khunPer

Sputnik is a vector-based vaccine, just like AZ and J&J. This link HERE compares all the available Covid-vaccines...????

The whole island where I live has status of "town", so I must be living in a town. However, in practice I need to drive between 5 and 10 kilometers to major city activities like shopping malls and hypermarkets, cinemas, night clubs, government offices - except Immigration, which is within healthy about two kilometers walking distance - a number of hospitals, or an international airport, and more... Pros: 7-Eleven and Family Mart within 200 meters walk, together with almost everything else I need from restaurants, pharmacies, mum & dad shops, street vendors, Mini BigC and Lotus's Express, and much more. More pros: 7 meters to beach, 15 meters to nearest restaurant, 50 meters to walking street with local shops and street vendors, circa 100 meters to bakery, 200 meters to a main road, a few kilometers to jungle and water fall. Cons: 5-10 kilometers to international schools, otherwise I cannot instantly think of any...????

Chicken meat is up from just under 50 baht a kilo to about 70 baht a kilo - actually as much as 56 percent up from 46 baht to 72 baht for chicken breast - it's said to be caused by closure of some "chicken meat factories" due to Covid. Gasoline is up about 50 percent compared to it's lowest price during Covid-lockdown - almost like the price I paid per liter 20 years ago, however now mixed with little ethanol - but gasoline follows international market prices. Thailand's consumer price index per end of July 2021 is 99.81 - it's been variating between 98.88 (February 2021) to 100.64 (April 2021) during the Covid-period - end of June it was 99.93, but might be more end of August, due to higher prices for sweet potatoes and chicken meat. The index has been circulation around magical 100 since 2019, so in average not much change in consumer prices, in average plus/minus one percent. The (year-to-year) inflation rate is 0.45 percent, and core inflation 0.14 percent (end of July), end of June inflation was 1.25 percent, and core inflation was 0.52 percent; so actually lower now. Back in February 2021 the inflation rate was -1.17 percent. But if you select individual items you can always find changes, and imported items are furthermore dependent of currency exchange rates. Some products seems to increase a lot - I noticed Greek yoghurt has gone up by about 10 percent - whilst others are little cheaper. There are for example lots of milk brands at lower than usual price, and sweet soda like Coke and Pepsi are cheaper now than 10 years ago, whilst eggs for a very short period about a month ago were up by more than 10 percent, also pork meat were temporary up, and now little down again, but to my memory almost doubled in price during a 15-years period. For the mix of products I buy it's between unchanged, when I compare within the last five years, and that I can fill little more in the shopping cart for little less money. However, I don't buy sweet potatoes, so you cannot compare with my total shopping value, or with how much stuff I load into to my shopping cart, your product selection might well have gone up in price...????

But Russia's population is 146 millions, so compared to Thailand's 70 million it's equivalent to half, i.e. 10,000 new cases per day.

It's better than no vaccine, and in combination with an AZ second jab, it might even protect relative well.

18th August +0 new cases on Samui, but unfortunately the first death...

As others have mentioned, it depends on the airline, and also on the aircraft type - i.e. Bangkok Airways for example have different cabin bag sizes for Airbus planes and ATR-72 planes.

If there are vaccine available on the market, why does it need to be imported by alternative channels?

This thread is ment to share information about Covid-19 vccinations on the islands, perhaps a moderater would pin the tread, so we only have one place to share information about vaccination, making knowledge distribution, questions and answers more easy. Please note that "the Ministry of Public Health affirmed that all people who reside in Thailand, regardless of their nationality, are eligible to receive the vaccine under the government’s plan." PR Thai Government says... The Government has ensured that Thailand will begin a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign, starting 1 May 2021, by prioritizing people aged 60 years and older, as well as people having certain underlying diseases or conditions, followed by citizens aged 18-59 years. During the CCSA meeting, the Ministry of Public Health affirmed that all people who reside in Thailand, regardless of their nationality, are eligible to receive the vaccine under the government’s plan. The first phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign will start with Thai people aged 60 years and older, as well as people who have certain medical conditions: (1) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (2) chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 5th stage, (3) coronary artery disease (CAD), (4) stroke, (5) obesity, (6) diabetes, and (7) cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. These groups are required to register to receive the vaccine, with a choice of three methods. Registrations may be done on (1) the Mor Prom ("Doctors Ready") app, a new platform that was specifically designed to facilitate the Government's vaccination program, (2) a nearby hospital, or (3) a village health volunteer or health promotion hospital in your area. The registration opens on 1 May 2021 and vaccinations will begin on 7 June. Other groups will be vaccinated in another phase. The registration for citizens aged 18-59 will be open in July 2021, and they will start to be vaccinated in August. PR Thai Government sources: 1. https://www.facebook.com/fanmoph 2. https://www.facebook.com/ddcmophthailand

I kindly suggest that we during the coronavirus pandemi period make a pinned thread with transport from/to the islands – Phangan, Tao and Samui – as the normal timetables and transports are cancelled; and when restarting, they might be only with limited departures. Lomprayah has been mentioned earlier in another thread, and the question about their 12:30 catamaran departure from Samui to Phangan, which I haven't seen, but however seemed like some passengers did make the tour. The reason could be, that there are so few passengers that it's operated by a speed boat. Here is the latest update from Lomprayah...

September 2019 updated post for obtaining Driver's License on Samui Apply for license at DLT (Department of Land Transport) in Lipa Noi (link to Google Map)... Official document requirement list... The office opens at 8:30 am Monday till Friday, come not later than 9 am to pick a queue-number from DL service-window #1 at left, the numbers are hanging on the wall. The tests start at 9:30 am. Documentation and photo-copies needed before you apply, if applying for both car and motorbike two sets of photo-copies are needed: Medical certificate when applying first time for a Thai DL. You shall ask for a medical check and the formular for DL at a hospital, or in a clinic. I used Thai International Hospital opposite Tesco-Lotus in Bo Phut, they charged 250 baht for check and form; it takes about 30 minutes or less. Certificate of Residency, or Work Permit, i.e. something legal to prove your address. The sign says a certificate of Residency can be obtained from one's embassy (in Bangkok), but normally a letter from Samui Immigration is accepted (I used that first time); Samui Immigration normally charge 500 baht for issuing an address confirmation letter. If you are registered in a House Book, i.e. Yellow House Book, you can use that; I did it when renewing my DL five years ago, and again today, where I also used my pink Thai ID-card. Using the pink ID-card for aliens gives you, your Thai ID-number on the DL, instead of your passport number; then you don't need to renew your DL when renewing your passport, and getting a new passport-number. Foreign DL and International Driver's Permit are needed first time you apply for a Thai DL, but it seems like Samui DLT accept foreign DL without a IDP, but the DL must then be translated to English and certified by your embassy – I had both DL and IDP when I applied for my first Thai DL, no translation needed as IDP is in English – if you don't have a DL, you need to take a full test. It has been posted before that full initial test is only performed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Your first Thai DL will normally be valid for 2 years. Renewal of Thai DL the old license must be expired. It's been posted before that you can renew up to one year after the license has expired, after that time you'll need a full test. The first two times I renewed a Thai DL I came a few days before, which was accepted. This year I came two days efter expiry, which gave me almost one year longer validity of my new license, as it runs over 5 birthdays; i.e. I got 5-years and 363 days. Applying for DL and tests The office opens at 8:30 am, come before 9:00 am. Pick your queue number and wait for being called to the DL counter. All photo-copies must be signed, best to do it in advance due to queue line and waiting time. Bring originals in case your are asked for them, or you need an additional photo-copy, which can be made in a both outside the DLT building. You'll be asked to write your name and telephone number, and sign a form when applying for DL. Passport, you need to copy the bio-page, and the page called "visa", which is your current non-expired visa, or your current extension-of-stay; i.e. photo-copies of two pages from your passport. Address documentation must be original letter from embassy or Immigration office, or photo-copy of Work Permit, or photo-copy of Yellow House Book – both "page 1" with house-address, and the page with your name (often page 2) – plus eventual pink ID-card. Medical form has to be original letter from hospital or clinic. Even it has been mentioned in the news that a medical form is also required for renewal, but Samui DLT don't want it. I once again wasted time and money, but had on the other hand the experience of enjoying a fine service, and a kind doctor, at the hospital. Current foreign DL; and translation to English, or IDP; both original and photo-copies when applying first time for a Thai DL. Current Thai DL when applying for a renewal, no copy is needed. Tests begin from 9:30 am at 2nd floor. There is also a 10:00 am team, might be for renewals only. Your name will be called by the DLT instructor, he will normally say "mister" or "miss/mrs." when calling foreigners, and using first name only (as per Thai culture), but your name might not be pronounced correctly, so pay attention. You will be handed your paperwork, stampled with the old DL when for renewal. Normally you need to pass physical tests for Combined color blindness and peripheral vision test Depth-perception (Three dimensional vision test) Reaction time (Brake test) (All three tests are fine explained here, OP #2, #3, and #4) Then follows an about one hour mandatory video. When renewing DL today (September 2019), we foreigners, and some few Thais, on the 10 am team were not tested on the peripheral-machine, and we should not watch a video. Getting your new DL After passing the tests, your papers will be signed by the instructor. You go downstairs to DL-counter #2 and hand in the papers, and pay the fee (about 600 baht per license). Wait in front of DL-counter #1, they'll call your name – first name, and might not be pronounced correctly – walk inside and have your photo taken, then again wait outside till called, and receive your new DL. I'm ????, I just passed 70-years, and got another almost 6-years license to drive...????