News Forum - Thailand introduces strict screening for arrivals from countries with monkeypox

[Highlandman]

I'm not saying they will shut the borders again like they did in 2020, but this is looking suspiciously like January 3, 2020 again. That's when the disease control department first started "screening" visitors from Wuhan, which was expanded to all Chinese nationals only a week later. I traveled across the land border to Myanmar and back mid-January 2020. They set up tables in front of immigration and basically pulled any Chinese national over to record their passport details, take a photo and some basic medical info. Not being Chinese, I was thankfully able to bypass this and proceed on my way as normal. No one wore a mask yet (the odd Chinese person aside).

By February 2020 when I again traveled to Myanmar but this time through a different border crossing, they were setting up temperature screening, which went into operation on my return 1 week later. The Burmese side was busy putting up plexiglass screens. Medical forms were handed out to arrivals from certain countries, which later became anyone holding a passport from these countries, nevermind if they haven't been back to their home countries for years and only traveled to Myanmar or Laos on a day trip. There was talk of Italians, Chinese, Iranians and South Koreans being denied entry or re-entry based on their nationality alone. Or being required to fill out said health form and being subjected to extra scrutiny.

Early March 2020 I went to Laos. There was no screening in place there yet, but reportedly there was intense screening along the Myanmar border and also the border with Malaysia. Days after my return to Thailand, every arrival was given a TM8 health form and for each passing day, new restrictions were rolled out to the point of 14-day quarantines and a complete ban of all foreigners coming in, for around 2-3 months beginning in early April.

I just hope Thailand and the rest of the world won't go down the same path again this time round. Right now I give it a 50/50 chance of that happening, but we'll have to wait and see. Too early to tell at this point.

[Grumpish]

Need to find something to do with all those desk jockeys now that the covid gravy train is running out of steam. 

[BIGGLES]

Given half a chance, Anutin will over react,  extend restrictions and blame it all on "dirty " Farangs.

Another perfect vehicle for him and the government to reinforce and extend control. 

Just when we look as if we might be turning a corner, I'm starting to fear the worst. FFS, I HOPE I'M WRONG.

[ace035]

4 hours ago, BIGGLES said:

Given half a chance, Anutin will over react,  extend restrictions and blame it all on "dirty " Farangs.

Another perfect vehicle for him and the government to reinforce and extend control. 

Just when we look as if we might be turning a corner, I'm starting to fear the worst. FFS, I HOPE I'M WRONG.

That's what Thailand is all about, it's all fear & control who cares about public health and safety, you'll find out the next couple of weeks.

[HiuMak]

13 hours ago, Grumpish said:

Need to find something to do with all those desk jockeys now that the covid gravy train is running out of steam. 

The pot is running dry, they need to come up with more monkey business

[Tigermask]

Nearly all cases were among gay men 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/monkeypox-likely-spread-sex-two-raves-europe-expert-says-rcna30055

[Cabra]

Not sure THA really needed to emergency mobilize resources with such urgency to develop a test that can be administered with a 24 hour turnaround within the next 2 weeks, seeing as the recommended specimen type for laboratory confirmation of monkeypox is skin lesion material, or lesion crusts... Seems like all you need to do is open your eyes and see a lesion... I'm being a bit facetious... But still, seems a bit overzealous at this juncture.

[Buzzkill]

I'm over all this non sense George soros bill gates economic forum dVos freak show biden Ukraine corruption they will stop at nothing Charles schab I hope you get strung up on a pole for all to see

[Manu]

On 5/24/2022 at 4:20 AM, Cabra said:

 What I fear more is this is just now getting started (the media fear mongering)... I get monkeypox is showing up in more countries where it's not typical endemic, but screening using a self assessment screening card. Worthless. And now the media reports are it's spreading mostly due to sexual contract (note: it's not sexually transmitted, just spreading as a result of). If a single case does appear around Asoke/Nana it's likely game over for Thailand given this latest overreaction.

Well what you don't say... But the fear mongering is not only the media or in Thailand, Belgium has already introduced a 21 days quarantine for monkeypox patients. Of course the mainstream media are already loving it, look at the headline of this article https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/23/belgium-introduces-mandatory-monkeypox-quarantine-as-global-cases-rise.html. Yes, "as global cases rise"!!! (a hugely alarming 92 cases when this article was published). And of course, a couple of beautiful pictures to go with it in case you did not get the only point of this headline and article: fear.

Everyone here, can you also smell the coffee from miles away????

[Cabra]

34 minutes ago, Manu said:

Well what you don't say... But the fear mongering is not only the media or in Thailand, Belgium has already introduced a 21 days quarantine for monkeypox patients. Of course the mainstream media are already loving it, look at the headline of this article https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/23/belgium-introduces-mandatory-monkeypox-quarantine-as-global-cases-rise.html. Yes, "as global cases rise"!!! (a hugely alarming 92 cases when this article was published). And of course, a couple of beautiful pictures to go with it in case you did not get the only point of this headline and article: fear.

Everyone here, can you also smell the coffee from miles away????

When they start quarantine of people without a confirmed case (like they did for COVID) then it's the beginning of the end. We are not there yet. But I'm not sure we are far off. When (if) they start talking about incubation period, then it's coming.

[Ivo_Shandor]

Incubation period of monkeypox can be up to 3 weeks (usually 1 to 2).