Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Chiang Rai man tests positive for Covid-19 after contact with infected returnees

A 28 year old Chiang Rai man tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. Health officials believe the man contracted the virus from one of the 10 infected Thai women who recently returned from Myanmar’s border town Tachileik, evading the mandatory 14 day quarantine.
So far, at least 699 people came in contact with the women after they returned, according to permanent secretary of health Kiatiphum Wongrajit. Health officials say the 28 year old man spent time with 3 of the women from November 28 to December 1. The patient is now being treated at a hospital.
The women say they worked at hotels and entertainment venues in Tachileik, many are linked to the 1G1 hotel and entertainment venue in the district. After crossing the border and entering Chiang Rai, some women travelled to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phichit and Ratchaburi. Some had coronavirus symptoms while they travelled. Kiatiphum says the women are being treated at hospitals, all with mild symptoms.
175 people considered to be at “high risk” have tested negative for Covid-19 and are undergoing a quarantine period. 524 people at “low risk” are also in isolation. If they remain Covid-19 free by the end of the quarantine period, health officials can declare that there was no spread of the virus, Kiatiphum says.
Thailand has only had about a handful local Covid-19 transmissions since September after going 100 days without a local case. Health officials have speculated that most of those cases may have been imported. In rare cases, the incubation period for the virus is longer than 14 days.
“A spread of the disease should be out of the question now.”
Media reports say the women “sneaked” across the Thai-Myanmar border, skipping Covid-19 screening and the mandatory quarantine. The women could face charges for entering Thailand illegally and violating the Emergency Decree. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he’s asked authorities to press charges “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Now, 150 Thais in Tachileik have asked for permission to legally return to Thailand, according to acting director general of the Department of Disease Control Opas Karnkawinpong. So far, 3 Thai nationals who recently returned to Chiang Rai through the official entry process tested positive for Covid-19 and are now in quarantine.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Thailand
Massage workers in Pattaya call for reopening of spas and massages shops

A group of about 50 workers from Pattaya massage shops and spas gathered together to call for the reopening of their businesses after being closed for the past month due to Covid-19 restrictions. The group called themselves the “Pattaya Health Massage” presented a letter signed by 60 massage shops, spas and gyms to Bang Lamung District Sheriff this morning.
Chon Buri is listed as a “high risk” area with maximum restrictions. Many nonessential businesses in the province have been closed including massage shops, spas and gyms.
Now that Chon Buri has gone 5 consecutive days without a local Covid-19 infection, the workers say it’s time for businesses, like massage shops and spas, to reopen.
The workers also raised the point that other provinces and districts across Thailand are loosening restrictions as the number of active cases continues to drop. The workers also said that there are no Covid-19 clusters or major outbreaks related to massage shops or fitness venues.
Bang Lamung District Sheriff Amnat Charoensri met the protesters and collected the petition and says he understands that many people need to get back to work to earn income. Local officials are expected to hold a meeting within the next week to potentially loosen restrictions.
SOURCE: Pattaya News
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
CCSA Update: 959 new Covid-19 cases, most detected in proactive case finding

Breaking Thailand’s record for highest daily spike in coronavirus cases, 959 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,679 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, Thailand has reported a total of 14,646 cases and 75 coronavirus-related deaths.
The majority of new cases were found in proactive case finding in Samut Sakhon, which has been increased to test 60,000 people in the province this week. With more diligent testing in the Covid-19 hotspot, health officials expected a spike in reported cases. 848 of the 959 new cases were detected proactive testing, most in Samut Sakhon and only 4 in Bangkok.
In Samut Sakhon, 70 other Covid-19 cases were detected during hospital examinations, according to the CCSA. Since the new wave of infections last month, concentrated at a seafood market in the province’s Mahachai fishing hub, 6,555 cases have been reported in Samut Sakhon with the vast majority of cases involving migrant workers. Out of those cases, 5,178 were found in proactive case finding which has tested more than 70,000 people in the area.
The CCSA reports 17 new cases in Bangkok, 1 in Samut Songkham and 1 in Ubon Ratchathani, all exposed to the virus will visiting high risk areas. 22 of the new cases reported today were detected in quarantine for those arriving to Thailand from abroad.

Active Covid-19 cases in Thailand as of January 25, according to Worldometers.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Samut Sakhon speeds up proactive Covid-19 screening to test at least 60,000 people this week

Proactive Covid-19 testing in Samut Sakhon is increasing and health officials now aim to test at least 60,000 people this week. Medical officials from several hospitals are also coming together to help accelerate the screening at different venues in the province.
The active case finding in Samut Sakhon, the primary “Covid-19 hotspot” in the new wave of infections, health officials will test migrant workers who work at various factories as well as residents in 15 communities, market vendors and other people in high risk groups.
According to the CCSA, with the proactive screening, the number of new infections is expected to be high. And with the current proactive plan to be complete this week, it is expected to find 4,400 new infections or about 7% of those being screened.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Peter
Friday, December 4, 2020 at 11:55 am
Oh dear. Looks like the smug Thai loverboys on this board are about to get a bit of the pandemic.
Thailand perfect, So glad i in Thailand during pandemic, keep the borders closed to other farangs blah blah blah.
Now find out what it’s like to be in a third world country during a health emergency.
No flights out and no where to return to.
Best of luck.
Issan John
Friday, December 4, 2020 at 12:49 pm
I don’t know what “Thailand” you’re talking about, Peter, but in the one I’m in there are plenty of “flights out” and it’s no problem to “return”.
Although the airport was closed very briefly, nine months ago, there are plenty of “flights out” and plenty of empty seats on them as more seats are occuped on the flights in than the flights out.
… and for most here in a similar position to me with a re-entry permit, there’s no problem over “returning” apart from the ASQ.
… and FWIW I’ve used the government health system here a few times (regularly as an outpatient, a few times in A & E, and once as an in-patient) and I couldn’t be happier with it. If I was unfortunate enough to need long-term treatment I’d probably be better off in the UK on the NHS (although that’s questionable at the moment with the delays due to Covid-19), but generally I’m far better off here.
A couple of friends of mine who usually live here have unfortunately been ‘stuck’ in the UK for a few months for family reasons; both were tired of ‘Thai ways’ after several years and were planning on returning to the UK in a year or two with their Thai partners, having been back to the UK every year for a few weeks; now, after living there for a few months, they both can’t wait to get back to Thailand and any thoughts of a return to the UK are well and truly out.
James
Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Issan John
Yes, lots of flights out of Thailand, I flew to the UK from BKK in August, there was a lot of choices.
I have been to the A&E a few times in Thailand, the last times a series of visits cost £3500, but as I had travel insurance for the seven months I was there this year then OK, but if I had anything serious then the UK is the only place to be.
Treatment at the moment in the UK?
As fantastic as ever, my sister in law (Thai) was on a life support machine, induced coma for two weeks due to the virus a few weeks ago and is now recovering after being in the hospital for a month, she said ‘Thank god I am in England and not Thailand when this happened otherwise I would have had it’
Some of us farangs love both the UK and Thailand and are not stuck in any one county, we decide where to be.
But one thing I will always do is keep money, finances etc in the UK and make sure I have a return ticket when in Thailand as we are second class citizens there with no rights and no indefinite leave to stay, we are at the whim of the government and that tends to change very dramatically every now and then.
James R
Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 4:47 pm
Issan John
Oops, my comment above is from James R and not just James as there is recently another commentator with that name at large.
Glenn
Friday, December 4, 2020 at 4:40 pm
Hey Thaiger, how about some investigative reporting here. With supposedly 699 people having been ‘in contact’ with these typhoid Mary’s perhaps you could as a few of them;
– were any of these girls sick?
– are you sick?
– if you are in quarantine/isolation, what are you being ‘treated’ for?
– do you think it is legal to quarantine (house arrest) anyone if they are healthy?
– are you being monetarily compensated for being held under house arrest ?
Leo Z
Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 3:44 am
“A spread of the disease should be out of the question now.” Who declared that? I hope not a doctor with the public health system in Thailand, unless they want to get even less credibility than they already have.
It’s been established that each infected person can infect 2-5 other people, not including super-spreader infections. At an average rate of 3, that means about 2500 people can be infected in 5 days.