In-transit singapore & sars

[SiNZ]

Hi all.

I fly to Bangkok every month for 3 weeks from New Zealand. I normally change flights at Singapore, where I am in-transit for about 2 hours.

I have a colleague from Europe who was advised by his country that the Thai authorities will insist that even travellers who have merely used Singapore as an in-transit point must spend 2 weeks in house quarantine. I am unable to find any confirmation of this. Does anyone know if it is true?

The NZ Ministry of Health have stated that anyone who uses Singapore as in-transit but does not leave the Airpoint is unlikely to be infected. I cannot find any such equivalent or opposing statement from the Thai Government.

Thanks.

Michael.

[lopburi3]

You will be arriving from a SARS infected area and checked for symptoms upon arrival.  As it also sounds as if you are a resident here you will be requested to remain in your home for a period of 14 days if you show no symptoms.  If you were not a resident you would only be subject to face mask use whenever outside your hotel room for 14 days.

[george]

I got the impression that masks is not longer required.

Thai Health Ministry Advises People to Drop Face Masks

http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&backPID=10&tt_news=267

[SiNZ]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm not "officially" resident here as far as I'm aware, although I am here on a work permit and I spend 3 weeks a month here since January.

I believe that the requirement to wear a mask outside of the hotel has been withdrawn, due to being unenforceable. At least that was the impression given by an article in the Bangkok Post on the 15th.

[SiNZ]

Moreover:

Does merely being in-transit at Singapore, from NZ, constitute arrival from a SARS infected area?

When I last arrived at the beginning of this month, all passengers were processed through a health-check before being allowed to progress. This I have no problem with.

But a mandatory quarantine period would present a problem, hence my question as to whether the rules had changed.

Moreover:

Does merely being in-transit at Singapore, from NZ, constitute arrival from a SARS infected area?

When I last arrived at the beginning of this month, all passengers were processed through a health-check before being allowed to progress. This I have no problem with. But a mandatory quarantine period would present a problem, hence my question as to whether the rules had changed. My German colleague was informed by his foreign office that ALL visitors coming from infected areas, whether as a result of being in-transit or otherwise, would have to be quarantined regardless of their resident status.

[lopburi3]

Yes.  Arrival from or through a SARS area is the same.  And the newspaper article about masks not being needed is the general population not those that are required to wear them.  The regulation has not be changed AFAIK and is not likely to be from current reports.

[george]

Lopburi, you might be right here. IMHI the media is not telling the whole truth. We have a SARS update in another three, FYI:

http://forum.thaivisa.com/cgi-bin/ikonboar...f=2;t=497;st=34

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Why not fly Thai Inter ... thru Brisbane or Sydney and direct to Bangkok. Flights daily originate in Auckland

[SiNZ]

Why not fly Thai? Because the plane they use to service NZ is an antique. I have used them 4 times and for 3 of those the in-seat sound facilities have not worked. There are no personal screens or leg-rests in business class and the seat spacing is of other airlines' economy standard. The last time, the whole of business class malfunctioned and the stewardess' sole excuse was that the plane is the oldest in their fleet. What really drives me nuts is that they insist on playing the customs/tourist info videos very loudly through the main speakers, instead of channelling them through the headphones so you can choose whether to listen.... as every other airline I've flown does. In short, flying Thai from NZ means arriving tired and in a very bad mood. Hence my initial question as I will only fly Thai as a very last resort.

[lopburi3]

As of now the requirements for home stay or mask have been reduced to 10 days from the previous 14 days in line with the current thinking of medical authorities.  But the requirements still stand per Bangkok Post, 18 April.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

747-400's out of Sydney to Bangkok....but up to you

[SiNZ]

747-400s? That's changed since January then. When I flew Thai Air then it was a 747-300 with none of the usual  expected business class facilities.

I just checked the website via Sydney and it says 743 on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for TG992 and 747 on other days. M11s fly on Mon, Weds and Fri.