Image: PR Phuket

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: All domestic visitors arriving at the Phuket Check Point at Tha Chatchai to come onto the island are now allowed to bring their own antigen test kits (ATKs) and use them at the checkpoint to prove they are not infected with COVID-19.

 

Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon confirmed the news during a live broadcast from the Phuket Sandbox Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at the Phuket Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town this morning (Sept 8 ).

 

“ATKs are pretty easy to buy at pharmacies. Arrivals can bring their own ATK and conduct the test at the checkpoint by themselves. We have health officers standing by to give advice and check whether they conducted the test properly,” Dr Kusak said.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/domestic-visitors-to-phuket-can-conduct-own-rapid-tests-at-checkpoint-81329.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-09-09

 

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Please come back domestic tourists - sorry we dissed you and treated you lower than foreigners whilst chasing the phantom litterbox.

Yeh - Thais remember these muppets. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

are now allowed to bring their own antigen test kits (ATKs) and use them at the checkpoint

That makes it easier . Good idea .

Buy at a pharmacy , use it at the checkpoint .

 

4 hours ago, Scrotobike said:

Please come back domestic tourists - sorry we dissed you and treated you lower than foreigners whilst chasing the phantom litterbox.

Yeh - Thais remember these muppets. 

Why rapid antigen when farang must get RT-PCR tests. Thailand needs to eradicate all this discrimination and one rule for thai, one rule for farang attitude.

Why not just provide/sell them at Tha Chat Thai entry point?

7 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

Why not just provide/sell them at Tha Chat Thai entry point?

Because that would just make too much sense! ????????????????

36 minutes ago, dougiemac52 said:

Why rapid antigen when farang must get RT-PCR tests. Thailand needs to eradicate all this discrimination and one rule for thai, one rule for farang attitude.

You realize 'domestic' applies to Thai and other nationalities and that the PCR test requirement applies to all nationalities coming in from abroad!

39 minutes ago, dougiemac52 said:

Why rapid antigen when farang must get RT-PCR tests. Thailand needs to eradicate all this discrimination and one rule for thai, one rule for farang attitude.

Not quite, more one set of rules for international arrivals and one set for domestic arrivals. 

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You realize 'domestic' applies to Thai and other nationalities and that the PCR test requirement applies to all nationalities coming in from abroad!

Yes

4 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Why not just provide/sell them at Tha Chat Thai entry point?

What's stopping you from putting up a stand?

5 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

Why rapid antigen when farang must get RT-PCR tests. Thailand needs to eradicate all this discrimination and one rule for thai, one rule for farang attitude.

Anyone can enter with an antigen test as long as they meet the criteria, foreign or Thai.

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

You realize 'domestic' applies to Thai and other nationalities and that the PCR test requirement applies to all nationalities coming in from abroad!

Touche'

9 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

That makes it easier . Good idea .

Buy at a pharmacy , use it at the checkpoint .

 

The pharmacy just down from my guesthouse has several brands of ATKs for $295 baht a kit.

9 hours ago, stevenl said:

You realize 'domestic' applies to Thai and other nationalities and that the PCR test requirement applies to all nationalities coming in from abroad!

That's true but I suspect that domestic traffic will have a higher percentage of Thais and those arriving internationally will more likely be foreigners.

 

Whatever the case why the difference between international arrivals and domestic? Is there another reason other than the predominant racial makeup?

12 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

That makes it easier . Good idea .

Buy at a pharmacy , use it at the checkpoint .

Yup.  Just like high capacity SD and USB drives.  And Rolex watches.  What could possibly go wrong?

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

12 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Why not just provide/sell them at Tha Chat Thai entry point?

What's stopping you from putting up a stand?

It would make a lot more sense than allowing people to bring their own, especially given the Thais' love of all things fake and cheap.  I can envision someone selling a test kit guaranteed to throw a negative result.  And, cheaper than a real one...

 

5 hours ago, kimamey said:

That's true but I suspect that domestic traffic will have a higher percentage of Thais and those arriving internationally will more likely be foreigners.

 

Whatever the case why the difference between international arrivals and domestic? Is there another reason other than the predominant racial makeup?

Yes. The reason is that when the sandbox was conceived there were no domestic infections, so the fear was that by opening up covid would be imported. Since then this has changed on both fronts.

I would agree that the entry requirements should be similar, but the origin of the difference is easily explained.

17 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

Why rapid antigen when farang must get RT-PCR tests. Thailand needs to eradicate all this discrimination and one rule for thai, one rule for farang attitude.

It's not discrimination by Thai/ Foreigner.  It's based on where they're coming from.  Foreigners coming from anywhere have the same rules as Thais coming from the same place.  Not much different than anyone arriving in the UK from overseas has to quarantine.  Those traveling from town to town within the UK, not so much.  

 

The only attitude is the one copped by so many here on TVF, with huge chips on their shoulders.  Looking for something to be upset about.

 

5 hours ago, impulse said:

It's not discrimination by Thai/ Foreigner.  It's based on where they're coming from.  Foreigners coming from anywhere have the same rules as Thais coming from the same place.  Not much different than anyone arriving in the UK from overseas has to quarantine.  Those traveling from town to town within the UK, not so much.  

 

The only attitude is the one copped by so many here on TVF, with huge chips on their shoulders.  Looking for something to be upset about.

 

Coming from Thailand domestically the authorities have said use an ATK. That is different from foreigners same as Phuket supposed to be fully vaccinated and 1 dose of this or that is not fully vaccinated. With regards to chips on their shoulders I don't have but I am happy thatbI live in a country that allows freedom of speech with rules that are pretty straightforward to follow unlike here where it is a minefield of nothing.

31 minutes ago, dougiemac52 said:

Coming from Thailand domestically the authorities have said use an ATK. That is different from foreigners same as Phuket supposed to be fully vaccinated and 1 dose of this or that is not fully vaccinated. With regards to chips on their shoulders I don't have but I am happy thatbI live in a country that allows freedom of speech with rules that are pretty straightforward to follow unlike here where it is a minefield of nothing.

No, not different from foreigners. You're confusing 'domestic' with 'Thai' and 'foreigners' with 'international'.

17 hours ago, kimamey said:

That's true but I suspect that domestic traffic will have a higher percentage of Thais and those arriving internationally will more likely be foreigners.

 

Whatever the case why the difference between international arrivals and domestic? Is there another reason other than the predominant racial makeup?

I would presume there is more risk of new and dangerous variants coming from abroad than domestically requiring extra vigilance