Indonesia
Indonesia to introduce new GeNose Covid-19 test for foreign visitors to Bali

The Indonesian government says that from next month, it will allow the use of the GeNose Covid-19 detector for foreign visitors to the island of Bali. This will replace the previous requirement for a negative PCR test or antigen rapid test obtained within 2 days of arrival. From April 1, foreign visitors will be able to take the GeNose Covid-19 test either at their point of entry at the airport or harbour, or in the departure terminal before travel. They will need to obtain a negative result before they can continue their journey.
According to a report in Coconuts, the GeNose Covid-19 detector was developed at Gadjah Mada University in the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java. The device uses artificial intelligence to detect Covid-19 through human breath. Indonesia’s Health Ministry approved its use late last year.
The introduction of the device represents a significant cost-saving for travellers to Bali. Each GeNose test costs 30,000 Indonesian rupiahs (approximately 65 Thai baht). For comparison, an antigen rapid test costs 250,000 rupiah (approximately 540 baht), while a PCR test costs 900,000 rupiah (approximately 1,940 baht).
Officials say if anyone appears to be showing symptoms of Covid-19, despite a negative test result, they will not be able to continue with their journey but will have to take a PCR test and self-isolate until the results are known. Foreign visitors are also still required to complete a Health Alert Card. However, it’s understood children under the age of 5 will not need to take any test. Indonesia will implement the new requirements effective April1 until further notice.
The governor of Bali recently designated 3 areas of the province to welcome foreign visitors. Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua have all been labelled “green zones”, as part of a Covid-free corridor, with plans to vaccinate all residents.
SOURCE: Coconuts
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Cambodia threatens jail for Covid-19 quarantine violations

In the face of expanding Covid-19 infections in Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that violators of quarantine may face prison sentences, and government workers could be fired if they don’t get vaccines. More than 1,000 new Coronavirus cases were diagnosed in the last 2 days along, nearly 25% of the total cases since the pandemic began. The government has forbidden out-of-province travel and implemented evening curfews in the main city of Phnom Penh. They even shut down all the tourist attractions including the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex.
Face masks are already mandatory now in Phnom Penh, with fines up to US $250 for anyone caught violating the order. But PM Hun Sen, himself having had a close brush with Covid-19 months ago, has imposed a 2-week quarantine and has made it clear that punishment for any rule-breakers will be harsh and swift. The government has already enacted a strict bill to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Cambodia, with prison terms of up to 20 years for serious violators. In an address broadcast on state-run television, he promised a “quick trial’.
“People who break Covid measures must be sentenced, I accept being called a dictator, but I will also be admired for protecting my people’s lives.”
Cambodia began Covid-19 vaccination in February, with a million citizens already receiving at least their first of two injections. In a country of 16 million, that 6% is a healthy start for their vaccination programme. The Prime Minister also declared vaccination mandatory for all state officials and members of the military. He asserted that their job was on the line if they failed to comply.
Cambodia had done well with low Covid-19 infection numbers during the pandemic, but in February, the virus tore through the Chinese ex-pat community, with the outbreak causing a surge in infections proliferating across the country. The situation is worsening now, as hospitals in Phnom Penh are running out of beds and the government is converting large halls and local schools into medical centres for mildly afflicted patients.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Nightlife plays major role in Covid-19 third wave

The current surge in Covid-19 infections now looks to be spread in large part by Thailand’s colourful nightlife, with more than 500 people contracting the more contagious UK variant (B117) of the Coronavirus. The government responded by closing all bars and entertainment venues in 41 provinces, but it may be too late to prevent a third wave of the pandemic. Many people now are critical, pointing to the first and second wave as harbingers of how the party nightlife can so easily transmit Covid-19.
At the beginning of the pandemic, partiers in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area began testing positive for Covid-19 last March. The Public Health Ministry instructed everyone to follow safety measures to prevent a big outbreak. The area is well known to be a hotspot for Bangkok’s wealthy elite and powerful with its multitude of high-end luxury clubs and bars.
A normal night has thousands of people roaming the streets into the late hours of the evening. But after infections started spreading, all nightlife was closed until July when Thailand overall had gained some control and contained the Coronavirus more successfully than most countries. In fact, it would be months before any new infections were diagnosed in the area.
While it’s commonly known that the next wave of Covid-19 in Thailand started mainly from migrant workers and low wage market workers, even the second round of infections was proliferated by people enjoying the nightlife around Thailand. There was a case of a woman in the North who went to several bars before knowing that she had contracted the virus in January, and, when the details of her bar-hopping were released, many customers of a bar she attended in Chiang Mai had already contracted Covid-19 as well. Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Techin “DJ Matoom” Ploypetch held a lavish all-night party in a luxury hotel in January. Facing criminal charges for violating Covid-19 restrictions, he has recovered from the virus himself but the party became a spreader event. None of these nightlife outbreaks stopped people from pouring back into the club scene as soon as it reopened in February.
Now Thailand is facing a massive shutdown with the threat of a third wave of Covid-19 inescapable. One major factor in the rapidly spreading infections is trendy evening entertainment venues around Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya among other areas. A 35-year-old man who contracted Covid-19 reported he had been partying in Thong Lor the month before. Testing clubgoers from bars and entertainment venues in the area revealed an outbreak of Covid-19 infections.
Krystal Club Thonglor25 gained attention as powerful politicians and the wealthy elite that frequent the club so often it’s nicknamed “Government House 2”. 1/3 of Thailand’s cabinet ministers are currently self-isolating and it was rumoured that the Transport Minister had gotten C0vid-19 from visiting the infamous Krystal Club, though rumours were later dispelled.
But growing anger has emerged towards the upscale party-going set, with the hashtag #thonglorpub trending across social media since Wednesday, and many people complaining as the country closes down entertainment venues for the next two weeks and maybe facing further lockdown procedures.
The bar and club scene is a hotspot for Covid clusters since social distancing and mask-wearing are rarely enforced, in poorly ventilated rooms with throngs of tightly packed people. A list has emerged of high society hot spots where anyone in attendance in the past few weeks is being requested to get Covid-19 tests right away after customers at each has tested positive for covid.
- Krystal Club Thonglor25
- Bar Bar Bar,
- Ekamai Beer House,
- Emerald Thonglor13
- Dirty Bar
- Bottoms up Thonglor
- AINU Hokkaido lzakaya & Bar
- the Cassette Music Bar Ekamai
- 63 Music House Ekamai
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Big Covid-19 numbers today: 789 new infections, 1 death

789 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death were reported today by the CCSA. The death, a 68 year old Thai man from Nakhon Pathom, had died April 4 but was yesterday confirmed as dying from complications from Coronavirus. Only 8 infections were international arrivals, with 522 local infections and 259 diagnosed today through contact tracing.
The international infections were Thai and foreigners and included 3 arriving from Russia and 1 each from the US, UK, Oman, India, and Canada. 33 former patients are now fully recovered from the virus and discharged in the past 24 hours.
Earlier today 17 new infections were identified in Phuket and will go into tomorrow’s official national count. This brings the island’s total new infections this week to 43, almost all of them a result of an influx of Bangkok party-goers to events last weekend.
This new jump in Covid-19 brings the total infections in Thailand to 31,658 – c28,463 local cases and 3,195 internationally imported cases, 17,000+ of those cases were diagnosed from proactive testing. 28,161 have been released as ‘recovered’ with 2,645 people currently undergoing treatment and 97 total deaths.
Thailand is now 113th on the list of most cases globally, with the USA’s 31.8 million infections still more than the next 3 countries combined – Brazil with 13.37 million, India with 13.2 million, and France with 4.98 million. Russia rounds out the top 5 with 4.62 million infections.
The global total is up almost 800,000 to 135.29 million cases with 23.3 million active cases, just over 100,000 of which are considered in critical condition. 108,86 million have recovered from the virus, and 2.92 million have died, including 13,268 today.
SOURCE: The Nation Thailand
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Dpat
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 11:20 am
I hope this works well
toby andrews
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 11:51 am
That’s it Bali is open and Thailand is still AIMING to open.
They have missed the boat, with their shall we are or shall we not.
Bali will pick up Thailand’s regular vacationers, who might never return to Thailand.
Meanwhile the Thais are trying to sell the vaccines!
Me
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Both Balinese and Thais are in the same boat believe me, there have been as many fanciful ideas about re-opening there as there has been in Thailand, and at least as many fail to eventuate.
ME
Issan John
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 12:52 pm
People said the same thing about the Seychelles, the Maldives, et al, Toby, and it never happened.
It’s just a rather childish fantasy.
Issan John
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 3:18 pm
“Both Balinese and Thais are in the same boat believe me”
I do, @Me.
The only country in the area that seems to have kept its head is Vietnam, as they’ve simply said “we’re closed for a year” – tourists know they’ll have to wait so there’s no point whingeing, and those in the tourism sector know the same.
For the Tobys of this world, though, Vietnam’s double (or treble) pricing and attitude to tourists as an ATM to be plundered would make even Phuket look like Utopia.
toby andrews
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:15 pm
I was in Vietnam a year ago.
Everything is cheaper there in comparison to Thailand.
When were you last there I John or are you just googling for your defective information?
A 1 USD beer is B32 in Vietnam.
In Thailand the same measure is B60.
Engage brain before using keyboard
Me
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 9:02 am
Bali is NOT due to re-open to foreigners anytime soon, the information in the article is not correct.
The reality is that the new test and rules to get into Bali are for Indonesians, and others, already in the country to get into Bali, in other words TRYING TO IMPROVE DOMESTIC TOURISM, and in fact this might more likely hinder that goal as Bali are SUPPOSEDLY going to introduce 3 green zones (similar idea to Phuket) where a large percentage of the local population has been vaccinated, and now the want to make it EASIER for other indonesians to travel to Bali which in itself will self defeat the total idea of the green zones as there will no NEED for the domestic tourists to vaccinate first.
Me
Issan John
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 9:07 am
“I was in Vietnam a year ago.
Everything is cheaper there in comparison to Thailand”
It may come as a shock to you, Toby, but for some of us – even including some here – life isn’t only about whether things are “cheaper”.
… and FWIW:
“A 1 USD beer is B32 in Vietnam.”
A “1USD beer” is around B32 anywhere – if it was more (or less) it wouldn’t be “1 USD”.
Like for like, prices are actually similar in both countries.
“I was in Vietnam a year ago”
“a year ago” all Vietnam’s borders (land, sea and air) were closed to tourists, so unless you had special dispensatiion this is unlikely – particularly as at the time you were being thrown out of Thailand.
toby andrews
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 6:18 pm
Yes I John it was a year and a month ago. I returned to Thailand on the 23rd of February 2020.
Happy now? Vietnam closed the border on the 23 March 2020.I was there a year and 39 days ago.
So you were right, I could not have been there a year ago.
But before you jump out of your chair dancing and punching the air. I quoted in US dollars to make comparisons cheaper. See if you can find anything cheaper in Thailand than Vietnam?
Check NUMBEO cost of living countries. I say nothing in Thailand is cheaper than Vietnam.
By the way you brought pricing up.
I repeat when were you last in Vietnam?
Me
Friday, April 2, 2021 at 3:25 pm
Toby is correct, in general most things are cheaper in Vietnam, and beer as he quoted is generally a lot cheaper. The beer I drink in Thailand is up to 4 times the price i pay in the one destination i drink it in Vietnam, the other destinations i go to a beer is a similar price, but for a larger bottle (i actually prefer the taste of the beers i drink that come in a larger bottle so it is not a cost factor for me chasing cheaper prices.
Me