khunPer

3rd November Samui +2 new cases Phangan +19 new cases Koh Tao, no new cases

#MeToo, that why I came down here, I prefers South East Asian girls...????

Often being famous or rich attracts younger women, preferably both; however, just the right impression of acting and looking like a wealthy man might do wonders... I also played in a band in the good old hippie era, but stopped - too many young women couldn't resist my attractive body...???? - so I settled for a while, i.e. 17 yeas, with a steady girlfriend instead, and moved behind the glass window, i.e. sound engineer, producer and publisher...???? Many years later, at age 54, I moved to Thailand presuming as I needed to finally start a family, both because I like South East Asian women, and also because I believed that it would my best chance to find a young enough partner for such an exercise, i.e. me getting an heir...???? Unfortunately I seem to still be kind of irresistible to younger Western ladies that want to touch my sexy body (????) and snap selfies...???? I got no idea what's happening, but it's not a one off, it again and again, but however keeps me fairly fit when running away; just like when one was chased by crazy Swedish chicks about 60 years ago...???? Thai ladies are much more easy to handle, i.e. "no money..." - not a handsum or sexy man - "...no honey"...

1st November Samui +7 new cases Phangan +9 new cases Koh Tao, no new cases 2nd November Samui +35 new cases Phangan +11 new cases Koh Tao, no new cases

"Tuck your tail and leave"...???? You might have some rights according to the rent law, but paying a lawyer to enforce your rights - with the risk of loosing, and still paying both your lawyer and court fees - you might be better off, also financially, by the "tuck you tail and leave"-option.

There seems to be some possibilities for a 50 percent mortgage for foreigners - so you have to come up with the other half yourself - my next door British neighbor got that through a foreign owned construction company, and to my knowledge some Australian finance, I however don't know details. Normally we foreigners pay 100 percent for our house, as we cannot own the land under our house. Might be worth considering using some of your savings instead and perhaps considers a slight less expensive construction, you can still have a nice house build for 2-3 million baht. I'm not sure if a Thai can borrow more than 50 percent.

The numbers don't fit at all with other news stories today in ASEAN NOW...????

In the always unbearable clear light of hindsight, they should have let Samui Hospital be in charge of the welcome committee...

Yes, that has been a huge question, if you need a stop over one night in Bangkok, or could continue in transit to Samui; so it seems like that's still a possibility, but no clear information has been given.

Pre Covid fuel prices from Bank of Thailand statistics... MAR 2020 FEB 2020 JAN 2020 DEC 2019 NOV 2019 OCT 2019 SEP 2019 1 Oil and gas (1 Litre) 2 Benzine 95 29.24 33.19 33.79 34.26 34.43 34.35 34.98 3 Benzine 91 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 4 Gasohol 95 21.83 25.78 26.38 26.85 27.02 26.94 27.57 5 Diesel 22.90 25.91 27.33 26.40 25.72 25.68 26.01 6 Diesel B5 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 7 NGV 1 kg. 15.31 15.33 15.48 15.62 15.67 15.61 15.58 8 Kerosene 1/ n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 9 Fuel oil 1500 1/ n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 21.65 22.60 10 Cooking gas 11.5 kgs. (ceiling price) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 11 Cooking gas 15 kgs. (ceiling price) 367.92 378.33 378.33 378.33 378.33 373.86 373.86 12 Construction material 13 Mixed cement 50 kgs. (retail price) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 14 Food 15 White sugar 1 kg. (retail price) 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 Diesel was around 26 (25.71) baht in average.

That's in average 200,000 arrivals per month - and I presume we talk about real tourist arrivals - which might no be impossible, but less in November, and more in the usual high season months. Quote from the article... For 2022, TAT expects no less than 10 million foreign visitors and they are expected to generate an income of 1.5 trillion baht for the country, accounting for 50 per cent of the income before the Covid pandemic in 2019 when nearly 40 million visited the country. I now realize why there are so much talk about so-called quality tourists, they spend in average double as much money as a so-called normal tourist...

Yes, little strange. Where I live the International Schools opened as usual around September 1st, while Thai schools are still only online. All kids - age 12 to 18 - have already been offered first Phizer-jabs shortly after international school opening. I don't know how many Thai kids showed up for jabs at the hospital - but it was crowded - but from my daughter's class in an international school, there were only a couple, so it doesn't seem like foreign, or half foreign, kids were more vaccinated than Thais; In total more than 75 percent of the population over 18 in the area have already been vaccinated, and those that originally got two Sinovac jabs have also been offered a AstraZeneca booster.

Real tourism will not begin to recover before all Covid restrictions are gone, and you can just buy a ticket and enter as 30-days visa exempt. or easily obtain a tourist visa for longer stays with pre-booking of all accommodation. And a real tourist in my view, is someone coming form between a week up to about a month, spending quite some money for a little better life style than when at home. However many of the usual snowbird will still arrive together with some of the loyal yearly visitors, so the 4 year prediction sound quite reasonable...????

So 11 foreigners, who might not all be tourists tourists...????

Weird, it must be fake news, I just read that 7,000 foreign passenger would arrive; not expectations, but sounded like fully firm bookings...????

The one million baht seems to work similar to for example European guaranties for a possible bank crash, so yes, if your bank is gone, you'll get up to one million baht covered...???? The risk for bankruptcy of the mentioned banks are as great - or small - as many major banks around the World, SCB for example survived the 1997 Asian crash, and will likely also survive another crisis (Disclaimer: I'm not giving you any personal guarantee, just an opinion)...???? SET (Stock Exchange of Thailand) is not covered by any guarantee, putting money there just like playing the lottery; however it might be a quite Okay lottery if you buy the right numbers - I don't complain...????

Not at all, but unfortunately I now get the property tax bill in my name...????

I might be wrong, but it's my impression that Khao San Road is mainly an attraction for young folks and backpackers. Bothe change of appearance of Khao San Road, and the entry procedure combined with domestic restriction, won't make amazing Thailand such an amazing destination for the usual Khao San-crowd. For the first, that kind of crowd plans their travelling ahead, it,s not something impulsive move where they are jumping to buy a ticket for Thailand next week, because the country suddenly is partly reopening for foreign entries. Secondly, when applying for the typical 60-days tourist visa accommodation confirmation for the whole period is mandatory, and that's not how the Khao San-crowd travels; they'll decide ad hoc to stay in an exiting place - like walking down the beaches to find a nice affordable bungalow, not too far from affordable diners and some party area, and if more loaded youngsters of today it's a similar procedure, just in upend aircon accommodation and with trendy cafés and pubs nearby - and when they get bored of said place they'll just move and and find another...????

Don't worry, there might not be that massive a tourists exodus as predicted...????

In my modest opinion - and based on what I read in travel forums - Thailand is still too difficult to enter for normal tourists, so the seek other options; the foreign arrivals will be some of the usual snowbirds and visits due to family reasons...????

In my modest opinion, of foreigners there will come some more of the usual snowbirds, but only few real tourists, but no matter what the final count is, TAT will claim that the reopening was a success; just like Phuket's sandbox...????

They go home to Myanmar, I presume... ????

31st October Samui +4 new cases

After the latest information in news articles here in ASEAN NOW you only need to do the TM30 when you arrive, as long as you are not travelling abroad. If you go abroad, you need to register a new TM30 when coming back. However, I still do one yearly TM30 registration after my extension of stay, as the immigration office where I live, wish to see a TM30 receipt when I apply for extension for stay for another year. Keep your first TM30 receipt for next application for extension of stay, and check if Hua Hin Immigration wish a receipt, often documentation details variate between different immigration offices, so what I may need, you don't...????

The list is HERE...