New COVID Cases Rise among Foreign Tourists in Phuket

[Virt]

1 hour ago, Darksidedude said:

Me and the family had recently gone for a trip to Australia from Oman,

 

We all had neg PCR test before we flew as per the procedures, it was 20 hrs in total travel time to reach Melbourne, taxis, airports and aircraft.

 

My wife tested positive 5 days after arriving in Melbourne then me and my daughter.

 

for sure 100% my wife contracted covid whislt travelling.

 

We will not be travelling anywhere until this covid is gone away

If you tested positive with omicron you have a low chance of getting it again.

Not impossible since many get reinfected, but just a low chance.

So i wouldn't be too scared to travel.

I would just choose a country that requires no test as long as you are vaccinated.

 

I have a college that had covid 3 times so that's of course annoying.

He got it first in 2020 and then also the delta and last the omicron.

So some are really unlucky and some never get it.

 

Me and gf didn't have it yet and we traveled on vacation during the omicron outbreak.

[superal]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

From the link above: 

 

“False Covid-19 RT-PCR test results are assumed to have something to do with the sharp rise in the number of post-arrival positive tests among tourists. These problems are something beyond Phuket’s authority to deal with and help is needed from the CCSA’s operations centre.”

 

I wonder if the authorities can double check the validity of a PCR certificate.

i.e. IF someone tests positive can the MoPH official contact the issuing hospital / clinic noted on the PCR result and ask them if the result is valid ?

... I suspect some countries with strong individual rights and protection of information may not release information confirming negative or positive tests which makes things very easy for the cheats. 

 

 

 

 

I have heard that fake pcr negative test certs and fake vaccination certs can be bought , some countries easier than others . In both cases the majority of certs come by way of a person employed within the countries health system . The certs can be traced for validity and will be found in the register as compliant . I have also read that the omicron virus is not so easy to detect in the early stages , compared with the delta virus and can be misinterpreted as negative . It is possible for someone to take a pcr test just prior to boarding a flight then test again on arrival and results say negative when the reality is really positive . This probably happened with the previous Testngo , hence the second 5 day test .

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, Paulaew said:

According to the Phuket governor (as reported in The Thaiger on Feb 3), most of the foreigners testing positive are from Russia and Kazakhstan. It's fair to guess there are some dodgy test certification papers available there.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/most-phuket-tourists-infected-with-covid-travelled-from-russia-and-kazakhstan

 

Paul Laew

 

The same Russia whose citizens, a couple of months ago, the Thai tourism Minister was desperate to have back to save the industry?

 

 

Maybe he knows "what they're like" and was really talking on behalf of the health "business"?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Enoon

[Millcx]

15 hours ago, mommysboy said:

I don't think it's possible to open up the economy and borders without accepting a huge surge in Omicron cases.  Thailand has consistently been behind the curve in responding to new developments. It's their way I guess. Omicron is far less dangerous particularly to the vaccinated.

No Way … Anutin has saved the day and is the savior of Thailand … Also made it the best place to spend your money when retiring …. Hail this great man

[JimmyJ]

16 hours ago, FalangKino said:

Every single person they allow into the country is vetted, as well as double jabbed.

 

 

False.

 

Thailand is admitting Unvaccinated.

[Mavideol]

is it not the timing to say "" I told you so""   555

[The Hammer2021]

11 hours ago, smedly said:

I don't believe you lol

 

Hammer Time lol

 

move on - Hammer is on my ignore list, uninteresting and wasting 10secs of my life 

I am devasted lol

[NobbyClarke]

In my humble opinion; the vast majority of the Thailand people have been tested. Some have not bothered, don't want it, can't have it or are rushing to get it. This is a worldwide problem and nothing will change. Vaccinated tourists will catch it in Thailand or anywhere else from the unvaccinated.

It is no secret what happens to tourists in Thailand regardless of what they might say for their "5 minutes of fame."

Everyone has a choice, travel or don't travel.

I am desperate to return to see my Thai wife, however, my choice is to remain in the U.K. for the time being. I do not want to sit on a plane for 14 hours to arrive, possibly catch it on the plane or during quarantine and have to pay a small fortune to a  private hospital. This is my choice, however, if people want to take the risk that is their own personal choice.

I might be right or I might be wrong, only time will tell.

[The Hammer2021]

14 hours ago, smedly said:

well that statement just about sums it up and then they get banged up, omicrom is spreading as we all know and there is no way to avoid it - come to Thailand we want you to come and get out there - only you will be tested 

 

welcome to Thailand 

 

has anyone had enough of this ####

Please  explain  how this has affected  you personally or are you getting  angry on other people's behalf?

[Tonypandy]

15 hours ago, smedly said:

I would get a posting ban if I said what I wanted to say about this

 

and meanwhile 

 

 

Two sources have said Hong Kong health authorities have determined China’s Sinovac vaccine is of no use against the Delta and Omicron variants, thus toughening control measures to minimise any chances of infection. About 40% of the inoculated population chose Sinovac.

Albert Bourola the CEO at Pfizer in a recent interview stated the that 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine gave little to no protection at all, so what is the difference? 

[TropicalGuy]

8 hours ago, markeewan said:

It is not correct to state that Thais are not getting vaccinated. My wife got her third injection yesterday and son the same day. The local people are still taking this quite seriously and vaccination is ongoing.

No , as a group they are not. I’m talking about Thais still completely unvaccinated. Possibly half the population are superstitiously “ scared” of Covid Vax. Plus Sinovac minimally effective against Delta & Omicron. So then they think all vax is “useless”. 
 

My own educated Thai lady is unvaxxed like many of her friends because “ somebody died from the vaccine”. Thais tend to think absolute worse case (vax) or absolute best case ( “not happen yet” like road safety or insurance) with little concept of risk / reward balance & statistical odds. 

[Chiang Mai Will]

21 hours ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

.........................'New cases rose from Dec 13 because some visitors had not passed the Thailand Pass registration process or had not undergone RT-PCR tests'   ?????

 

So how did they manage to enter Thailand ???.

 

How did they manage to board a plane?

[smedly]

8 hours ago, Tonypandy said:

Albert Bourola the CEO at Pfizer in a recent interview stated the that 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine gave little to no protection at all, so what is the difference? 

and your source for this BS, maybe he wants everyone to get their recently developed vaccine specifically targeted at omicron - if I could contact the guy directly I'd be telling him "where to go" 

 

and also thankinging him for intorducing a drug into my body that is highly suspect, and just to add, something that makes me more angry - what better senario than to never find a cure for HIV, it is almost like the car industry and oil - a never ending revenue stream until now - but that change has been forced, meanwhile no cure for HIV means a constant revenue stream worth billions every year, pretty sick actually but I digress

 

I did not like getting a vaccine - I would have preferred not too but still evidence sugests it still protects people from serious illness that has been proven beyond doubt 

 

But equally it is also looking like the best protection against covid 19 is to be infected with omicron, it is becoming clear that omicron has ended this - lets hope that is correct 

 

data is still being gathered but it looks good 

Edited February 5, 2022 by smedly

[bbbbooboo]

On 2/5/2022 at 12:56 AM, FalangKino said:

Every single person they allow into the country is vetted, as well as double jabbed.

 

This is exactly what they want. Every single one that tests positive will be forced to undergo a 10 day minimum stay in a hospital which costs around 10,000 baht a day. This is also not including the government approved hotels they had to stay in before, as well as the tests that had to be paid for as well.

 

This is just another racket to extort foreigners that visit this country.

I agree. It seems as if nothing is too shameful in Thailand. There is a name for people who try to take advantage of other people's misfortunes.

[Chelseafan]

23 hours ago, bluejets said:

No PCR test, so how did they get on a flight in the first instance and then enter without Thailand Pass..???

Doesn't add up.

 

Yep. These numbers are for November and IIRC (the requriements change too rapidly for my ageing brain) it was a test on day 1 and day 5 so its highly likely that a lot of them passed the first test, went bar hopping or whatever and tested positive on day 5.

 

 

[rickudon]

One problem is the outsourcing of Covid-19 testing in many countries. Many of these Labs are new start ups and the profits are enormous. Their sample taking process is not rigorous (when  returning, for my pre-flight PCR test the swab was just 1cm up each nostril, hardly touched the sides), also who wants to pay for a positive test? The incentive is for the testing company too minimise chance of a negative test, or ignore positives - or not actually process the test, saving even more money.....).

 

If they REALLY want to stop Covid-19 infected tourists walking around, the only reliable system was the quarantine hotel.

[NanLaew]

19 hours ago, Tonypandy said:

Albert Bourola the CEO at Pfizer in a recent interview stated the that 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine gave little to no protection at all, so what is the difference? 

No. Albert Bourola the CEO at Pfizer said nothing of the sort.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-bourla-omicronprotection-idUSL1N2TT29Z

 

Context.

[retayl]

On 2/4/2022 at 3:25 PM, The Hammer2021 said:

Yep. I know the narrative!  Please substantiate it with detail. As in factual, provable truth. WHO- WENT WHERE -WHEN FOR HOW MUCH?

If you can't then its just a rumour for the credulous

Yea, come on. We want a full list - names & addresses of all 4,369 please.

[The Hammer2021]

            its noticable there have been no offers of evidence   non  zero    zilch nada     

Edited February 6, 2022 by The Hammer2021

[Sharron Merrilees]

On 2/5/2022 at 11:09 AM, wensiensheng said:

Yup. Covid is rife in phuket. My daughter had it a couple of weeks ago. No idea where she caught it, assume her school, no attempt at test and trace of contacts. She just isolated at home, but there was nothing to stop her going out and about other than her own responsibility. We only discovered she had it by accident because I gave her a rapid test so that we could prove she was Covid free for her gym club. Otherwise she would have been roaming around infecting others

Schools back here in Australia have started back this week, the government gave out free arigen  test for to be done at home and 9-12yrs upwards have to wear marks to and from school in classroom and playground so we will wait and see how that goes. omicrom have come down here they are thinking of  opening up our boarders to tourist again. Me I am hanging out to get back to Thailand. 

[Tonypandy]

On 2/6/2022 at 10:49 AM, NanLaew said:

No. Albert Bourola the CEO at Pfizer said nothing of the sort.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-bourla-omicronprotection-idUSL1N2TT29Z

 

Context.

Bourela Pfizer CEO said “The 2 doses offer limited protection if any" in the interview. How can you say he says nothing the sort? 

 

 

[Tonypandy]

On 2/5/2022 at 11:31 PM, smedly said:

and your source for this BS, maybe he wants everyone to get their recently developed vaccine specifically targeted at omicron - if I could contact the guy directly I'd be telling him "where to go" 

 

and also thankinging him for intorducing a drug into my body that is highly suspect, and just to add, something that makes me more angry - what better senario than to never find a cure for HIV, it is almost like the car industry and oil - a never ending revenue stream until now - but that change has been forced, meanwhile no cure for HIV means a constant revenue stream worth billions every year, pretty sick actually but I digress

 

I did not like getting a vaccine - I would have preferred not too but still evidence sugests it still protects people from serious illness that has been proven beyond doubt 

 

But equally it is also looking like the best protection against covid 19 is to be infected with omicron, it is becoming clear that omicron has ended this - lets hope that is correct 

 

data is still being gathered but it looks good 

The interview with him stating what you call BS was posted by another contributer yesterday in response to me