Pandemic is disrupting travel plans
US couple decides to stay put after spending a month in Covid-19 quarantine, writes Thana Boonlert
When Alexis Luckey and Sam Matthias set foot in Bangkok in March, they never expected their journey would be turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. However, after spending a month at a local quarantine centre in Nonthaburi, the couple decided to put off their plans to return to the United States.
The door-to-door sales representatives from Sacramento, California, began their journey in the Philippines in October last year, before continuing on to Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia.
They arrived in Thailand on March 3, when the country had just recorded 43 confirmed cases and one death from Covid-19.
Ms Luckey, 20, said they had planned to stay in Bangkok until the end of March.
The couple decided to self-isolate throughout the month, although they weren’t required to do so at the time. Things began to take a turn for the worse when they found out that their flights were cancelled because of the pandemic.
“We moved to an apartment, but, because of Covid-19, people were worried about having new people living there. We ended up staying at a hotel for a couple of days.
“Then we moved to another place, where we hoped to stay throughout April,” she told the Bangkok Post.
One day, despite having completed their self-isolation period and showing no symptoms, Ms Luckey said staff knocked on their door to see if they were sick and promptly took their temperatures.
“They told us people were scared because we were foreigners and thought we were infected. After that, police, immigration officers and nurses came and told us we would be transported to the local quarantine centre [on April 3],” she said.
Located in Nonthaburi, the Kanchanabhishek Institute of Medical and Public Health Technology has turned one of its teacher dormitories into a quarantine facility. Ms Luckey said they were assigned a room and staff.
“Nurses came in the morning and afternoon. We were given three meals. Staff picked up rubbish and provided everything we needed, such as cleaning supplies,” she said.
As a result of the coronavirus crisis, many foreign tourists are unable to leave Thailand. To assist those stranded by the outbreak, the government has allowed tourists whose visas expired after March 26 to stay until July 31. An automatic three-month extension for other visa and border pass holders has also taken effect.
Ms Luckey said she and Sam aren’t planning to go back any time soon because the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States has already surpassed one million.
“We video chat with our family as much as we can to keep them informed. At the moment, there is not much to do. We had been in our apartment until we were allowed to take a walk outside two days ago.
“We spend time listening to audiobooks via an application, watching videos on Youtube, and keeping up with the news. However, for the most part, we don’t interact with anyone except nurses. We are the last couple to stay at the centre,” she said.
Having spent one month in quarantine, Ms Luckey said they have been looked after well by Thai staff and they will always be grateful for their kindness and hospitality.
“They allowed us to stay while we were waiting for our visa extension. Our nurse Ness even took our passports to immigration. After we left the quarantine centre on Saturday, they provided us with a place to stay until the border opens again,” she said.
The couple plans to spend time volunteering at a local college.
Ms Luckey said if the border reopens on July 31, they plan to visit nearby countries where Covid-19 isn’t as big a problem, such as Vietnam.
Even though she did not have a chance to explore the countryside here, Ms Luckey said they really enjoyed Thai food.
“All the dishes we have had so far are delicious, but some were a little too spicy to handle. Our favourite dish is pad thai but during quarantine, I’d say it is pork belly with rice,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mr Matthias, 28, said Thais are always happy and willing to help. “No doubt in my mind: we will be back,” he said.
‘‘ People were scared because we were foreigners and they thought we had Covid-19.
ALEXIS LUCKEY
QUARANTINED TOURIST