Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659477]You are only allowed to bring 30 face masks with you in to Thailand. 50 if you have a medical note.

[URL]https://www.thaipbsworld.com/air-travellers-warned-not-to-bring-more-than-30-face-masks-on-board-overseas-flights/[/URL]

That means if I stay 60 days I have to use my N95 masks 2 days in a row. Pretty sure that isn't helping contamination in Thailand. Are they actually selling 3M N95 masks in Thailand now? Not interested in China KN95.[/QUOTE]I think this article is saying that you cannot leave Thailand with more than 30 masks. They do not want you to export the masks from Thailand to other countries.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659477]You are only allowed to bring 30 face masks with you in to Thailand. 50 if you have a medical note.

[URL]https://www.thaipbsworld.com/air-travellers-warned-not-to-bring-more-than-30-face-masks-on-board-overseas-flights/[/URL]

That means if I stay 60 days I have to use my N95 masks 2 days in a row. Pretty sure that isn't helping contamination in Thailand. Are they actually selling 3M N95 masks in Thailand now? Not interested in China KN95.[/QUOTE]3 M N95 masks are not readily available in Thailand. The closest thing is the 3 M KF94 made in Korea which you can find at Watsons and Boots. The Chinese KN95 are everywhere but the quality is "variable" at best.

Just bring as many masks as you want. Thai customs are not going to see or care about how many masks you bring. They are only concerned with very illegal stuff or local Thai people exceeding their duty free allowance.

So I'm sitting around yesterday talking to a few guys and one is an American heading home the following morning and I asked him where he got the covid test. He said he just walked into a clinic and they emailed him the results in a few hours. I said PCR test? He said 'No, antigen test. You only need an antigen test to fly into the USA'. Left it at that. Next morning it dawns on me that there are no direct flights back to the USA from Thailand, your flying on foreign carriers that might demand a PCR test to fly into their country (such as Japan, Korea etc). I wonder if he was able to board his flight this morning?

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659353]So after a positive test on Day 1 are there not any other tests done where if you negative a couple of times you can leave? Scary that you may get a false positive and no follow up tests are done.

Which hospitals made your friends stay 14 days? This would be very helpful information so we know not to book hotels related to these hospitals.[/QUOTE]No other tests were done after day 1. I know I have it because I was feeling really bad with symptoms including a burning fever and bad chills. I was shivering with the slightest movement of air around me. Pretty much recovered after 3 days just by taking medication available from 7-11. Throughout the 10 days I experienced almost all the symptoms of the Omnicon variant as they said in the news and research papers, including a lower back pain which was very unique.

After I recovered and returned to my country, I was tested positive on PCR again. Yes you can still test positive after recovery, up to the next 90 days. So this confirmed that mine wasnt a false positive.

Those I had been in close contact or should I say bodily contact with up to 4 days before I got tested positive, were all tested positive too and sent to quarantine. They self reported to authorities after testing positive. Don't worry, the authorities won't ask who your close contacts were and round them all up for quarantine. Even if you had a partner staying in the same room with you, she still won't be hauled into quarantined if she tested negative.

I do hear many patients (with no symptoms) complaining about conspiracy theories of making these tests turn up positive in order to sell more hotel rooms to them in the form of hospitels. PCR tests have a very low rate of error. Chances are these patients are just in denial mode of having to waste time and pay for 10 days of quarantine when they don't feel unwell at all. I must add that I have tested negative all along in many ATK tests I took from the day I was detected to 4 weeks later. In thailand, if you got a positive on ATK it would still have to be confirmed with another PCR test before they classify you as a positive case.

No idea which hospitals my infected friends stayed at. They were all thai and all admitted into private hospitals. Their english wasnt good so they all misspelled the hospital names to me and I have no idea which hospitals are these.

If you are not sure how many days you'll be spending in the hospital or hospitel, do ask the staff before you admit. They will tell you. If you are not happy with it, look for another hospital to admit into.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659477]You are only allowed to bring 30 face masks with you in to Thailand. 50 if you have a medical note.

[URL]https://www.thaipbsworld.com/air-travellers-warned-not-to-bring-more-than-30-face-masks-on-board-overseas-flights/[/URL]

That means if I stay 60 days I have to use my N95 masks 2 days in a row. Pretty sure that isn't helping contamination in Thailand. Are they actually selling 3M N95 masks in Thailand now? Not interested in China KN95.[/QUOTE]I think this article is stating that you cannot leave Thailand with more than 30 masks. There is a ban on exporting the masks as they want to keep them available for their citizens.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659477]You are only allowed to bring 30 face masks with you in to Thailand. 50 if you have a medical note.

[URL]https://www.thaipbsworld.com/air-travellers-warned-not-to-bring-more-than-30-face-masks-on-board-overseas-flights/[/URL]

That means if I stay 60 days I have to use my N95 masks 2 days in a row. Pretty sure that isn't helping contamination in Thailand. Are they actually selling 3M N95 masks in Thailand now? Not interested in China KN95.[/QUOTE]And this was old news from a year ago and no longer applies.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2659477]You are only allowed to bring 30 face masks with you in to Thailand. 50 if you have a medical note.

[URL]https://www.thaipbsworld.com/air-travellers-warned-not-to-bring-more-than-30-face-masks-on-board-overseas-flights/[/URL]

That means if I stay 60 days I have to use my N95 masks 2 days in a row. Pretty sure that isn't helping contamination in Thailand. Are they actually selling 3M N95 masks in Thailand now? Not interested in China KN95.[/QUOTE]First off, it's fake news.

Secondly, it's about taking masks out of Thailand.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2659514]You only need an antigen test to fly into the USA'. Left it at that. Next morning it dawns on me that there are no direct flights back to the USA from Thailand, your flying on foreign carriers that might demand a PCR test to fly into their country (such as Japan, Korea etc). I wonder if he was able to board his flight this morning?[/QUOTE]Yep. Depends on the country you are stopping through. It is best to call the airline and ask or some of them have the info on their apps and websites.

One of my chicks was flying from Chile to where she is from in Dominican Republic, stopping over in Panama. She went to the airport in Chile twice and was denied. With her going through Panama they wanted her to be vaccinated and have certain paperwork, which took her over 1 month to get.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2659514]So I'm sitting around yesterday talking to a few guys and one is an American heading home the following morning and I asked him where he got the covid test. He said he just walked into a clinic and they emailed him the results in a few hours. I said PCR test? He said 'No, antigen test. You only need an antigen test to fly into the USA'. Left it at that. Next morning it dawns on me that there are no direct flights back to the USA from Thailand, your flying on foreign carriers that might demand a PCR test to fly into their country (such as Japan, Korea etc). I wonder if he was able to board his flight this morning?[/QUOTE]There are places where you can enter with just a negative antigen test result. He could transit from there.

Thanks guys. My bad. My speed reading and English as a 3rd/4th language doesn't help at times.

[URL]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10479521/Gangster-30-dead-outside-luxury-villa-Phuket.html[/URL]

Singh got at least 18 bullets into him.

Note to self: Do not become a gangster, flee to Phuket and make serious enemies.

I've got a question about testing. I'll soon be in Thailand (Krabi's sandbox) and will have a PCR test on days 1 and 6. If clear, I plan to head to Pattaya, Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

My question is, when might I get tested throughout my trip? For example, do tourists get tested before taking domestic flights / trains? How about bars? I remember reading a while ago that customers were required to get tested before entering bars but I assume that's no longer the case? How about the entrances to Nana Plaza / Soi Cowboy / large beer complexes in Pattaya?

Secondly, are rapid lateral flow tests easily available for tourists and if so, where from?

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2659131]4) I got my insurance from a Thai insurer. You may want to enquire about their insurer hospital list and choose from there which one to admit into. They have a system link with the insurer and claims will be made by the hospital on your behalf. You probably need to pay a deposit to get admitted first, usually range 100 k-250 k baht. After you get discharged, they will show you the bill and say how much is claimable form insurer and how much is not. They will refund your deposit amount less the amounts which are not claimable. My non claimable portion was about 4200 baht. Total bill turned out to be somewhere around 87 k baht (claim 83 k from insurer).[/QUOTE]I'm wondering who your insurer was. And how to avoid making a 100000 to 250000 baht deposit.

Also how much did you end up paying for your hospital bill. Are you implying that you get back 83000 out of the 87000 baht bill from your insurer, so only pay 4000 baht for a 10 day hospital stay.

Did you get a 83000 baht cheque from your insurer.

[QUOTE=SirLancelot;2659774]I've got a question about testing. I'll soon be in Thailand (Krabi's sandbox) and will have a PCR test on days 1 and 6. If clear, I plan to head to Pattaya, Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

My question is, when might I get tested throughout my trip? For example, do tourists get tested before taking domestic flights / trains? How about bars? I remember reading a while ago that customers were required to get tested before entering bars but I assume that's no longer the case? How about the entrances to Nana Plaza / Soi Cowboy / large beer complexes in Pattaya?

Secondly, are rapid lateral flow tests easily available for tourists and if so, where from?[/QUOTE]No testing is required to get on a domestic plane, however they sometimes ask to see your vaccination certificate or record.

Bars etc: To use Soi Cowboy as an example. About 3 weeks ago when more and more bars within the soi opened, there was no entry without taking a rapid Antigen test at both ends of the Soi. As this has an affect of reducing customer numbers by probably 90%, it was slowly done away with. Currently there is no testing or any other requirements to enter the soi or its bars.

This is the common pattern. They make a big point of opeing complexes with all sorts of testing and other ideas to demonstrate to the local public that they are doing everything to reduce covid transmission. Once the place is open for a couple of weeks all the testing seems to dissappear and it is business as usual until something brings more heat to the area.

You can buy Rapid Antigen Tests at pharmacies, supermarkets, 7 / 11 etc. There are no shortages at the moment due to supply issues. There seems to be a generic THB 75 version as well as more expensive versions which cost THB 200 or even THB 250. The general consesus is that the more expensive tests are of a higher quality.

[QUOTE=PinkPearl;2659781]I'm wondering who your insurer was. And how to avoid making a 100000 to 250000 baht deposit.

Also how much did you end up paying for your hospital bill. Are you implying that you get back 83000 out of the 87000 baht bill from your insurer, so only pay 4000 baht for a 10 day hospital stay.

Did you get a 83000 baht cheque from your insurer.[/QUOTE]The claim was made directly by the hospital as they are one of the insurer's preferred hospital. So I was reimbursed for the deposit amount minus the 4200 baht. The 83,000 baht was settled between the hospital and insurer. My insurer was Thai AXA.

You have an option to avoid paying for the deposit amount. But you may have to wait for days before getting admitted. This would depend on how long it takes for your insurer to produce a letter of guarantee to the hospital. I heard it takes at least 2 business days to do so, but often longer than that. Patients who pays the deposit will be prioritized for admission. Meanwhile you are not sure what will happen to you if you don't get admitted on the same day. You can't leave your existing hotel room either since you are covid positive and your quarantine period starts on admission day, not the day you are tested positive.

Hospitals in Thailand are reluctant to admit foreigners who do not have a Thai social security number, even if you are willing to pay upfront deposit. It took me 9 hours (by phone) just to find a hospital willing to admit me on the same day.