zydeco

Here is what is going to be most troubling about this. A lot of corporations borrowed money to buy back their own shares (and artificially inflate EPS, get exec bonuses, and draw in retail sheep). Now, many of them are going through a cash crunch. Some, such as Boeing, will be asking for taxpayer bailouts.  And they will ask for those bailouts because they don't want to sell the stocks they bought back at super inflated prices. They have the money, they just do not want to sell, because their phony balance sheets will be revealed for a fraud and stock prices will crater even further (which they should do). This is how all you taxpayers who are losing your jobs, seeing your income evaporate, and watching inflation take off, this is how all of you keep Boeing management in their multi-million dollar homes, private jets, Rolls Royces, and cases of champagne and caviar.

44 minutes ago, z42 said:

But that said, the time frame is something else, how long can people living hand to mouth survive for with no chance to earn a baht.

About two days. Then, they'll be on the lookout for "Walking ATMs" to solve their problem.

17 minutes ago, candide said:

In addition, it should be mentioned that "the stock market folks" are increasingly composed of computer algorithms anticipating decisions made by other computer algorithms.

The algos react to weighted headlines. That's why Trump put up that tweet a few hours ago about a cure. 

11 minutes ago, Thailand said:

I guess that would apply to those joining the hordes at immigration offices, Chiang Mai for instance?

Good point! No free tests or treatment for Immigration either. That ought to make them real happy to see us at extension renewal time.

1 minute ago, CraigInBangkok said:

They did explicitly say tourists ...we are not tourists so lets just hope there is some common sense????

Unless you have PR, you're a tourist. We all are. All we have are extensions on our original visas.

4 minutes ago, Chazar said:

nice of them to do  that ,sure  Thai health carers  will appreciate it

Beyond stupid. It's destructive and will actually lead to more infections.

1 minute ago, CraigInBangkok said:

I would hope not as I hav'nt stepped foot outside this country for a few years, but it honestly would'nt surprise me

Neither have I. Not in 8 years. But conceivably this means my housecleaner and her husband, who does yard work for me, could be denied testing AND treatement, because they interact with me. 

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

not provide free coronavirus tests for people who . . . interact with foreign tourists,

The target on our back just got a little bit bigger. So, this means your wife and your family, if you're married, too? Suppose so.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

People wear protective face masks due to the coronavirus outbreak, as they line up at counters in a super market in Bangkok, Thailand March 16, 2020.

Yea, it's looking like these steady 30 plus new cases per day are pushing people over the edge. I still remember the way the stores were cleaned out in the 2011 flood. Looks like it may be about to happen again. But from the picture, at least it looks like we'll still have plenty of M&Ms. Problem with them is that in Thailand they melt in your mouth and in your hands. 

4 hours ago, justin case said:

think about thais and their precious WHITE SKIN will not allow themselves to absorb vitamin D from the  sun !!!!

I found something the other day about how sun and fresh air therapy was used in the 1918 pandemic and it is believed to have caused a 40 percent reduction in the death rate. Trouble is there is never any fresh air in Thailand anymore. But the idea that the sun has may kill the virus would be wonderful, especially now that the dry, sunny hot season is upon us in Thailand.

Better the airlines than the cruise ship industry. Why would anybody consider the cruise ship industry as something to bail out? Ought to buy torpedoes, instead. But for the airlines, whatever they get, they must reduce executive pay to a bare minimum. No more bonuses or sky high salaries for companies that need the taxpayer in order to survive.

27 minutes ago, MaxLee said:

Well guess what people are gonna do??? 

 

I was lucky , that yesterday I could find eggs at 7-11, but FOODLAND,.... no way....

 

 

Lots of things were gone from the shelves at Foodland yesterday. No Danita taco shells, penne pasta, ham, ground beef, red and yellow bell peppers, some canned tuna, and not even any popcorn to buy and watch it all unfold.

1 minute ago, gargamon said:

Come on, everything must be ok, Trump gave himself a rating of 10/10 for his handling of the crisis.

We need to accept improvements where we find them. At least today, he didn't wear his black baseball cap and there wasn't a parade of CEOs getting free advertisements for their companies at the White House. But, that Deborah Birx has sure got that head nod thing down to an art form. As soon as Trump comes up, she's nodding like a crazed bobblehead doll.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Therefore, there is no reason for Thais to rush to hoard products, he made it clear.

It didn't stop the greedy woman at Foodland yesterday who loaded up her cart with every package of chicken available. She bought nothing else, just a cart overflowing with packages of chicken. When I went to the butcher counter, I was told no more available. So, thanks, Foodland. When people act like that woman you should put a limit on her buying. I usually buy much, much more than just the four or five chicken breasts I get every Monday. But it's still a staple for me. I'll just go elsewhere now that I know I cannot rely on Foodland to keep one person from pigging out their entire holding of a major purchase item. And, btw, the hoarder didn't buy anything else. Just chicken. How dumb is that for a store manager? Run away a customer who comes in every week and buys 3000 or 4000 of groceries just to let a one-time hoarder clean you out. No more Foodlands for me. Tops only, I guess.

When did Thailand even get on a track?

Seems like everybody has a bazooka these days.

Frankly, I hope this leads to the permanent destruction of mass tourism. Downsize the airlines, curtail the reliance on airports, and restore the idea of an overseas vacation as something special to be planned for carefully and budgeted wisely. It would be better for the world to return to the tourism numbers and costs of the 1950s and 1960s (and maybe a dip to the 1930s would give some people a perspective on life as well). Make Pattaya Great Again!