Thailand’s CCSA warns against domestic travel as Covid wave hits record high

[Thaiger]

With the number of Covid-19 patients now at a record high, and the fast-spreading Delta variant becoming more prevalent, health officials are urging people not to travel. During the daily press briefing by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, a spokesperson said “the CCSA would like to urge everyone to avoid trans provincial travel at all costs.” “And, if travel is necessary, we urge that the travellers isolate themselves and inform Village Health Volunteers or local health authorities of their arrivals as soon as they come to their destinations and observe the measures that have been announced by the provincial […]

The post Thailand’s CCSA warns against domestic travel as Covid wave hits record high appeared first on Thaiger News.

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[ozz1]

They should have done this before songkran bit late now idiots

[Mannekenpis]

Coming by air, 4 PCR tests required,even with proof of vaccination. By land, vaccination proof will do. Bunch of monkeys 

[Soidog]

Well this will impact on the 500,000 target for the Phuket sandbox. There was only an initial estimate of 129,000 foreigners (recently reduced to 100,000), and now it seems they are advising against domestic travel. Oh dear!  

[vlad]

Let me remind you of the Surin's Chamber of Province minister Veerasuk Pisanuwong who Traveled to Phuket for the opening of the Sandbox. On returning to Surin he posted on his Facebook, he has tested Positive for Covid. So he either had it prior to flying down to Phuket or he picked it up in Phuket ?? oh and he took a selfie with Chan o cha. who is now self isolating, what are your thoughts on this Soidog ? when all entering are supposed to have been tested.

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by vlad

[EdwardV]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

Well this will impact on the 500,000 target for the Phuket sandbox. There was only an initial estimate of 129,000 foreigners (recently reduced to 100,000), and now it seems they are advising against domestic travel. Oh dear!  

While I agree with your statement, it’s also clear now the number of visitors has nothing to do with the success of the scheme. It might have at one time but to be honest I don’t think so. It was always about testing if they could bring in tourists and still protect the residents. Of course the worry was always misplaced as the real issue was are the tourists safe in visiting. 

[JamesE]

Thailand has phenomenal digital infrastructure. It has skilled people cranking out apps for everything from food delivery, to tracking your every move, to getting coupons to your local massage shop. It is collecting data by the barge load and still appears not to be using that data to inform policy decisions.

For example, SQ/ASQ/ALQ etc. have been in place for over a year. The government has data on who came in during that time - about 100K foreigners and at least the same number of returning Thai citizens. They know who came in, who subsequently tested positive, and, most importantly, when they tested so. That trove of data could have been used to inform the decision on testing for the sandbox but instead they went back to the brute force method of the two to three day possible incubation period.

At the same time they have completely ignored the in-country data that is showing that Thais from all walks of life are not following the restrictions. They don't take this into account when planning a testing/tracing/isolation strategy with the inevitable result that an untested provincial governor was able to possibly infect the prime minister.

I hope they figure out their scattershot approach is not working and soon.

[Eric]

There is no mention of the Covid vaccine Janssen from Johnson and Johnson !Thai FDA has approved this vaccine few weeks ago like for Moderna and Pfizer ! 

Sinovac seams to be the only reference in Thailand despit of the facts that many countries are facing serious outbreaks with this one. 

 

 

[Martin]

I'm reminded of the story Cary Grant told in the movie Charade. About the lying blackfoot and the truthful whitefoot people. And how, when you met one of them, how could you know which one you were talking to, and thus how could you believe them or not. 

It's becoming the same in Thailand. Every day, there are announcements from government departments, or committees, or local officials, or semi official bodies that go against what was said just days before. There is no strategy, no overall direction. You just can't believe anything that is said lately. 

How can you tell people not to travel at all costs at the same time as running promotions encouraging people to travel (to Phuket). 

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, Martin said:

How can you tell people not to travel at all costs at the same time as running promotions encouraging people to travel (to Phuket). 

Is this one of those Zen koan things, like the sound of one hand clapping???

[Bluesofa]

2 hours ago, JamesE said:

4 hours ago, Martin said:

How can you tell people not to travel at all costs at the same time as running promotions encouraging people to travel (to Phuket). 

Is this one of those Zen koan things, like the sound of one hand clapping???

I think you're spot on there - something to do with one hand anyway. Rhymes with 'bankers'.

[Jazzster]

Ms Ashworth; Phuket requires a negative covid test result from domestic arrivals no longer than 7 days before arrival - not 72 hours.  (Google Phuket provincial order no. 3491/2564).

[Malc-Thai]

1 hour ago, Jazzster said:

Ms Ashworth; Phuket requires a negative covid test result from domestic arrivals no longer than 7 days before arrival - not 72 hours.  (Google Phuket provincial order no. 3491/2564).

This was changed a few days ago, back to 72 hours from 7 days (sure was announced on here) and no longer the 14 days quarantine for unvaccinated thais, which in all fairness would detect the covid but many people carry covid that have had the 72 hour test.. you know how fast they change their minds here so difficult for the Web pages to keep up !

Edited July 6, 2021 by Malc-Thai

[Stonker]

11 hours ago, EdwardV said:

While I agree with your statement, it’s also clear now the number of visitors has nothing to do with the success of the scheme. It might have at one time but to be honest I don’t think so. It was always about testing if they could bring in tourists and still protect the residents. Of course the worry was always misplaced as the real issue was are the tourists safe in visiting. 

You're assuming that most of those visiting are tourists, and also foreign tourists, as others have done  - one, to support his manufactured version of reality, even suggested that 90% were.

The reality judging by not just reports here but elsewhere is that far from all are either tourists or foreign, as evidenced just by the Thaiger by the first arrivals (the Sellers family, 3 x Thais and 1 x farang, and the Israeli TAT / tour company group).

I'd suggest that while showing that "the tourists are safe in visiting" may meet the TAT's agenda, the real issue has to be if those visiting encourage others to come in any numbers.  With the limitations on what's available, apart from family reunions, that seems very unlikely.

 

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Stonker
typo

[Stonker]

48 minutes ago, Malc-Thai said:

This was changed a few days ago, back to 72 hours from 7 days (sure was announced on here) and no longer the 14 days quarantine for unvaccinated thais, which in all fairness would detect the covid but many people carry covid that have had the 72 hour test.. you know how fast they change their minds here so difficult for the Web pages to keep up !

Correct, @Malc-Thai, and with a PCR test costing around 2,500 baht or more I'd suggest it's unlikely a lot of delivery drivers will be keen on paying upwards of 30,000 baht a month for paperwork they can get for 10 baht from Mr Photoshop.

 

14 hours ago, Mannekenpis said:

Coming by air, 4 PCR tests required,even with proof of vaccination. By land, vaccination proof will do. Bunch of monkeys 

Not even "vaccination proof", as proof of one AZ jab will do for anyone (Thai or farang - no discrimination).

[Stonker]

11 hours ago, JamesE said:

At the same time they have completely ignored the in-country data that is showing that Thais from all walks of life are not following the restrictions. They don't take this into account when planning a testing/tracing/isolation strategy with the inevitable result that an untested provincial governor was able to possibly infect the prime minister.

Exactly.

 

It's unrealistic to imagine that most people, anywhere, follow the restrictions and regulations - not just in Thailand but anywhere, although that's no excuse.

 

Those in the Thong Lor nightclubs are far from all "hi-so" to judge by the cargo pants and Regency, nor are those on Bang Saen beach, and nor, very probably are delivery drivers trying to earn a living.  

 

Nor, judging by immigration checks in the UK and Canada, are all visitors.

 

Relying on what's supposed t happen rather than what happens is a recipe for disaster - now or later.

[Stonker]

11 hours ago, Eric said:

There is no mention of the Covid vaccine Janssen from Johnson and Johnson !Thai FDA has approved this vaccine few weeks ago like for Moderna and Pfizer ! 

Sinovac seams to be the only reference in Thailand despit of the facts that many countries are facing serious outbreaks with this one. 

 

Agreed 100%.

 

Thailand doesn't just seem tied to Siam BioScience, which is understandable but foolhardy in the extreme, but to have ruled out anything else but Sinovac.

 

No  J&J, apart from by / for the French, no Moderna unless it's for private sale, limited Pfizer, and not even Sinopharm (if anyone wants it) apart from for private sale through Chulaborn.

 

It's just not realistic to put this down to incompetence while people are suffering and dying.

[Reessmi]

This statement ‘ Phuket as well as the islands off the coast of Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, require travellers to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test result issued no more than 72 hours before arrival. Those who have received both doses of the Sinovac vaccine, or at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, can enter the islands without being tested’

is factually incorrect. Or is the CCSA changing the rules - again?

[Soidog]

16 hours ago, Stonker said:

Correct, @Malc-Thai, and with a PCR test costing around 2,500 baht or more I'd suggest it's unlikely a lot of delivery drivers will be keen on paying upwards of 30,000 baht a month for paperwork they can get for 10 baht from Mr Photoshop.

Not even "vaccination proof", as proof of one AZ jab will do for anyone (Thai or farang - no discrimination).

Tut Tut Stonker. Don’t tell me you are suggesting Thai delivery drivers would scam their way in to Phuket are you? 

[Soidog]

25 minutes ago, Tjampman said:

This is for domestic travellers.

Domestic travel is not being regulated as harsly as international travel.

Quiet right too. Less dirty Covid ridden foreigners on Domestic trips !! 

[Soidog]

30 minutes ago, Tjampman said:

I dont get the point.

Everywhere in the world there are less restrictions on Domestic travel and more restrictions on international travel.

For example, someone from Newcastle can go watch the final at Wembley but people from Denmark cannot despite knocking England out tomorrow

I was being sarcastic. But to address you comment about Denmark and the U.K. 

That’ slightly different in that the U.K. isn’t desperate to get international tourism up and running as much as the Thais are. And secondly, most of Europe, with the exception of Malta doesn’t have the same levels of vaccination as the U.K.  In Thailand it’s the other way around. 
 

As for the football. Only 24 hours to see if you are right ;-)

No need to have changed Scotland to Newcastle. Scotland is part of the U.K and a domestic flight. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Soidog

[Soidog]

11 minutes ago, Tjampman said:

Yeah, I know they hold the same passport, but still is thought as different countries.

Though, Spanish people can come to see the final because the UK government in their infinite wisdom have painted all the British favorite travel hotspots green.

But... Penalties... Doesn't look good for Spain.

Yes even Covid is full of politics. 
 

Great last penalty by the Italians and a good game. Enjoy tomorrow