After religiously avoiding getting any form of test for the last 2 years the office have finally decreed that we will need a -ve ATK or RT-PCR test before being allowed to return after the New Year break.

 

Sooo, where does one get an ATK, what's the process?

 

Easy eh? 

 

But none of my colleagues seem to know either (or they're keeping it secret from The Farang).

 

 

Hi. Isn't ATK the same thing as the "lateral Flow' test by a different name.

 

TTBOMK you can buy these easily for Baht 50-90 at 7/11 and even Mr DIY !

 

Really no big deal - tickle the tonsils both sides and one up the nose - wait 15 minutes for the red  line which hopefully is against the 'C' (clear) NOT the 'T' which means 'trace' (of Covid)  I guess.

 

Should be no problem and good luck.

 

 

7 minutes ago, TorquayFan said:

Isn't ATK the same thing as the "lateral Flow' test by a different name.

 

Yes, that's my understanding too.

Yep, available from 7-11 (kept at back of counter with the alcohol) or from pharmacies. 

 

Needs a few precautions to avoid a false positive.  Wash your hands and face first, especially if you've been wearing and handling a reusable mask.

 

Don't drink coke or other high acid drink just before the test.

 

Then ....

 

Stuff the swab up your nose, in theory all the way up but this makes me cough and choke, so in practice may be less.  Turn it around a bit.

 

Wiggle swab in the liquid supplied.

 

Put on the tester.

 

Wait about 15 minutes.

 

Check for one or two lines.

 

May need to snap a phone shot of the results.

8 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

Really no big deal - tickle the tonsils both sides and one up the nose - wait 15 minutes for the red  line which hopefully is against the 'C' (clear) NOT the 'T' which means 'trace' (of Covid)  I guess.

C is control - the line just shows that the test has been used and is functioning correctly. 

T is test - the line shows up if you test positive. 

 

ATK tests are available everywhere, pharmacies, 7-11, etc. I got mine in Tesco Lotus. Check the package to see what kind of test it is. Some are nasal only, some are throat and nasal, some are saliva. It depends on the brand, but you need to use the correct sample type for your kit.

23 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

Hi. Isn't ATK the same thing as the "lateral Flow' test by a different name.

 

TTBOMK you can buy these easily for Baht 50-90 at 7/11 and even Mr DIY !

 

Really no big deal - tickle the tonsils both sides and one up the nose - wait 15 minutes for the red  line which hopefully is against the 'C' (clear) NOT the 'T' which means 'trace' (of Covid)  I guess.

 

Should be no problem and good luck.

 

 

...bad practice to cross-contaminate your specimen by swabbing two different places with one swab.

On 12/30/2021 at 7:23 AM, TorquayFan said:

Hi. Isn't ATK the same thing as the "lateral Flow' test by a different name.

 

TTBOMK you can buy these easily for Baht 50-90 at 7/11 and even Mr DIY !

 

Really no big deal - tickle the tonsils both sides and one up the nose - wait 15 minutes for the red  line which hopefully is against the 'C' (clear) NOT the 'T' which means 'trace' (of Covid)  I guess.

 

Should be no problem and good luck.

 

 

,...you guess incorrectly....'C' is Control, 'T' is Test, (if turns pink/red = POS).

On 12/30/2021 at 7:43 AM, Kinnock said:

May need to snap a phone shot of the results.

That's something I've been wondering about. How do you show you are Covid-negative by doing a test at home? And a phone shot doesn't prove the test result is of you.

18 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

That's something I've been wondering about. How do you show you are Covid-negative by doing a test at home? And a phone shot doesn't prove the test result is of you.

Video the whole thing.  

 

Have a hospital test you.   The Bangkok hospital I go to charges around 3K for them.

On 12/30/2021 at 7:43 AM, Kinnock said:

Yep, available from 7-11 (kept at back of counter with the alcohol) or from pharmacies. 

 

Needs a few precautions to avoid a false positive.  Wash your hands and face first, especially if you've been wearing and handling a reusable mask.

 

Don't drink coke or other high acid drink just before the test.

 

Then ....

 

Stuff the swab up your nose, in theory all the way up but this makes me cough and choke, so in practice may be less.  Turn it around a bit.

 

Wiggle swab in the liquid supplied.

 

Put on the tester.

 

Wait about 15 minutes.

 

Check for one or two lines.

 

May need to snap a phone shot of the results.

The tests kits in the UK say wait exactly 30 minutes

If your office is enforcing this, which is a good thing IMO shouldn’t they be supplying the kits?

A friend who works for a major bank has to test at the start of every week and gets them provided.

23 minutes ago, rwill said:

Video the whole thing.  

 

Have a hospital test you.   The Bangkok hospital I go to charges around 3K for them.

He's only doing this as a requirement to return to work, not because he suspects he might have Covid, so there's no reason to go to that trouble and expense when his office will accept the result from a 50 baht ATK.

3 minutes ago, farangkinok said:

Except fortune cookies were invented by a restaurant in California.

Japan had a similar item much earlier but a little different than the fortune cookie.

 

31 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

If your office is enforcing this, which is a good thing IMO shouldn’t they be supplying the kits?

A friend who works for a major bank has to test at the start of every week and gets them provided.

 

It's currently just a one-off for those returning from the New Year break and they want the test before entering the office so in this case we just get our own.

 

I'm quite sure if they do decide to enforce an "every Monday" requirement they will be providing the kits.

 

Tandor once - "...bad practice to cross-contaminate your specimen by swabbing two different places with one swab" - maybe so, but that's EXACTLY what the NHS's LF pack advises. That said, I was also advised by a medic it IS acceptable to swab both nostrils and no tonsil area but I stick to the throat + nostril to test myself. . . . .

 

. . . . and Tandor again, ",...you guess incorrectly....'C' is Control, 'T' is Test, (if turns pink/red = POS)." - you may be right but for me, C=clear (virus undetected) and T=trace (virus detected) is more easily understandable and therefore more helpful.

Of course when I arrived back in Thailand on the 21st.  I had the PCR Test on arrival, supposedly.  I had the results in less than 4 hours.  Letter with results slipped under hotel door.

I was also provided with the ATK Test to be used on Day 6-7. 

The hotel provided detailed instructions when to do test and use Mor Chana app to send results.

Problem being instructions for ATK Test are all in Thai and the Mor Chana app won't work!

 

 

 

 

On 12/30/2021 at 12:43 AM, Crossy said:

Sooo, where does one get an ATK, what's the process?

 

Easy eh? 

The salvie test is the most easy one, but convenience is also little more expensive, something like 20 baht. You'll have a reply in about 10 minutes for both test methods, saliva or swab.

 

Where I live you can get ATK everywhere, like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Mini BigC and Mr. DIY. Pharmacies might however be a first choice and might also be little cheaper - they are where I live - prices range from just over 100 baht up to around horrible 150 baht for a saliva ATK test; however I live on an island, so it's likely little cheaper prices on the mainland. We. my whole household, were forced to a an ATK weekly due to school demand, only kids from negative homes were allowed to enter the school...????