Sandbox tourists stuck in quarantine ask to go home

[Almer]

As stupid as you may all think me, i have do some jobs to a shop the wife owns, i am putting it off in case there is an overnight ban on provincial travel, yet there are people traveling not knowing whats in store for them, serves them right comes to mind, or senseless thrill seekers in Phuket would fit the bill nicely.

[Ganesh108]

2 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

here is an example of israeli arabs reaction for demand to get into quarantine hotel:

 

 

 

Lovely. That's about what I had in mind. I don't even blame them, I might be tempted to join in.

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, Almer said:

As stupid as you may all think me, i have do some jobs to a shop the wife owns, i am putting it off in case there is an overnight ban on provincial travel, yet there are people traveling not knowing whats in store for them, serves them right comes to mind, or senseless thrill seekers in Phuket would fit the bill nicely.

It’s not senseless thrill seeking, it’s just a holiday after a 18 months of #%¥€ ! 

 

Its been advertised, the TAT & government have been pushing this…

 

The news ‘Phuket reopens for vaccinated tourists’ headlined BBC World news for two days last weeks. 
 

The only criticism I could direct towards the ‘14 quarantined members of the tour group’ is a naivety towards the Thai government. 
 

The treatment is extreme, the rest of the tour group have not tested positive and are double vaxxed. 
 

Thailand has acted terribly. 
 

 

[bermondburi]

2 hours ago, gavlar said:

Is it true that Thais returning on planes are not required a PCR test prior to arrival....surely this is not correct.

 

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

it’s correct & has been known for a long time.

 

1 hour ago, kynikoi said:

Well you would hope that even if the national is ill with covid that they would accept them into the country.

 

What isn't at all right is encouraging them to get on the plane in the first place.

So my wife and children returned recently and the airline required it. (Qatar) certificate showed at check in.

 

Most airlines probably have a similar requirement. I know Emirates does. Although Thai doesn't I believe. So don't fly Thai to minimise your risk. 

[ChC1]

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The treatment is extreme, the rest of the tour group have not tested positive and are double vaxxed. 
 

Thailand has acted terribly. 
 

 

I would go on to say that Thailand has acted unscientifically. Does not require Thai national to take PCR test before returning, risks of have positive Thai passenger mixed with tourists, then infected vaccinated tourists. Thai passengers walk free while the infected tourists and other innocent tourists has to suffer greatly.

 

Do Thai government seriously believe Thai passengers could not be Covid positive while foreign tourists are so dirty that one can infect another with close contact?

 

All Thai government policy might please Thai national but does not make any scientific sense. 

[heist]

I think the best thing the Thai government could do with their sandbox scheme is turn it into a reality tv show.

[impulse]

Even if those 12-14 tourists escaped from Phuket, it would still be safer to hang out with them than to sit next to a local Thai or established expat, every one of which has been in close contact with Covid.  It's rampant in Thailand.  Unless you're sequestered alone in your basement, you can't help but be exposed to it.  Positive test rates (outside of Phuket) are running in the 10-20-50% range.  Testing in Phuket seems to be running less than 1% positive, but they're testing so few that, who really knows?

 

I'm not advocating they turn 'em loose without confirming they're negative.  Hopefully, they'll test these folks again to confirm, they'll test negative and be released to continue their holiday or fly home at their choice.

 

And it's still 15 people affected out of 2100+ arrivals.  Those are better odds than the 100% chance of being quarantined flying into BKK.  But it could derail the Sandbox if they don't handle it well.

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by impulse

[Robs5ct]

7 hours ago, Thechook said:

So do they get a full refund on their hotel accommodation or is it thanks for arriving and have a safe trip home.

I sent emails to some 5* hotels asking some questions. One of the question was about refund. All answered that they will refund "unused" nights if you are admitted to hospital or go to a ALQ hotel. 

[Scott Tracy]

Tough pooh.

 

you makes your bed....

[Sharp]

Being fully vaccinated doesn't mean you test negative!! 

[Rhacsyn]

46 minutes ago, Robs5ct said:

I sent emails to some 5* hotels asking some questions. One of the question was about refund. All answered that they will refund "unused" nights if you are admitted to hospital or go to a ALQ hotel. 

Agree. I am a sandboxer on day 7 and they are the terms and conditions I have. Further, had (if!) I ever needed to use it, my insurance would cover me for ALQ or hospitalisation even if asymptomatic. That is part of what the Covid insurance is for.

[HampiK]

1 hour ago, Rhacsyn said:

Agree. I am a sandboxer on day 7 and they are the terms and conditions I have. Further, had (if!) I ever needed to use it, my insurance would cover me for ALQ or hospitalisation even if asymptomatic. That is part of what the Covid insurance is for.

But what if you have to go into ALQ only because you had contact with an COVID plus person. Mean yourself you not have covid, then the Insurance still would pay?

[Rhacsyn]

21 minutes ago, HampiK said:

But what if you have to go into ALQ only because you had contact with an COVID plus person. Mean yourself you not have covid, then the Insurance still would pay?

I don't think so!!! But as it is such a good, question, with many potential ramifications, I will check with my insurer (AXA who you might know ????) in the morning and get back to you.

 

 

 

 

[superal]

Are they really tourists ? or maybe returning expats on a journey to their Thai families ? As part of the sandbox scheme they would all have been fully vaccinated and pre flight pcr tested negative . They have all undergone another local pcr test and were all negative , another test on day 6 and they may be released . They do indeed have to pay out of their own pocket for this additional quarantine phase . Now if it is a field hospital the costs should be low you would think . There does not seem to be any info on the type of accomodation that they are now in .  

When I recently returned to the UK I received an email from the UK government saying that I had been in close contact with a person who had been infected with covid ( on my flight ) . I was told to remain in my house for 10 days and report any suspicious symptoms , not dragged of to an unknown place . These 12 could have self isolated in their hotel rooms until the day 6 test . If there is a monetary gain being made from this then it could have serious repercussions for the Thailand tourist trade and possible foreign government advisories against visiting the country .  

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, HampiK said:

But what if you have to go into ALQ only because you had contact with an COVID plus person. Mean yourself you not have covid, then the Insurance still would pay?

Almost certainly not unless a COVID specific policy that explicitly includes this (I don't know of any that do). Insurance only  covers you if you are infected.

 

 

[Tony125]

Here's some new info for those promoting the  "SandBox "

 

Vaccinated people can transmit the delta variant—and 3 other things to know about the dominant Covid strain

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/vaccinated-people-can-transmit-the-delta-variant—and-3-other-things-to-know-about-the-dominant-covid-strain/ar-AALY0ZX?li=BBnb7Kz

 

 

[impulse]

9 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Almost certainly not unless a COVID specific policy that explicitly includes this (I don't know of any that do). Insurance only  covers you if you are infected.

As I recall, Sandbox tourists are required to have a $100,000 USD Covid specific policy.

Edit:  Just to be clear, I'm curious myself.  I've read that SHA+ hotels have to refund their unused nights if they get sent to ALQ, and I would hope that a mandatory Covid specific insurance policy would cover ALQ.  Seems like there'd also be a market for trip interruption insurance for the <1% of tourists that (so far) get sent to ALQ.

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by impulse

[l4ml4m]

And somebody in Thailand things that tourists will come back before 2055 ?

 

What a joke !

 

 

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Here's some new info for those promoting the  "SandBox "

 

Vaccinated people can transmit the delta variant—and 3 other things to know about the dominant Covid strain

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/vaccinated-people-can-transmit-the-delta-variant—and-3-other-things-to-know-about-the-dominant-covid-strain/ar-AALY0ZX?li=BBnb7Kz

When the rest of Thailand is testing positive at 20% and delta is already running rampant, vaccinated, tested (and tested again) tourists are the least risky people in the country.

 

Next time you go out, look around.  Now think about this... One out of every 5 people you interact with would test positive (if they could get a test).  Now figure the Sandbox statistics...  1 tourist out of 2100 tested positive.  That's 0.05%.

Who would you rather share a meal with?  Or more pragmatic, whose money spends safer?

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by impulse

[Sheryl]

16 minutes ago, impulse said:

As I recall, Sandbox tourists are required to have a $100,000 USD Covid specific policy.

Edit:  Just to be clear, I'm curious myself.  I've read that SHA+ hotels have to refund their unused nights if they get sent to ALQ, and I would hope that a mandatory Covid specific insurance policy would cover ALQ.  Seems like there'd also be a market for trip interruption insurance for the <1% of tourists that (so far) get sent to ALQ.

 

They are not required tio have a COVID specific policy. They are required tio have insurance that includes COVID.

 

For that matter I have nto seen any COVID specific policies that would cover being quarantined if uninfected.

 

The unused payment to SHA+hotel should cover at least part of the stay in ALQ. But depending in timing, maybe not all.

[pixelaoffy]

These12tourists have found out thdhard way what a control freak Thai gov is .. it was always on the cards

[JeffersLos]

1 million tourists in November. 

[pixelaoffy]

53 minutes ago, superal said:

Are they really tourists ? or maybe returning expats on a journey to their Thai families ? As part of the sandbox scheme they would all have been fully vaccinated and pre flight pcr tested negative . They have all undergone another local pcr test and were all negative , another test on day 6 and they may be released . They do indeed have to pay out of their own pocket for this additional quarantine phase . Now if it is a field hospital the costs should be low you would think . There does not seem to be any info on the type of accomodation that they are now in .  

When I recently returned to the UK I received an email from the UK government saying that I had been in close contact with a person who had been infected with covid ( on my flight ) . I was told to remain in my house for 10 days and report any suspicious symptoms , not dragged of to an unknown place . These 12 could have self isolated in their hotel rooms until the day 6 test . If there is a monetary gain being made from this then it could have serious repercussions for the Thailand tourist trade and possible foreign government advisories against visiting the country .  

Everything is about money in the land of scam 

[impulse]

52 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They are not required tio have a COVID specific policy. They are required tio have insurance that includes COVID.

 

For that matter I have nto seen any COVID specific policies that would cover being quarantined if uninfected.

 

The unused payment to SHA+hotel should cover at least part of the stay in ALQ. But depending in timing, maybe not all.

Good clarification...

 

The DC Embassy refers to it in a couple of different ways.  Health insurance with Covid 19 cover, and Covid 19 health insurance.

 

What a kick in the butt if you paid $500 for 90 days of insurance, and it didn't even cover ALQ if you're forced into quarantine...

 

Someone posted that AXA covers ALQ, but their FAQ section dances around "medical necessity" and I'm too lazy to do the chat thing.  Seems like the gub'ment telling you to do this or that would be considered a medical necessity.

 

I'm curious to hear from someone that actually goes through the debacle.  But I hope it's nobody I like...

.

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by impulse

[retsdon]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

he 12 tourists who have asked to fly home were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378,

14? Says it all - what a farce.

[wasabi]

Unless they accept Covid may become a way of life going to Thailand will perpetually be Russian roulette. You can get vaccinated and test negative but if someone else on your flight doesn't -- you are collectively sent to Covid prison. The point of the vaccines is not that you cannot catch Covid. It is that it becomes a mild rather than deadly illness. If Thais are going to freak out every time anyone has Covid I can't see tourism ever returning in significant numbers.

 

I'm sure this Sandbox scheme came at a premium but that premium was nothing more than a shot at the slot machine with the random chance you end up in the same Cardboard Covid prison flop house as others who didn't pay it.

Edited July 9, 2021 by wasabi

[JCP108]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

When the rest of Thailand is testing positive at 20% and delta is already running rampant, vaccinated, tested (and tested again) tourists are the least risky people in the country.

 

Next time you go out, look around.  Now think about this... One out of every 5 people you interact with would test positive (if they could get a test).  Now figure the Sandbox statistics...  1 tourist out of 2100 tested positive.  That's 0.05%.

Who would you rather share a meal with?  Or more pragmatic, whose money spends safer?

 

So, shouldn't be long until the entire country has herd immunity!

[Flying Saucage]

Given how many Thais share BTS, MRT, Busses and other means of public transport together with untested, unvaccinated and infected other passengers, using this "logic" they should put every single citizen of the country into quarantine!

 

But no, they insult fully vaccinated, tested foreigners to be "high risk", because 13 of them shared a Boeing 777 with 400 seat together with ONE SINGLE other guy, who was tested positive, but probably much less infectious due to his vaccination.

 

Thai double standards, xenophobia, paranoia, panicking, lack of any common sense, lack of empathy, lack of intelligence, all in one decision of dumb officials.

[Thechook]

9 hours ago, ChC1 said:

I would go on to say that Thailand has acted unscientifically. Does not require Thai national to take PCR test before returning, risks of have positive Thai passenger mixed with tourists, then infected vaccinated tourists. Thai passengers walk free while the infected tourists and other innocent tourists has to suffer greatly.

 

Do Thai government seriously believe Thai passengers could not be Covid positive while foreign tourists are so dirty that one can infect another with close contact?

 

All Thai government policy might please Thai national but does not make any scientific sense. 

Foreigners are dirty, Thais are clean.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, Caldera said:

The optics of this aren't great.

 

What would have happened if there had been 100 passengers on that particular plane? Quarantine for the whole lot?

 

What would you suggest 50/50 ?

Of course they would all have to be quarantined.