky]

27 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

These are the names that some of the variants are known by

Where did you get the impression I was talking about Continents

They are known by those names as it is where they originated. That's why.

Did you think it was called the Kent and later UK variant by coincidence?  Pretty specific coincidence. So English comprehension tells me that the places where those variations originated will be restricted not every place they may have spread. 

However Im assuming when someone says that a variant has spread globally that would include continents. That's where the countries are last I looked .

Edited March 21, 2021 by starky

[starky]

5 minutes ago, polpott said:

Unlike the other European countries mentioned there doesn't seem to be any signs of a 3rd wave in the UK where new cases and deaths continue to fall, maybe due to 50% of the adult population having received at least one dose of the vaccine.

 

From yesterday:

 

UK: 5587 new cases, down from 6303 on the !*th. Deaths 96, down from 100 the previous day.

 

France: 70,417 new cases up from 34,998 om the 18th (no data for 19th). Deaths 461 up from 269 non the 18th.

 

Could also be most of the people who had multiple co- morbidity have already been cleaned up. This is the problem the narrative well for us in Australia was we don't want to overwhelm the hospital system now here we are more than a year later and some states have 1 case and dive back into lockdown. It is so impractical and unreasonable. 

[GroveHillWanderer]

7 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I believe it was something like they have to have had their second jab at least 14 days ago, but not less than 3 months.

Or the first and only jab in the case of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen product, since it's a single-dose vaccine.

[AgMech Cowboy]

These Government honchos are all the same. They just pull rules out of the air and virtue signal to prove they are doing 'something'.  I think the 14 quarantine was great idea, once a person is vaccinated or have had COVID19 and recovers (and they can prove it) only a very short quarantine should even be considered (and that's just to be sure they're not dragging it around in their sinuses or under their finger nails).

[spidermike007]

While a step in the right direction, the scared army boys need to do alot better. This might succeed in attracting 20,000 tourists. Maybe. 

[Jumbo1968]

Is anything  official as Agoda still saying you need to book 15 days, I haven’t checked the other ASQ websites.

[Lingba]

Again...nothing set in stone...many gray areas....rules will change on an hourly basis

[roo860]

1 hour ago, starky said:

They are known by those names as it is where they originated. That's why.

Did you think it was called the Kent and later UK variant by coincidence?  Pretty specific coincidence. So English comprehension tells me that the places where those variations originated will be restricted not every place they may have spread. 

However Im assuming when someone says that a variant has spread globally that would include continents. That's where the countries are last I looked .

Ah yes the Kent variant, where the 'new arrivals' from France were landing, coincidence?

[D M G]

Is it official?

Are the Embassies and Consulates prepared?

 

What is considered a Vaccine Certificate? 

 

Will they publish a new check list of requirements?

[starky]

36 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Ah yes the Kent variant, where the 'new arrivals' from France were landing, coincidence?

Mate not gonna argue with ya . Is what it is. I don't care tbh nor do I make the rules or decide who or who can not come to Thailand . Have not noticed any literature on the new arrivals arriving from France variant though. Take it up with the WHO, or the virologists or whomever you please.  Granted may not have originated in the UK. I'm sure the Thai government will be sympathetic. CBF

Edited March 21, 2021 by starky

[starky]

1 hour ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Is anything  official as Agoda still saying you need to book 15 days, I haven’t checked the other ASQ websites.

Yes because agoda would be the tip of the spear. It's all ifs, buts and maybes and could not even come to fruition there a lot of details to be sorted out in a short amount of time. 

   What about people that are due to arrive in the next 2 weeks whats is their status or arriving on the 31st March? Logistical nightmare but I wouldn't be using agoda as any sort of guide. 

  ASQ hotels will be looking to book everyone in on 14 day packages and if you happen to be one of the people to whom it doesn't apply good luck getting a refund. 

[starky]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

While a step in the right direction, the scared army boys need to do alot better. This might succeed in attracting 20,000 tourists. Maybe. 

We are long away from regular international tourism anywhere not just Thailand . But attempting to open up though open to ridicule from all and sundry is better than no discussion. And for those of us who consider this home any reduction in quarantine is a welcome relief and one I hope becomes a reality in the next few weeks.

[Jumbo1968]

32 minutes ago, D M G said:

Is it official?

Are the Embassies and Consulates prepared?

 

What is considered a Vaccine Certificate? 

 

Will they publish a new check list of requirements?

Until a global version of a vaccine certificate becomes available I can’t foresee what would be acceptable for entry, too easy to forge one if it’s just a piece of paper.

[superal]

11 minutes ago, starky said:

We are long away from regular international tourism anywhere not just Thailand . But attempting to open up though open to ridicule from all and sundry is better than no discussion. And for those of us who consider this home any reduction in quarantine is a welcome relief and one I hope becomes a reality in the next few weeks.

The Uk being an island has a much better control  of containing the virus as opposed to our European friends , especially taking into consideration the E.U. antics . I do not wish to be a spreader of doom but I think we are only on the first chapter of a War and Peace scenario .  In mho 2024 is the earliest target for global travel as we know it which will be confirmed by ( non Mickey Mouse ) insurance company quotes for covid 19 . I say that because future mutations may well render current vaccines ineffective . 

[polpott]

3 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Until a global version of a vaccine certificate becomes available I can’t foresee what would be acceptable for entry, too easy to forge one if it’s just a piece of paper.

Current talk is of a digital version using blockchain technology and stored on your phone. record accessed by QR code. Not easy to forge.

[nightfox]

It doesn't matter if its 1 day or 100 days, Quarantine = no tourists.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, polpott said:

Correct. I believe that the UK variant is the dominant strain in the US now.

 

Subsequent to the CCSA meeting on Friday 19th,chaired by Prayut, this announcement was made:

 

"Lastly, the relaxation of state quarantine measures has been approved in principle. The mandatory 14-day quarantine has been reduced to 10 days for people coming to Thailand from foreign countries with no cases of Covid-19 variant strains and deemed as low tisk. Foreigners coming from Covid-19 variant strain countries will continue to perform 14 days of state quarantine and conduct RT-PCR tests three times as usual."

 

So, no variant strains and low risk, which rules out most Western countries. I guess that most of us will continue with 14 days quarantine for a while longer. Maybe China and S.Korea will get on the list?

 

 

Don't forget the millions of N Koreans who desperately want a holiday in the sun by the beach. ????

[richard_smith237]

53 minutes ago, starky said:

Yes because agoda would be the tip of the spear. It's all ifs, buts and maybes and could not even come to fruition there a lot of details to be sorted out in a short amount of time. 

   What about people that are due to arrive in the next 2 weeks whats is their status or arriving on the 31st March? Logistical nightmare but I wouldn't be using agoda as any sort of guide. 

  ASQ hotels will be looking to book everyone in on 14 day packages and if you happen to be one of the people to whom it doesn't apply good luck getting a refund. 

I’m holding a fully refundable Agoda booking & am due into ASQ In early April. 
 

Agoda is the tip of the spear with regards to my booking !! (But I know what you mean). 
 

I’m waiting to see Agoda change their ASQ bookings to allow a 10 day quarantine.

Then I can change my existing booking or cancel & rebook. 

 

Agoda are as much of a realistic guide as the Thaiest website or direct hotel booking, Agoda also offer full refund. What happens to those who’ve paid up for their 14 days and now only need 10? Will they get a refund from these hotels when direct bookings were made ? 
 

Another facet of this news is no more requirement for a Fit to Fly certificate - Who’s brave enough to rock up at an airport without the F2F cert and risk refused travel by someone not up to date with the latest regulations? 
 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by richard_smith237

[kimamey]

11 hours ago, RR2020 said:

In other words........

 

Within 3 months many countries in the world will be "no quarantine" for all tourists..........all you need is either a vaccine certificate or a negative PCR test.  Nothing more........either of them is ok.

 

So forget Thailand and spend your time and money in countries that are not Xenophobic.

 

And where government ministers don't call foreigners "DIRTY".

 

Thai health minister blames ‘dirty’ Western tourists for country’s coronavirus cases | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

 

.

I suspect most people on this site live in Thailand with their partner so that might not be so easy. 

I have a wife and mother in law and 5 dogs plus other family scattered around. Then there's the issue of my wife's civil government job. 

I don't have much option to move even if i wanted to and I think you'll find that's the case for many on here

 

[sirineou]

32 minutes ago, kimamey said:

I suspect most people on this site live in Thailand with their partner so that might not be so easy. 

I have a wife and mother in law and 5 dogs plus other family scattered around. Then there's the issue of my wife's civil government job. 

I don't have much option to move even if i wanted to and I think you'll find that's the case for many on here

 

Same here. 

My wife is Thai, we have a home in Thailand, our dogs are there, family and friends that I miss are there.

No much choice, Thailand it is.  

Edited March 21, 2021 by sirineou

[kimamey]

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I will be convinced you've "found other places closer and less painful to do long hours of flight" when you actually go and do it.

A total of six of my friends have re-entered Thailand in the past six weeks, three from the UK, two from the US and one from Indonesia. They all commented how easy it was to organize and especially how efficiently they were processed on arrival. No whining, gloomy, Thai-bashing ball ache involved.

I'm glad to hear that.  I need to return sometime soon and when I looked ĺ it seemed the biggest problem might be the covid test or at least the timing of it so you get the result during the small time window. 

I assume that at the moment there aren't many queues at immigration.  When I flew to the UK at the end of September with Gulf Air I was the only one at check in which was just as well as it took all 3 check in agents and all 3 desks to scan my passport. 

[impulse]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

While a step in the right direction, the scared army boys need to do alot better. This might succeed in attracting 20,000 tourists. Maybe. 

 

And they won't really be tourists.  It'll be the guys who have property and jobs and families in Thailand they want to get back to. 

 

And I'm not suggesting they'll be skint, but if they have properties and family, they won't be spending the kind of money a tourist on holiday spends.  For them, that novelty wore off years ago.