Thailand to relax rules for international arrivals from March 1 despite COVID surge

[BadSpottedDog]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, what a disaster that was in the early Covid days, mass burials, and still has a higher per capita death number than the UK! The 16th worst in the total infections table and over 700 Covid deaths yesterday! Proper fiasco that was!

Did you look at the chart? Even setting it back to 2020, they did better. Click on the link and check it out.

[hotandsticky]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

Just put things back the way they were before the Covid restrictions.

 

 

You mean, eliminate Covid?

[BKKBike09]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Sure yes, why not open it all up despite people are getting sick, hospitalized and still dying. 

 

Money and the economy are more important, right?

 

Let's go!

"people are getting sick, hospitalized and still dying" - from a myriad of other causes as well; that's life

 

"Money and the economy are more important, right?" - yes, after two years of this, they are

 

"let's go!" - full steam ahead. If you're uncomfortable, you can stay at home..

[wombat]

When "endemic" is gazzeted then it will officially be over.

[hotandsticky]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Sure yes, why not open it all up despite people are getting sick, hospitalized and still dying. 

 

Money and the economy are more important, right?

 

Let's go!

 

 

Oh please!

 

You have lost all perspective... if you want to pursue a crusade start with the road deaths in Thailand and how to reduce them.

 

Few are getting sick beyond cold/flu symptoms, hosptalisation is unnecessary in most cases, the vast majority of these small number of deaths have serious underlying health conditions.

 

Get a life, and get on with life.

[In the jungle]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

One small step for man.. a giant leap for Thailand.

But why the insurance policy if they are now required to pay 300 baht towards a fund?

Because you can't beat a bit of double bubble.

 

That and the fact that cash remains very popular with Thai officials.

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Did you look at the chart? Even setting it back to 2020, they did better. Click on the link and check it out.

Do you remember the news reports from early in the pandemic..... a disaster there. Do you deny they have more per capita Covid deaths than even the UK? Yesterday over 700 more. 

Thailand is doing far better in many aspects.... 

How confident are you in relation to the Mexico numbers....?

Back in August the comment was...

Still, with 192 deaths per 100,000 people, Mexico’s COVID-19 mortality rate is the world’s fourth highest, behind Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, which we believe is due to the Mexican government’s response and lack of sufficient precautions by the population. For comparison, the U.S. COVID-19 mortality rate is 188 deaths per 100,000 people.

[Jimbo53]

15 hours ago, PhuketDok said:

Does this mean the Day 5 quarantine stay in an SHQ hotel is no longer required?

 

15 hours ago, Petey11 said:

Just do away with the second test unless you're going start testing the population as well. More chance of catching covid in Thailand. Oh forgot the private hospitals/hospitels would object.

Good see they have knocked the 5th day <deleted> on the head! They just need to get rid of the rest of it,people still won't go if they can be put into quarantine if someone beside them on the plane tests positive,and your negative !

I don't see the sense of doing a pre arrival PCR Test if you have to do one on arrival,and book a hotel on 1st day,its ludicrous,either do one,or the other!! T.I.T

 

[OldPedro]

Might save a few dollars if insurance cover is dropped to US$20,000, but we still run the risk of being sent to Hospital then paying up to 300,000baht for a false alarm, with no insurance payout....

 

[mjakob007]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has decided to change the second COVID-19 RT-PCR test, currently required for overseas arrivals on their fifth day in the country, to a self-administered rapid antigen test and will reduce the amount of required insurance coverage from US$50,000 to US$20,000

One step closer to common sense.

 

Lets hope CS prevails

[Laughing Gravy]

15 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

That would involve common sense and losing face

I agree. Common sense is difficult to find in Thailand so often and losing face is a childish concept that demonstrates stupidity and lack of maturity.

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, OldPedro said:

Might save a few dollars if insurance cover is dropped to US$20,000, but we still run the risk of being sent to Hospital then paying up to 300,000baht for a false alarm, with no insurance payout....

 

There are many comments similar to this, and during the early days of test and go there were certainly some cases.... 

With the day 5 requirement being changed to a self administered and reported RTK, it should be very unlikely!

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So whats the 300 baht cover for?

Who has had to pay this 300 baht cover?

[Darrren]

15 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Sure yes, why not open it all up despite people are getting sick, hospitalized and still dying. 

 

Money and the economy are more important, right?

 

Let's go!

With that mentality you may as well close all the roads in Thailand as well then - as more people are dying  from ‘roads’ than covid, and have been for years. 

[NanLaew]

16 hours ago, John Drake said:

Just put things back the way they were before the Covid restrictions.

I am confident that many of those still squatting here on covid extensions will disagree with you.

[Fairynuff]

15 hours ago, peter zwart said:

And now this ridiculous rule of 2 or 3 vaccins of the list and we're getting there.

Yeah just ignore the fact that it’s BECAUSE of the vaccines that the world is beginning to open up.

[JonnyF]

Relaxing rules for arrivals while simultaneously increasing the threat level to 4 and banning alcohol in restaurants in Khon Kaen and Buriram?

 

An interesting strategy.

 

It's almost like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Of course, such a thing is impossible under the brilliant, strong, co-ordinated leadership of Prayut, Anutin and Prawit.

 

 

 

[cncltd1973]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today (Wednesday) that the average cost for the treatment of a COVID-19 patient in a private or state hospital in Thailand is about 300,000 baht, including those in a severe condition.

So failing either test will cost you 300,000 baht?

[sandyf]

2 minutes ago, Darrren said:

With that mentality you may as well close all the roads in Thailand as well then - as more people are dying  from ‘roads’ than covid, and have been for years. 

And what mentality cannot distinguish between a cultural condition and a medical one?

[Heng]

Waiting for the hotel to update my booking now, anyone have any Thailand Pass issues with doing a new 'pass' with the exact information (dates, flight, hotel, etc.) except for 1 day instead of 2 day testing?   

[sandyf]

3 minutes ago, cncltd1973 said:

So failing either test will cost you 300,000 baht?

Not if your insurance covers "overseas quarantine" as mine did.

[NanLaew]

15 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

I take a pcr test 48hrs before leaving Australia.

A 9 hour flight and i need to take another in Bangkok and pay for a hotel

No thanks

Funds a bit tight, eh?

[sandyf]

5 minutes ago, Heng said:

Waiting for the hotel to update my booking now, anyone have any Thailand Pass issues with doing a new 'pass' with the exact information (dates, flight, hotel, etc.) except for 1 day instead of 2 day testing?   

Good luck with that. When they changed the rules for the 1st October, the COE did not reflect any changes until the 30th Sept.

The change has to appear in the gazette and application processing was suspended for several days prior.

[NanLaew]

26 minutes ago, cncltd1973 said:

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today (Wednesday) that the average cost for the treatment of a COVID-19 patient in a private or state hospital in Thailand is about 300,000 baht, including those in a severe condition.

So failing either test will cost you 300,000 baht?

No. It doesn't say that at all.

 

But keep feeding the  Thailand bashers.

[In the jungle]

If the fifth day test is unsupervised it is pointless.

 

You could get your dog to do the test!

[tukadadoll]

Some decisions based on facts, pleasant change in philosophy.

[BadSpottedDog]

1 hour ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Did you look at the chart? Even setting it back to 2020, they did better. Click on the link and check it out.

 

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Do you remember the news reports from early in the pandemic..... a disaster there. Do you deny they have more per capita Covid deaths than even the UK? Yesterday over 700 more. 

Thailand is doing far better in many aspects.... 

How confident are you in relation to the Mexico numbers....?

Back in August the comment was...

Still, with 192 deaths per 100,000 people, Mexico’s COVID-19 mortality rate is the world’s fourth highest, behind Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, which we believe is due to the Mexican government’s response and lack of sufficient precautions by the population. For comparison, the U.S. COVID-19 mortality rate is 188 deaths per 100,000 people.

I think I will trust statistics charts that are pulling data from health organizations over "news", thanks. 

Since COVID began, Mexico has had 2,416 deaths per million vs. UK that had 2,351 per million, according to Worldometer. 

Maybe check out actual stats/data, and turn off the "news" for a minute?

[NanLaew]

7 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

If the fifth day test is unsupervised it is pointless.

 

You could get your dog to do the test!

During TP v1, the fifth day test was either unsupervised, ignored or simply not being done.

 

Anyway, why keep talking about the inefficiencies or otherwise of Thailand's Covid controls? All this wasted bandwidth and we can't change anything about it. It is what it is.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

16 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

That would involve common sense and losing face

I agree. Common sense is difficult to find in Thailand so often and losing face is a childish concept that demonstrates stupidity and lack of maturity.

Why is Thailand "losing face" so terribly important to you guys?

[Lazybones]

16 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

I take a pcr test 48hrs before leaving Australia.

A 9 hour flight and i need to take another in Bangkok and pay for a hotel

No thanks

It was 72 hours when I came last month