khunPer

1 hour ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

The problem is that this dilemma has been going on for many many months already. I'm all for waiting another month if MRNA vaccines truly arrive in October and they vaccinate in mass like they never did before. But business owners depending on tourism may not be able to survive that long and there is no guarantee that the situation will have evolved by November. A complex situation, which the government has mishandled from beginning to end.

Do you think flocks of tourists will invade Bangkok, if the open October 1st..?

22 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Relive? Well, you deserve a medal! 

 

I just hope for an energy boost - some days. 

Red Bull gives me wings, and thereafter I'm an excellent dancer flying straight up on the club's dance-stage...????
You should try it...????

5 hours ago, Hanuman2547 said:

I liked Samui best back in the early 90's.  Haven't been there in 20 years now.  I probably wouldn't recognize the place.  As someone else mentioned earlier, the airfare charged by Bangkok Airways keeps a lot of people away.  Sure you can fly to Surat Thani for a lot less or take the overnight train but it makes getting there that much longer.

In a way it's good if Bankok Air's fares keep some tourists away, the island's infrastructure can hardly cope with the ones already arriving - before Covid closure, of course - and those that came by cheap commuting fares before the airfield opened, can still arrive using same cheap fares as before by train or bus, plus boat or ferry...????

I'm pretty convinced that transport ministry advisor Udon Olsan uses the same calculator brand as TAT, and reuse the same spread sheet that was used for Phuket's sandbox...

3 hours ago, beano2274 said:

I make it 192 passengers per flight if 40 flights per week in 13 weeks

 

100000 divided by 13 = 7692 passengers per week @ 40 flights per week = 192,3 passengers per flight

 

Still a number that will not be reached. I thought China still had quarantine issues with people returning to China!!

But it was 40 flights during 13 weeks in the calculated example, i.e. 3 flights a week...????

Outbreak of another Covid-wave could cost a lot more than might be gained from a about a month too early opening for quaratIne-free tourism. Probably not a lot of tourists are queuing up at the moment in front of the closed city gates, so gains might be way smaller than the risk...????

16th September
Samui + 3 cases
Koh Tao +2 cases

Koh Tao's Astra Zeneca vaccinations on 22nd to 25th September have been postponed to October...

2 hours ago, phetphet said:

Which begs the question how long does a single shot last before it loses its efficacy? If 12 weeks becomes 16 weeks or more, will we still have any protection? Hopefully any delays won't be too long.

 

Just checked and still at "wait for announcement."

You are likely talking about an AZ jab, and to what I've seen a single jab protects and lasts well, and extending the time to second jab increases total protection; a quick Google-search gives for example these results...

Medical News Today, July 2021 "Longer gap between COVID-19 vaccine doses may increase immune response".

The Times of India, May 2021 "A three-month gap between two AstraZeneca doses gives better protection – we developed our vaccine for equity, not profit".

AstraZeneca, February 2021 "COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca confirms 100% protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death in the primary analysis of Phase III trials". 

Increased efficacy with longer inter-dose interval
Protection of over 70% starting after a first dose
First indication of reduction in disease transmission of up to 67%

-And for those that gets mixed vaccines...

BBC, June 2021 "Mixing Covid jabs has good immune response, study finds".

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

The government are using AZ as booster shots for all of their friends and frontline workers that had Sinovac, so it is likely that supplies are short.

800,000 frontline workers got Pfeizer, part of the 2 million doses US-donation, and they seems to have more Pfeizer coming, much more. They however use AZ as second jab for folks with Sinovac as first jab. As AZ is limited to 7 million doses per month, instead of the by government planned 10 million doses, there might be shortage, apart from what gets donated from for example Korea and recently 300,000 extra doses from Japan.

8 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Will these 20s roar as 100 yrs ago?

I sincerely look forward to the nightclubs reopen so I can relive the roaring twenties...????

On 9/15/2021 at 8:13 AM, dj230 said:

Specifically looking for hennesy xo 

Tops Supermarket might likely have it (it's available in my local Tops together with uncountable other better items), some places even BigC might be an option, else check some of the specialist stores.

I use my Internet bank platform to transfer funds from my Danish bank to Thailand - quite similar to British Internet banking, I one also had an account with Lloyds Bank some years ago - I stopped using Wise (Transferwise) for amount higher than what's equal to £1,200,as Wise now charge too high fees compared to my bank's fixed fee of little less than £6, and the exchange rate don't make up for it; I did two identical transfers same day, one by bank and one by Wise, my bank gave me a tiny bit more money into my Thai bank account.

Transferring more than equivalent to $50,000 needs to be reported to Bank of Thailand, I don't know what you need to report in Britain. The benefit for reporting in Thailand is that you will be eligible to transfer a similar amount out of Thailand (keep the copy of the reports), if that should be needed. You could use the terms "investments" and/or "buying property/ondo" as valid explanation.

For FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer) you need you Thai bank account number; name and address of the receiver; and your bank's SWIFT-code, which for example for Bangkok Bank would be BKKB TH BK (BKKBTHBKXXX), and for SCB be SICO TH BK (SICOTHBKXXX).

Always transfer in foreign currency, the exchange rate for baht is slightly better in Thailand than abroad, which might matters when transferring a larger sum.

????

Edit/addition: Pay only home country fees in sending bank, and let receiving bank charge their fee, they'll charge it anyway.

On 9/15/2021 at 5:54 AM, superal said:

Am I alone in thinking this way and are there many regular swimmers from this forum who take to the Thai seas ?  

"Only a fool does not fear the sea"

Worth to be careful with the sea - and water in general in Thailand - 41 percent of tourists deaths are caused by water accidents, while the so much talked about road accidents only cause 22 percent of tourist deaths.

Where was you AZ vaccine made?

There have a been a number forum postings about that Thai manufactured AZ is not yet approved in fx. Europe for entry as vaccinated. According to Ministry of Public Health you can check the origin of your AZ-vaccine in the Mor Prom app...

On 9/14/2021 at 5:03 AM, andrewfenn said:

I understand that you can not get one. My question was more along the lines of what is legally expected if I am working for a company overseas while on PR. It's not really clear to me, and what happens when I start paying tax without a work permit

In principle you cannot work inside Thailand without a work permit - an often discussed subject - but if you're working for an off shore company - i.e. being digital nomad or like - the authorities normally don't care much; they even allow it with the new 10-year visa, if you earn enough money.

Nothing stops you from paying income tax. You are tax resident at the moment you stay more than 180 days within a calendar year in Thailand. Foreign income is fully income taxable in Thailand, provided you transfer the foreign income into Thailand during the same calendar year, as it's earned.

On 9/14/2021 at 10:27 AM, itsallmine68 said:

With Thailand wanting to increase it not only Tourist trade but increase their number of retirees one would think they would relax the rules.

They already have, 10-years visa without 90-days reports, but the "good guys in" are those with money...????

Numerous both Thai owned and foreigner owned business in the tourists areas have suffered or given up - like with all business during a hard period, the strong ones survives, the already weak ones disappears - those that has a business with capital behind, and no debt to bank or others, just sits back and wait. It's like an extended low season they tells me, and some use the period without tourists to refurbish their business, or rebuild, and some even expands - one I know both re-constructs and expands to double size - ready for the coming high seasons.

It's a free World, so those that don't like Samui, don't need to come...

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is by far some of the most ridiculous drivel I have seen in a long time. Do they even know what Samui looks like at the moment? These are images I took during my past two trips there, over the past 12 months. The beach roads in both Lamai and Chaweng. Granted, the whole island does not look like this. Maenam has fared a bit better, and so has Bank Rak.

 

However 1,000's of businesses have closed. It looks a bit apocalyptic. 7th best? More like 607th best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

- And still same old outdated pictures with hanging wires you have posted before...????

Some will apply for a 10-year visa, but many with those qualifications and/or income might have several other attractive option to chose from; viewed through my glasses, I doubts the total number will be one million during five years...????

If same business plan as before, but with the sign changed from "Bar" to "Restaurant", it seems like to can have the dessert as takeaway. Reminds me of a restaurant in Bangkok with numerous pretty waitress, if you liked one - or more - of them, then she could be "takeaway" as dessert...????