Swiss1960

I think you forgot Durian for question number 2. All Thais in my wife's social circle love and eat it like I eat Swiss chocolate. They would eat even more if not for the high price. 

12 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Yeah it aint there, phoneis on auto update did an an Android 10 update a few days ago.

 

If it does install can it be easily removed ?

 

Might have to change phone settings to manual update.

Another question: How many Apps do you have on your phone? How many times in the past have you given your phone number or email or google account or facebook information to apps to login? How many times in the past have you pressed "yes yes yes yes yes" when a new app asked about access to your contacts, texts, files, pictures, camera, even making calls etc...  and you never worried about those? 

Now there is an API that does nothing and it worries you suddenly. Your worries should start when your government MANDATES the use of a tracing app and THEN you have to see what kind of permissions your governments app will ask for... the API does not need any information about you. 

Edit: I would actually also want to ask the same question to @dave s

2 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Yeah it aint there, phoneis on auto update did an an Android 10 update a few days ago.

 

If it does install can it be easily removed ?

 

Might have to change phone settings to manual update.

No, you can not remove an API (application programming interface), that is part of the basic Android operating system. What you do is NOT install any tracing apps your government asks you to install, then the API is just a piece of unused code on your phone and nothing to worry about. Google and Apple do not tell you to install an App, they only offer the API interface for Governments to develop their own app. Some governments will do that, others will develop something completely different and independent from the android/iOS API. 

8 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Ive not seen a new "Covid-19 notifications" on my android phone, or an old one either.

 

I do not know of course how this new functionality was rolled out and when and on which versions or even, if the rollout is completed.. but if you go to your phones Settings and search for "Covid", then either you see a "COVID-19 exposure notification" or nothing.. in which case yes, you do not have this new functionality.

Do you allow your phone to automatically update apps and operating systems or are you doing this manually only? Then you might not have it based on missing updates

7 minutes ago, dave s said:

 

Oh, but the announcer in the video said repeatedly that you will have no choice, you must install and use the "platform" or the app (note that he repeatedly says that you may use either one, but he never once mentions the sign-up clipboard -- so is that going to go away?!?).

 

My own experience with the government decree has been that Monday last week I went to many stores all day in Central Festival, had my temperature taken at all of them (from 32 to 44 degrees Centigrade, not challenged or questioned at any), never even glanced at the QR code picture or the clipboard, and was not questioned at all. And the same this afternoon at Big C, Western Union and KFC.

 

Once more: You compare apples (the Covid function I explained in my post) with whatever not fruity... and you compare Thai developed and maintaned functionality with Thai data "protection" with an API developed and agreed upon the European GDPR (European Data Protection Law) - which is a law even the Americans are afraid of... 

21 minutes ago, dave s said:

 

So, you're claiming that there has never, ever, ever been a bug in any Android or IOS software, and there never, ever, ever will be. Because if that's not true, and hackers find and exploit that bug, which they are very good at, then any vestige of "privacy" immediately goes down the toilet.

 

So, both Apple and Google have decided that they can secretly and silently trash people's phones without the "owner's" approval? "Trust us, we know much better than you what you want, and we'll do what we please with what you think is your property, but which we've decided that we really own." Gee, that gives them a lot of credibility, just inspires a ton of trust. If they had honestly and openly NOTIFIED people of the change, EXPLAINED why it was a good idea, and ASKED PERMISSION, then THAT might inspire confidence, and make people inclined to agree and comply.  But appointing themselves high almighty gods will probably inspire a lot of anger, and thus non-compliance. Whatever happened to Google's founding maxim "Don't be evil"? The issue is NOT whether contact tracing is a good or a bad thing (when done correctly): the PROBLEM is Google's high handed assumption of godhood.

 

I don't have any Bluetooth devices, and it can be a battery hog if used inadvertently, so it is turned off on my new phone. After much discussion and revision, the API that Google and Apple finally proposed uses short range Bluetooth exchanges between phones, of known or anonymous identifiers, recorded either locally or remotely, to SELECTIVELY recognize and record potential exposure to other possibly infected people (nominally within 2 meters distance and 15 minutes duration), because collecting too much data would give an impossibly large number of "contacts" to have to trace.  But the first release of the ThaiChana "app", among many other problems, did NONE of the Google and Apple API design, and did little to improve upon the earlier web page system (which the daily government briefing repeatedly calls a "platform"). It didn't even speak English -- as such, it might be worth installing and never launching, waving the phone around wildly, and loudly yelling at the security guard "Cannot! Cannot! No hab passa Angrit!!!"

 

Google and Apple have effectively declared war on the users of their operating systems. God help them if any hacker decides to fight back -- it only takes one person in the whole world with enough knowledge to create an exploit, and there's room in the protocol for quite a bit of chaos just in denial of service attacks.

 

This article

    https:/www.bbc.com/news/technology-52355028

    Coronavirus contact-tracing: World split between two types of app - BBC News

has a simple explanation of the protocol feedback, discussion and evolution, plus a nice diagram of choices involved.

Hello dave s, thank your for your comments. 

First to the ThaiChana "platform"... something completely different from what I talk about, so please don't confuse people and compare apples with beef. There is no need to use this QR-code based "platform", you can put a telephone number on the piece of paper.

Second, I am giving information to people who would like to know where that new Covid functionality on their phones came from. It is btw not an app, it is an API (application programming interface) that can be used by apps. As such I am 100% correct that this API does NOT give out ANY data, as it is inactive without an associated app using it.

Third, hackers are everywhere and every app can be hacked. BUT I rather have an app being hacked that is based on an interface that is not having and using any private information but rather anonymous numbers than trusting government apps that are notoriously weak, untested, and in many cases collection information that they would not need.  I trust a Google, Apple and Swiss Technical Universities approved API 100 times more than any individual government app. Even the Swiss data protection office - who previsously trashed the Swiss Governement centralized app - approved of the decentralized approach of the API.

Fourth: Yes, Google and Apple could have done a better job informing people about the new API, but they did not do it in secret, both companies announced the launch of the API on their official Twitter accounts with millions of followers... that is not very secret now, is it? However, this is not a war on any user. Do you know that there are dozends upon dozends of API's on your phone that apps can use to access your camera, contacts, pictures, texts etc etc and neither Google nor Apple EVERY informed you that those interfaces are there to be used by the apps they sell on their stores? 

Finally and fifth: If your Android or iOS phone is hacked on the OS level - where the API hooks on - then the information from the API - individual numbers without any location information - will be the least of your problems.. Are you using any banking applications either on your phone or computer? Are you paying lazada from your phone with your credit card? That is where you should worry about, not this API. And as in number 4, if the OS level is hacked, EVERY API will be accessible to EVERY bit of data on your phone.

1 hour ago, scoupeo said:

Thank you, i will check if they can print 1 different design on each tshirt.

do you think that it's something usually possible ?

cheers

It is certainly possible, but here is the thing: As with all printing, the initial setup until you can print the first shirt is what costs most, all prints after that would be much cheaper.

So if you are willing to pay the setup costs for each single shirt, a company that is currently low on work will do it for you. If their workbooks are full, they will not do it, as the profit for them comes with mass production.

I have posted information about this Covid option on the phones, where it comes from and what it means for you. It is also on all iPhones, not only Androids, see here please

Dear Members: Some of you might have seen that there is a new function called "Covid-19 notifications" on your Android phone, or something similar on your iOS phone. There is a thread in the phone section of Thai Visa, but since I think that this might be of interest to all Members of ThaiVisa, I would like to post this information that I found on Swiss news:

First and most important: This function does NOT track you! This function ONLY works together with a Covid-19 tracing app that you would need to download, i.e. provided from your government. And even then, it will not track you!

Background: This function was developed by staff from the Swiss Federal Technical Universities ETH in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne. They started the development out of fear for the data protection of government provided apps (big brothers) and provided a solution that does not expose your private information. How it works: This function does NOT use the location function of your phone, but bluetooth to communicate with phones near you that also have that functionality activated. ID's are exchanged (like very large numbers) and stored on your phone. Applications from your government, that agree to use the new functionality can then access those numbers and only those. IF somebody using the government app will inform the App that he is tested Covid-positive, then his trace numbers will be exposed to the app and your app will regularly check those numbers and inform you, whether you have been in close contact to that person (phone) and for how long and tell you to have a test. It will NOT give your information to anybody.

This functionality on your phones was developed in Switzerland, tested and agreed upon by both Apple and Google and then delivered to all phones using Android or iOS. Nothing is or gets activated until you install an app provided by your Governments Health provider and agree to the use of the tracing functionality. Google and Apple announced this around April 10th.

So here is the caveat: Every app that will use that technology will secure your privacy while giving you the peace of mind that you will get informed if you were in contact with a Covid-infected person. However the whole idea does NOT work if people don't use those apps and / or will not be honest once they are tested positive for the virus.

I hope that this information is valuable for some members of this site and gives you a little bit peace of mind with regards to your data privacy. I certainly gave this peace of mind to me when I found that new functionality on my phone.

There is no quarantine requirement in Pattaya at this time, you are free to come and go... however, you might find it difficult to find paid accomodation, as most hotels are still locked up.

3 hours ago, RichCor said:

If you have not yet presented the new passport to Immigration (or had them move any relevant stamps over) then you'll want to use the old number on the form. The IO can make updates as needed.

Very true.

And on top, the IO will probably not like forms with crossed out data, as it tells him that the landlord was not involved as he should have been.

If you need to present a new change of address to immigration,  complete a new one and have it signed again. 

Does the old form not have a date of signature on it? Because that means that at the time of signing the old form was correct and changing information on the form might be illegal 

16 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

1 - It was easiest to impose the mandatory health-insurance on the Non Imm O-A Visa, since it provides a 1-year permission to stay which can be aligned with a 1-year insurance policy.  A Non Imm O retirement Visa only provides a 3-month permission to stay on entry.

Wrong. Extensions either based on retirement or marriage are for one year and renewable same as Non-Imm-OA.

And the OP is right.. nobody understands why outpatient insurance is mandatory given the low cost of such treatments. 

Individual drills decide about the materials. Drills normally come in size-packages from cheap to not-so-cheap, depends on how much he will use them.

Machines in all sizes and forms, with battery packs or pure electric, and all sizes from weak to powerful. Again, all depends on how much he will use it and for what kind of work.

Better be careful with water... see repair announcement from PWA... 

Still closed for everything to do with licences. Expired licenses have amnesty,  new licences.. sorry, have to wait, no can drive.

For renewals,  they offer online video session with a short test at the end (so you need to watch), you get an online "certificate" like a proof that you really would like to renew, and if the office reopens, you only need the reaction test, picture taking, payment... but still plenty of waiting...

Not sure it's offered in English, my wife did it, as her license expired during Covid closure 

School uniform from previous school is expected. Been there with my daughter.  

You are not looking for a "decent" company, but one that pays your dream salary... 

21 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

In my experience (although often cheap) delivery times have been weeks to months forever.  My order were always small and most made it in the end but no consistency at all.  Lazada was more expensive when many of the items started to appear there but shipments within 10 days to two weeks consistently and these days prices seem better and just use them and Shopee.

Mostly agree with you, but right now, Lazada also has problems with deliveries from China. But of course, if I find an item on Lazada and in Thailand,  price is (almost) secondary

@Crossy and @Metropolitian: thank you so very much for your help, guidance, ideas, suggestions.. you might have saved lives!

I received a refund for an order stuck in China at the end of the 60d period (at end of April), then the package arrived on 19 May...

I informed the seller, asked him about shipping back on his cost, he said that would cost him more than the value of the items... and since I still can use them, we agreed on a 55% discount 

Ok, my final update-I hope... bought and installed new RCBO, see pic, 25A. Since i never use more than half of the devices in parallel, i think i should be safe.

After installing, it tripped immediately. My handyman checked my wiring and found out, that the lights around the pool area cause the problem. Once he disconnected those (see pic), the new RCBO stayed connected. He thinks that water leaked inside on of the lights and causes the problems, he will check the lights tomorrow.

Am impressed how fast he found my problems... he is my painter, fixed my water leak problem (another topic of mine), he repaints my walls, he installs my security cams, he put new tiles around my house and he is now also officially my electrician.. all for less than 1000 Baht per day.. 

3 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

What happens when the amnesty ends? Are we all supposed to go do a report that day or 90 days after July 31st?

That is exactly what I am afraid of too. So for all those who have the time and don't need to travel too far - or can report online like me - my recommendation is to do your report (free anyway) on time and not having to worry about massive queues at immigration later