biggles Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Probably a good thing given the inaccuracy of testing. Could end up on quarantine with a large bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toy Boy Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 I see that of the 351 new cases, 264 were in Banglamung (i.e. Pattaya for the most part). That seems to support the anecdotal evidence I've heard that Covid is spreading across the bars (and probably the restaurants, too). Face it, no bar owner is going to fess up to a few cases of Covid in their bar to the authorities, not only would they get closed down but they'd probably incur a hefty fine too for being open illegally. Thousands of people down here for the New Year from Bangkok and elsewhere will now take it back home with them. Maybe we should have a sweepstake on when Thailand hits 20,000 new cases a day again. By the end of January would be my guess, the way this version of the virus seems to spread so easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Richard Barrow reporting places starting to close due to Omicron. Thailand will panic when they see the infections go up like everywhere else, will take a few months to see hospitalisations and deaths are not anywhere near as bad, and for it to settle down again - I’m starting to see provincial governors sign orders to close certain establishments. Earlier Khon Kaen closed all types of schools for two weeks and students must learn online at home. Now Ubon Ratchathani Governor has signed the order to close schools, cinemas, gyms and fitness centres until 17 January. Air-conditioned restaurants can only do takeaway. Others can open if there is natural ventilation. Expect more to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Home early from my usual 2 hours of relaxing with a drink tonight. Just too depressing to see how the Thais have succumbed to an unwarranted fear of the latest version of the China virus. First indication was pulling up to Prom and noticing right away no customers. Waved my hand over the temp check only to have the owner point to the new sign a rapid test within 72 hours was required to enter. I attribute that more to the Thai owner’s fear of the virus than any enforcement by the govt on the requirement as most places I saw were ignoring the requirement for the test. As I was leaving noticed the moon suited aliens were out in force in front of Tree Town offering free China virus testing. Very few were stupid enough to volunteer for the test, and from what I could see of the handful of people allowing their nose to be violated were exclusively Thai. The final straw was sitting at the convenience store next to Poom Bar on Soi Pothole. As I sat there I was amazed to see a lady at the bar across the soi dressed like she was expecting a monsoon to hit any minute. I was further amazed to see, even though no customers entered the bar, every couple of minutes she would squirt her bottle of magic anti-virus elixir into the air in the hope of keeping the nasty virus at bay. Just glad I don’t have to wake up every morning to her level of fear. It was shortly after I arrived they closed up the bar, I imagine because they had no customers. No surprise as that kind of welcoming committee would be a complete turn off to any sane potential customer. Contrast that with Jie Jie directly opposite of Poom who was doing an ok trade. 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Seeing loads of pics online of Thais queuing up, huge queues, to taken into hospital as tested positive for Covid? Suitcases and all sorts, looks all asymptomatic or not looking unwell. Is this the law, or surely that's not sustainable, in any way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 6 hours ago, Krapow said: Seeing loads of pics online of Thais queuing up, huge queues, to taken into hospital as tested positive for Covid? Suitcases and all sorts, looks all asymptomatic or not looking unwell. Is this the law, or surely that's not sustainable, in any way? Not the law, but policy. You test positive, you've earned yourself 10 days of isolation in a hospital. Free for Thais, a money earner for the hospitals when they catch and imprison a farang. Also a financial incentive to make sure the farang has a positive test. Pretty sure a friend of mind got caught up in that little scam. Went in to a hospital with a bad case of diarrhea. As is hospital policy when admitted they test for Covid, which came back negative. Not satisfied with that they tested him again, and surprise surprise, the test was positive. They immediately whisked him up to the isolation floor for a mandatory 10 day stay on his nickel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 17 hours ago, forcebwithu said: Not the law, but policy. You test positive, you've earned yourself 10 days of isolation in a hospital. Free for Thais, a money earner for the hospitals when they catch and imprison a farang. Also a financial incentive to make sure the farang has a positive test. Pretty sure a friend of mind got caught up in that little scam. Went in to a hospital with a bad case of diarrhea. As is hospital policy when admitted they test for Covid, which came back negative. Not satisfied with that they tested him again, and surprise surprise, the test was positive. They immediately whisked him up to the isolation floor for a mandatory 10 day stay on his nickel. Aye, the one for farangs is scary. The posts on social media seemed to be implying the Thais were happy to go to hospital for the 10 days. Food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazle Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Krapow said: The posts on social media seemed to be implying the Thais were happy to go to hospital for the 10 days. If I have understood correctly, if a Thai has a record of social security contributions, they will get paid by the government whilst in the hospital. A bit of an incentive for some to test positive. Edited January 5, 2022 by Bazle 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 7 hours ago, Bazle said: If I have understood correctly, if a Thai has a record of social security contributions, they will get paid by the government whilst in the hospital. A bit of an incentive for some to test positive. Heard some talking about kids faking a positive test so they can avoid school. How children are spoofing Covid-19 tests with soft drinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 No surprise another big increase in new infections with Bang Lamung once again holding the no. 1 spot at 339. Just hope this doesn't lead to the sky is falling, we must do something, knee jerk reactions. source: https://www.facebook.com/ChonburiPr/posts/4939434922786956?__tn__=%2CO*F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 On 1/4/2022 at 7:37 PM, forcebwithu said: First indication was pulling up to Prom and noticing right away no customers. Waved my hand over the temp check only to have the owner point to the new sign a rapid test within 72 hours was required to enter. I attribute that more to the Thai owner’s fear of the virus than any enforcement by the govt on the requirement as most places I saw were ignoring the requirement for the test. I think Prom learned quickly that following the test requirement was not conducive to attracting customers. Pic from this afternoon, but noticed last night when passing by the chairs were up and they were closed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Interesting to watch the increasing number of daily infections. If I were a business owner the biggest concern would be staff shortages due to staff being out sick. source: https://www.facebook.com/ChonburiPr/posts/4942469085816873?__tn__=%2CO*F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 (edited) Ministry to pitch tougher curbs Omicron triggers alert hike to Level 4 The Public Health Ministry will on Friday propose tougher government measures to curb the latest coronavirus outbreak posed by a rapid increase of Omicron infections. The proposal, which is up for consideration by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), includes tightening the quarantine system and banning alcohol consumption in restaurants. The CCSA will be asked to ban alcohol consumption -- which is considered a risk factor in the spread of the virus -- in areas with severe infections and review outbreak zoning based on a colour-coded system to identify provinces hit by the latest outbreak, he said. Moreover, all returnees and arrivals from abroad will be quarantined, the minister said. "We will not wait seven to 10 days for an actual number of infections to emerge after the festive holiday [before taking action]," Mr Anutin said. "However, the number of deaths will be low due to large numbers of people already getting vaccinated," he added. The Public Health Ministry decided to raise the nation's Covid-19 alert level from 3 to 4 after new coronavirus infections jumped to 5,775 over the previous 24 hours yesterday from 3,899 the day before. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health, said raising the warning level encourages people to work from home, suspend travel plans, close at-risk areas and limit the number of people at gatherings. "We are seeing a fast outbreak this time," he said. "There are several provinces that have (multiple new daily cases), including 769 cases in Chon Buri and 454 in Bangkok." (Chon Buri new cases has increased to 1342 today 7 December 2021) "So we do need to raise the warning to level 4," Dr Kiattiphum said. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said new infections could surpass 10,000 a day, based on the rise in infections reported yesterday. People are strongly advised to postpone non-essential trips to other provinces and countries, Dr Opas said. "Public transport should be avoided for [non-essential] interprovincial trips," he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2243211/ministry-to-pitch-tougher-curbs ... So if in Pattaya etc currently, maybe it would be prudent to get a 'suitable' supply of booze in ? Do they mean a total booze ban or just restaurants ? (The Pattaya Area comprises Pattaya City and the immediate close Sub Districts of Nong Prue, Naklua & Huai Yai.) While we don't have todays Pattaya Area data in as yet, the Banglamung District level data is available and is the blueish line in the Chart below. Once the Pattaya Area data is plugged in later today, the red line on the Chart below will be likely be almost the same level as the blueish line. The Pattaya Area case numbers dominate the District and increasing Provincial case numbers - because of the population numbers ? Something has got to 'give'. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news guys. Probably better that we are aware of it than not. Sob 😣 Edited January 7, 2022 by Zeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 24 minutes ago, Zeb said: The Pattaya Area case numbers dominate the District and increasing Provincial case numbers - because of the population numbers ? Pattaya played host to a couple of super spreader events, plus by the nature of the entertainment areas people are in close proximity to each other for extended periods of time. It was inevitable with a variant as infectious as Omicron we were going to see a the spike in numbers as we're now seeing. Thank Buddha with this variant the symptoms are relatively mild, and for those that have been vaccinated, the symptoms are even more mild. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 54 minutes ago, forcebwithu said: Pattaya played host to a couple of super spreader events, plus by the nature of the entertainment areas people are in close proximity to each other for extended periods of time. It was inevitable with a variant as infectious as Omicron we were going to see a the spike in numbers as we're now seeing. Thank Buddha with this variant the symptoms are relatively mild, and for those that have been vaccinated, the symptoms are even more mild. Yep. I believe it is a combination of - - Crowded Beach Road events over multiple weekends. - People resuming something like previous social contact & activities. - The limited reopening of some nightlife venues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillearly Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 I only watched the first 15 mins , this vlogger has Covid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 On 1/5/2022 at 5:50 AM, forcebwithu said: Not the law, but policy. You test positive, you've earned yourself 10 days of isolation in a hospital. Free for Thais, a money earner for the hospitals when they catch and imprison a farang. Also a financial incentive to make sure the farang has a positive test. Pretty sure a friend of mind got caught up in that little scam. Went in to a hospital with a bad case of diarrhea. As is hospital policy when admitted they test for Covid, which came back negative. Not satisfied with that they tested him again, and surprise surprise, the test was positive. They immediately whisked him up to the isolation floor for a mandatory 10 day stay on his nickel. Finally got to talk with the friend that got locked up in the hospital for a positive Covid test, after the first one was negative. The first test was the up the nose swab that came back negative, but at the same time they did that they also took a blood sample. That result came back a day later and the positive result from that test is what got him moved to the isolation floor for 10 days. The problem with that though is a blood test is used to detect antibodies, and what it does not do is determine if you're currently infected. Unlike my friend, if that had happened to me I would have argued voraciously that it was BS to use a blood test as the basis for locking me up. CDC article on the subject. Test for Past Infection Antibody or serology tests look for antibodies in your blood that fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Antibodies are proteins created by your immune system that help you fight off infections. They are made after you have been infected or have been vaccinated against an infection. Vaccination is a safe, effective way to teach your body to create antibodies. Antibodies can protect you from getting those infections for some period of time afterward. How long this protection lasts is different for each disease and each person. Antibody tests should generally not be used to diagnose a current infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. An antibody test may not show if you have a current infection because it can take 1 to 3 weeks after the infection for your body to make antibodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lt Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 A TG friend posted on her timeline that she was in Cholchan hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 14 minutes ago, bob lt said: A TG friend posted on her timeline that she was in Cholchan hotel. Excuse my ignorance, what's a Choclan hotel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lt Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 5 hours ago, Lemondropkid said: Excuse my ignorance, what's a Choclan hotel? Cholchan Pattaya Beach Resort (SHA Extra Plus) | Pattaya 2022 UPDATED DEALS £13, HD Photos & Reviews (agoda.com) Was used as AQ hotel, but she is already in Pattaya, must have tested positive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 Several weeks ago I came down with symptoms of a particularly bad cold that has lingered for several weeks. Just to make sure it wasn't Covid I did several LFT's which all came back negative. But given how long the symptoms lasted I got to wondering how effective LFT's are at detecting the latest Omicron variant. Turns out others are wondering the same. Lateral flow tests are being examined by researchers amid Omicron detection concerns Lateral flow tests may FAIL to spot Omicron when people are most infectious, study warns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fygjam Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, forcebwithu said: Several weeks ago I came down with symptoms of a particularly bad cold that has lingered for several weeks. Just to make sure it wasn't Covid I did several LFT's which all came back negative. But given how long the symptoms lasted I got to wondering how effective LFT's are at detecting the latest Omicron variant. Turns out others are wondering the same. Lateral flow tests are being examined by researchers amid Omicron detection concerns Lateral flow tests may FAIL to spot Omicron when people are most infectious, study warns The jury still appears to be out. Preliminary data is mixed. Research has looked at different tests in different countries, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. One recent preprint, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed, examined the performance of antigen tests with virus samples cultured from Omicron-infected people and from those with other variants. The study found the tests were less sensitive at detecting Omicron. In a separate study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Australian researchers found 10 antigen tests performed as well with Omicron as with Delta. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-reliable-are-covid-19-rapid-tests-for-detecting-omicron-11641747601 I checked the product information blurb for about a dozen of the rapid antigen tests approved for use in Australia. All use the nucleocapsid (N) protein as the target of the test. There were no new mutations to this protein introduced by omicron. https://covariants.org/variants/21K.Omicron The N protein wraps around the viral genome keeping it intact. N is highly conserved. Some next generation vaccines will include a bit of N as well as spike. See Gritstone. https://ir.gritstonebio.com/static-files/4092495f-79fd-430b-a8c2-e1da03be386a Edited January 13, 2022 by fygjam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) On 1/7/2022 at 2:48 AM, Zeb said: Yep. I believe it is a combination of - - Crowded Beach Road events over multiple weekends. - People resuming something like previous social contact & activities. - The limited reopening of some nightlife venues. Plus the fact that being vaccinated appears to make little or no protection against catching the omicron version of the virus. I still have three members of my family with omicron two of which are fully vaccinated including relatively recent booster jabs. All have the same mild symptoms including my grandson who I recently discovered has yet to receive his first vaccination. Edited January 13, 2022 by Jambo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Some good news... Govt mulls easing virus curbs The Public Health Ministry will propose easing Covid-19 curbs in light of the diminishing threat posed by the virus's Omicron variant. Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that even though new daily cases linked with Omicron have increased since New Year, the number of people with severe symptoms on ventilators or in intensive care units is still low. Also, the daily fatalities have not exceeded 20 for a while, he said. "This is a reason to be confident, for even though Omicron is highly transmissible it is still less severe than the Delta variant," Mr Anutin said. "In light of the positive trend, the Public Health Ministry will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to ease as many containment measures as possible quickly. But if there are still threats to public health, the ministry will also propose measures for the public's safety," Mr Anutin said. ... 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boydeste Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) On 1/13/2022 at 9:36 AM, forcebwithu said: Several weeks ago I came down with symptoms of a particularly bad cold that has lingered for several weeks. Just to make sure it wasn't Covid I did several LFT's which all came back negative. But given how long the symptoms lasted I got to wondering how effective LFT's are at detecting the latest Omicron variant. Turns out others are wondering the same. Lateral flow tests are being examined by researchers amid Omicron detection concerns Lateral flow tests may FAIL to spot Omicron when people are most infectious, study warns The ones used here in Thailand seem to have no problem picking it up, over a hundred failed the last compulsory test for bar staff. Edited January 15, 2022 by boydeste 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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