Hua Hin Forum

It's all pretty much academic really, as nobody in any country will be able to obtain a virus-free certificate, and nobody in their right mind will be travelling abroad for any reason, never mind a vacation, for the foreseeable future.

From the Khaosod report linked to by Pete above - this is pure genius!

The announcement was later refuted as false by transport minister Saksayam, while the aviation authority’s director general Chula Sukmanop said he was not aware of the order, despite his signature in the document.

"There is “zero prospect” of a London lockdown involving limits on movement but new restrictions could be put in place on pubs and cafes to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the capital, the government has said.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson sought to quash overnight reports that there would be limits on transport or on who can enter or leave London, saying there was also no truth to reports that key workers would be asked to present papers to prove their status.

But with people still being asked to avoid congregating in public, details of new steps to slow the virus in London – where it is spreading faster than anywhere else in the UK – are expected to be released later and are likely to include new conditions on pubs, cafes, bars and theatres."

How the government can state that "there is "zero prospect" of a London lockdown" is beyond me quite frankly - how can it be ruled out?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... says-no-10

PeteC wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:51 pm I'm starting to give up on this stuff. Perhaps best to post nothing reported for at least 24 hours after the first story.

Travellers from 15 countries must have Covid-free certificates

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... rtificates

It's now back to all countries.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... l-visitors

Thai embassy now issuing fit to fly certificates in London, according to er indoors.

Certified Translation (really???) of yesterday's instruction:

SOME HOSPITALS APPLY ‘FARANG PRICING’ FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING (updated)
At least two hospitals in Bangkok are charging foreigners more for coronavirus tests, a survey found on Monday.

While the vast majority of hospitals surveyed by Khaosod English apply the same fees to Thais and foreigners in their testing, Ramathibodi and Paolo Phaholyothin hospitals charge foreigners by about 40 percent more than Thai nationals.

But regardless of nationalities, coronavirus testing fees in Bangkok generally cost in the thousands. The price is considered so steep that Roongreung Kitpati, an advisor to the Ministry of Health, said Sunday that those without symptoms or at-risk travel history should refrain from getting checkups, which could overcrowd hospitals and use up test kits.

“If you aren’t sick, please don’t get tests because it’s useless and wastes money. Most tests yield negative results. But if you are in an at-risk group, such as contact with the infected, please contact the Department hotline,” Roongreung said.

Many hospitals will also only provide Covid-19 testing if the person has symptoms such as fever over 37.5C, cough, runny rose, respiratory problems, and if they have travel history to an at-risk country, are in contact with someone who returned from such a country or currently has the virus, or are a medical personnel who is in close contact to the infected.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured ... s-testing/

The behaviour of this country is deplorable at times - this crap just encourages people with symptoms not to get tested, potentially further spreading the virus.

Govt asks people to stay home

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -stay-home

The government is campaigning for people to stay at home to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Government spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Friday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked for cooperation, especially from those living in Bangkok and adjacent provinces, to refrain from going out.

As for calls by some people for lockdowns, the spokesperson said measures must be prepared well before time, and those people who earn daily incomes must also be considered.

"The prime minister has asked people to stay home. In this period, we would like Thai people to stay at home. Before we make the order, we are now asking for cooperation. After this, the situation will be evaluated if we don't receive cooperation," she said adding that there are options to consider such as what times or how many hours people could be barred from going out.

Ms Narumon's remarks came after Thursday's meeting of agencies working on tackling the spread of Covid-19. Former public health minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, public health permanent secretary Sukhum Kanchanapimai and deans of universities' medical schools took part.

The doctors said that, using mathematical model calculations, maintaining the current measures would see up to 351,948 Covid-19 patients in Thailand while more than 52,000 would be hospitalised with over 17,000 in intensive care and 7,000 deaths.

However, from a simulation, lockdown measures would reduce the number of patients to 24,269 with 3,640 in hospitals including 1,213 in ICU and 485 deaths, an informed source said citing the doctors' remarks.

Dr Patarawan Woratanarat, head of Orthopaedic Department, Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, agreed with lockdowns.

"It is the golden period right now. We have rather a small number of infected people but the number is rising," Dr Patarawan said.

"If we choose to be strict like Singapore and Hong Kong, close crowded places such as schools and lock down the country, the number of patients will increase mildly, and the total number of patients will be low. We will have enough medical personnel and equipment to take care of patients," she said.

The Public Health Ministry on Friday reported 50 new Covid-19 cases, 18 of them linked to boxing stadiums and 12 to contact with previous patients, raising the national total to 322. One new patient is a six-month-old baby.

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday said the World Health Organization had praised Thailand's response in handling the Covid-19 crisis after a meeting with Dr Daniel Kertesz, the WHO representative to Thailand.

The ministry is also advising people to follow social distancing as it is an effective method of disease control.

To Khun Anutin - well done. You're a success.

Most countries around the world are testing for free. Even the US which has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world are testing for free.

People with mild conditions are encouraged not to be tested. Just let them wander about in the community infecting many more. Ridiculous.

Unbelievable Thailand!

Reality Check
Coronavirus and chloroquine: Has its use been approved in US?

President Trump claims a drug used against malaria has been approved in the United States to treat the new coronavirus.

Chloroquine is one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs.

So is the president right and what is known about its effectiveness?

Chloroquine has not been approved for treating coronavirus
President Trump, at his daily press briefing, claimed that chloroquine had been approved for use in treating the coronavirus by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). That is the body in charge of licensing medicines in America.

"We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. And that's where the FDA has been so great. They've gone through the approval process - it's been approved."

To be clear, chloroquine has been approved to treat malaria and arthritis. However, the FDA has made it clear this is not the case for treating people with the Covid-19 coronavirus.

"There are no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent Covid-19."

https://www.bbc.com/news

I don't think I have the vocabulary to adequately convey my contempt for this lying SOB. And yes I have seen the video of the press conference.

^^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/51980731

I have asked about chloroquine in many chemists in HH but they all tell me only available from hospitals.

It's off patent, should be OTC. So why aren't chemists stocking it ? Or does anyone know where to get it ?

Off patent and over the counter are completely unrelated things. Chloroquine is approved for malaria treatment though its efficacy has diminished as malaria has evolved. Maybe JJB could enlighten us.

HHTel wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 1:31 pm Most countries around the world are testing for free. Even the US which has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world are testing for free.

People with mild conditions are encouraged not to be tested. Just let them wander about in the community infecting many more. Ridiculous.

Unbelievable Thailand!

Actually, that's the same policy as in the US and UK. In both those countries, people with mild symptoms are not eligible for testing.

Here are two examples of this:

A news release from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health this week advised doctors not to test those experiencing only mild respiratory symptoms unless “a diagnostic result will change clinical management or inform public health response.”

At about the same time, the New York City Department of Health directed all healthcare facilities to immediately stop testing non-hospitalized patients for Covid-19.

“At this point in the pandemic, demand for unnecessary testing is contributing to the rapidly diminishing supply of PPE and leading to a decreasing supply of swabs and viral transport media used to collect diagnostic specimens for Covid-19 testing,” a statement read.

My daughter works in the NHS in England. As she explained to me, the current NHS policy is not to test patients unless they are in serious enough condition to be hospitalised (as in New York).

Even health care workers who have had contact with confirmed coronavirus patients are not being tested.

Which seems crazy to me, but that's the policy. An NHS doctor complains about it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... d-19-tests