News Forum - Bangkok and Pattaya left out of the Sandboxes

[Thaiger]

Goodbye Test & Go. Hello Sandboxes, but more Sandboxes. But all the Sandboxes are in Thailand’s south and Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, to name the obvious victims, have been left out in the cold the latest re-arrangement of Thailand Pass re-entry conditions. With the Sandbox programs originally launched in Phuket on July 1, travellers can enter Thailand, stay and freely roam around the Sandbox area for the first 7 days, then head off to other parts of Thailand. Currently, with the Test & Go program suspended indefinitely, travellers can only apply for the Sandbox or AQ (quarantine) entry programs. […]

The story Bangkok and Pattaya left out of the Sandboxes as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Pompies]

Businesses like restaurants and bars cannot take much more of this never ending nightmare of on\off and ever hanging restrictions and regulations. The government makes blanket statements that alcohol is the cause of transmission without having any evidence that this is true except in a small proportion to cases. Markets where tens of thousands have caught the virus are closed for a few days but bars etc have been shuttered for 10 months. The police say they dont have the manpower to inspect all permises for compliance with regulations! Strange that they have enough manpower to visit bars to collect their protection, sorry, tea money. Power crazed individuals like Mighty Mouse are hell bent on imposing unreasonable control. They need to be stopped.

[stevenkongju]

The entire episode is a farce: My Covid Experience in Pattaya.

I am with my wife in our Pattaya condo, having arrived via Test and Go on December 23. On Jan. 3, my wife wasn't feeling great and had some cold symptoms, but no fever. We went to the a local clinic where I assumed they might do a ATK test for her, but when she told the doctor her symptoms, he said, "Not Covid, have an injection and some meds, all for B 900". My wife, believing in good Thai medicine took his advice.

Two days later, I started feeling a little under the weather, and thought I had gotten the non-Covid my wife had. That night, I had a bit of a fever and chills. A friend brought some ATKs the next morning and we both tested positive for Covid. We waited a while and tested again later that day, both positive a second time. Shit!

We called our condo and informed them. We called the health authorities as we had read that we must, though we, of course, really did not want to isolate outside the home. We were told the next step is to get to a hospital for a confirming PCR test. We have our own car, so not a big deal. As I already have an appointment at one of the big private hospitals later in the month for my Air Travel PCR test, I emailed them asking if we could get a test there. No response. My wife was told by heath officials we could go to the public hospital on Soi Bukheow, but should get there early.  Today, we got up at 4:30am and arrived at the hospital at 5:45am. There were about 20 Thais already waiting. On the phone the said testing would start at 6:00am but they were only doing about 50 people a day (but they may be doing more, they added). No numbers were given out on arrival and everybody was told testing would begin at 7:00am. A little before 7:00 am a guy came out with a stack of forms people needed to fill out. He placed them on a table and there was a mad dash for the papers. They were all in Thai only, no English. That never bothers me because, well, I am in Thailand, what do I expect. My wife asked if they had any English forms and they said, "No farang are allowed to be tested there".  Ok, I would wait for the private hospital to respond, but my Thai wife would get the test now.

After forms were filled out, the guy asks the ever growing group for people who tested positive twice on ATKs. My wife was one of the 80% who raised their hands. The guy said, "let's go"....another mad dash. I waited outside while my wife went in. About 40 minutes later she calls me and says it may take a while. 30 minutes after that they told her that they would start at 9:30am, and I shit you not, according to my wife, they said go get some breakfast. All you guys on Soi Bukhoew, they are sending people out in public who already tested positive twice on ATKs.

We did not go for a nice breakfast. When my wife went back in I again waited outside. Oh, did I mention the group of positive Covid people are camped out right were the employee time clock is. All employees coming to work had to wade through a crowd of infected people! Oh, you have to laugh. Anyway, about 30 minutes later, my wife came out furious. They told her that she needed to go to Suphanburi, here home province, to get a PCR test at a public hospital. That despite the fact that when we bought our condo she changed her residence to Chonburi. Thus, instead of the past when there were travel bans between provinces, now they are telling people with Covid to "take it to another province". We just threw up our hands and said, lets go home.

We called our condo and explained the situation. We were told to take the service elevator to our place and wait...and so, that's where we are now. Is it any wonder people don't follow rules?

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by stevenkongju
typos

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

Goodbye Test & Go. Hello Sandboxes, but more Sandboxes. But all the Sandboxes are in Thailand’s south and Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai,

At least those in Bangkok and Pattaya can go out and Drown their sorrows and blues away! Those in Chiang Mai will have to put up with an orange juice  

[Smithydog]

14 minutes ago, stevenkongju said:

The entire episode is a farce: My Covid Experience in Pattaya.

I am with my wife in our Pattaya condo, having arrived via Test and Go on December 23. On Jan. 3, my wife wasn't feeling great and had some cold symptoms, but no fever. We went to the a local clinic where I assumed they might do a ATK test for her, but when she told the doctor her symptoms, he said, "Not Covid, have an injection and some meds, all for B 900". My wife, believing in good Thai medicine took his advice.....

The first thing to say @stevenkongjuis that you and your wife have shown incredible patience in simply trying to do the right things for yourselves and others. I commend you and thank you both for your efforts, through what is a clearly challenging episode. I hope that both of you are feeling better.

This experience is a fantastic example of where restrictions and methods poorly planned and complicated make it impossible to meet what others consider as reasonable. If execution of a method is challenging, how can anyone expect effective enforcement of any measures planned, regardless of whether the intentions are good or bad?

It makes it all a seemingly useless adventure when it happens.

Getter better soon @stevenkongju!

 

[stevenkongju]

6 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

The first thing to say @stevenkongjuis that you and your wife have shown incredible patience in simply trying to do the right things for yourselves and others. I commend you and thank you both for your efforts, through what is a clearly challenging episode. I hope that both of you are feeling better.

This experience is a fantastic example of where restrictions and methods poorly planned and complicated make it impossible to meet what others consider as reasonable. If execution of a method is challenging, how can anyone expect effective enforcement of any measures planned, regardless of whether the intentions are good or bad?

It makes it all a seemingly useless adventure when it happens.

Getter better soon @stevenkongju!

Thanks...we are actually feeling fine now. But we will stay home until ATK negative. Our Condo has been great. They told us they will have people bring us food when we need. Big tip coming their way.

[Marc26]

15 minutes ago, stevenkongju said:

Thanks...we are actually feeling fine now. But we will stay home until ATK negative. Our Condo has been great. They told us they will have people bring us food when we need. Big tip coming their way.

Yes good on you both for trying to do the right thing 

 

I hope you both feel better soon

 

My wife is also from Suphan 

Doem Bang, about 20mins from Singburi

[stevenkongju]

8 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

My wife is also from Suphan 

Doem Bang, about 20mins from Singburi

My wife is from Doem Bang! We just built a small house there.

[Prosaap]

Same here tested pos i just stay home got house with wall around it i got a little fever and headage now finish for 3 day but still test pos so did my girlfriend we will wait it out till test neg because of this time the garden never looked beter and the house was never this clean 555 

the best to all 

[AlexPTY]

2 hours ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

At least those in Bangkok and Pattaya can go out and Drown their sorrows and blues away! Those in Chiang Mai will have to put up with an orange juice  

i would take this kind of sandbox on any given day. no matter how you call it.

[HolyCowCm]

Foreigners are allowed to stay at their place of residence. On the other hand it is apparent that they do not care about the spreading of the omicron as is all just an act to the public and world that they look proactive but not. My real suspicions are they want it to play out and maybe have the majority get it and then heard immunity will happen.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, stevenkongju said:

The entire episode is a farce: My Covid Experience in Pattaya.

I am with my wife in our Pattaya condo, having arrived via Test and Go on December 23. On Jan. 3, my wife wasn't feeling great and had some cold symptoms, but no fever. We went to the a local clinic where I assumed they might do a ATK test for her, but when she told the doctor her symptoms, he said, "Not Covid, have an injection and some meds, all for B 900". My wife, believing in good Thai medicine took his advice.

Two days later, I started feeling a little under the weather, and thought I had gotten the non-Covid my wife had. That night, I had a bit of a fever and chills. A friend brought some ATKs the next morning and we both tested positive for Covid. We waited a while and tested again later that day, both positive a second time. Shit!

We called our condo and informed them. We called the health authorities as we had read that we must, though we, of course, really did not want to isolate outside the home. We were told the next step is to get to a hospital for a confirming PCR test. We have our own car, so not a big deal. As I already have an appointment at one of the big private hospitals later in the month for my Air Travel PCR test, I emailed them asking if we could get a test there. No response. My wife was told by heath officials we could go to the public hospital on Soi Bukheow, but should get there early.  Today, we got up at 4:30am and arrived at the hospital at 5:45am. There were about 20 Thais already waiting. On the phone the said testing would start at 6:00am but they were only doing about 50 people a day (but they may be doing more, they added). No numbers were given out on arrival and everybody was told testing would begin at 7:00am. A little before 7:00 am a guy came out with a stack of forms people needed to fill out. He placed them on a table and there was a mad dash for the papers. They were all in Thai only, no English. That never bothers me because, well, I am in Thailand, what do I expect. My wife asked if they had any English forms and they said, "No farang are allowed to be tested there".  Ok, I would wait for the private hospital to respond, but my Thai wife would get the test now.

After forms were filled out, the guy asks the ever growing group for people who tested positive twice on ATKs. My wife was one of the 80% who raised their hands. The guy said, "let's go"....another mad dash. I waited outside while my wife went in. About 40 minutes later she calls me and says it may take a while. 30 minutes after that they told her that they would start at 9:30am, and I shit you not, according to my wife, they said go get some breakfast. All you guys on Soi Bukhoew, they are sending people out in public who already tested positive twice on ATKs.

We did not go for a nice breakfast. When my wife went back in I again waited outside. Oh, did I mention the group of positive Covid people are camped out right were the employee time clock is. All employees coming to work had to wade through a crowd of infected people! Oh, you have to laugh. Anyway, about 30 minutes later, my wife came out furious. They told her that she needed to go to Suphanburi, here home province, to get a PCR test at a public hospital. That despite the fact that when we bought our condo she changed her residence to Chonburi. Thus, instead of the past when there were travel bans between provinces, now they are telling people with Covid to "take it to another province". We just threw up our hands and said, lets go home.

We called our condo and explained the situation. We were told to take the service elevator to our place and wait...and so, that's where we are now. Is it any wonder people don't follow rules?

As others have said, a great and informative post of the reality and another pat on the back for doing 'the right thing' despite the hospital's appalling attitude (matched ony by it's appalling reputation).

For those who aren't aware of the rules and who think the only option is being quarantined in a hospital, whether Thai or tourist, this may help:

 

21 hours ago, Stonker said:

To qualify for home isolation, patient must be younger than 65 years old with no health conditions that put them at risk of a severe infection. They must also be asymptomatic, or only have mild symptoms, and have living space where they can isolate from others. Those travelling in Thailand may be subject to quarantine at an approved hotel at their expense.

For enquiries on home isolation, call the Department of Disease Control hotline at 1422."

Note:

For enquiries on home isolation, call the Department of Disease Control hotline at 1422.

and

• Contact National Health Security Office at 1330 by phone or their Line official account.
• Patients under the Social Security System contact a hotline 1506, press 6.
• For urgent or severe cases, contact the hotline 1668 or Line @1668.reg to reserve a hospital bed.

 

 

[vlad]

3 hours ago, stevenkongju said:

Thanks...we are actually feeling fine now. But we will stay home until ATK negative. Our Condo has been great. They told us they will have people bring us food when we need. Big tip coming their way.

Im fully vaxxed and boosted Steven but i still contacted Omicron on NYE I did a home test came back poss so went to a test ctr for pcr that came back poss to. i was told to self isolate for Severn days after the 8th day i was advised to do a home test this i did and it came back clear. Bit of a pain Steven for you and the wife but bunker down it will pass with no hospital treatments.

[Stonker]

27 minutes ago, vlad said:

Bit of a pain Steven for you and the wife but bunker down it will pass with no hospital treatments.

I wouldn't always be so confident however much I hope it does, as it doesn't for some. My eldest brother and his wife were told that by the hospital when they had Covid (not in Thailand); she was fine, he died in the hospital three weeks later.

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, stevenkongju said:

My wife is from Doem Bang! We just built a small house there.

 

Wow small world

 

It's a beautiful village......

[Marc26]

34 minutes ago, Stonker said:

I wouldn't always be so confident however much I hope it does, as it doesn't for some. My eldest brother and his wife were told that by the hospital when they had Covid (not in Thailand); she was fine, he died in the hospital three weeks later.

That's horrible sorry for your loss

 

My brother and sister were both in ICU last year with covid

 

My brother was on a vent for 19 days

He survived but it seems to have aged him 20yrs 

I had to help him put on his socks recently 

 

 

[Stonker]

These things happen, but what's worse is when someone insists no one dies 'from' Covid, only 'with' Covid, or that it's only a cold and a hoax, and you're told that everyone's entitled to their opinion even when people are dying because of that opinion, or when the stats show 'recovered' as the same as 'discharged from hospital', when the two couldn't be more different.

[vlad]

Correct Stonker or people telling you covid is not real and a decent Tablet is the same as a vaccine. 

[vlad]

53 minutes ago, Stonker said:

I wouldn't always be so confident however much I hope it does, as it doesn't for some. My eldest brother and his wife were told that by the hospital when they had Covid (not in Thailand); she was fine, he died in the hospital three weeks later.

Your body knows something is not right that you never felt before and should be investigated. But the Omicrom strain is thankfully a mild version of Covid and a runny nose is the usual symptoms. After a few days it disappears no need to stuff tablets into your mouth. i know ive just recovered from it but if i felt something was not right id be at the Doctors.  

[Rain]

By way of their infinite wisdom, the Thai authorities have seem to killed off their tourism industry that they we're looking to, so desperately, rekindle with such fervor. 

Some of us that expected the silly and chaotic attempts to manifest into the usual clusterfok are having a good muse. 

[Stonker]

5 minutes ago, vlad said:

Correct Stonker or people telling you covid is not real and a decent Tablet is the same as a vaccine. 

... or even a totally useless tablet that'll de-worm a horse and do little else.

[longwood50]

[Rain]

5 minutes ago, longwood50 said:

Or....underhanded profitability.

[Stonker]

36 minutes ago, vlad said:

Your body knows something is not right that you never felt before and should be investigated. But the Omicrom strain is thankfully a mild version of Covid and a runny nose is the usual symptoms. After a few days it disappears no need to stuff tablets into your mouth. i know ive just recovered from it but if i felt something was not right id be at the Doctors.  

Unfortunately it may be too late by the time your body gets the message.

As a British military observer with the UN in Cambodia (an 'UNMO') I had a lot of experience in the area and the jungle and told all the other British UNMO's to take malarial prophylaxis (Chloroquine). One didn't and sadly he died of cerebral malaria within 24 hours of realising he had it.

Some here don't go to the hospital if they have dengue fever as they see little point since there's no cure.

The NHSO and PHA's are far from perfect, but there are very good reasons for them wanting to keep those over 65 and with health conditions under observation, but sadly sometimes others get it badly wrong as clearly happened to @stevenkongjuand his wife.  He and his wife did the right thing throughout, despite the problems, but what worries me is that others may not do the same.

[longwood50]

1 hour ago, Rain said:

Or....underhanded profitability.

I have had several people make that comment, however I would think that there would be more opportunity for profitability with more tourists not fewer.  Certainly the restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels, taxi's etc would have more customers and be in a position to enhance "profitability"  A hotel with few customers, or a restaurant with few customers is hardly in a position to grease any wheels.