Thailand’s Public Health Ministry Provides Guide for Foreign Visitors

[easyozzi]

I thought Phuket sandbox was 7 days, then perform PCR test and with a negative test you could travel anywhere else in country? Option B being 10 days in Bangkok ASQ hotel?

 

Personally I'm not in favour of 7+7 but each to their own. Fingers crossed Chiang Mai is added to the 7+7 options and I can self isolate at home in Chiang Mai.

 

 

[IamNoone88]

Any-one else fed up with this empty Phuket Sandbox rhetoric? It is not working, it failed. Open up domestic travel into and out of Phuket without draconian restrictions and let the business people get the damn local economy moving again. Everything has been hindered because of the Sandbox. This was always a hotel only initiative.

[ChipButty]

Should provide a guide for locals they are the ones spreading it around

[Sticky Rice Balls]

12 minutes ago, easyozzi said:

I thought Phuket sandbox was 7 days, then perform PCR test and with a negative test you could travel anywhere else in country? Option B being 10 days in Bangkok ASQ hotel?

 

Personally I'm not in favour of 7+7 but each to their own. Fingers crossed Chiang Mai is added to the 7+7 options and I can self isolate at home in Chiang Mai.

 

 

Im trying to get back to CM as well and would ASQ there--you have a link for the TEN days in Bkk???

[vandeventer]

16 hours ago, AnotherFarang8 said:

Thanks but no, thanks. I think i will learn me some Spanish and go check the Caribbeans, they are pretty relaxed there. Thailand will have to wait until next year.

Funny you should say this. I have a friend that is learning Chinese and he said the more they jab him with the Sinovac vaccine the easier it is to learn Chinese. You know he could be pulling my leg.

[flyfrog]

For me a holiday is going somewhere to relax, get away from the daily duties and enjoy good weather, good food and nice evening with friends having couple of beers. No need for all those rules to give us headaches. Next year will be a better option to come here.

[Sydebolle]

Nothing new then - and the success is already visible = ZERO! 

Maybe the health ministry looks after health and some more professional and qualified goons take care of marketing Thailand as a holiday destination and, no, do not rely on the TAT or the tourism ministry ........ 

[tigerbeer]

shouldn't the locals be more afraid of other locals at this point of time compared to foreigners? 

[superal]

3 hours ago, LittleBear57 said:

Thailand will be very boring still in October. No alcohol in restaurants bars all closed and all the other nightlife and curfew of course. Personally although not a drinker this is perhaps the most boring time of my life here in Thailand.

Quite easy really , no bars = no tourists . Makes no sense to close bars to the double jabbed tourist who could just show their passports with entry dates or maybe C.O.E.  ,   whilst crowds mingle in shopping malls , markets and queue at ATMs  and zero social distancing + many chin masks .

[Tony125]

4 hours ago, hioctane said:

I’ve been to DR once and Colombia twice. Bored. I haven’t been back to LOS in 2 years. Time to return in October.

If you were bored in DR and Columbia you will be super bored here. I have been visiting Thailand for 21 years and can tell you that you have never seen it like this.In Bangkok,  Pattaya, Phuket  main drags look like a ghost town with stores boarded up, clubs closed , malls closed , restaurants closed for in dining (take out only) or the next week limited in dining, no alcohol at restaurants presently even in Phuket sandbox.  No entertianment venues open, you cannot use pools at hotels, parks closed , cannot walk on some beaches , curfue from 9PM ---4AM  even 7---11 closes at 8PM. Students rioting in the streets. Thailand is NOT open and not a place I would visit at this time.

 

 

[86Tiger]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

 

 

..................the focus is no longer on stopping people getting the virus as they have concluded that it is not possible, they are shifting away from mass testing as it is no longer relevent in countries that have vaccinated most of their population, they now believe vaccinated or not everyone will at some point will get this virus - they cannot stop it..........

 

 

 

 

This was learned in 8th grade biology by any one paying attention.

 

It was also learned the reason there is no successful vaccine for a covid type virus (common cold, influenza, etc. ) is it mutates rapidly rendering whatever works today ineffective in short time.

 

 

[DaiHard]

Do tourists still need to sacrifice a virgin?

[jonclark]

Interesting one this. So under the guidelines returnees must have 2 vaccines and have a covid free certificate....yet 70 of the roughly 25'000 tourists who have taken up the sandbox scheme have tested positive for covid since the sandbox opened. 

 

If you extrapolate (broadly) these numbers and apply them using the 8.4 million people who roughly visted phuket in 2018 (as a baseline) this would give you around 24'000 tourist a year rocking up to Phuket infected,  even with all the guidance in place. (Actually a small number and it is just food for thought). 

 

This means that either;

1) the vaccines are not working as hoped and people can (and do) get infected. 

2) people are scamming the system and are providing certificates that are fake and are not vaccinated as prescribed. 

3) its a combination of both. 

 

It seems coivd + tourist will visit (and infect) Thailand even with guidance and we all just need to live with it and stop hiding away in perpetual fear. I for one can't wait to sit on the beach and have a couple of beers with some grilled shrimp as the sunsets. 

[gejohesch]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Keep these demands up much longer and they can just about write off the rest of this year and Q1 next year. Poor are about to get poorer, more businesses close, more homeless and more on the poverty line

 

 

Damn right. One wonders if they will ever get it!? 

[86Tiger]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Wife and daughter are safe, we have enough money, we talk on video every day, I'll wait until this nutcasery is over before returning.

 

Keep these demands up much longer and they can just about write off the rest of this year and Q1 next year. Poor are about to get poorer, more businesses close, more homeless and more on the poverty line

 

 

Family was with me in turkey for my work past 3 years.  Did our mandatory 2 week lock up in BKK and got them home to Kut Chap last month.

 

As much as I miss them babies, ain't no way I will go back before they lift that mandatory lock up.  

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

Funny you should say this. I have a friend that is learning Chinese and he said the more they jab him with the Sinovac vaccine the easier it is to learn Chinese. You know he could be pulling my leg.

Remember, they put microchips in the vaccines? ????

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, tigerbeer said:

shouldn't the locals be more afraid of other locals at this point of time compared to foreigners? 

Logic is not known to be common currency in LOS.

[smedly]

10 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

This was learned in 8th grade biology by any one paying attention.

 

It was also learned the reason there is no successful vaccine for a covid type virus (common cold, influenza, etc. ) is it mutates rapidly rendering whatever works today ineffective in short time.

 

 

was it taught as well, you evidently didn't pay attention in your English class either 

 

Vaccines do not prevent infection as such but do prevent disease progression - it comes down to what is defined as "infected", we humans are "infected" by various viruses and bacteria in huge numbers on a daily basis - were we actually infected with all these pathogens - well that is up for interpretation, some schools of though define "infection" as something actually taking hold on the body and getting sick - vaccines protect us from that, so you can word play all you like - most resonable people understand what infection means in context 

[jonclark]

29 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

This was learned in 8th grade biology by any one paying attention.

 

It was also learned the reason there is no successful vaccine for a covid type virus (common cold, influenza, etc. ) is it mutates rapidly rendering whatever works today ineffective in short time.

 

 

Yep ..these mutations are just an expression of evolution. The vaccine is a selection pressure and any individual viruses which have benifical adaptations (aka mutation) to that selection pressure are able to survive, reproduce and pass on its adapataion to its 'offspring' and continue the lineage.  Basically a biological arms race. 

 

A virus that is adapted to kill its host rapidly is an evolutionary dead end as it is ultimatly just killing itself and preventing its own viral replication  when the host perishes.  My hope and expectation is in the coming years that covid evoloves into a highly  transmissable, but almost symptomless varient. So both it and us can thrive together. Removing the need for vaccines altogether. 

[gejohesch]

3 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Im trying to get back to CM as well and would ASQ there--you have a link for the TEN days in Bkk???

Same for me, I'm 0% interested in the Phuket Sandbox or Samui + options. Rather how I can return to my place up country before the end of the year. Still need ASQ in BKK, but how long? Two links below mention "reduction to 10 days / 11 nights" except if coming from a few high risk countries (as far as I know, only a few African countries).

 

Would be so helpful if all sites would clearly indicate at the top the last date of updating! It's so confusing with everyone and his dog changing rules every day!

 

ASQ-Thailand – Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) หรือ สถานที่กักตัวทางเลือก เป็นกระบวนการของการกักกันโรค ณ โรงแรมที่ได้รับอนุมัติจากรัฐบาลโดยผู้กักตัวต้องจ่ายเงินเอง (asqthailand.com)

Thailand Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ): A Complete Guide (thethailandlife.com)

 

 

[vVDB]

Why are there unvaccinated children with parents in Phuket Sand box?   

It does not say the face mask everywhere even on the beach ...

Electronic position control like offenders, prisoners...

And don't forget : Strangers are bad people who are dirty !

[86Tiger]

55 minutes ago, smedly said:

was it taught as well, you evidently didn't pay attention in your English class either 

 

 

 

I learned.

Anyone (i.e. any student) learned who paid attention.

 

I didn't teach.

No other student taught.

 

But you're probably correct, I didn't pay attention........

[smedly]

10 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

I learned.

Anyone (i.e. any student) learned who paid attention.

 

I didn't teach.

No other student taught.

 

But you're probably correct, I didn't pay attention........

I know

[realfunster]

For those of us living & working here, Thailand has surely got to take a good look at its quarantine requirements soon.

 

Every day, more and more Thais and Thai residents are having their vaccines, with around 10% fully vaccinated as at today.

I expect the pressure will start to build that these people will want to be allowed to travel in the near future and return without the 14 days quarantine.

 

It is starting to feel incongruous that a fully vaccinated Thai or Thai resident who travels abroad is still required to do 14 days quarantine upon return.

As far as I know there is no grading in the Thai regulations of e.g red/amber/green countries - just a blanket global restriction ?

They must surely start looking at this with more sophistication and make some deeper assessments based on individual countries, COVID situation and vaccine roll-out status.

 

I would like to go home to UK at some stage this year but have been waiting for the 14 day ASQ to be significantly reduced or even better, removed. 

Now, it's actually been made even more complicated as Thailand has been red-listed by the UK meaning a 10 day quarantine upon arrival there as well.

 

Anyhow, a 24-day quarantine in order to visit the UK doth not a realistic trip back home make !!

 

Further, the tourism recovery is going absolutely 100% nowhere until these ASQ restrictions are massively reduced or removed.

I don't care what anyone at TAT says about the whole window-dressing exercise with the various sandboxes.

[gejohesch]

35 minutes ago, realfunster said:

FoFurther, the tourism recovery is going absolutely 100% nowhere until these ASQ restrictions are massively reduced or removed.

I don't care what anyone at TAT says about the whole window-dressing exercise with the various sandboxes.

You are 100% right. These excessive restrictions, I would say nearly fanatical, regardless of vaccination status (amongst other factors), do not make any sense. But that does not stop people coming every day with new obsessive statements about how many tourists they expect and, most importantly (?) how many billion bahts they will spend .... with totally absurd and meaningless degrees accuracy.

 

Do not expect too much from the Thai authorities ????

[superal]

2 hours ago, jonclark said:

Interesting one this. So under the guidelines returnees must have 2 vaccines and have a covid free certificate....yet 70 of the roughly 25'000 tourists who have taken up the sandbox scheme have tested positive for covid since the sandbox opened. 

 

If you extrapolate (broadly) these numbers and apply them using the 8.4 million people who roughly visted phuket in 2018 (as a baseline) this would give you around 24'000 tourist a year rocking up to Phuket infected,  even with all the guidance in place. (Actually a small number and it is just food for thought). 

 

This means that either;

1) the vaccines are not working as hoped and people can (and do) get infected. 

2) people are scamming the system and are providing certificates that are fake and are not vaccinated as prescribed. 

3) its a combination of both. 

 

It seems coivd + tourist will visit (and infect) Thailand even with guidance and we all just need to live with it and stop hiding away in perpetual fear. I for one can't wait to sit on the beach and have a couple of beers with some grilled shrimp as the sunsets. 

From what I have read online your item 2 is the problem and from what I hear middle eastern countries have access to fake documents but not so sure about European countries . The vaccines are working but are not able to prevent infection though they can prevent hospitalization . When you think about it there is no reason for any lockdown if all who want the vaccine have had the double jabs . If you have not had the vaccine but are waiting for it , do not socialise , stay home till your vaccines have been given . The rest can return to normal life including the un-vaccinated who will be taking a big chance . Temperature checks to remain at every commercial access .  Vaccine certs to be shown . The UK vaccine roll out and cert issue is managed by the NHS and every cert has a QR code that gives traceability and I think would be very difficult to hack into the system . Do not know how other countries are managing their securities 

[jonclark]

3 hours ago, vVDB said:

Why are there unvaccinated children with parents in Phuket Sand box?   

It does not say the face mask everywhere even on the beach ...

Electronic position control like offenders, prisoners...

And don't forget : Strangers are bad people who are dirty !

All children in Thailand are currently unvaccinated ya div.  As for strangers..well you are a stranger to me. Are you a bad dirty person??

[paulikens]

so you have barley changed the rules since you started letting people in when there was no vaccine. being vaccinated has got to count for something or there's no point.    cmon thailand you just said you got to start living with it, so drop all the red tape for vaccinated people and the rest of the nonsense. one test either before you come or when you get here for vaccinated people and that should be it. drop all the BS. coe etc etc

[shortstop2]

On 8/31/2021 at 5:46 PM, snoop1130 said:

a COVID-19 health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of US$100,000

I've heard that some policies which cover Covid and have 100K USD coverage do not prominently state that it is a Covid policy do not qualify.  Is there a list somewhere of policies that do qualify?

[Bkktodd]

Forget about hiseason thailand. All those prearranged payments and paperwork   add up to headaches and plans elsewhere.  You f$&@ed up Thailand