Virus rebellion! Thais returning at airport refuse to go into government sanctioned quarantine

[samran]

15 minutes ago, drbeach said:

You mean Thai social media is full of people criticizing the police/military/government? Well , being fluent in Thai I already knew that, but some posters here have a strange view of reality. On the one hand, Thais are all sheep, on the other, they have just successfully managed to avoid quarantine.

Despite being more aware of our rights, I somehow doubt a group of 100 Aussies would have had the same success if they had tried the same thing at Melbourne airport. Then again, Aussies are overall, less likely to rise up against authority.

I was mainly responding to the posters who were saying that it would only be farangs who'd be criticised for doing this.

 

There is plenty enough criticism of these travellers by Thai people themselves, but as you say, there are those who are also critical of the governments handling of it, particularly not giving enough notice or not being strict enough on the travellers. It is a mixed bag.

 

Quote

On the one hand, Thais are all sheep, on the other, they have just successfully managed to avoid quarantine.

It is an interesting perspective you've bought up. Thai's are pretty good at 'negotiating' with authority for sure and they sure as heck are able to scare the bejezeus out of governments. Yet despite all this, we keep getting coups...

[atyclb]

28 minutes ago, drbeach said:

I am most surprised that these Thais weren't forcibly detained. It just goes to show how fragile the whole system is...it's more of an illusion than a reality. If enough people rise up, the government's dictates would be forced to crumble overnight.

 

no, the airport crowd was not threatening the country control of money

[Kadilo]

Looks like one or two may have filmed it. 
 

[sjaak327]

4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Actually, yes, such a certificate is required. BUT: Arriving on a plane of whose passengers three proved to have a high fever automatically invalidated that certificate and everybody on the plane became subject to the obligatory 14 days of quarantine. So, in this instance the health authorities at the airport acted correctly for once. Just because one has a certificate doesn't mean one has become immune to the virus.

 

Nevertheless, things got really messed up. Firstly, you just don't let 3 feverish passengers "disappear into the crowds". And secondly, for the sake of everybody, you don't let the remaining passengers dictate to you how and where they should be quarantined. 

Sure, a virus let's completely throw civil rights out of the window. The panic really clouds the judgement here. Self quarantine in their own homes would have been more then sufficient. But no, the government wanted to put these people in some sort of forced quarantine away from their own homes. Do not blame the passengers, they were absolutely right. Panic and sheer angst could never be a reason to suspend basic human rights. They could and should have handled this better. 

[chainarong]

Same in Oz, they even complained about the five star hotel whinged and bitched, now they've got army guards at their doors , tourists now coming back that defied Government instructions not to go o/seas will be charged for their hotel room and meals. This all came about because some of our dumb pricks were caught down the local supermarket, instead of in voluntary quarantine. 

Edited April 4, 2020 by chainarong

[chilli42]

Well one thing I know for sure from back home is that those who break quarantine quickly find neighbors with pitchforks and torches at their front door.

[drbeach]

3 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

in this case, it would not have mattered in the slightest.

 

anyone returning from overseas was required to undergo 14-days supervised quarantine.  all were to be properly tested during the quarantine, at least once.  the only thing a dodgy thermometer would result in would be that person or persons sent directly to a hospital rather than to the quarantine hotel.

Either way, it's jail.

 

That's why this is all so scary. The other poster was right - get some Somchai clown with a dodgy thermometer to measure your temp as being 37.6 and you get sent to a quarantine camp. better to get your groceries delivered until such time temperature checks are no longer being made...perhaps next month or in two months. Who knows.

[mauGR1]

1 hour ago, petedk said:

In theory, but in practice many people would not stick to staying self isolated. 

Right, but too heavy a repression will create rebellion, not sure it's the right choice.

[PatOngo]

8 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

They could and should have handled this better. 

Great show of incompetence on the part of the authorities. True colors comes to mind. I can almost picture the miscreants riding away in the back of pick ups thumbing their noses at the dysfunctional police!

[hotelbri]

1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

There was a thread about this a few weeks ago and every poster described symptoms including me and now my wife and grand niece and MIL have or have had symptoms.These flu like symptoms go around here all year every year as well as the rest of the world stretching health services every year and when you pile this virus on top (wether is more deadly or not) it shows how easily the stretched health systems can break.No country has proven that it was as ready for this as they lead their people to believe.

In 4 hours 1st and ONLY direct account , hopefully no fatalities .. Come on you guys where is the evidence of the plague ravageing thailand? Oh and don't forget it been here since January. Get a life....

[atyclb]

6 hours ago, Soupdragon said:

Quote

After twenty minutes the reluctant health authorities were obliged to back down and the group were allowed to go into a 14 day quarantine at their homes.

Thousands of troops deployed to enforce curfew yet an angry mob can dictate to those "in charge".

 

Unbelievable.

 

 

put mr. duterte in charge

[SkyFax]

58 minutes ago, drbeach said:

 

I am most surprised that these Thais weren't forcibly detained.

They were.

 

According to the Nation TV reporter, after over four hours of a standoff between 166 passengers and airport staff, they finally agreed to go to quarantine facilities at around 2am.

 

The airport dispatched four buses to take the passengers from gate 10 on the second floor of the passenger terminal to Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province. The passengers will remain there in quarantine for 14 days and will have to strictly follow the regulations regarding quarantine procedures announced by Ministry of Public Health.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385409

[Oziex1]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Now can you imagine the furore if 100 farang were putting on the same performance. There would be calls for all of us to be deported or shot.

For us "do you know who I am" just doesn't cut it.

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, Dap said:

Not that long ago the U.S. quarantined a great many returnees at Air Force Bases and last I read they were set up for a thousand occupants.

Strangely enough this is Thailand

 

[Oziex1]

The thing for me is they were not informed, I would be very irate about having that sprung on me after a long flight.

[tomazbodner]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has prohibited all aircraft from entering Thailand for three days after some 100 Thais, who landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday (April 3) evening, refused to go to quarantine facilities in Bangkok and Chonburi, claiming they were not notified in advance of the procedures.

Please publish the names and photos of these for a very warm... dazzling hot... welcome to their homes by neighbours.

[Pedrogaz]

4 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

yes, i'm a 'dirty foreigner' with a non-o retirement that expires in october, here with my thai ladyfriend.

 

we have work visas for china, and have just decided to extend another year rather than return to thailand.  the situation in hainan is almost back to normal, visa renewal is an easy paperwork shuffle; so far no new requirements for our category of visa.

 

don't know what is happening with laowai on tourist visas, or whether there are any left in the country.  i can tell you flights from overseas have been reduced in number, and the airports they can fly into have been restricted.  anyone arriving from overseas is required to undergo 14 days monitored quarantine in government selected hotels at the traveler's expense.  our local government sent out a pdf that estimated quarantine costs (hotel, food, etc) at 500-800 rmb/day. (about 2500-3000 baht/day)

 

they've also gone full police-state.  everyone had to (this was just rescinded for hainan) download an app to monitor their health status, updated every 72 hours.  you would have to show your clear QR-code to access public facilities, businesses and housing complexes.  this was linked to your bank records, social media, phone records, bus and train passenger rosters, police cctv with facial recognition, and gps location monitoring.  big brother is everywhere and knows all things.  they're using big data to track down suspected carriers and anyone they've come in contact with.

 

we had been planning to return sometime during the summer.  i need to extend my stay and renew drivers licenses, and honey bunny wanted to buy some land, but given the situation we'll probably stay here this summer.

Good move to stay in China. They seem to have some people in government that have functioning brain cells, IQs in double digits and a handle on reality. Thailand sadly is run by a bunch of morons who could plan their escape from a paper bag. 

[tomazbodner]

3 hours ago, pdtokyo said:

 

 

Thailand may follow the same path as China but they will get one or two steps down that path and fall down face-flat for about a zillion reasons ... in no particular order ...

 

(a) China CCTV budget for hardware is about 3 x Thai GNP

(b) facial recognition and mandatory mask wearing? How does that work?

(c) where do we even find a non-fiction Thai bus/train roster?

(d) linked bank records? i understand that many TV extenders have trouble even getting a statent printed

(e) access to housing complexes? recent stay in Sukhumvit condo the card-readers kaput 50% of time, security = guy sitting on milk-crate

(f) what % of Thai city-dwellers are technically still village-dwellers according to their ID cards?

etc

etc

 

Fact: Nobody does China like China.

Opinion: Nobody will do anywhere like China, it's operating a failing and unsustainable system.

Mostly agree but wanted to point out that a decade... ok, maybe just 5 years back, China was just as much mess as Thailand is now. But a massive investment into the technology changed that nearly overnight.

[Kadilo]

25 minutes ago, Logosone said:

 

 

I already see in the UK they are planning mass step out flashmobs. 

Source?

[david555]

41 minutes ago, drbeach said:

Either way, it's jail.

 

That's why this is all so scary. The other poster was right - get some Somchai clown with a dodgy thermometer to measure your temp as being 37.6 and you get sent to a quarantine camp. better to get your groceries delivered until such time temperature checks are no longer being made...perhaps next month or in two months. Who knows.

Buy yourself a temperature meter , and you know it is safe  …. , does not cost much those simple digital temp. meters 

Make your life simple by thinking a little bit ….

[NightSky]

The beginning of the end

[ParkerN]

8 hours ago, justaphase said:

Typical Thais, thinking that it doesn't apply to them.

Thais...

 

More fun than trying to herd cats.

[Soikhaonoiken]

7 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

They boarded their planes thinking they would shortly be home, seeing family again, without ever being told that they would have to spend 14 days in a quarantine prison. It’s understandable that they were angry. Many would not have returned if they had known what would happen.

Oh come on, this practice is known world wide, and the media cover has also been world wide, Thais also listen and read Thai media on the Internet when they are abroad, so no excuse that they didn't know. 

[manhood]

So many of the problems of spreading the virus within Thailand is "home made" by Thais and from Thais and there is no need to blame foreigners: blame yourself!!!

And Thais just think about that: how many foreigners are feeding you all here. Hundred thousands are living on foreigners money! If they all would leave and stop paying or sending money you are suffering in Thailand. Sure not the Junta Gang and all these "big heads" who not care about thai people!

[Venom]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Department of Health said that three of the group with fever had already been found. These disappeared in the crowds taking advantage of the confusion.

Great work! ????

[sjaak327]

22 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

No, because these idiots are endangering a lot of people by their selfish actions and delaying the end of the emergency.  It's no different than if they went out there with guns or knives, except that they could kill more people with the virus.

If you really believe that to be true, I guess further discussion is useless. Maybe just re-read and really think about what you just said. As I said, crazy and scary. 

 

Since a cerfew is already in place, they would not endangering a lot of people. Whenever is taking exception at being deprived of freedom without due process or reason being selfish ?

[metisdead]

Posts with offensive and hyperbolic comparisons have been removed.

 

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed. 

[stuandjulie]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

They all look the bloody same! ????

Straight from the book of racism circa 1972.

[holy cow cm]

It was pretty obvious they would come here and be quarantined. Especially from two of the countries mentioned. But as the PM fathead said they who jumped and escaped would be hunted down. They should just be happy they are back home  in country. 

[liddelljohn]

Another humiliation for the Thai Government  ,, seriously they should have  just arrested any of those passangers  who refused isolation in Sattahip   and thrown them into a normal prison ,,that would be a reality check for the selfish  prima donnas