US man stuck in Thailand after positive COVID-19 test

[Rhacsyn]

2 hours ago, Espanol said:

Yes, he has been jailed in forced accommodation with no options to leave.

To be fair to the authorities, he signed up for the system, knowing full well the consequences of testing positive. Yes, it was a shock to him to test positive but having contracted a highly contagious disease he does agree, as he states, that the country needs to take care by allocating him an ASQ room. Surely he could not be allowed to roam free having tested positive.

 

The room looks quite comfortable. He did not complain about the room and as he has business interests in Thailand I am guessing that he is not 'stuck" in Thailand as such, but planned all along to do the 14 day quarantine (SHA+ obviously) followed by a stay in Thailand. Just my guess.

 

The interview, for those who see or read about should serve as a reminder though.....

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Rhacsyn

[natway09]

Decision made after looking at all the facts came back & Bingo struck out.

Not the smartest move at the time

 

[bkk_bwana]

When you get a PCR test 72 hours before you travel, that gives you 72 hours to catch the virus. Then, long flights and an 8 hour layover in Qatar.  Hmmm. That's all it could take.

[55Jay]

3 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

Do yourself a favour and watch the video in the original article... Can't describe the situation better.

Good call.  He checked all the boxes and did it right, but as he would likely say off camera, "S**t happens". 

 

I'm ready to get the heck out of here for a while - think many are - but continue to stay put to avoid the mandatory 14-day return quarantine on return, or getting caught up in the system like this guy did.   Comfortable house, lovely wife, good chow, it's all good.

[kingstonkid]

50 minutes ago, bkk_bwana said:

When you get a PCR test 72 hours before you travel, that gives you 72 hours to catch the virus. Then, long flights and an 8 hour layover in Qatar.  Hmmm. That's all it could take.

Weren't there a few people that tested positive from that flight

 

[stevenl]

43 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Weren't there a few people that tested positive from that flight

 

No, not afaik.

[rwill]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"I have BBC. Sorry, channel 9, that’s all I get. I have a little couch, my bed. I have a little kitchenette… I guess for a jail, it’s not bad."

He should be elated he is not in one of those field hospitals.

[steven100]

4 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Well look at that impressive CV of his. Surely they weren't going to let one of the HIGHEST QUALITY TOURISTS just go like that?

TAT are working how to spin this around .....    '  thailand praised for helping poor ex-army tourist enjoy the sandbox'

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by steven100

[Espanol]

4 minutes ago, steven100 said:

TAT are working how to spin this around .....    '  thailand praised for helping poor ex-army tourist enjoy the sandbox'

 

 

 

Wait until he gets the ASQ hotel bill!   ????

 

[Joinaman]

2 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

To be fair to the authorities, he signed up for the system, knowing full well the consequences of testing positive. Yes, it was a shock to him to test positive but having contracted a highly contagious disease he does agree, as he states, that the country needs to take care by allocating him an ASQ room. Surely he could not be allowed to roam free having tested positive.

 

The room looks quite comfortable. He did not complain about the room and as he has business interests in Thailand I am guessing that he is not 'stuck" in Thailand as such, but planned all along to do the 14 day quarantine (SHA+ obviously) followed by a stay in Thailand. Just my guess.

 

The interview, for those who see or read about should serve as a reminder though.....

 

but he followed all the rules as directed, vaccines, testing etc, so not really his fault that he has tested

So why will the Thai government not  provide free isolation ?

Nobody in their right mind would travel here if they could, through no fault of their own, be hit with massive bills 

[Rhacsyn]

51 minutes ago, Joinaman said:

but he followed all the rules as directed, vaccines, testing etc, so not really his fault that he has tested

So why will the Thai government not  provide free isolation ?

Nobody in their right mind would travel here if they could, through no fault of their own, be hit with massive bills 

He signed up for the rules you mention, as they are, he accepted those rules and still chose to travel. As a result of a positive test it is clearly stated in those rules you will be moved to ASQ. 

 

There is no mention in the video of "massive" costs but it does state he covered himself well whatever that entails. "Stephanie", the much publicised unfortunate German lady who was one of the first in the sandbox project to be moved to ASQ had all her costs covered by her Emirates insurance. She was lucky. 

 

Finally, and just an observation, I did not see or hear the gentleman in the video make any complaints about the system.

[MrJ2U]

7 hours ago, keith101 said:

A bad move that a lot of others are finding out , bet he wishes he had never come . The sooner they shutdown the Sandbox the better health wise but not financially the the residents . 

Hes probably already been vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine.

 

If he's got some dosh I could think of others worse places, like Minnesota.

 

Phuket beautiful without the tourists and touts.

[55Jay]

Check him out on FB.  Appears to have a few extra coins in his pocket, and a reason to run the gauntlet, not just temples and soapy massages, which aren't open anyway. 

[Caldera]

Thailand really doesn't need news stories like this, but of course this kind of drama is entirely predictable.

[mancub]

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

does that mean he bought the thai gf a house and he wanted to be famous ....

Perhaps he had a suitcase full of Moderna to peddle to the Government !

[cocoonclub]

6 hours ago, ArcticFox said:

Or a false positive on arrival.

Extremely unlikely, and therefore not relevant. 

[cocoonclub]

6 hours ago, ArcticFox said:

He's forcefully incarcerated, so yeah - jail.  A very, very expensive jail too no doubt.

He got what he signed up for. Did he or did you expect he could just walk around here and spread the virus among people that largely doesn’t enjoy the luxury of having been vaccinated? 

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, keith101 said:

A bad move that a lot of others are finding out , bet he wishes he had never come . The sooner they shutdown the Sandbox the better health wise but not financially the the residents . 

Why is it better ‘health wise’...  the very rare positive cases of fully vaccinated people who have tested negative preflight are being caught and placed into quarantine. 

 

There is no, or extremely minimal risk to locals from Sandboxer’s...  Compared to the risk residents in Phuket face from each other and others who’ve entered domestically the risk from sandboxes is a ‘minute blip’.

 

There’s too much Sanctimony.."ohhh... stop the sandbox”... when really the porosity of the provincial borders into Phuket is where attention needs to be focused. 

[moe666]

Reading the post on the first page of this thread, I must say the quality of the forum has really hit rock bottom.

[moe666]

2 hours ago, cocoonclub said:

He got what he signed up for. Did he or did you expect he could just walk around here and spread the virus among people that largely doesn’t enjoy the luxury of having been vaccinated? 

He more than likely got it from the unvaccinated

[driver52]

hold on he tested positive to a test? A test for a coronavirus? So which 'coronavirus' did he actually have? ????

 

[riclag]

Would he have gone to Petri Phuket knowing there would be a remote possibility that he would get covid  , and be forced to quarantine in Thailand ,despite being vaccinated !

Due diligence ,  lieutenant colonel !

[riclag]

6 hours ago, Espanol said:

 

Wait until he gets the ASQ hotel bill!   ????

 

 About 40k bht minimum, right ?

[Bkktodd]

13 hours ago, bbko said:

" I have a little couch, my bed. I have a little kitchenette… I guess for a jail, it’s not bad."

 

Jail?!?

You no doubt never had to quarantine 15days in thailand.  When you cant leave the room on solitary confinement for 15 days….its a sorta like jail.  I guess home /hotel  confinement wasnt going to be option.  Hospitals need to make money too

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The retired army lieutenant colonel, aviator, and world traveler with business interests in Thailand jumped at the opportunity to be one of the first foreigners allowed back into the southeast Asian country during the global pandemic.,

Som nam na....

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, smedly said:

it depends on how long he was intending to stay, if 2-4 weeks then his holiday is ruined - if long term then he has lost his money on SHA hotel because as I understand no refunds are offered - looks like his insurance will cover the extra costs of hospital etc, I wonder how he caught it 

Lots of locals have it... not hard.

[smedly]

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Lots of locals have it... not hard.

yes agree but didn't it say he failed his first test 

 

He is double vaccinated, which is an entry requirement. But, his plans quickly unraveled when his COVID-19 test upon arriving in Phuket came back positive.

 

I have been saying for weeks now that covid is rampant in Phuket and they are keeping a lid on it for obvious reasons

Edited August 5, 2021 by smedly

[smedly]

12 hours ago, Espanol said:

 

Wait until he gets the ASQ hotel bill!   ????

 

if he is positive he will not be in ASQ he will be in a hospital

[smedly]

12 hours ago, Joinaman said:

but he followed all the rules as directed, vaccines, testing etc, so not really his fault that he has tested

So why will the Thai government not  provide free isolation ?

Nobody in their right mind would travel here if they could, through no fault of their own, be hit with massive bills 

I agree with your point but that is not what happened 

 

There are two of these situations you could find yourself to be in 

 

- Testing positive - which means you will be taken to a hospital and treated - his insurance should cover this..........or

 

- Be deemed to have been in close contact with someone that tested positive which means he will taken to an ASQ facility and isolated from other people - he will be reqired to fund this himself which is the point you made in your post 

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, moe666 said:

He more than likely got it from the unvaccinated

But not 'here'.