wasabi

My guess is not too the brink, already well over it.

I've typically been agnostic to the political situation in Thailand which I expect will eternally be tumultuous. I didn't pay it much mind until recently because it didn't effect me. that is until Covid when it put my life at risk. For that reason my wife and I currently in the USA. But it has been our plan to split our time between the USA and Thailand long before Covid. Only difference is now our stay in the US is indefinite until the situation is brought under control in Thailand. We will definitely return when the time is right, but splitting our time between the two countries helps balance out the frustrations that go with either place. I am aware it is a luxury that we have this option to split our time, but since we do we take advantage of it and it works for us. 

Yes Thaksin is corrupt

Yes he is the best option to lead Thailand out of the Covid pandemic

This is Thailand

Why are they always negotiating just get it done. There's nothing to negotiate. Whatever the cost of joining it's less than the economic damage of not joining and getting vaccines.

He deflected blame but otherwise a surprisingly frank acknowledgement. However they are about a year short and the price to pay in money and lives will be high.

If Thai people would stop their selfish breathing he could've eradicated the virus by now.

Why would they get their act together now or ever when the same imbeciles who burnt the country down are still running the show? 

As a tourist destination Thailand was an exotic and carefree place. Now it is a labyrinth of documents and checkpoints to even step off the plane and that is only the beginning of your stay here. 

Thailand cannot compete in any other industry due to corruption and lack of skilled populace.

Every problem they have is entirely self inflicted. They aspire to be the hub of hubs when they cannot even properly affix a single spoke in the wheel.

Thailand decided to make to focus on Chinese and Indian tourists making it hard for Farang to show up even though they claim to want well-heeled tourists. They tried to clean up various places tourists loved for being free and pure wanting to be the next Singapore with none of the infrastructure and quality of Singapore thus they are left with mediocrity.

Thailand was a magnet for Digital nomads but they did nothing other than make a ludicrous Smart Visa to attract these people and disseminate their knowledge among the locals.

There's still a lot I like about Thailand but I have family ties there if not there are many other choices without the problems.

Another farcical face saving maneuver. They completely missed the boat on current effective vaccines so now they want to say look we skipped those so you could have these new fancy vaccines -- Pay no attention that thousands got sick and died while we ran in circles for the past year and a half. Furthermore the lockdowns are buffoonery at this point. Always partial and reactive. They seem more interested in getting the latest temperature checking apparatus than actually doing anything meaningful. 

Get vaccines and unlock the country. Covid is not going away. Using the existing vaccines of the day is the only way to save the economy and country.

It might sound nitpicky but I cannot stand his voice. I've never been able to watch more than 20 seconds of his videos regardless of the content.

Their measures to control Covid are outdated and whack-a-mole in nature. It's beyond the point you can track & trace or isolate the problem when it has become systemic invading all locations and walks of life.  They can either get an effective vaccine & vaccination program going or do numerous China style lockdowns. Anything less and it will grow and grow. I'm starting to wonder if natural herd immunity is even possible since the virus might be lab generated in origin and mutates so fast. The same person can be reinfected with a new strain if depending only on the natural immune system. Given the profound incompetence and hubris of those in command something drastic is needed to turn the tide.

Hopefully the soldiers are equipped with AK47's loaded with Sinovac vials to dish out rapid fire inoculation to the Covid infected scoundrels.

21 minutes ago, Why Me said:

A CM thread had someone reporting from a vaccine trip to Guam. Apparently the closest US territory and flush with vaccines.

I considered going to Guam but after reviewing flight costs and the need for lodging while I waited for both doses of the vaccine I determined going all the way back to SFO was more affordable. Rent prices came down significantly since I was last here so my wife and I were able to get a fully furnished 6 month sublet for a decent price. We've been fully vaccinated over a month now. I'd like to return to Thailand when this short term lease is up in November but if that's not realistic that's okay.

The problem is not the rising numbers the problem is no end in sight and no hope since the virus keeps mutating and reinfecting the same people like a convection oven keeps on cooking. The best Prime minister Pinocchio can do is spray down streets and bark at people to wash their hands. Will he cling to his precious Sinovac brown envelopes until Thailand becomes a 4th world country? He cannot swallow his pride and admit the dirty Farang mRNA vaccines made in filthy Farang land are the answer.