Bangkok Reports

[Banana Boi]

the price is quite cheap compared to what I have paid in other countries for quarantine.

Which other countries have you quarantined in?

Yes make sure your hotel allows food delivery. Makes all the difference in the world. Per my friend currently stuck in an ASQ hotel, I understand that effective today it's 10 day quarantine. So what that means is that if you arrived yesterday you still have 14 day quarantine and will leave later than those who will arrive today, tomorrow, or the day after.

[Stykler]

Thanks for posting this. I just checked Citrus Hotel and the price is quite cheap compared to what I have paid in other countries for quarantine.

Just out of interest, how many other countries have you quarantined in?

[Nounce]

A USA friend of mine finished his 14 day quarantine at Citrus Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 6 a couple of weeks ago and had many more positive things to say about the room and food than others I'd heard about.

However, heads up and something that might be worth clarifying before anyone books a hotel or to confirm upon check in; although he was ok with the food they provided it was on his 12th day that the attendant he'd befriended along the way asked him why he hadn't ordered any food delivered from any restaurant, pizza shop or whatever in the area (some ASQ hotels are very restrictive about this) and, oh by the way, why hadn't he cleared out and bagged the daily replenished contents of his minibar every day to take with him on check out since he was entitled to it at no additional charge for each day of his stay.

Yeah, she didn't mention those things to him until day 12. Lol.

Thanks for posting this. I just checked Citrus Hotel and the price is quite cheap compared to what I have paid in other countries for quarantine. It also says the quarantine will be 7 days for vaccinated guest. And the guest can go to the roof top. This condition is actually not bad. I don't want to do another 14 days but 7 days and be able to leave the room is something I can consider.

[EihTooms]

Well at the time I booked and stayed at the ASQ, there weren't any for 1 K USD.

I'm not saying its impossible to find a 1 K ASQ at this moment, however, you get what you pay for. I know people over here who had spacious rooms with an outdoor patio on one of the spectrum vs guys who stayed in a room that resembled a budget motel with no windows. The only common denominator between all would be the bad food. I stayed at somewhere in between.

A USA friend of mine finished his 14 day quarantine at Citrus Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 6 a couple of weeks ago and had many more positive things to say about the room and food than others I'd heard about.

However, heads up and something that might be worth clarifying before anyone books a hotel or to confirm upon check in; although he was ok with the food they provided it was on his 12th day that the attendant he'd befriended along the way asked him why he hadn't ordered any food delivered from any restaurant, pizza shop or whatever in the area (some ASQ hotels are very restrictive about this) and, oh by the way, why hadn't he cleared out and bagged the daily replenished contents of his minibar every day to take with him on check out since he was entitled to it at no additional charge for each day of his stay.

Yeah, she didn't mention those things to him until day 12. Lol.

[Nounce]

Well at the time I booked and stayed at the ASQ, there weren't any for 1 K USD.

I'm not saying its impossible to find a 1 K ASQ at this moment, however, you get what you pay for. I know people over here who had spacious rooms with an outdoor patio on one of the spectrum vs guys who stayed in a room that resembled a budget motel with no windows. The only common denominator between all would be the bad food. I stayed at somewhere in between.

Just to clarify that I am not questioning the cost of the hotel. I was responding to an earlier post that associated the hotel cost with hospital.

[Detwing1]

I googled "ASQ hotel cost so much" and found a site that lists hotel with prices lower than USD 1000. Maybe I read it wrong but others can check.

Do you think the hospital will cause the USD1000 difference between USD2000 and USD3000?

Well at the time I booked and stayed at the ASQ, there weren't any for 1 K USD.

I'm not saying its impossible to find a 1 K ASQ at this moment, however, you get what you pay for. I know people over here who had spacious rooms with an outdoor patio on one of the spectrum vs guys who stayed in a room that resembled a budget motel with no windows. The only common denominator between all would be the bad food. I stayed at somewhere in between.

[Tomasb]

Recommend that punters go to visit YouTube for ASQ hotel reviews. Here, one can see the vast discrepancy in various price points. It's one thing to pay 1000 bt for a budget hotel room when you leave for most of the day and explore the city and it's quite another when you are stuck in a shoebox 24/7 for two plus weeks (with bad food to boot). I also understand that many hotels have not adjusted yet to the new 7 day quarantine for qualified individuals and don't offer this shorter program stay.

I googled "ASQ hotel cost so much" and found a site that lists hotel with prices lower than USD 1000. Maybe I read it wrong but others can check.

Do you think the hospital will cause the USD1000 difference between USD2000 and USD3000?

[Nounce]

Cheapest ASQ's I saw were around 2 K USD, but the room pics looked something like what you would see at a budget motel. As mentioned, they are aligned with a hospital and have full time medical staff on site. When I was discharged, my paperwork was issued directly from the hospital. To my understanding, the ASQ is meant to function as a hospital.

I googled "ASQ hotel cost so much" and found a site that lists hotel with prices lower than USD 1000. Maybe I read it wrong but others can check.

Do you think the hospital will cause the USD1000 difference between USD2000 and USD3000?

[Detwing1]

How do you explain why there are many cheap ones that cost less than 1000 USD? Can't the 3000 USD hotel register with the same hospital as the 1000 USD hotels?

Cheapest ASQ's I saw were around 2 K USD, but the room pics looked something like what you would see at a budget motel. As mentioned, they are aligned with a hospital and have full time medical staff on site. When I was discharged, my paperwork was issued directly from the hospital. To my understanding, the ASQ is meant to function as a hospital.

[Nounce]

It's a lot more complicated than that.

ASQ Hotels had enormous costs upfront to ensure they are ASQ Approved. And off the 3000 USD for 2 weeks, margins for the hotels are paper thin. It's the hospitals that make most of the money. (Every ASQ hotel must register partnership with a hospital).

How do you explain why there are many cheap ones that cost less than 1000 USD? Can't the 3000 USD hotel register with the same hospital as the 1000 USD hotels?

[NicFrenchy]

The bigger issue is that a nice ASQ hotel was 3000 USD for 2 weeks. For the same time period the 5 star hotel could be booked on a hotel web site for 30 percent of that cost. For some reason there is a 70 percent surcharge for food and orange juice.

It's a lot more complicated than that.

ASQ Hotels had enormous costs upfront to ensure they are ASQ Approved. And off the 3000 USD for 2 weeks, margins for the hotels are paper thin. It's the hospitals that make most of the money. (Every ASQ hotel must register partnership with a hospital).

[JohnReter335]

I understand your position. For me, it depends on the terms of the quarantine. I'm fine with 10-14 days quarantine to all of Phuket, provided Bangla road is more than 20% functional.

I don't want to be one of the first farang tourists to return. Part of the fun of Thailand is interacting with other travelers from all over the world.

Right even I'm OK with 2 weeks of quarantine, I can stay 14 - 15 days in that.

[Banana Boi]

I will not travel to any country that requires quarantine.

The reality is that this may become the new norm. We aren't sure if the COVID issue is slowly resolving or if it will become way worse. I'm ok with guys wanting to stay home though.

The bigger issue is that a nice ASQ hotel was 3000 USD for 2 weeks. For the same time period the 5 star hotel could be booked on a hotel web site for 30 percent of that cost. For some reason there is a 70 percent surcharge for food and orange juice.

Depending on your hotel you are allowed to roam around after 7 days. Some hotels allow your gogo girls to bring you the food you want. Research your ASQ hotels if you want flexibility.

The Phuket sandbox sounds like the best and most realistic option if it were to ever happen.

[HorseTrader]

I will not travel to any country that requires quarantine.

I understand your position. For me, it depends on the terms of the quarantine. I'm fine with 10-14 days quarantine to all of Phuket, provided Bangla road is more than 20% functional.

I don't want to be one of the first farang tourists to return. Part of the fun of Thailand is interacting with other travelers from all over the world.

[Detwing1]

I'm not sure if the remark is supposed to be sarcastic but I'd rather be right where I am shoveling snow than imprisoned in a Thai hotel. I will not travel to any country that requires quarantine.

It was sarcasm, but not meant to offend anyone. To each his own.

In all honesty, the two weeks imprisoned in the hotel wasn't very enjoyable. The first 10 days weren't so bad, since I had a lot of work to catch up on. However, the final 5 nights were a drag. I felt like a kid waiting on Christmas.

Would I do it all over again? Absolutely, but that's just me. However, for someone who cannot stay long term and are chained to a physical office or assembly line, with only 3 or 4 weeks vacation a year, it would be a different story.