Phuket Sandbox woes: 2 foreign Covid-19 cases, Delta variant

[Thaiger]

The Phuket Sandbox has hit a few hurdles with the revelation of 2 international travellers being infected with Covid-19 as well as the first cases of the Delta and Beta variants on the island. The news comes in the wake of the Governor ordering most of the islands’ schools to close for 14 days due to the rising risk of infections. Two children aged 8 and 9 just tested positive for Covid-19 according to health officials this evening. Details are still emerging, but they are said to be members of 2 families with a total of 7 family members who […]

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[BIGGLES]

The "Sandbox" is looking more and more doomed.

Not enough staff to check arrivals by land and sea. People from all over Thailand travelling to reach Phuket, transiting God knows how many proviences with either the useless Sinovac vaccine at best, or more likely, no vaccine at all, and the Thai government at best managing to only vaccinate 4.5% of the population. 

It's not looking good.

More holes in this "Sandbox" than there is in a cive!

 

[BIGGLES]

Furthermore, as for children,  they and their family should not be allowed to travel anywhere unless they are vaccinated.  If its not safe for them to have the vaccine or they can't get it, then stay at home. Don't inflict  your children on other people. What responsible parent would bring their offspring to a dangerous environment?

[Das]

Predicted this. Sandbox is going to be filled with concrete in the first month because it will be an utter shit-show. Thrown together and promoted by too many fools with their heads in the clouds.

 

I'll be coming through BKK with a bagful of magic mushrooms and spending 2 weeks in a hotel room at much less than ₿3400 a night (including meals...).

Edited July 10, 2021 by Das
'cos

[TobyAndrews]

This Phuket scum are really displaying their rotten corrupt nature now. Two kids who could not be vaccinated, in total contact with their parents are claimed to be contagious, but are not ill.

But the Thais intent on raising these tourists bills from an expensive SHA hotel, move the parents to quarantine which cost three times what they were paying in the SHA hotel.

The parents are not contagious and unlikely to be because they have been vaccinated.

The kids although not ill are put in hospital, costing more big bucks, and causing the kids great distress.

And because the whole lot is not ill, the insurance, likely to be Thai, do not pay.

Anyone that has booked to come to Thailand, cancel now. If they do not give refunds start suing now, and inform the world why you want your money back.

Edited July 10, 2021 by TobyAndrews
extra

[ChristyS]

If Phuket were a plane, the alarms would be sounding 'Pull up. Low terrain.  Pull up..' while the captain turns off the alerts and commences  C.F.I.T (Controlled Flight Into Terrain)

[TiT]

Quote

One man from the UAE was diagnosed with Coronavirus and hospitalized as 13 others on his flight were moved to ALQ facilities, along with 7 others who came in contact with the man on the ground.

Authorities are asking people to remain calm and not panic.

 

Who in their right mind would want to put up with this?  Not only are you subject to the potential for cases to exist on your flight, but also on the ground in shops, restaurants, or otherwise - with your draconian tracking app and wristband.  Decide to go out for a morning coffee?  Uh oh, looks like the positive guy did too, straight to quarantine for you and your family!

Don't panic just like Prayuth and Anutin said, right?  It's all under control, right?  RIP Sandtrap.

Edited July 10, 2021 by TiT
grammar

[Martin]

20 minutes ago, TobyAndrews said:

This Phuket scum are really displaying their rotten corrupt nature now. Two kids who could not be vaccinated, in total contact with their parents are claimed to be contagious, but are not ill.

But the Thais intent on raising these tourists bills from an expensive SHA hotel, move the parents to quarantine which cost three times what they were paying in the SHA hotel.

The parents are not contagious and unlikely to be because they have been vaccinated.

The kids although not ill are put in hospital, costing more big bucks, and causing the kids great distress.

And because the whole lot is not ill, the insurance, likely to be Thai, do not pay.

Anyone that has booked to come to Thailand, cancel now. If they do not give refunds start suing now, and inform the world why you want your money back.

I agree. It is outrageous that young children are separated from their family in what is a strange country to them. It must be terrifying.

Various stories are starting to come out and they all seem to have a common theme behind them of it costing the tourists much, much more than they might have imagined. 

 

[EdwardV]

So the fact the kids tested positive on the second test means there is no refund on any of the original hotel costs. It only happens if you test positive on the arrival test. Your entire 14 day hotel costs are forfeit and you get charged for another 14 days of ASQ. So the kids went to a hospital and the parents into quarantine, how does that work? You can’t put kids into a hospital with a parent having access. How terrifying. Who brings kids with them at this time anyway? Crazy. This whole scheme is unraveling 

[Slacker77]

1 hour ago, BIGGLES said:

Furthermore, as for children,  they and their family should not be allowed to travel anywhere unless they are vaccinated.  If its not safe for them to have the vaccine or they can't get it, then stay at home. Don't inflict  your children on other people. What responsible parent would bring their offspring to a dangerous environment?

Biggles,

I couldn't said it better myself :)

 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, TobyAndrews said:

The kids although not ill are put in hospital, costing more big bucks, and causing the kids great distress.

Agreed about the kids being caused "great distress", but it  won't cost them "more big bucks" as they'll be covered by their mandatory  insurance - unlike those testing negative who have to pay for their ASQ.

 

It's an absolute shambles and should never have been allowed to happen, but let's at least get the facts right.

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, Das said:

Predicted this. Sandbox is going to be filled with concrete in the first month because it will be an utter shit-show. Thrown together and promoted by too many fools with their heads in the clouds.

I'll be coming through BKK with a bagful of magic mushrooms and spending 2 weeks in a hotel room at much less than ₿3400 a night (including meals...).

So... And what ASQ hotel might that be? Asking for a friend...

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, EdwardV said:

So the fact the kids tested positive on the second test means there is no refund on any of the original hotel costs. It only happens if you test positive on the arrival test. Your entire 14 day hotel costs are forfeit and you get charged for another 14 days of ASQ. So the kids went to a hospital and the parents into quarantine, how does that work? You can’t put kids into a hospital with a parent having access. How terrifying. Who brings kids with them at this time anyway? Crazy. This whole scheme is unraveling 

Exactly.

It was a disaster waiting to happen, and the only surprise is that it happened so soon.

[JamesE]

4 minutes ago, Stonker said:

 but it  won't cost them "more big bucks" as they'll be covered by their mandatory  insurance

This is a fine print item. Most COVID insurance covers treatment costs not isolation costs. The early days of ASQ in BKK had some people flipping out when the insurance wouldn't pony up.

[TV7]

Can you imagine your two little kids getting taken away from you and are put into a hospital, and you're not even allowed to visit them? Then they see white suits all day. Kids will leave the hospital with traumas. This insane way of dealing with Covid and kids should be mention in the worldwide press. I can't understand that kids are taken away from their parents. It's against everything I believe in and criminal. 

[Stardust]

They ask the people not to panic, but everbody already panic because of the incompetence and handling of the government. Who would not panic knowing the managment is in incompetent hands?

[TV7]

1 hour ago, EdwardV said:

So the fact the kids tested positive on the second test means there is no refund on any of the original hotel costs. It only happens if you test positive on the arrival test. Your entire 14 day hotel costs are forfeit and you get charged for another 14 days of ASQ. So the kids went to a hospital and the parents into quarantine, how does that work? You can’t put kids into a hospital with a parent having access. How terrifying. Who brings kids with them at this time anyway? Crazy. This whole scheme is unraveling 

This happens daily all over Thailand, children getting ripped away from their families because they tested positive and - mostly - have no signs whatsoever, insane!

 

[Stardust]

29 minutes ago, JamesE said:

This is a fine print item. Most COVID insurance covers treatment costs not isolation costs. The early days of ASQ in BKK had some people flipping out when the insurance wouldn't pony up.

Exactly many had a big surprise

[Das]

32 minutes ago, JamesE said:

So... And what ASQ hotel might that be? Asking for a friend...

Night 1: An ASQ cheaper than ₿3400 a night.

Nights 2-3649: BKK Hilton.

[Martin]

17 minutes ago, TV7 said:

Can you imagine your two little kids getting taken away from you and are put into a hospital, and you're not even allowed to visit them? Then they see white suits all day. Kids will leave the hospital with traumas. This insane way of dealing with Covid and kids should be mention in the worldwide press. I can't understand that kids are taken away from their parents. It's against everything I believe in and criminal. 

Yes, it just beggars belief that anyone could think this is acceptable. Do authorities in Phuket have any humanity? Do they not think how they might feel if it were their children being taken from them? 

Foreign embassies need to highlight this front and centre in their travel advice to would be travellers, as do any travel agencies. And tourists who have been treated badly should make it known as much as they are able. 

That said, any parent taking their child to such a snake pit should take a long look at themselves. 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, JamesE said:

This is a fine print item. Most COVID insurance covers treatment costs not isolation costs. The early days of ASQ in BKK had some people flipping out when the insurance wouldn't pony up.

This is actually discussed in a lot more detail in the main forum on Covid insurance, but the  mandatory insurances have to cover certain minimum hospital charges, including quarantine / isolation,  not just treatment.

 

The problem in the early days was that some of the policies didn't, and some people wanted other than "standard" accommodation and food.

[Zig]

well the good news for us farangs is when they economy collapses..which it will...the dollar, pound, Euro, Franc, and others will will be heading in a positive direction

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, TV7 said:

Can you imagine your two little kids getting taken away from you and are put into a hospital, and you're not even allowed to visit them? Then they see white suits all day. Kids will leave the hospital with traumas. This insane way of dealing with Covid and kids should be mention in the worldwide press. I can't understand that kids are taken away from their parents. It's against everything I believe in and criminal. 

So what option do you suggest, accepting for the sake of argument that kids have to be quarantined?

Don't the parents have any responsibility, since while the quarantining for those who were just on the wrong flight wasn't in the regs the quaranting for anyone testing positive was so they have no excuse for not knowing?

 

1 hour ago, TV7 said:

This happens daily all over Thailand, children getting ripped away from their families because they tested positive and - mostly - have no signs whatsoever, insane!

Do you have any evidence for that?

I ask because a number of children local to me tested positive in an outbreak reported here and they weren't "ripped away from their families" but a parent / relative was allowed to stay with them in quarantine in the field hospital, and where a parent and child have  tested positive they were allowed to stay together.

 

[kmc]

it's really surprising that everyone being tested isn't dead already from this terrible disease.

[Somchai]

It is stupid to let in unvaccinated children without quarantine !  Kids can spread the virus as much of adults!