News Forum - Suspension of Test & Go entry scheme will “definitely” continue, spokesperson says

[Thaiger]

Suspension of the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme will “definitely” continue, a spokesperson said during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration press briefing. More details and a possible cutoff date for approved travellers will be discussed and finalised on Friday at the general CCSA meeting, which is usually chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Registration closed for both the Test & Go and Sandbox scheme, which the exception of the Phuket Sandbox, late last month due to the emergence of the Omicron variant in Thailand. During the CCSA’s English-language press briefing, the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, […]

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[Koriyu]

Back to how it was before November 1st,

not good..

[Dedinbed]

11 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

During the CCSA’s English-language press briefing, the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

pressed the wrong button and started speaking Urdu instead .. 

[Cabra]

"32,627 travellers entered Thailand, according to the CCSA. Of that number, 19,311 entered under the Test & Go quarantine exemption, 10,767 entered under the Sandbox scheme, and 2,549 are in quarantine."

Come to THA and you have an 8% of being put into quarantine  

[Clem]

The Thai government shyness working with the airlines to help leave Thailand and go home after they have recovered from this virus but still test positive. 

[HolyCowCm]

These clowns seriously just need to let the ones who are already approved come on in grandfathered. Or they should at least let all the ones in up until the end of January of to February 16. Feb 14 is Valentimes day.

If they don't then they need to be responsible to cover all the foreinger's costs and retribution. Do they really seriously think, they haven't already dropped the ball and can stop Omnicron rearing its very contagious head spreading here now? That window was shattered already.

[Godfrey]

4 minutes ago, Cabra said:

"32,627 travellers entered Thailand, according to the CCSA. Of that number, 19,311 entered under the Test & Go quarantine exemption, 10,767 entered under the Sandbox scheme, and 2,549 are in quarantine."

Come to THA and you have an 8% of being put into quarantine  

Don’t think that is strictly true. 2,549 have elected to do ASQ route and may not mean they are in hospital or ‘forced’ quarantine due to +’ve test?

[Clem]

The Thai government should be working with the airlines to help people leave Thailand after they recover from this virus but still test positive.  

[Bluesofa]

55 minutes ago, Dedinbed said:

pressed the wrong button and started speaking Urdu instead .. 

Ergo. What's a Hindu? Lay eggs...

[LoongFred]

49 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

These clowns seriously just need to let the ones who are already approved come on in grandfathered. Or they should at least let all the ones in up until the end of January of to February 16. Feb 14 is Valentimes day.

If they don't then they need to be responsible to cover all the foreinger's costs and retribution. Do they really seriously think, they haven't already dropped the ball and can stop Omnicron rearing its very contagious head spreading here now? That window was shattered already.

You talk like Thailand is a nanny state. People coming here need to take full responsibility and plan for what can go wrong. Thailand's responsibility is to all Thais. 

[LoongFred]

53 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

These clowns seriously just need to let the ones who are already approved come on in grandfathered. Or they should at least let all the ones in up until the end of January of to February 16. Feb 14 is Valentimes day.

If they don't then they need to be responsible to cover all the foreinger's costs and retribution. Do they really seriously think, they haven't already dropped the ball and can stop Omnicron rearing its very contagious head spreading here now? That window was shattered already.

???

[LoongFred]

54 minutes ago, Godfrey said:

Don’t think that is strictly true. 2,549 have elected to do ASQ route and may not mean they are in hospital or ‘forced’ quarantine due to +’ve test?

Sounds about right. No sense using inflated numbers.

[BBY]

Making a decision on the 7th to shut the door on pre approved Thailand pass on the 10th is hardly practical, as is the knee jerk panic. Omicron is there and it will sweep the country, no doubt.

There was a tweet this morning stating that the number of flight ticket and hotel room cancellations if pre approved travellers cannot enter between for example the 10th to the 31st  January would be 100.000. A massive loss to airlines and or passengers. 

It’s pretty clear now that in the majority of people it’s little more than a heavy cold. Around 90% of those in hospital have vaccination shortfalls or are not vaccinated at all.

Life and economies have to move forward now. If you are asymptomatic or have a mild infection. Isolation in your, home, hotel room or rented villa/condo should be perfectly acceptable, leaving spaces in hospitals for those needing them. 
 

Considerations being made the UK today:

No PCR test required to confirm a lateral flow positive result, meaning self isolation starts at that point in time, reducing the amount of time you are in isolation. (Because you no longer need to wait for an appointment or result of a PCR test before the isolation count starts).

Removal of the currently required PCR test before travelling to the U.K.

my opinion is that if these changes are made, it’s a sign that reality is starting to be accepted. We just have to get on with life and our economy. 
 

what’s more worrying is that China lockdown 1.2 million people after three people are found with asymptomatic infections ( what are they not telling us now).

[Jason]

The Thai government's reaction in stopping Test and Go is not so surprising. Their health department is foreshadowing a disaster looming with Omicron and considering Thailand's reaction to the pandemic initially and then with Delta, tightening of restrictions was predictable. Closing off the sandbox program everywhere but Phuket, is an overreaction. Restricting movement to a particular tourist spot has worked. It opened up parts of the country that could best contain tourists in a controlled environment, such as Ko Samui, Phuket.I think this is driven by a fear of the unknown. Interestingly, it's not so unknown. Omicron has only been in the horizon for a bit over six weeks?? Unlike Alpha and Delta, we have been quick off the mark to get genomic sequencing, so we know what we're looking for now. 

I think it's reasonable to keep sandbox programs going. Omicron will spread exponentially. It's in Thailand now. That can't be reversed. But locking down everything, is really a case of "cutting off your nose to spite your face". Hopefully, when the Thai Government sees that Omicron is not the end of humanity as we know it, they will wisely reopen the sandboxes.

[Ringla]

38 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

You talk like Thailand is a nanny state. People coming here need to take full responsibility and plan for what can go wrong. Thailand's responsibility is to all Thais. 

That's right. Only then should we close the programs from today's 00 p.m., even better from yesterday? Why and by what signs until January 10 (another whole week) is OK, but on Jan 11 nothing is allowed anymore? Given that both paid equally everything necessary for the Pass, received it legally.

[LoongFred]

3 minutes ago, Ringla said:

That's right. Only then should we close the programs from today's 00 p.m., even better from yesterday? Why and by what signs until January 10 (another whole week) is OK, but on Jan 11 nothing is allowed anymore? Given that both paid equally everything necessary for the Pass, received it legally.

I think they want to stop travel before it stops and not in transit.

[Rain]

1 hour ago, Koriyu said:

Back to how it was before November 1st,

not good..

Well....maybe not. 

From what I understand, the two aren't even comparable. The present system of TP/T&G, as it stands, was/is a complete disaster and mismanaged under the usual ThaiAuthoritarianThink practices and shenanigans.....with revisions and downgrading every few days. 

Whereas, my experience by way of the original entry program of COE/Quarantine was fit and well managed - albeit, the downside were the unnecessary and forced upon requirements of quarantine and associated expenses [wasn't that dear]. Smooth and well run without the added bureaucratic layer of BS. Those days were seeing only residents, business/family associations or the random adventurous tourists with time/financial means. 

Naturally, this original system doesn't/won't be practical regarding the casual tourists/travelers - no one desires that extra expense and quarantine time. Be it the normal procedures or the beloved Sandbox programs. Goes without saying.....if they revert back to an abbreviated old system, they will lose the tourist market big time. 

The quandary still exist. 

What they need to do is: pick a program and go with it.

[Chatogaster]

1 hour ago, Cabra said:

Come to THA and you have an 8% of being put into quarantine  

In the article, quarantine refers to the option of choosing an ASQ/SHA-package, i.e. you've merely calculated the percentage of arrivals that chose that means of entering the country.

1 hour ago, Godfrey said:

Don’t think that is strictly true. 2,549 have elected to do ASQ route and may not mean they are in hospital or ‘forced’ quarantine due to +’ve test?

 

It's good to be skeptical. The probability of being unexpectedly quarantined (so excluding ASQ/SHA) = 1.8%

Based on  https://media.thaigov.go.th/uploads/public_img/source/050165.pdf, starting at slide 23, a total of 605 incoming infections were identified during (or regarding?) 1-4 January, of which:

• 409 via Test & Go (2.1% of 19311)
• 121 via Sandbox (1.1% of 10767) 
• 75 via ASQ/SHA (2.9% of 2549)
   

 

[LoongFred]

10 minutes ago, Jason said:

The Thai government's reaction in stopping Test and Go is not so surprising. Their health department is foreshadowing a disaster looming with Omicron and considering Thailand's reaction to the pandemic initially and then with Delta, tightening of restrictions was predictable. Closing off the sandbox program everywhere but Phuket, is an overreaction. Restricting movement to a particular tourist spot has worked. It opened up parts of the country that could best contain tourists in a controlled environment, such as Ko Samui, Phuket.I think this is driven by a fear of the unknown. Interestingly, it's not so unknown. Omicron has only been in the horizon for a bit over six weeks?? Unlike Alpha and Delta, we have been quick off the mark to get genomic sequencing, so we know what we're looking for now. 

I think it's reasonable to keep sandbox programs going. Omicron will spread exponentially. It's in Thailand now. That can't be reversed. But locking down everything, is really a case of "cutting off your nose to spite your face". Hopefully, when the Thai Government sees that Omicron is not the end of humanity as we know it, they will wisely reopen the sandboxes.

The Thai newspapers and news stations don't seem concern about the depth of health's decisions.  They're main concerns are for safety of the that population. 

Concerns of a few inconvenienced tourists is of little concern.

 

[rockitos]

I am also in same situation like other from here. I was planing my vacantion on 24 January. Now mostly of the money lost because i can not get any refound.

I am perfectly capable to understand that sometime need to take proper reaction. But now when they have less cases, Omicron already inside of Thailand, they overreacting.

How you take care by Thai people, some need tourist to suvived, a lot of business closed, manny peoples suffering.

You take a engajament to let the tourist to enter, after give the Thai Pass, now you say that is wring and you can not enter anymore. Never happen to me something like that.

Today i travel to US, no restriction, i make PCR, have vaccination certification, visa, i enter without any problem, and they have half of milion infected peoples.

Thailand, you need insurence, special hotel, PCR, again PCR, again PCR, all pay before coming, thai pass aproved, and after they change, and canceled thai pass. They don`t care that me and all other travelers put faith in them, and spend money to come.

Who will come in the future, if is like a lottery, you say something today, and tomorrow change your mind, without any reason.

[ExpatPattaya]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

Omicron will spread exponentially.

And this is good news as Omicron gives you less severe symptoms and you recover in a few days.

BTW First local case was over 2 weeks ago in Thailand...  Have not seem any rise in infections 

 

 

Thailand COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer.pdf

[BlueEyeSamurai]

5 hours ago, JohnnyP said:

From the article "Travellers who have already been approved for the Thailand Pass through Test & Go must enter the country by January 10. "

Why write this? It's being decided on Friday.

 

1 hour ago, LoongFred said:

You talk like Thailand is a nanny state. People coming here need to take full responsibility and plan for what can go wrong. Thailand's responsibility is to all Thais. 

I think it has more to do with being a consistent and trustworthy member of a global community. It’s also easy to se how Thailand suffers deeply when left without the support of tourist dollars from that global community. 

[riclag]

2 hours ago, Clem said:

The Thai government should be working with the airlines to help people leave Thailand after they recover from this virus but still test positive.  

The Thai govt could careless! They have accomplished 2 objectives, tourism propaganda ,by enticing travelers  and filling the covid fee schemes 

[Rain]

8 minutes ago, riclag said:

The Thai govt could careless! They have accomplished 2 objectives, tourism propaganda ,by enticing travelers  and filling the covid fee schemes 

Applies to all governments and like systems. Birds of a feather.

[Jason]

35 minutes ago, ExpatPattaya said:

And this is good news as Omicron gives you less severe symptoms and you recover in a few days.

BTW First local case was over 2 weeks ago in Thailand...  Have not seem any rise in infections 

Thailand COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer.pdf 60.03 kB · 0 downloads

Well...you can keep your head in the sand if you want to.....