HOAX

Less likely lol Sure, probably less likely than overcrowded drunken festivals, but schools all over Europe aren`t being shut down for fun, they`re shut down because of outbreaks. Despite Norway only having a couple of hundred daily new cases, outbreaks occur in schools all the time, shutting them down. I`m assuming Norway isn`t unique here. Children tend to spread the virus to other family members and friends, which often leads to outbreaks getting out of hand, new lockdowns/restrictions and a further increase in deaths of someone`s family members, perhaps even their own. Keep the schools closed.

When you believe it strong enough, it will happen, because...

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In fact Bangkok Business News went so far as to say that bald people could begin to smile again

I can finally smile again for the first time in 15 years, because I haven't smiled in 15 years, because I got bald 15 years ago, so smiling as an option when something is funny was lost 15 years ago, because nothing has been even remotely funny for 15 years, because I got bald 15 years ago, so smiling as an option when something is funny was lost 15 years ago, but now I can finally smile again for the first time in 15 years, because nothing has been even remotely funny for 15 years, because I got bald 15 years ago, so smiling as an option when something is funny was lost 15 years ago, but now I can finally smile again for the first time in 15 years.

Beer, paint, Toyota Corolla, motorbike, house, apartment, apartheid, Covid, Bangkok... who cares, just call it all pizza for the sake of simplicity. Lets just call everything pizza.

Translation:

Pizza, pizza, Pizza Pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, Pizza, Pizza... pizza pizza, pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza. Pizza pizza pizza pizza pizza.

So much easier. Just one word for everything. It won't change anything. It's how communication with Thais go anyway. No idea what they're saying, just nod, point and randomly laugh out loud, and walk off as if nothing happened.

Anyone know if hemp CBD oil is legal and sold in Thailand and how its effectiveness is compared to cannabis CBD oil? I know its less, but is it useless?

17 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Bars and restaurants around Natai Beach (Phangnga) never stopped serving alcohol. 
 

Surprised when I read the headline. 
 

Pretty sure they didn’t stop selling it in Phuket either, just had a midnight closing. 
 

No link on the OP, so I assume this is a Thaivisa sourced piece.

 

Same here in Udon Thani. I actually didn`t know there were restrictions anywhere besides the most affected places. Here they have been serving alcohol everywhere since the first lockdown last year. Restaurants, bars and clubs are all open and live concerts are packed with no distancing required. Could be they`re closing earlier than normal, but I haven`t noticed it.

No evidence linking Pfizer as the cause for these deaths. On average, 45 people in care centers die daily in Norway, hence why they're there in the first place. Because they are in the highest risk group and due to so many Covid outbreaks in these elderly centers, they, as well as healthcare workers, became a first priority. That some of the elderly who has passed away in the last couple of weeks just happened to have taken the vaccine hardly comes as a surprise.

- 40,000 people live in care centers Norway.

- First priority for the vaccine. Many, if not most, have already received their first shot.

- 630 people overall have died in the last two weeks.

- 23 of the 630 had taken the vaccine.

Anything im missing? If its quarantine people, its people in quarantine. Haven't seen evidence of anything else though. Change ny mind though

5 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

 

Why do you keep writing "opium" when it's heroin that these kids are partying with?  Heroin, while an opiate, is not the same thing, especially when it may be cut with fentanyl.

Heroin is made from morphine, which comes naturally from the opium poppy plant. However, nowadays Heroin is most often cut with a whole bunch of chemicals, including fentanyl. Whatever you want to call it, its potentially deadly nonetheless, even more so if its cut with fentanyl. 

But sure, I should've said Heroin to avoid confusion.

No way 200mg Diazepam will kill anyone. Not even 200mg of Alprazolam (Xanax, Xanor...) or Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, Flunipam...) will kill anyone, and it's dozens of times stronger. If you haven't taken these drugs before you'll sleep a couple of days, but that's it.

However, mixing 200mg Diazepam with opium or alcohol, and it becomes a totally different game. If you haven't already built up months or years of tolerance then just a minimum amount of opium mixed with 200mg Diazepam can be enough to kill you. You'll simply fall asleep and never wake up again. Not necessarily from an opium overdose, but mixed together it severely multiplies the effects and your muscles become so relaxed that you'll stop breathing. 

On the other hand, methamphetamine should have an opposite effect, to much degree a reversed effect, but the degree depends on the dosage.

Ketamine I don't have any experience with.

Legalization, sure, but something tells me we'll still see mafia, loan sharks and corruption as soon as it opens and regulations and political responsibilities goes out of the window.

13 minutes ago, bwanajohn said:

I live in a small village in the the mountains in the north of Thailand .Both my wife and I are farang.

 The first winter we were here they (local govt reps) showed up with free new blankets for us . I politely ask them to give them to another family as we had enough already. Last year at the begining of the covid thing two guys from local govt showed up with syringes and a chilly bin full of vaccine vials. I was a bit freaked out until I realised  it was  rabies vaccine for any pets . At the time we had none. They didn't mention anything about money so I cant say whether it was free or not but that was the impression I had. Two years ago i had a Kidney stone episode went to the local hospital threw up all over the bed in the day room they put me . Was x rayed had a doctors consult and given the option of either Diclofenac or an opiate based pain killer. Because of my age they recommended the opiate based pain killer but because I have no compromised liver or kidney function took the diclofenac injection. My brother and his son are both doctors in Canada and this was spot on medical procedure according to them. (wasn't my first time with a kidney stone so i knew the drill) The bill was less than 500 baht

  This is my 37th winter in Thailand.. reading the Thai visa posts from members I sometime wonder if I live in another country...my experience of thai people bears no relation to what i read here

You`re right. Things on here tends to either be every exaggerated, narrowed or mental on here, though most of the criticism is often aimed at the nation`s heads, which I sometimes agree with.

I also get kidney stones once every few years. While I`ve been living in Thailand for around 12 years, I`ve actually never had kidney stone in Thailand, but actually twice on the airplane from Thailand.

However, many of my wife`s friends are nurses and doctors and they`re all super nice and helpful, and the same could be said about every Thai person I`ve ever met in Thailand, besides one police man who shot and killed two of his colleagues in a drunken rage while we were drinking, some hit and runners and a very few guys here and there (often with mental or drug issues). 99.998% of Thais are very nice people, even behind curtains. But sure, you`ll have a few behind their keyboard mirroring their own depression onto others.

3 minutes ago, OldPedro said:

I guess the dual pricing principle will apply.....free for Thais, but mega baht for foreigners!

Probably not. However private hospitals are more likely to set the price up as they`re likely to be buying it more expensive due to lower quantities, export methods etc, unless the gov`t sets a cap.

Just now, Jeffr2 said:

From what I've read, there are some 200+ jabs under development.  Even the ones out today, are going to change in relatively short order.  They're trying to get to only one jab, and not require such cold temps for the Pfizer one.

Thats good news as the Pfizer one requires -70c and only has a few days before expiring. I wasn`t aware that it was that many vaccines under way, but that`s good news. It gives higher odds for good ones.

1 minute ago, Jeffr2 said:

Both India and Thailand are producing the AZ jab, under licensing agreements.  I'm sure both will be OK.  So far, very few are having adverse reactions to the jab, other than some pain in the arm and a flu like conditions for a day or so.  Can't wait to get mine!!

I thought you were talking about the COVAXIN (the Indian Vaccine). Yes the AstraZeneca is most likely the one I`ll be taking as well unless Pfizer will be available here by then, which is unlikely. AZ`s own data as of now shows it has an 68% effectiveness, which is normal for a vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna currently shows 90%, though it`s likely to decrees some when they release more data.

6 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

India is selling it soon.  Thailand will have it's factory up and running soon.  And they'll be selling internally and externally.

 

Be patient.  Read the news.

COVAXIN (Bharat Biotech) is in its testing phase. No data released yet on its effectiveness. That being said, India is a very respected country when it comes to science and medical stuff, so I`m hopeful.

Just now, Destiny1990 said:

So there will be 60 million vaccines for the Thais but the 200,000 vaccines for the expats no have.

You`ll need 400,000 as everyone need two.

30 million Thais are getting it by this year and they`re aiming at a total of 70% of the population by the end of next year. How long the effectiveness of the vaccine lasts is unknown. Some might have to get revaccinated next year if it only last a year, as Moderna has said might be the effectiveness of their vaccine.

2 minutes ago, PGSan said:

Yes, very!  Thanks again.

Please take them all so no one else has to

1 minute ago, Chicken George said:

They can say Private hospitals can purchase the Covid vaccine that's approved but who will sell it to them? Small amounts? I doubt the company's making the vaccines will sell to anyone else other than governments. 

10`s of thousands of private hospitals and clinics around the world buying hundreds or perhaps even thousands of vaccines each? I don`t think you should underestimate the profits here. We`re talking billions of dollars. Definitely a market these pharmaceutical companies already are fighting over. 

10 minutes ago, PGSan said:

So all the more available for us lucky guys.  Thanks! 

Lucky you considering all the vaccine scandals in China recently. There`s a reason why people don`t want the Sinovac vaccine, in case you wasn`t aware, not even the Chinese wants it, hence why they travel to other countries for vaccines. But lucky you, you can probably even be one of the first to get the Sinovac vaccine if you want.

1 minute ago, ardsong said:

it is in general believed that if 70% of the population is immune or protected for a disease, the chances to create a pandemy  are gone.

True. The more you limit the virus from spreading it just simply has nowhere to go and "dies off". As you say, that`s around 70%. It doesn`t mean the virus necessarily vanishes, but an epidemic or pandemic is unlikely. That being said, Moderna says their vaccine could only have a 1 year effectiveness. Meaning, the virus potentially may live among us centuries or even indefinitely and a future epidemic/pandemic may still occur if people aren`t continuing to vaccinate themselves yearly, unless we get a vaccine that lasts significantly longer than just 1 year.

27 minutes ago, Haddo said:

The FCCT hosted an online discussion last night on Covid-19 & Thailand's Vaccine Strategy:
 

 

Interesting. From 8:19 you`ll see a spreadsheet overview on the as-of-now data on the effectiveness of the vaccines. 68% on the AstraZeneca is a bit disappointing but should be said under 70% effectiveness is actually very common for vaccines. I think the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine`s effectiveness will be adjust to a lower number than 90% when more data is available, but if it actually is around 90%, I hope Thailand will be making some effort in securing these vaccines.