Thailand suspends ‘Thailand Pass’ and ‘Test & Go’

[gejohesch]

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Yes it is (vague).  Hopefully a sysyem will be developed that includes a piece of paper ypu can show at a government hospital to get a test -- as, in my province at least, rhe government hospital will not test on demand.

 

And they will need a system to track this and tecord results.

 

It is worth noting that they could have been getting 2nd test results on T&G people all along but no system to record and track results was ever put in place. Many posts on TV from people at a loss over what to do with the ATKs they were given (supposedly for day 5 use) as T&G hotels were telling them no  need to send in the results. While ATKs are not as sensitive as PCR they are much better than nothing (especially for detecting what would at that point be infections of 5-8 days standing) and had this part of the scheme been implemented the authorities would have a lot more information at hand than they now do.  What is undoubtedly making them nervous is the numbers who came in on  T&G, tested negative on arrival and then fanned out around the country with no follow up.

Thanks for the reply. What a mess! What is striking here is the lack of preparation.

 

The nature of a pandemic, with mutations to be expected etc, is definitely not unique to COVID-19 but in any case such possible developments were already written all over the walls after nearly 2 years raging all around the world. Given that, and given the importance of the tourism sector for the Thailand economy, one would have thought any reasonably competent government would have charted out a few scenarios ahead and how to respond.... But I have to say, and bear with me one moment, I know by personal experience working a few years in one of the largest corporations of Thailand that many Thais in positions of power have no concept of scenario trees, risk analysis and risk mitigation. That is also true for many who have some education abroad, but obviously the younger generation tends to be better and more sophisticated in the scenarios + risks domain. Unfortunately, the younger generation is not the one at the top of commands and has to crawl obediently at the feet of the old guard - or else!

 

In layman words, this translates simply as "never have a Plan B". For those who doubt my words, just look at the reckless way of driving of so many on Thailand roads.

[fangless]

21 minutes ago, starky said:

as governments have done basically fxxk all for 2 years

And all along I thought you were complaining that governments have done too much!

Which way do you want it? (as the Bishop said to the Actress  -  you are going to get stuffed one way or the other!!)

[Tony125]

5 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Masks - if worn correctly - protect others (more or less), not you

Wrong:

N95 respirators and surgical masks are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from particles or from liquid contaminating the face.

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-surgical-masks-face-masks-and-barrier-face-coverings

 

 

Time to ‘up your mask game’ 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/time-to-up-your-mask-game/ar-AAS2yuL

 

More info:

https://www.nytimes.com/article/covid-masks-protection-stats.html

 

Wearing a face mask helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 in two ways: It protects the person wearing a mask from being exposed to the virus and protects the people around them from being exposed to the virus.

https://health-desk.org/articles/does-wearing-a-mask-protect-the-mask-wearer

Edited December 22, 2021 by Tony125

[JustAnotherHun]

11 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Wrong

N95 respirators and surgical masks are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from particles or from liquid contaminating the face.

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-surgical-masks-face-masks-and-barrier-face-coverings

 

 

Time to ‘up your mask game’

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/time-to-up-your-mask-game/ar-AAS2yuL

I know about N95. My staff works with comparable FFP2 since 1.5 years all day long.

And now look around who is wearing them here in Thailand. On the streets, in shpping malls, everywhere.

Tell me what you see and I tell you, how "protective" they are for the one who wears them.

Edited December 22, 2021 by JustAnotherHun

[geisha]

On 12/21/2021 at 1:54 PM, tomacht8 said:

You make simply an appointment with a thai doctor from a big hospital. Then you have a medical reason. Easy.

I don’t know if I dared do that. Is it allowed ?  I do need to see a dermatologist and can’t because there’s a 4 month waiting period. I’ve tried every dermatologist from monaco to Cannes ! 

[Tony125]

The US Army is testing a universal vaccine it hopes will target all coronavirus variants

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/the-us-army-is-testing-a-universal-vaccine-it-hopes-will-target-all-coronavirus-variants/ar-AAS3deS?li=BBnb7Kz

[VBF]

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

Really, and are you like 99.9% of the anti vaxxers etc., you have nothing to support your theory?

Well said! ???? My considered response to that post would probably have got me suspended....you're so much more restrained than I, @scorecard   ????

[VBF]

4 hours ago, starky said:

My point being....I'm fairly callous in that humans weren't designed to be locked up in boxes. Prison is a perfect example of that.

  I wouldn't care how many covid killed myself included if that's what it takes. I'm not precious about my ego nor my existence and as governments have done basically fxxk all for 2 years and their will always be new variants and breakthrough cases why delay the inevitable? The strong shall survive the weak will die. The world needs a freshen up. Only IMHO of course. Lol. Others views may vary.

I liked your post but with a caveat: If, as has been shown in UK, Israel etc, the vaccinations, when available do as much good as they are doing, then perhaps "delaying the inevitable" is something of  an exaggeration?

 

The example of the 2020 UK lockdowns, against which i railed, turn out to have been beneficial, only inasmuch as now we're getting vaccinated, so the "inevitable" sickness and death turn out not to have been inevitable at all. 

 

Had we not had the vaccinations and seen the great number of people getting them (Thank you Scientists and NHS) , then I would have agreed with you whole-heartedly.

I might paraphrase you  thus: "The vaccinated shall survive, the idiotic will die."

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by VBF

[VBF]

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

Though I totally agree with you that it is the unvaccinated that are driving these variants, in the context of this thread's subject matter, we need to consider that these 5 million unvaccinated were  also unvaccinated during the delta variant. So there is something happening there that is new. 

 

Except perhaps, that when Delta first  emerged, the vaccinations were only just beginning, therefore people didn't have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

So is there really something new, or are you sort of comparing apples with oranges?

Edited December 22, 2021 by VBF

[daejung]

I  suspend Thailand too ????

[JustAnotherHun]

Ever heared the term immune evasion or immune escape?

A weak vaccine can drive mutations. AZ for example has a protection of zero after 120 days. Immune escape can happen too, if there's a too long period of time between the doses.

I don't claim this is the case with Covid, because there is no reliable data base.

But to use the unvaxxed as a scapegoat for each and everything is not more than a lack of brain of people who do not know what tey're talking about.

Edited December 22, 2021 by JustAnotherHun

[sezze]

5 hours ago, stewartthailand said:

….and the reason that hospital admissions have gone up is that 90% of them are UNvaccinated. Over 5 million unvaccinated in the U.K. who are putting others at risk. So I agree ‘morons and idiots’ (but not the extremely small number not vaccinated on medical advice)

I do agree on the people who are not willing to vaccinate . However , it might be in UK 90% hospitalized , but in my country , of the adult population around 85-88% is vaccinated , total population 77.2% . In the hospitals , there is like a 60-40 between the 2 , and if i remember correct the 60% are vaccinated . This doesn't mean the vaccines do not work . There are in ratio much more people unvaccinated who are in hospital , and they do stay longer . I am totally in favor of vaccinating , and i think it should be mandated . It is however also important to tell people the truth . Vaccinating is much safer , but it is not a guarantee .

[AaronC76]

Applied yesterday, approved today. Land in BKK 12th Jan

[sezze]

2 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Wrong:

N95 respirators and surgical masks are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from particles or from liquid contaminating the face.

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-surgical-masks-face-masks-and-barrier-face-coverings

 

 

Time to ‘up your mask game’ 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/time-to-up-your-mask-game/ar-AAS2yuL

 

More info:

https://www.nytimes.com/article/covid-masks-protection-stats.html

 

Wearing a face mask helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 in two ways: It protects the person wearing a mask from being exposed to the virus and protects the people around them from being exposed to the virus.

https://health-desk.org/articles/does-wearing-a-mask-protect-the-mask-wearer

IF worn correctly . This means no airleaks anywhere . Otherwise , any virus will you through those air leaks . Masks do help a lot , and N95/FFP2/3 are better then surgical but in general use , it is to protect others , since 99.9% of the people do not wear them correct . This is because even if you do get leaks , the exhaled air stays much closer to your face .

BTW , a quick test for correct wearing mask is putting on glasses , if they fog , the mask is worn incorrect . If the mask is not over your nose 100% and under your chin , it is worn incorrect .

[The Hammer2021]

On 12/21/2021 at 3:59 PM, rodknock said:

my oh my.

another we do not know what we are going to do.

do one thing in the am change it in the pm.

what a way to run a country!!

Singapore just closed its borders. Thailand is acting in accordance with most other countries. What a way to run a country? Thailand has been one of the best performing countries in the world in terms of its covid policies. Australia decended into an  authoritarian nightmare, Britain has a massive death toll overseen by corrupt incompetent officials and the list goes on..Thailand has done very well in protecting its citizens but the economic damage caused by the lockdown is undeniable

[Bday Prang]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:04 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Just saying what I read somewhere; either Aussie or business website. Plus, there are 3 Omicron subvarieties, with the UK one worse than the other two. 

I was going to say "you couldn't make it up"  but obviously somebody has   ?   three sub "varieties" not exactly a medical term is it. The U.K "variety" being the worst, for gods sake what motivates people to issue false news like this ? and even worse what motivates people to pass it on. Do you get some sort of satisfaction spreading fear ?  should be ashamed 

[Spurs123]

Has anyone downloaded the MORCHANA APP with success , all i keep getting is invalid that pass info, even though it is scanned, i have tried putting in info myself, and it just will not work

anyone got any ideas what i am doing wrong

 

[sirineou]

8 hours ago, VBF said:

Except perhaps, that when Delta first  emerged, the vaccinations were only just beginning, therefore people didn't have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

So is there really something new, or are you sort of comparing apples with oranges?

You don't understand 

I am not making value judgments concerning vaccinations in this exchange. simply saying that the fact that some people are unvaccinated , though unfortunate, is not what is driving the increase in hospitalizations now, since these people were also unvaccinated  then. With Omicron there is a new component added to the equation and it should be of concern to say the least.  

[Zack61]

On 12/21/2021 at 7:50 PM, RandolphGB said:

Yet another knee-jerk reaction from the  government to show the hysterical Thai public they’re doing something. 

True that. Nothing will keep it at bay now that it’s here. 

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Australia was a nation  locked down as a prison for over a year!!! Thailand was a shining light of competence compared to Australia.

They seem to have had a change of heart   in Australia lately. 

[metisdead]

A post with a video from an unapproved social media source has been removed.

[VBF]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

You don't understand 

I am not making value judgments concerning vaccinations in this exchange. simply saying that the fact that some people are unvaccinated , though unfortunate, is not what is driving the increase in hospitalizations now, since these people were also unvaccinated  then. With Omicron there is a new component added to the equation and it should be of concern to say the least.  

OK then....perhaps your choice of words or my lack of understanding!

Related, it seems to be a "good news and bad news" scenario:   Omicron wave appears milder, but concern remains

 

"Early evidence suggests fewer people are needing hospital treatment than with other variants - with estimates ranging from a 30% to a 70% reduction.

But the concern remains that even if Omicron is milder, the sheer number of cases could overwhelm hospitals."

 

If the first sentence turns out to be accurate then hopefully the advice will be "Don't come to hospital unless your symptoms are severe"

[aussiexpat]

9 hours ago, AaronC76 said:

Applied yesterday, approved today. Land in BKK 12th Jan

Me too. Applied a couple of hours before the tuesday midnight deadline and woke up this morning with a brand new Thai Pass for 14 Jan ????

[StayinThailand2much]

On 12/21/2021 at 7:04 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Just saying what I read somewhere; either Aussie or business website. Plus, there are 3 Omicron subvarieties, with the UK one worse than the other two. 

Quoting myself... Some moron here complained that I didn't use correct medical terms, so, yes, it's 'Omicron sub-lineages'...

[sirineou]

24 minutes ago, VBF said:

OK then....perhaps your choice of words or my lack of understanding!

Most likely my choice of words, also some times it helps to go back and follow an exchange between two members to get the context, but who wants to do that? I dont always do also ????

Early days on this Omicron variant and very difficult to form a consensus  with all these conflicting reports coming in. 

Initially I was upset at the suspension of the Thai pass, but thinking more about it , I see it as the right thing to do. The operative word here being suspension, until we have a better handle on this. 

From the US we are getting   reports that seem to suggest that Omicron is increasing the Hospitalization and death rates substantially.

"Omicron now the dominant U.S. Covid strain at 73% of cases, CDC data shows "

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/20/omicron-now-the-dominant-us-covid-strain-at-73percent-of-cases.html

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html

 

 These statistics are a week old but they seem to suggest an increase..

As I said lots of conflicting date, so IMO better to eer on the side of caution.

It was reported in another thread , that this is only a temporary suspension of the  Thai pass, and that it will resume soon  if the data supports such resumption. let's keep our fingers crossed???? 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by sirineou

[yogi yogi]

21 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

So Fauci is responsible for the vaccines coming to ThIland...I think your believing to many foil hat folks.

fauci is in charge of the the vaccine rollout in usa. and phizer and moderna are the most popular vaccines to date. i dont feel like fighting with anti vaccer.  im trying to follow the rules to keep everyone safe .........

[JonnyF]

9 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Singapore just closed its borders. Thailand is acting in accordance with most other countries. What a way to run a country? Thailand has been one of the best performing countries in the world in terms of its covid policies. Australia decended into an  authoritarian nightmare, Britain has a massive death toll overseen by corrupt incompetent officials and the list goes on..Thailand has done very well in protecting its citizens but the economic damage caused by the lockdown is undeniable

Thailand does very little testing (comparatively) so it's impossible to know what the real figures are in terms of cases and deaths. Britain on the other hand does millions of tests every week and counts someone as a Covid death if they get hit by a truck while Covid positive. Comparing the figures makes little sense in such circumstances.

 

We do know that Thailand has destroyed huge sectors of the economy with it's arbitrary lockdowns/restrictions and hugely delayed vaccine rollout while offering next to nothing to the poor that have been made destitute by such policies. I doubt the millions unemployed with no social security feel particularly well protected.

[ncc1701d]

Does Suvarnabhumi airport still have working Kasikorn ATM machines airside / before you get your bags?

Edited December 23, 2021 by ncc1701d

[ThailandRyan]

17 minutes ago, ncc1701d said:

Does Suvarnabhumi airport still have working Kasikorn ATM machines airside / before you get your bags?

When I walked through the Baggage claim Area last week on a return from Udon Thani there was one inside the baggage area and then their bank upstairs in the main area is open, or it was when I flew last Monday, a week ago.

Edited December 23, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[VBF]

11 hours ago, sirineou said:

Most likely my choice of words, also some times it helps to go back and follow an exchange between two members to get the context, but who wants to do that? I dont always do also ????

Early days on this Omicron variant and very difficult to form a consensus  with all these conflicting reports coming in. 

Initially I was upset at the suspension of the Thai pass, but thinking more about it , I see it as the right thing to do. The operative word here being suspension, until we have a better handle on this. 

From the US we are getting   reports that seem to suggest that Omicron is increasing the Hospitalization and death rates substantially.

"Omicron now the dominant U.S. Covid strain at 73% of cases, CDC data shows "

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/20/omicron-now-the-dominant-us-covid-strain-at-73percent-of-cases.html

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html

 

 These statistics are a week old but they seem to suggest an increase..

As I said lots of conflicting date, so IMO better to eer on the side of caution.

It was reported in another thread , that this is only a temporary suspension of the  Thai pass, and that it will resume soon  if the data supports such resumption. let's keep our fingers crossed???? 

 

 

And just to be really argumentative   data from the UK suggests the opposite Covid: Ministers watch data as studies say Omicron risk lower

These data are newer but I'm inclined to agree with your last 2 sentences.