impulse

Taking the next step, with the current Thailand testing at 25% positive, the idea that letting tourists in to spend money is more dangerous than going to the grocery store is ludicrous. And keeping bars closed will prevent exposure... It's already here. It's all around. Open up and let that tourist cash in.

I'm not seeing the $$ working out in Thailand. Except maybe for the Elite and the heavily insured. Pfizer studies show that Paxlovid reduces the risk of hospitalization from 7% to 1%. That's the 88% reduction. But that requires treating 100 people to reduce hospitalization from 7 patients to 1 patient. At $530 USD for a 5 day course of treatment, that's $53,000 to prevent 6 hospitalizations and maybe 1 death. And they have to treat within a few days of onset of symptoms. That's mighty spendy for the Thai masses. Just the optics... You only have a 7% chance of needing hospitalization, or you can spend $530 to reduce that to a 1% chance. $530 is what the US gub'ment is paying. Thailand may get it cheaper, but the US gub'ment has a price matching clause, so I can't see Pfizer selling them to Thailand much, if any, cheaper. Though I doubt Thailand is on the list of price match countries (it's other high income countries), there would be pressure to reduce the US's price if they start cutting the price to other areas.

I'd agree if you multiplied by a factor for "odds of causing grievous harm", especially to innocent people.

Yup, it's legal. In some states. With thousands of pages of case law to detail when and how, and what's not legal. I still dare you to publish a help wanted ad indicating "only black women need apply".

And at the grocery store, and at restaurants, and... and...

If my sinuses drain long enough, I'll get a bacterial infection in my lungs that will hold on for 4-6 weeks. Antibiotics prevent that.

floating in the Andaman sea about 80 kilometres from the shore. hoping to sail the 2,000 km across the Indian Ocean to India to look for his wife. had been floating at sea for 18 days and nights, until he was found by the trawler. 18 days to go 80km, with another 1920km to go. That was going to be a long trip. With just some noodles and a jug of water... Gotta admire his dedication to find his wife, but not so much the planning.

They'll be corrupt. But so what? He was strong and savvy enough to control access to the trough so there was enough money left over to grow the Thai economy and return some to the people. That's why he and Yingluck got booted- they controlled access to the trough and distributed too much of "the elites' wealth" to the peasants. Today, it's a free-for-all and there's so many snouts in the trough there's nothing left over to grow the economy. Every successful Asian economy got put on that path by a corrupt strong man that made his family wealthy beyond reason. Korea, Singapore, Taiwan... (Japan's the exception- because of MacArthur) Strong, corrupt leaders who controlled how much was being stolen, to leave enough to grow their economy. Eventually, they either moved aside or died, but the economies were thriving by then. Are the Shinawatra's that family? I don't know. I just know that the current batch isn't even close. Nor have any others from the past decades.

I'm not supporting Lazada's vendor on this because I don't have enough info. But it's a good cautionary tale... If possible, get one transaction done and dusted before you go out and buy a replacement. Of course, sometimes you need the goodies right now, but if you can hold off... Edit: In a similar vein, I have a niece who will buy 3 or 4 different models, with the intention of returning all but the one she likes the best after inspecting them. But that's Amazon. So far, she hasn't had any issues, but she's loaded anyway so if Amazon ever decides to deny a refund based on her history it won't hurt her at all. Does anyone have any experience where they returned something bought through Lazada just because you changed your mind?

The cops will come out and address your Neighborhood Watch group, along with providing literature, communications and other support. Effectively, state trained grasses. I agree that they shouldn't be soliciting reports of thought crimes, but ratting out scooter racing isn't a bad thing, especially if it saves innocent lives. And calling the popo when you see someone breaking into your neighbor's home is also grassing to The State, but I don't know anyone who's against that. I think 3000 baht will be the deal killer, though. Should base it on a percentage of the fines, with anonymity assured.

I think what he's saying is that after they get to a certain point, they should no longer be eligible for repair. Because of the low cost of labor, a lot of Thai shops salvage abandoned cars, putting them back on the street. Those rebuilt cars emit a lot of PM2.5. Better to crush them.

I posted the link. Argue with the people compiling the stats...

You're missing the point. He declared, ahead of time, that he was going to select a candidate based on race and gender. In the USA, that is illegal discrimination. Full stop.

If only he had not come out before hand and specifically stated his intention, and only interviewed people who fit the (illegal) criteria he publicly stated. It'll be interesting to see if there's a legal appeal if she's confirmed. If you or I posted a job stating that only black women need apply, we'd be up on charges.

Regardless of how well she's doing, the fact remains that she was selected to the exclusion of everyone that isn't black and female. And it's against the law in the USA to discriminate based on gender or race.

2500 sounds about right. Several years back, I bought as recumbent bike from a guy in Pattaya who was repatriating, and he paid 2500 baht to have it delivered in a pickup to me in BKK. 2 or 3 years later, he came back to Thailand and asked if I'd sell it back to him, and I did. He paid 2500 baht to have it picked up and delivered back to Pattaya. It's about the same dimensions as a scooter. Though a lot lighter, it still took the same size truck.

https://www.deliveree.com/th/en/deliveree-for-house-moving/ Select a small van... I've never used this one, but I have used an app for hiring a truck just like an Uber. Sadly, my Thai cell phone went swimming and I have no need of the app here in Texas so I haven't looked it up to recall the name of the app. But there were several. Another option I found with a quick Google (no experience with them): https://www.thaimovers.com/man-and-van/

You mean like Neighborhood Watch?

Maybe- Maybe not, but they can tell if she had been drugged to insure compliance in preparation for being presented to a high ranking military official for hanky panky. Which, I understand, is one theory making the rounds in social media. I suspect that's why the autopsy is taking weeks... Drug tests that go beyond the routine.

I flew to China a few times a year. I was gobsmacked at how much stuff they had bought in Thailand and had to pack on the plane. They come to Thailand with a shopping list, and they spend plenty of money. Just not on the same stuff. Losers will gripe about that, but smart vendors will figure it out.

Bad news... The majority of English speakers don't live in the UK. For us, pavement is something that is paved. That includes roads and parking lots. Sidewalk or footpath is much more specific.

A little off topic, but Thailand still has a lot of great, unspoiled beaches. But they're not the ones you can get to without some effort. Like Phi Phi used to be. Used to be, you had to be adventurous to get there, too.

I have absolutely no opinion on the nominee. I object to the illegal, discriminatory exclusion of everyone who isn't black and female. No company in the USA is allowed to hire based on race and gender. What kind of example does it set when the gub'ment does just that?

Yes, it can be explained by competence. Competence is a combination of innate ability, education, attitude, and experience. I don't doubt the racial equality of innate abilities. I was born into a neighborhood and culture that values education and lawfulness. Black kids that grew up in my neighborhood are doing quite well for themselves. Unfortunately, most black kids aren't born into those neighborhoods and culture. Any employer in the USA who posts a job for a specific race and gender would be up on charges. And that's precisely what Biden has done. Repeatedly.

Yeah, about 1% of the numbers they'd normally expect.