Authorities Say Vaccinations and Testing Required for New Year Countdown

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has stated that participants in New Year countdown events with at least 1,000 attendees must be fully vaccinated and have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to the event.

 

Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the CCSA, said the requirements are in accordance with Section 9 of the emergency decree, implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19.

 

For countdown parties consisting of at least 1,000 participants, all organizers, staff, singers, and musicians must be fully vaccinated and undergo antigen testing within 72 hours prior to the event. Patrons must meanwhile register or purchase tickets in advance, also be fully vaccinated, and produce a negative antigen test result 72 hours in advance.

 

According to Dr. Apisamai, certain requirements will also apply to events with fewer than 1,000 people, such as family or corporate parties. For these events, the center will work with the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to issue guidelines, which may include requiring approval from Bangkok district offices or communicable disease committees.

 

In addition to countdown parties, the spokesperson said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Ministry of Public Health to consider allowing ATK screening at various events and social functions as well.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-12-18

 

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[tomacht8]

According to Dr. Apisamai, certain requirements will also apply to events with fewer than 1,000 people, such as family or corporate parties.

 

The numbers below 1000 are imprecise and completely unclear.

His family party must be pretty big. The servitude of the ruling class is now extremely annoying.

[smedly]

so this is a huge change in policy, it seems vaccination is no longer enough

 

who is making money from test kits ?

[zzaa09]

So....what does testing do? 

Never could understand the ideals [even the obsession] with testing every which way but loose. 

If ya have it, ya have it - if ya don't, ya don't. 

[koratkarlos]

I hope this is not the future of the world where entry will be based on vaccination and testing status.   This is just another form of discrimination.  I believe that people should do what they want as long as they do not harm others.  It is probably too late to use restrictive entry to stop this virus, maybe it will slow it down, but not enough at the present time to incur the broad economic damage caused by isolation.  The best bet is to get vaccinated.  And I have met many people who do not want the vaccine.  Which is their right.  But then they should volunteer not to social gather.  It needs to be up to the individual. 

 

This mandate will not really make much difference.  Maybe the entertainers will get tested.  I doubt too many other people will bother to get tested to go to a New Year's Eve event.  They either will go anyway or just stay home.  These broad unenforced rules do very little to help us as a society.  It is through education and respect for each other that the world will move forward.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, zzaa09 said:

So....what does testing do? 

Never could understand the ideals [even the obsession] with testing every which way but loose. 

If ya have it, ya have it - if ya don't, ya don't. 

I can only see the following benefit..... if you suspect or are told you have been in contact with an infected person, get tested, to determine whether you should self isolate... hence limit the rate of spread.

(Although if omicron is mild as rumoured, it would be a better approach to just let it spread). 

Edited December 19, 2021 by jacko45k
typo

[CharlieH]

Off topic post and responses to it removed.

[Excel]

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Fine -- so how New York is dealing with the implications of Omicron in public gatherings has no relevance to Thailand. 

None whatsoever in the contest of the subject matter. Perhaps you should start your own thread on what ever it is you wish to discuss

[jerrymahoney]

7 minutes ago, Excel said:

None whatsoever in the contest of the subject matter. Perhaps you should start your own thread on what ever it is you wish to discuss

In the context of the subject matter, some think that the current requirements to attend a NYE fest in Thailand are overreach. Others elsewhere, in dealing with Omicron, seem to think not.

Edited December 19, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[Phuketshrew]

12 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

His family party must be pretty big. The servitude of the ruling class is now extremely annoying.

Dr. Apisamai is definitely not a "him" ????

 

[IamNoone88]

la Lisa had vision! That wild New Years party in Phuket would have been a disaster with these new rules!

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I can only see the following benefit..... if you suspect or are told you have been in contact with an infected person, get tested, to determine whether you should self isolate... hence limit the rate of spread.

(Although if omicron is mild as rumoured, it would be a better approach to just let it spread). 

Governments around the world are not doing this, they are treating all variants the same. It looks like 2022 will be a stay at home year. I truly wish I am wrong.  

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

For countdown parties consisting of at least 1,000 participants, all organizers, staff, singers, and musicians must be fully vaccinated and undergo antigen testing within 72 hours prior to the event. Patrons must meanwhile register or purchase tickets in advance, also be fully vaccinated, and produce a negative antigen test result 72 hours in advance.

A beer or three at home looks more inviting.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

So....what does testing do? 

Never could understand the ideals [even the obsession] with testing every which way but loose. 

If ya have it, ya have it - if ya don't, ya don't. 

The idea is that even though you may be fully inoculated it does not guarantee immunity, thus you may have and be transmitting infection, hence the ATK testing to confirm non-infection...

does that help you understand?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Dr. Apisamai is definitely not a "him" ????

 

Hard to tell these days, 

My mate went in for a prostrate examination last week... the nurse said during the probe it's normal to experience an erection, my mate said he was fine, the nurse replied ok but she might !!! ????

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Dr. Apisamai is definitely not a "him" ????

 

Nice picture, but, with the advance of modern surgical techniques it is getting more difficult each day to tell the difference....

[Almer]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

So....what does testing do? 

Never could understand the ideals [even the obsession] with testing every which way but loose. 

If ya have it, ya have it - if ya don't, ya don't. 

But you need to test to find out if yer  av it or not

[Almer]

20 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

A beer or three at home looks more inviting.

Agreed and a dam site cheaper

[Almer]

4 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

I hope this is not the future of the world where entry will be based on vaccination and testing status.   This is just another form of discrimination.  I believe that people should do what they want as long as they do not harm others.  It is probably too late to use restrictive entry to stop this virus, maybe it will slow it down, but not enough at the present time to incur the broad economic damage caused by isolation.  The best bet is to get vaccinated.  And I have met many people who do not want the vaccine.  Which is their right.  But then they should volunteer not to social gather.  It needs to be up to the individual. 

 

This mandate will not really make much difference.  Maybe the entertainers will get tested.  I doubt too many other people will bother to get tested to go to a New Year's Eve event.  They either will go anyway or just stay home.  These broad unenforced rules do very little to help us as a society.  It is through education and respect for each other that the world will move forward.

It is getting coercive and I fear this will go to ruling parties  heads, they don’t like something Chuck in a curfew or two. Not just in Los this  is worldwide and beginning to be used at will.

[MrJ2U]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I can only see the following benefit..... if you suspect or are told you have been in contact with an infected person, get tested, to determine whether you should self isolate... hence limit the rate of spread.

(Although if omicron is mild as rumoured, it would be a better approach to just let it spread). 

There's a worry about hospitals and medical staff being overwhelmed.

 

You may not die but be sick enough to need be hospitalized.

 

Thailand's hospitals won't be able to cope.

 

They'll be a dominoe effect.

Car accidents, heart attacks, etc won't be attended to properly because the whole medical establishment will be overwhelmed.

Edited December 19, 2021 by MrJ2U

[Swampy999]

So a new year event with 1000 people everyone has to be vaccinated but a country with 70 million people that is a different story.

There are infinitely more people crammed into busses but they do not have to be vaccinated.

And so the debacle sadly continues.  

[ikke1959]

In Europe they are taking strong measures to prevent the spread of the new strain. Here in Thailand we first have to party and when that is over and there are a spike in new infections we start to think about what the people did wrong... Not fuly vaccinated or too long ago, false ATK results, no masks wearing and of course not to forget too much alcohol.... Nobody like that the celebrations would be cancelled, but sometimes it is better to prevent than have a new lockdown afterwarths again... There are more years to come

[paul1804]

What is this crazy world we live in doing, this is complete madness! Omicron is coming and the more vaccines you get the less chance your natural immunity has of coping with new and other virus's. Start following the real science of the covid virus and study the age and medical history of those who have died from it. 

[ChrisKC]

I have celebrated New Years Eve parties more than 50 times, I missed last year and very happy to miss it again this year.

 

Don't need 1,000's for a party. I can watch on YouTube, New Zealand, Australia, China and Bangkok fireworks in their turn.

 

What will I drink? Over the period I might have a small port or a small sherry or a beer or a glass of wine and there are plans for my company to include those I enjoy being with!

 

And all without a shot (of any kind) being fired!

 

I invite you all to share a virtual drink with me and my lovely Thai wife, Jeab, and an exchange of New Year pleasantries

 

May this year and all years have happy endings followed swiftly by new happy beginnings!

 

Chris and Jeab in warm and sunny Thailand

[mran66]

...so all major events will be officially for audience of max 999 persons - however nobody counts people entering, and if suspected more than 999 would come, just count every now and then to make sure stays under 1000.

[Midwit]

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I can only see the following benefit..... if you suspect or are told you have been in contact with an infected person, get tested, to determine whether you should self isolate... hence limit the rate of spread.

(Although if omicron is mild as rumoured, it would be a better approach to just let it spread). 

 

[Midwit]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

In Europe they are taking strong measures to prevent the spread of the new strain. Here in Thailand we first have to party and when that is over and there are a spike in new infections we start to think about what the people did wrong... Not fuly vaccinated or too long ago, false ATK results, no masks wearing and of course not to forget too much alcohol.... Nobody like that the celebrations would be cancelled, but sometimes it is better to prevent than have a new lockdown afterwarths again... There are more years to come

Your welcome to stay home and prevent the spread all you want. To tell everyone else to stay home and hide in fear all I have to say is shut up. 

[houstoniron]

As many have posted, this protocol means little and actually prevent some tourists / expats from entering such events.

 

I was lucky enough to get vaccine in the USA. However my CDC vaccination card for example does not get me entry to the Pattaya music festival because it is in English and the "guards" cannot read English.  Thailand want to attract tourists but will not accept - it seems - foreign vaccination card for in country events. The guards told me I must have a QR code. A person who was vaccinated outside Thailand cannot get a QR code because in Thailand there is no proof of vaccination for a visitor that was vaccinated outside Thailand.

 

Further, I have always been puzzled by these testing requirements. Event entry requirements now often say that persons must have a negative COVID test but they nothing about what this actually means. Do all participants have to go to a hospital and get a test there? Can they turn up with an ATK in their pocket and do one at the entry. Can they present the test they had a month ago?

 

Thailand will have some time to get things straight - anyone reading about the COVID situation in Europe and the USA know what this new COVID variant is doing to these countries. It has been identified in Thailand although there is not much written about it. I think the CCSA knows it is inevitably coming here - they are now re-activating all the field hospitals to take care of the expected rise in COVID cases but as of now little has been written about this.

 

The protocols at the airport also make little sense to me. Sure I understand the push to open everything up and get tourists back into Thailand. First, the 2 weeks quarantine that I had to endure in August was relaxed to essentially a one night stay in a hotel until a negative PCR COVID result can be presented. This was put in place before the new COVID variant was identified. 

 

Now as European countries go into full lockdown (The Netherlands implement this starting today) the airport protocols continue unchanged. 

 

It is not a question of if this new COVID variant will promulgate in Thailand, it is a question of when and what government action is taken to control the spread.

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, Midwit said:

Your welcome to stay home and prevent the spread all you want. To tell everyone else to stay home and hide in fear all I have to say is shut up. 

we will see.. some people never learn unless they are confronted with it... Everyone is free to do as he/she likes.. for me no problem, but you need to accept the consequences too and not complain

[thierryviteau]

I will NEVER vaccinate whatever any governments of this crazy world ruled by idiots wants !