Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[Member #4753]

One new problem is that the traveler needs to get a PRC test 72 hours before they get on the plane to Thailand. In the US, the surge of the new covid version has flooded testing centers across the country. What use to take 1 or 2 days is now taking 3 to 4 days. Travelers may not be able to get their test results in time to even be allowed to board their flights.

You usually need a Travel specific PCR test that comes with a medical type fit to fly certificate. These tests are not free and need to be booked and undertaken at specific locations. The good news is that they do get prioritised and the results come back quickly. I paid $150 for the 24 hour test and it came back in about 12 hours. You can pay more to get the result back in 6 hours, I saw some places that could do it in 30 minutes but it was more expensive.

I don't think the standard goverment PCR test can be used for the purpose of International Travel. I may be wrong, but in the 6 or so international trips I have made over the last 6 months I paid for the expidited travel test at a cost of around $150 a pop.

[Breadman]

One new problem is that the traveler needs to get a PRC test 72 hours before they get on the plane to Thailand. In the US, the surge of the new covid version has flooded testing centers across the country. What use to take 1 or 2 days is now taking 3 to 4 days. Travelers may not be able to get their test results in time to even be allowed to board their flights.

You have to find out if the testing place has a lab onsite like a hospital. You can't go to your local pharmacy that has to FedEx the test now that pilots are getting covid and causing delays.

[Rodwint2]

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul just announced that data coming out is confirming that Omicron is much milder than Delta. For this reason restrictions will be less than previous big waves and the various rentry schemes like Test and Go could be reintroduced sooner than we were expecting.

The most likely path to easing entry requirement is by adding Bangkok and Pattaya to the sandbox schemes in the next few weeks. Which means a 7 day hotel stay but you are free to leave and do what you want during the day.

The reintroduction of the Test and Go scheme, where you only need to stay at a hotel for 1 night, would probably be reintroduced as soon as cases start coming down in western countries. Hopefully this is not too far away.

My personal opinion is that once the Test and Go scheme is back and runs successfully for say 8 weeks, they will scrap it and allow normal entry. Probably only need ATK before flight and then just enter as per pre pandemic.

For full articles see the Bangkok Post and Thethaiger.

One new problem is that the traveler needs to get a PRC test 72 hours before they get on the plane to Thailand. In the US, the surge of the new covid version has flooded testing centers across the country. What use to take 1 or 2 days is now taking 3 to 4 days. Travelers may not be able to get their test results in time to even be allowed to board their flights.

[Member #4753]

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul just announced that data coming out is confirming that Omicron is much milder than Delta. For this reason restrictions will be less than previous big waves and the various rentry schemes like Test and Go could be reintroduced sooner than we were expecting.

The most likely path to easing entry requirement is by adding Bangkok and Pattaya to the sandbox schemes in the next few weeks. Which means a 7 day hotel stay but you are free to leave and do what you want during the day.

The reintroduction of the Test and Go scheme, where you only need to stay at a hotel for 1 night, would probably be reintroduced as soon as cases start coming down in western countries. Hopefully this is not too far away.

My personal opinion is that once the Test and Go scheme is back and runs successfully for say 8 weeks, they will scrap it and allow normal entry. Probably only need ATK before flight and then just enter as per pre pandemic.

For full articles see the Bangkok Post and Thethaiger.

[PedroMorales]

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-...es-from-jan-16

Hong Kong is stopping transit flights. Cargo planes are down to 20% of pre covid loads "because of staffing". Chinese new year is almost on us (Feb 1, Year of the Bonobo). Now if "they" block tells of millions of Chinese and others moving about / home for that, heaven help us. There were mad scenes some years ago when China was covered by snow and migrants could not make their annual pilgrimage home to their villages. And then you have tinkering with global logistics.

You have to re-arrange your priorities. There are much bigger players about than you and your LBFM desires.

[HorseTrader]

Although we will never know, it would be interesting to know why there is a big jump in testing positive on the second test.

My assumption is the second test is intended to find people who caught COVID while traveling, which seems to be happening at a 4% rate. I feel very COVID safe when home alone, but I could easily catch COVID sitting in the middle of economy or waiting in a massive airport gate area.

Thinking back about 8 months, the sandbox concept seemed to be built on the assumption that nearly everybody in the sandbox would be vaccinated and there would be near zero COVID. If I recall, there was going to be a threshold of something like 120 new COVID cases per week in Phuket, anything above that threshold could close down the sandbox. That's from an foggy old memory, which is probably valid in concept but wrong in numbers. Clearly, that concept went in the trash.

[Crocodilexp]

Depending on how many days you stay it is probably prudent to chill on the first couple / three days so you can pass the test on the 5th. Then go crazy.

If you're in Thailand for mongering, the optimal strategy is to be extremely cautious until you take the swab for the 2nd test, then go all-out crazy immediately afterwards, perhaps line up a few girls to arrive right after getting back to the hotel. If you happen to test positive, at least you had your bit of fun before the 10-day imprisonment. If you happen to be negative, continue with the crazy, perhaps slightly toned down.

[Member #4753]

1% testing positive upon landing in Phuket. 4% positive on their 2nd RT-PCR test on 5th day of quarantine. So 1 in 25 chance you are going to hospital for 10 days before your quarantine is up. 5 days quarantine, 1 day RT-PCR test results, then 10+ days hospital is 16 days of your vacation. Imagine if your vacation was scheduled for 2 weeks? You'd miss your flight home!

Although we will never know, it would be interesting to know why there is a big jump in testing positive on the second test.

Did they catch it from home or did they run out to Bangla Road and get as many girls as they could find on the first few nights.

Depending on how many days you stay it is probably prudent to chill on the first couple / three days so you can pass the test on the 5th. Then go crazy.

At the moment there are tons of cases on workers on Bangla, so chances are you are going to come into contact with omicron while there. Whether or not you get infected is another matter but you will most likely come into contact with it.

[Banana Boi]

1% testing positive upon landing in Phuket. 4% positive on their 2nd RT-PCR test on 5th day of quarantine. So 1 in 25 chance you are going to hospital for 10 days before your quarantine is up. 5 days quarantine, 1 day RT-PCR test results, then 10+ days hospital is 16 days of your vacation. Imagine if your vacation was scheduled for 2 weeks? You'd miss your flight home!

[RacShack]

Correct. The online scene meant for Thai guys is neither appealing nor accessible to tourists. Even for residents, it only appeals to the small group who speak / read / write Thai reasonably well.

One thing I hated about the online scene was funneling. The site has 200 girls, I pick 10, then three reply within a reasonable timeframe, two of those go silent after I ask for an address. In my experience, being a Farang is already a filter, plenty of girls will refuse / not reply, or try to charge extra. Admittedly, I tried the Thai online scene pre-Covid, maybe it's a bit better now, with them being more desperate for business.

Maybe the the LINE groups that GoatScrot mentions are good, but I've been in one of those (courtesy of a FanFinFin girl) and deleted it after a week. Too much noise, can't browse/search, just an endless feed of posts, often repetitive. Presumably it's fun for some people, but not for me.

Technically, a sufficiently motivated and patient Farang could score in Thai-oriented online scene only using English, but there are obstacles at each step.

Well. Apparently one of our own has broken into this "Thai only" online market and is kicking ass and taking names. He is beating the local Thais at their own game. Top 25 status in the least amount of time as a member. Big deal especially when you consider the very top members are just agents. And if you were ever lucky enough to meet the guy. You know he is just a forever tourist that can't speak a lick of Thai. Wonder what type of shit he tells these girls? Still having a good time with his game and has been getting serious action at Thailands' expense. Let Google help you with the who part. LOL. WWJACOBS.

[Member #4753]

"New York, NYTo simplify booster injections against COVID-19, Pfizer has developed a new Bane-style Vacci-Suit to enable the automatic injection of new doses. The suit comes with up to ten additional doses that can be switched out as new vaccines are developed.

"The suit comes with a built-in mask for extra safety," said a spokesperson for Pfizer. "We've given the very first suit to Dr. Fauci so he can help spread the news on this innovative technology.

"No one cared who I was before I put on the mask," said Dr. Anthony Fauci in an interview with Don Lemon on CNN. "Before COVID no one knew my name. Now I am proud to unveil an even more elaborate mask and self-injecting bio-suit to further cement my place in history. "

"And save lives," he added.

"I can't understand what you're saying," said Don Lemon. "Can you take off the mask for a minute?

"It would be extremely painful," warned Dr. Fauci. "I would advise you not to make further anti-science requests. I was born in science, molded by it. I am the premier authority on the subject. ".

Pfizer is expected to have 10,000 suits ready by Q3 2022, with more than a million planned before the end of the year. The Biden Administration is reportedly utilizing recent census data to make sure there are enough suits so that each American can have three. Any remainders will be sent over to Ethiopia, delaying food shipments temporarily. . . "

Can you add additional drugs to the mix. Like Viagra every 12 hours too? - 555.

[Houston Player]

I think you are confused.

Neither ATK tests nor RT-PCR confuse Covid with the common cold or flu.

You are the one that is confused. ATK tests do not test for Covid-19, they test for Corona viruses of any kind including the common cold.

[Travv]

"New York, NY—To simplify booster injections against COVID-19, Pfizer has developed a new Bane-style Vacci-Suit™ to enable the automatic injection of new doses. The suit comes with up to ten additional doses that can be switched out as new vaccines are developed.

"The suit comes with a built-in mask for extra safety," said a spokesperson for Pfizer. "We've given the very first suit to Dr. Fauci so he can help spread the news on this innovative technology.

"No one cared who I was before I put on the mask," said Dr. Anthony Fauci in an interview with Don Lemon on CNN. "Before COVID no one knew my name. Now I am proud to unveil an even more elaborate mask and self-injecting bio-suit to further cement my place in history. "

"And save lives," he added.

"I can't understand what you're saying," said Don Lemon. "Can you take off the mask for a minute?

"It would be extremely painful," warned Dr. Fauci. "I would advise you not to make further anti-science requests. I was born in science, molded by it. I am the premier authority on the subject. ".

Pfizer is expected to have 10,000 suits ready by Q3 2022, with more than a million planned before the end of the year. The Biden Administration is reportedly utilizing recent census data to make sure there are enough suits so that each American can have three. Any remainders will be sent over to Ethiopia, delaying food shipments temporarily. . . "

[Explorer8939]

You need a certain level of graphene oxide in combination with flu or cold virus.

I think you are confused.

Neither ATK tests nor RT-PCR confuse Covid with the common cold or flu.

[Member #4753]

Apparently they are looking at scrapping the cut off date for current Thai Pass holders that lodged before Dec 22. They initially said cut off would be Jan 15, updates are suggesting no cut off.

Nothing is certain until changes get published in the Royal Gazette. So little changes (or big changes can still occur).