unblocktheplanet

Beggars in Bangkok have always been run by gangs. Very few independents. This 10-year old was obviously not going to school next day. Okay, we're not like India--that's just scary. But it's far better to appear cheap. My strategy is to pick one beggar I like--a thalidomide-handicapped woman on Sukhumvit (been there at least 20 years).

Bangkok ‘Rapid’ Transit (BRT) uses newer buses, providing a comfortable ride. But unless traffic is solved, they sure aren’t fast! BTS & MRT help with road congestion & are fast transport. But they’re expensive for most people, esp now with raised fares & more complicated ticketing. More than a decade down the track, BTS & MRT still don’t have integrated tickets! BTS is a for-private private enterprise (hard to imagine any profit for decades, by which time facilities & rolling stock will have to be upgraded multiple times. MRT is BMA. From the beginning, they had the good sense to offer senior cards to everyone, not just Thais. However, when topping up my card, they wanted my original passport & I only had a copy; the pink card got it done but wasted 15 minutes at the window…for nothing! (Si Lom MRT station, if anyone in management is reading this. BTS only offers senior discount to Thais. This is specifically illegal under the provisions of the Thai Constitution forbidding discrimination based upon age, race or nationality. I’ve talked to BTS lawyers & they don’t give a hoot. So here are my suggestions for Dr. Chadchart: 1) Ban cars, or prohibitively fee-based city entry. 2) (Free, why not) parking facilities next to major stations. We don’t need more malls, we need parkades for public transport users. 3) BTS, MRT & BRT handicapped accessible. 4) Increase numbers & routes of BRT 5) BRT with racks for bicycles. Bike riders ride BRT free. 6) Goods transport restricted hours. 7) More rolling stock, maximum carriages to fit platforms. More frequency. ???? Integrated BTS, MRT & BRT tickets with options for ALL seniors & students. Look, the goal is to make the capital a livable city, a showcase. Foreigners don’t spend time in Bangkok for its world-class shopping malls. So 9) Bring back street food, affordable to all classes. 10) Lean on the central govt to enforce burning rules. Few cars, mostly electric public transit would greatly reduce our annual air pollution. 11) Bury the cables & get rid of the ugly poles. Sheesh! My guess is no one will read these sensible, specific suggestions.

Although there are nearly 250 thermal springs in Thailand, none of them are anywhere near this spa. It may be they're talking about onsen-style bathing as normal Japanese baths are called ofuro. If you ever get a chance, seek out a real onsen or hotspring out in nature. Some small resorts have developed around some in Thailand. Nothing like it!

Rainy season brings in big rolling waves. My guess is the log rolled into her. Speedy recovery, not a great holiday. We'll be back soon to seeing young tourists in casts & bandages.

Say what you will, I'm keeping mine on. Read here about Long COVID: https://www.self.com/story/long-covid-study-cdc Good luck to us all, eh.

Whether or not the mask 'mandate' is repealed, I'm going to opt for safety over comfort or fashion. Yes, it's hot & a PITA but catching Omicron is no fun, not does it provide long-lasting immunity. TAT reports a million foreign arrivals since Jan 1st. In BK, I see an awful lot of them without masks. Frankly, I think it's disrespectful of the rest of us.

Sounds awesome, and the price is right! Must have been tough for them with Covid. Got a name or photo to share? Thx.

All the three candidates polled on getting rid of the tangle of overhead wires answered the same: Too expensive. Unsightly & dangerous!

Thailand has Psilocybe samuiensis to be proud of. One more thing should be legal.

What were your previous three doses? How long since your third-dose booster?

Frankly, I think life would be hollow here without my wife of 30 years. She's my best friend & guru. But where else would I move? No clothes for the tundra & no room in the modern world.

By definition, Covid can never be endemic. It may be largely confined to specific groups such as the elderly, those with underlying conditions, the immunocompromised, and children but that does not make it like the flu. In fact, epidemiologists have said infectious transmission is approaching that of measles. Current vaccines don’t prevent transmission. Excess deaths, illness requiring hospitalisation, and widespread transmission are not going away by govt announcement. The potential for a new, worse variant is very real. Plus long Covid.

And is Novax approved as a fourth dose booster???

Yes. Title, please. YouTube, torrent?

No testing, no reporting, no Covid. Yeah, right.

Way more kind than the electric fencing!

And nobody wearing masks!

Some here may remember when we had to pay B500 at a special wicket before checking in when leaving. This scheme puts a lot of extra work on the airlines. IF it's real medical & accident coverage & the need for separate cover goes away, then it's sure worth it to add ten bucks to the price of an int'l ticket.

The do-nothing, business-as-usual trough changes hands. Nothing to see here.

Right...but how do they get their online queue date straightened out. This is obviously a glitch. What happens when they try to file a new report 90 days after entry?

Really, only one metric counts. We're getting ~125 deaths from Covid per day. In the years before Covid, did we have that many excess deaths from flu? Certainly never heard of them. Masks are not 'Covid theatre'. Along with vaxx, they're the only thing that works. I see an awful lot of people without them these days--I think it's terribly disrespectful of others.

Glass is better for the planet. But a good filter is the best. We rotate glass carafes in the fridge.

I sure think that behaviour puts all of us at risk. We're long past the days of that farang refusing Anutin's mask. We now know they work.

Maybe so. But we have nothing but COVAX to get vax to the third world. Not even sure if it's too late to prevent the incubation of new strains.

Jack, you posted in 11th, I on 12th. I got approval this morning, too. And lost those 8 days, as approval was calculated from the date of application as OPs have also reported. It is what it is, eh. This was only my second online. Last time, I was nervous enough to mail, too. CW simply ignored my mail which means I lost the docs & postage, nothing more. I guess I'll put more trust in the devas next time, though it might all fall apart anyhow.