Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2659900]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.[/QUOTE]What special treatment did you receive that you had to be in a hospital? Did you have to stay hooked up to machinery or anything? Wouldn't it had been cheaper to quarentine in a hospitel if you did not need something that only a hospital could offer?

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2659900]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.[/QUOTE]That was not my experience when I hurt my foot. They actually got angry that I would not stay. But I live around the corner and told them I could just come back tomorrow at whatever time they told me. I had remembered my friends telling me that if you ever need to stay in a hospital be prepared to pay $500 per day. So I felt they were trying to juice me. There was nothing they would be doing to my foot all night that I would need to be there instead of at home.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2660036]What special treatment did you receive that you had to be in a hospital? Did you have to stay hooked up to machinery or anything? Wouldn't it had been cheaper to quarentine in a hospitel if you did not need something that only a hospital could offer?

That was not my experience when I hurt my foot. They actually got angry that I would not stay. But I live around the corner and told them I could just come back tomorrow at whatever time they told me. I had remembered my friends telling me that if you ever need to stay in a hospital be prepared to pay $500 per day. So I felt they were trying to juice me. There was nothing they would be doing to my foot all night that I would need to be there instead of at home.[/QUOTE]No special treatment. Its just quarantine and monitoring my condition. I was admitted into a hospital, not hospital. But everything was billed through the hospital. They have the hospital nurses stationed below the hospital 24/7 and hospital doctor to call your room and check your condition daily. Mild or no symptoms don't get to admit into the hospital.

When did you hurt your foot? During covid, hospital beds are pretty scarce. They have to save it for more serious cases. Ambulances will extremely busy even on emergency services. I waited another 3 hours for the ambulance to come and pick me up. Even that, I have to share the ambulance with other patients. My thoughts are that it used to be easy to admit into a hospital in Thailand. But because many white tourists choose not to pay their hospital bills after their stay, they are now reluctant to admit anyone who doesn't pay an upfront deposit first even with a valid insurance policy as some insurers find excuses not to pay too.

[QUOTE=MaxBkk;2659839]No testing is required to get on a domestic plane, however they sometimes ask to see your vaccination certificate or record.[/QUOTE]Thanks for such a thorough reply. Very useful.

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2659900]your quarantine period starts on admission day, not the day you are tested positive.[/QUOTE]

That's 100% bullshit, although no doubt they try it on, there's a lot of money they stand to gain.

So, if you spend 9 days in a hotel after a positive test before being admitted, you have to spend 10 days in a hospital? No way that's the actual rule.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2660345]That's 100% bullshit, although no doubt they try it on, there's a lot of money they stand to gain.

So, if you spend 9 days in a hotel after a positive test before being admitted, you have to spend 10 days in a hospital? No way that's the actual rule.[/QUOTE]This is thailand. It doesn't always have to make sense. Among those I knew:

1 waited 4 days to admit into hospital. So its 10 + 4.

Another one admitted 1 day after, stayed in hospital for 14 days and still have to stay at home for another 7 days. 1 + 14 + 7.

They're both Thai So the policy has nothing against foreigners.

Yes different hospitals apply different number of days. The govt's guideline is "a minimum of 10 days".

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2660422]This is thailand. It doesn't always have to make sense. Among those I knew:

1 waited 4 days to admit into hospital. So its 10 + 4.

Another one admitted 1 day after, stayed in hospital for 14 days and still have to stay at home for another 7 days. 1 + 14 + 7.

They're both Thai So the policy has nothing against foreigners.

Yes different hospitals apply different number of days. The govt's guideline is "a minimum of 10 days".[/QUOTE]Simple question is why? Why did you report it? Why not buy a bunch of self tests and self isolate? Were you symptoms that bad? And how much did you have to pay for your other accommodations? Were you able to cancel them? Imagine a guy paying $700 for an expensive non refundable airbnb and then finding out he's positive, what would he do in this case? My guess is not report it and self isolate.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2660517]Simple question is why? Why did you report it? Why not buy a bunch of self tests and self isolate? Were you symptoms that bad? And how much did you have to pay for your other accommodations? Were you able to cancel them? Imagine a guy paying $700 for an expensive non refundable airbnb and then finding out he's positive, what would he do in this case? My guess is not report it and self isolate.[/QUOTE]Perhaps I confused the understanding by moving this conversation to this thread. MissionAsia previously reported that he tested negative with ATG but felt very bad so went to hospital, where he tested positive with RT-PCR. LookingLooking reported that he had same experience and that he never tested positive with ATG tests.

When you are in anywhere in the world and have repeated negative ATG tests, the reasonable thing to do is seek medical attention.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2660630]When you are in anywhere in the world and have repeated negative ATG tests, the reasonable thing to do is seek medical attention.[/QUOTE]Well that's a judgement call on that is how do I feel? Everyone has different reactions I'm sure, mine were just some extra coughing and fatigue (if that was indeed covid). A positive test told me I had it but afterwards I was informed I should have taken several tests to confirm the positive result on the first test. And that's what I was asking? How severe the symptoms are and when he decided to go to the hospital? Guy is lucky his insurance paid, he must have had symptoms vs being asymptomatic.

I must say in all of my research I never heard about this, assumed the visa setup was the same as its always been. Don't know how I missed it, guess I was thinking it was an over and done deal when COVID hit way back when. Maybe I was focused on finishing work and downsizing during the last year and a half. Anyway I went ahead and applied for a 60 day visa and expected to only be able to extend 30 days and then move onto Cambodia with a possible return to Thailand. It was when I contacted a visa agent about registering my residency at my airbnb that they said 'we can do a 30 day or a 60 day' and that threw me for a loop. I remember asking them over and over how can 60 days? Thinking it was some sort of error. I'd explain I was already on a 60 day and wanted another 30 and got the same response. I reached out to MonkeyPaw and he explained the setup and how they've been extending this special 60 day visa over and over again. So I chatted once again with the visa agent and explained again when my visa ended and got the same response "yes we can renew your visa for another 60 days". Landed here in early December and its now looking like I won't have to leave until early June. I am hoping they do another COVID extension, I've heard mixed reports but with Omicron pushing cases over 10 k the last few days my luck just might last another round.

I know, these extensions are most likely old news but if it helps a few people here already in Thailand know they can easily extend then its worth a repeat.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2660517]Simple question is why? Why did you report it? Why not buy a bunch of self tests and self isolate? Were you symptoms that bad? And how much did you have to pay for your other accommodations? Were you able to cancel them? Imagine a guy paying $700 for an expensive non refundable airbnb and then finding out he's positive, what would he do in this case? My guess is not report it and self isolate.[/QUOTE]The test centre has reported it.

It was not detected via self test. I needed to be tested to get clearance to return to my country.

Symptoms were bad but not life threatening.

If it was self test, I wouldn't report it either. Heck I wouldn't even do a self test.

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2660801]The test centre has reported it.

It was not detected via self test. I needed to be tested to get clearance to return to my country.

Symptoms were bad but not life threatening.

If it was self test, I wouldn't report it either. Heck I wouldn't even do a self test.[/QUOTE]Obviously this only works for people in certain places. Particularly continental Europe / Schengen, but avoiding PCR tests / hospitalization / missed flights in Asia is reason enough in my opinion to fly back to a neighboring country that doesn't require pre-departure PCR and then reach your home country overland, if the combination of countries enables you to do it.

Has anyone recovered from covid within 90 days, travelled to Thailand and got tested positive before?

What happens in this case? Do you still have to go through minimum of 10 days quarantine?

One of the Thailand Pass online help pages includes the following text: "What is highly advised to travelers is to choose insurance companies or hotels in Thailand that produce a 1-page document as a receipt or proof of purchase and confirmed booking." Apparently they want us to research the format of confirmation receipts before we buy. Same issue is present for your airline booking. 555 TIT. Actually, the Thailand Pass webpage allows submitting limited supplemental documentation in *. Pdf format, but not in the locations where the required confirmations are uploaded.

The Thai E-Visa webpage also has some quirks, one of which is submitting your picture in a very specific form. My pictures were rejected multiple times because their automated system thought there were more than one person in the picture (it was just me). It took me an hour to figure out exactly how to crop my picture to make their software happy.

I recommend doing both the Thailand Pass and the Thailand E-Visa applications using a computer with a decent monitor. Using a smartphone or tablet would be a pain in the neck. After you have all the required documentation gathered, allow yourself an hour to complete the Thailand Pass application and a couple of hours to complete the Thailand E-Visa application. It's a bit more complex than it was in early December.

[URL]https://tp.consular.go.th/[/URL]
[URL]https://www.thaievisa.go.th/[/URL]

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2661747]I recommend doing both the Thailand Pass and the Thailand E-Visa applications using a computer with a decent monitor. Using a smartphone or tablet would be a pain in the neck. After you have all the required documentation gathered, allow yourself an hour to complete the Thailand Pass application and a couple of hours to complete the Thailand E-Visa application. It's a bit more complex than it was in early December.

[URL]https://tp.consular.go.th/[/URL]
[URL]https://www.thaievisa.go.th/[/URL][/QUOTE]The Thai Government loves to make paperwork as complicated as possible. If you live here and have to do any official business / government paperwork it is mind numbing!

[QUOTE=LookingLooking;2661617]Has anyone recovered from covid within 90 days, travelled to Thailand and got tested positive before?

What happens in this case? Do you still have to go through minimum of 10 days quarantine?[/QUOTE]It didn't happen to me, I've been here without leaving Thailand throughout the entire Covid era so far.

But a very good friend from Belgium who owns a condo in Bangkok and his pattern was to spend half the year in Thailand returned to Thailand about 6-7 months ago. He tested negative on arrival then did his 14 days in a quaratine hotel. He continued to test negative for the next 14 days.

On his 15th day, ready to be released from quarantine, his test came up positive and he was immediately taken to a hospital for a 10 day stay.

How could that be? And he felt fine, no symptoms at all.

It took him 2-3 days at that hospital to convince them to either look closer or perform another test to make sure they weren't just detecting traces of Covid antibodies he'd acquired from a case of Covid he'd fully recovered from in Belgium months before returning to Thailand.

They did. That's what it was. They released him.

This was 6-7 months ago so by now the tests might be better at detecting the difference, the quarantine times have changed, maybe not the same chance of that happening.