Tourist faces huge bill, separation from family after testing positive on arrival in Thailand

[Millcx]

3 hours ago, Chris.B said:

350,000 baht hospital bill, nearly £8,000 for 10 day stay! Must be a good room at 35,000 baht a night!

I think there are free games of Golf each day with cart and Caddy along with a 5 star Kow Pat Guy 3 times a day “;0)

[mikeymike100]

8 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

I don't normally come down on the side of the system, but Kirov has replied on Barrow "Today I felt the first symptoms -  mild headache and strange feeling in the chest, so I can confirm stat this is not a total scam. 
But now I am super afraid about the upcoming test for my family"

 

So he does have the virus.

Thats a Maybe, could be anything!

[baboon]

7 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

I don't normally come down on the side of the system, but Kirov has replied on Barrow "Today I felt the first symptoms -  mild headache and strange feeling in the chest, so I can confirm stat this is not a total scam. 
But now I am super afraid about the upcoming test for my family"

 

So he does have the virus.

In which case surely his insurance should have no qualms in paying out?

[gejohesch]

2 hours ago, redsongthaew said:

 

AXA have an excellent policy:

 

https://axaxl.com/insurance/products/security-risks

I just checked your link, it says "Kidnap & Ransom insurance and more". If that's what you need to visit Thailand with peace of mind, then just forget it!

[ikke1959]

At this moment there is only 1 thing to do...... Stay away from Thailand, They have inferior tests, and if you are positive they will let you pay the most they can get...As the court said .. Foreigners have a lot of money so double pricing is no problem. It will help the economy... So please don't let you use  yourslf and look for another country where you are more welcome with less hoops 

[Nip]

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Anyone who visits Thailand at this present time is crazy

Thailand very own Squid Game. 

[Rampant Rabbit]

Meanwhile  back  in the real world passengers  arriving greeted with appalause  flowers and cookies.......... Thailand.......... hazmat suits and detention

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59201107

[0815]

Did he sign an insurance contract without reading it ?
Som nam na ...

[Parsve]

Yes, the corrupt government continues to kill tourism. What is their goal, that all Thais should become military or ...?

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

..... will give this country a wide berth until things settle down and common sense prevails...

like in 10 or 20 years maybe? 

[Bigz]

17 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Why would 'Covid Medical' insurance pay for someone's 14 days in quarantine when he tested negative and requires no medical treatment at all?

The father in the article tested positive upon arrival...I'm pretty sure his covid insurance will cover as long it's not a scam company. The other one sitting in the same cab with his infected friend may have his costs covered too if he's got a good travel/covid insurance (I admit the second case really depends on the small print)

[GroveHillWanderer]

22 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Won't everyone on the plane have had a PCR test 72 hours before flight, or not allowed on.

Yes, but that doesn't stop them catching Covid in the meantime.

[Digitalbanana]

I wouldn't fly here without a cast iron insurance policy that doesn't cost too much guaranteeing all this extra 'gotcha' <deleted> is covered for and I don't pay a darn thing extra.

[Boyn]

To qualify for entry into Thailand you have to have covid insurance so why would they not pay out?

[MarkyM3]

1 hour ago, ianguygil said:

I very rarely write anything personal on this forum, but i have more experience with this than most given that I have been out of Thailand and back in twice since May. First to the USA then to the UK when  my son started at UCL. So here goes

 

I would say that everybody needs to understand that the period between the actual test, and boarding the flights, is when it seems most people are infected, and this can be up to 72 hours (3 days). The flights I took all required that we wear masks all the time, even in toilets (which I don't know how they check) and I was right up front so nobody except my wife and son were sitting close to me. 

 

Entering the USA is actually frightening because there is no mention of COVID really apart from the need for a test prior to boarding the flights, So while the whole rest of the world seems to have all kinds of rules on arrival, there were none in the US. I have dual citizenship, but my wife is Japanese. She had no requirement to do a test or to report to anything..

 

Flights to the UK have the same PCR test requirement 72 hours or less before the actual takeoff. On arrival in the UK as a citizen I had to fill in a form prior to departure and prepay for a COVID test to be pre-delivered to my accommodation and I had to return this via registered first class mail within 2 days of arrival. All went smoothly and the PCR test result came in fine. Should I have tested positive I would have had to go into a special hotel and quarantine is my understanding, so much as in Thailand except that the hotels are <deleted>. And expensive. And small. 

 

When my wife arrived in the UK she came through Spain for a few days. She was contacted a few days later to say that somebody on the flight from Barcelona had subsequently tested positive for COVID. So she was required to do a PCR test which was negative and she was free to go around. Again, should she have tested positive she would have been required to pay for and to stay in a hotel because we have no residence in the UK

 

On my first ASQ in Thailand on return from the USA I paid for a Service Flat and I did the full 15 nights in quarantine with 3 PCR test.

 

On my return to Thailand from the UK I did the Phuket Sandbox. I PCR test on arrival and 1 a few days later. Fantastic. Stayed at the Kata Thani and the accommodation was half of the cost of a <deleted> hotel in the UK should I have needed to quarantine for a beach front room.

 

I would make the following observations

 

1: in Thailand many more people wear masks than in the UK. London was ridiculous and Cornwall not much better. It is no wonder they get 40K cases a day

2: In the US masks depend on which state. I have a home in California (SF) and almost everyone had a mask on. I have a place in Lake Tahoe (Nevada) and almost nobody has a mask on. Idiots. 

3: Thailand is very clear and well organized for the entry and the quarantine. I really don't get what people are complaining about. I did my COE process twice, no problem, no confusion, polite and efficient

 

On the whole insurance thing, it depends what kind of insurance you buy. You have to have insurance to cover getting sick. If you buy cheap insurance it may not cover you for quarantine even if asymptomatic. You get what you pay for. 

 

The people complaining about Thailand being the "COVID center" are just plain wrong. The thing is to "look at the deaths". The UK has 260 something today. Thailand has 60 (approx). This is a lagging indicator by about 2 weeks, but Thailand is clearly safer and people are less stupid that in the UK and in the USA. Except for the expats I see in the bars around where i live in the center of Bangkok, Thai people seem to sit outside and congregate in small groups. Exactly what people think they are doing in an enclosed bar cheek to cheek with other people during a pandemic is a question for every nation to ask.

 

You are wrong about entry requirements to the US. It only reopened to non-US citizens at the beginning of the week and the requirements for entry are clearly laid out - ESTA, C19 test within 72 hours of travel and agreement to do one 3-5 days after arrival for contact tracing. I am travelling there next month from the UK btw....

 

Your comments about entry to the UK are not correct either. There is no longer a red list and associated quarantine hotels. You have to complete a passenger locator form prior to entering the UK and register a lateral flow test on it, which is submitted on day 2. If you fail that, you are asked to self isolate for 10 days. No enforced stay in a quarantine hotel. 

 

As for your comments about death rates, if you seriously believe the Thai figures are comparable with those taken in the UK and USA, you must be joking right?

 

Keep wearing the tin foil hat and let people get on with their lives. Vaccines were developed to prevent serious illness and death and have done a terrific job in that respect. I'm sure you'd have us walking around in masks ad infinitum in a perpetual state of fear. 

[KannikaP]

6 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Yes, but that doesn't stop them catching Covid in the meantime.

Does it not take a few days to manifest itself?

[gearbox]

3 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

At this moment there is only 1 thing to do...... Stay away from Thailand, They have inferior tests, and if you are positive they will let you pay the most they can get...As the court said .. Foreigners have a lot of money so double pricing is no problem. It will help the economy... So please don't let you use  yourslf and look for another country where you are more welcome with less hoops 

Hospitalization after testing positive for covid has been a "feature" in Thailand for ages, not only for the inbound travellers, but for anyone who gets tested positive in Thailand at any time. However TAT and Thailand Pass failed to explain this to the travellers and provide clear information how the process works.

 

Most of the insurance policies issued outside Thailand do not cover asymptomatic covid cases, as the person is actually not "sick". If there is a cover, it usually would be a limited one, e.g Safetywing covers $50 USD/day, which is not much.

 

So generally in Thailand  if someone tests positive there are 4 options available:

 

* public/private hospital

* hospitel - this is a hotel, but not quite, it is an "extension" of a hospital and medical staff is there permanently. For insurance purposes it is a hospital.

* field hospital - usually rows of beds in a hall

* home quarantine - as far as I know this is not available to anyone 60+ years old (risk group), I haven't heard of any foreigners who was put in home quarantine.

 

So if one tests positive and has mild to severe symptoms, usually they'll be put in a hospital, with light symptoms one can go to any of the above after doctor's determination.

 

If one tests positive bit is totally asymptomatic, they in theory can go to all the places above, depending how much they want to pay. Nobody can force a Thai to go for example to Bangkok Hospital to sleep there and pay exorbitant amount of money.

 

If one looks at the "terms and conditions" of the Thailand Pass (after selecting option), there is no clause which states that one must quarantine in a private hospital if totally asymptomatic. Tourists can talk with their insurer and if they don't cover it they should be able to choose the best option for them financially. There is no written rule that "all farangs must be quarantined in Bangkok Hospital or similar". Ideally they should get the approximate cost in advance, but a few in practice provide it.

 

 

 

 

[Michael gough]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

like old mate was saying the other day, with so many moving parts who is to say someone isn't being given an earner to put ''positive' on a form to send people off into quarantine?
times are tough and the rice bowl needs filling.

Which is why I’ll be taking my own Covid tests with me

[Oblomov]

Travelled extensively around Asia for nearly 30 years and had great times on beaches and islands, made great local friends as well as Westerners from all over the world. I've really missed it since travel was interrupted from April 2020.

 

But despite how much I miss it, I simply couldn't risk getting mired in some ruinous and unnecessary enforced quarantine. Double vaccinated - fine. Test prior to departure and n arrival - fine. Adhering to local guidelines on distancing and masks in enclosed areas - fine.

 

All the other insanity?  Senseless, idiotic, futile and potentially able to destroy any enjoyment of a trip. Is Thailand the only country that does this? 

 

At some point, countries that have such a heavy reliance on travel and the associated sectors have to make a decision about how much poverty it can inflict on its own people. Those unfortunate travellers who have already scrambled through enough hoops should not be punished for unfortunately picking up this virus - there are people picking it up in much more flagrant breaches of sensible precautions and they aren't locked up.

 

Will the madness ever end - travel and tourism might if we are not careful about our reaction to this unbeatable foe of freedom. 

[parafareno]

he must get a happy ending massage as a bonus

[parafareno]

But everybody forget about secret hospital buffalos that you need to take care, that is why the cost is so high....not going back to Thailand for a while

[Dont confuse me]

Another piece of brilliant publicity for the LoS.

The Baht is number one! They shouldn't even be thinking about reopening until after Songkhran, and only then if the country is fully vaccinated and everything is in place to facilitate a smooth hassle free transition. 

The way this is going there will not be any change come Songkhran.

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Surely the temples are not that enthralling?

They have just no <@#(%+§@> idea! In terms of cultural heritage (ruins, great monuments etc), there are a number of countries that beat Thailand hands down. Apart of at most 1 or 2 dozen sites, there is nothing that much in Thailand, just a lot of garishly painted concrete buildings.

 

A number of times, with my partner's family, I was dragged on to the Thai-famous "pai tiao" expeditions (12 persons in the car, farang will pay for everything on the way) and ended up stopping to visit some of those countless horrors that Thais find exciting, I'm talking of concrete statues of crocodiles or monkeys or whatever else you can find along the roads. Needless to say, I learnt a long time ago how to avoid it...

 

Reminds me also, years ago I was taking Thai classes in Bangkok. The discussion came one day to the most famous cities in Europe. My teacher, a woman in her 30's, asked me how old they were.  I told her that cities like Rome or Athens were at least 2,500 years old. She suddenly realised that there is absolutely nothing in Thailand that measures up. The look of astonishment and disillusion on her face!

[samtam]

2 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

A friend of mine that lives here thought he had food poisoning so went to hospital, they did a covid test and he tested + so they kept him.

 

They wanted to charge him 20K per night, he simply told them he had no money.

 

Think he ended up paying 1K per night or something like that.

 

Everything is negoitable.

I have a slightly similar story. Yesterday I was feeling like death warmed up, after an uncomfortable night, with stomach pains and a foggy head. This persisted in the morning, so I took my temp, (37C) and took an ATG (negative). I slept most of the day, in some discomfort. Did not eat, but drank plenty of water. I took my temp several times and it was increasing - 38.1C and then 38.8C. In the evening I drank a mug of camomile tea with grated ginger. My temperature immediately eased. I slept early, and well, and this morning everything is normal. Strange fact: food poisoning has some similar symptoms to some covid symptoms. Naturally one fears the worst. I have been fully vaccinated with AZ, and follow all protocols for covid prevention. Even if I had covid, but my symptoms were light, I would not want or expect to be hospitalised; I can easily self-isolate at home.

[vinci]

what's a desperation to travel at this time puzzle me with these people.

[gejohesch]

48 minutes ago, Jack Cook said:

What a farce. The first of many. Why would you bother before June 2022.

June 2052?

[stigar]

My gf in korat told me NOT to come back this time.So im not going back before earliest in march.

I dont want to take a chance because i dont trust te goverment.26 arrivals tested positive so far.Money runs in.Well..not from my wallet.

[Dionigi]

Are the positives retested to try to cut out false positive readings?

[aussiexpat]

4 minutes ago, stigar said:

My gf in korat told me NOT to come back this time.So im not going back before earliest in march.

I dont want to take a chance because i dont trust te goverment.26 arrivals tested positive so far.Money runs in.Well..not from my wallet.

26 are the ones tested positive. From the 2 positives in this story there are 4 others forced into hard quarantine. So how many is it really, 52, 78, 100?

 

[JustAnotherHun]

51 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

I don't normally come down on the side of the system, but Kirov has replied on Barrow "Today I felt the first symptoms -  mild headache and strange feeling in the chest, so I can confirm stat this is not a total scam. 
But now I am super afraid about the upcoming test for my family"

 

So he does have the virus.

...or not beeing asymptomatic is his option to save money, depending on what insurance he has.