unblocktheplanet

These useless American wars!

Better thank the hardworking officials at MFA. They did a great job getting foreigners vaxxed despite all the obstacles & govt obstructionism.

"Residence" is a funny concept. Most of us will never be permanent residents in Thailand & a pink card & yellow book don't change that. More applicable might be where one's income taxes are paid, in one's home country or Thailand. I don't own anything in thailand but maintain a home in Canada. Insurance corpos didn't get so rich by paying out.

Big apologies! My bad: Dr. Dorn is at Rajvithi Hospital in Bangkok. Don't know why I lost the plot!

I wish to second Sheryl regarding amino acids. th.iHerb has reasonable prices & shipping to Thailand. I'm taking 2000mg N-acetyl l-Cysteine (NAC) for depression and 500mg d-Phenylalanine (DPA) for anxiety. Some improvement. Separated from food by at least 30 minutes. Worth looking up the free online Braverman Personality Assessment which can give you a lot of pointers in this direction. And, as an OP has pointed out, do NOT take benzodiazepines! They c.r.a*p out & leave you addicted.

Sheryl, very interesting about haemochromatosis. I was diagnosed a couple of years ago and have suffered depression, anxiety/panicks, sleeplessness & odd neuropathies. Most haematologists in Thailand are at a loss when it comes to haemochromatosis--Asians don't get it! So their knowledge is wholly theoretical. Whether or not phlebotomies are ordered takes into account your five iron levels (serum iron; ferritin, transferrin- & iron-binding capacity; transferrin & transferrin saturation per cent but it's a fine balance when taking your haemoglobin, haematocrit & MCV into account so as not to leave you anaemic which has problems of its own. Like our OP, I have not had a phlebotomy for a year due to Covid. And certainly no doc investigated my liver! I've had good luck with public hospitals in Bangkok. I certainly could not afford Bumrungrad! That said, one often only gets to see a young resident who may not have chosen your complaint as his/her specialty. But Phuket is a populous province--there must be public hospitals with good reputations there hosting well-trained docs. The doctor-patient relationship, like all relationships, relies on chemistry: no point pushing a rock uphill. You have to do your own research & come armed with questions & facts. A lot of docs think that g-o-d spelled backwards. Walk away, no matter how smart they are! In general, psychiatrists here only push pills. And there is a place for that. As an OP has pointed out, however, antidepressants can mask deeper organic symptoms. They are also habituating not in the sense of addictive but one can't just start & stop them; stopping requires slow & careful weaning. There's precious little genuine medical support. However, almost all docs can speak English well enough with a foreign patient's support. I can suggest Ajarn Dorn Wattanakulpanich at Ramathibodi Hospital. His is a private but reasonable private clinic in a public hospital. His specialties are haematology, helminthology & community mental health. He's a kind man & might well be a good fit. For appointments online: https://www.tropmedhospital.com/booking/internal-medicine-clinic.html but I think a patient has to register with the hospital so arrive early to accomplish this at the main desk. You love the ocean, mother to all of us. That's a great start!

Filling capsules is great practice for life outside...if you don't get caught again!

I would have voted #3 but these requirements aren't a deal-breaker for success. Reopening too early will be a failure because it ignores all public health guidelines. We're just not ready until more than double hsve been vaxxed with effective vaccines.

You're talking about my wife. It's no laughing matter to be 55. She works online often from 6am to 11pm, 7 days a week. Her walking is a couple of trips upstairs, toilet & kitchen. She has no waist! I'm no fitness nut but I do 45 minutes of fast walking out in what passes for nature & 45 minutes of yoga postures. But I can't seem to get wifey to do even basic stretches. Sure worried this highly sedentary behaviour will haunt her health at some point. Ideas for motivation?

I may be too self-important but a senior loved one's death leaves a big hole in families. I'm more worried about not being there to comfort & support them in life's struggles & successes.

Following Richard Barrow's CO₂ measures in taxis, I've taken to opening all he windows, sweating & choking.

Definitely need 15 day reporting!

Too early to open!

In the UK families can request a packet of seven tests at any point — totally free. Canada is providing free rapid tests to businesses. In Singapore and Japan, there are tests easily accessible in vending machines. Thailand is capable of doing this, too. We need to get to the point that everyone can test themselves twice a week. People should be able to test themselves at home and get a result within 15 minutes. It should become the norm to test before going to school and work. Friends and family should encourage each other to get tested before getting together for drinks and dinner. Vaccines alone won’t fix Covid. Does Thailand have the guts to really do this…and for free? Face it: This is the new normal...

Remember peace?

In British Columbia, they ran out of Pfizer for seniors, second jab was Moderna.

And what happens to the charming, old, real Hua Hin railway station for which the Railway Hotel (now an Intercontinental) was named? Museum, like Hualamphong?

Go-gone!

What does "infection rate" mean? Percentage of positive cases from active testing, walk-in testing, ATK? (Yikes--percentage in the general population?!?)

That's not right. Although some of the positive ATKs may choose to get PCR tested, few will. There's very little overlap. There has always been a PCR undercount because they only test walk-ins with symptoms. Similarly, there will be an ATK undercount because they're too expensive for most.

Trouble is, they give outlanders the impression Bangkok is not a crumbling, polluted ghost-town.

How did they spot him??? Good thing the malls are open again, eh!

So Taluhgas was still in the streets of Din Daeng at 1am?!? Show me!

Wait! 143 deaths a day from Covid is "manageable"?!? Sheesh!

So what's Cigna selling here? Merck antivirals: $700/course as opposed to a tenner for vaccine. My one worry is how long antibodies from Pfizer last. I chose AZ.