superal

My thoughts exactly and not so far from where I live here in Thailand , these ambulances can be seen driving dangerously in towns with sirens blasting out and I have seen them arrive at hospitals without patients and joining up with their pals for lunch and so that is part of the reason that they do not command too much respect from some of the public . I can only quote the UK ambulance crews who are well trained medically wise and driving to high standards ,plus they are well respected by the UK public and all traffic pulls over to let them pass . The petty fine in this case demonstrates the almost lawless society with one law for us and one for them . Each case should be dealt with on merit or on the wealth of the guilty party . In this case a couple of more noughts on the end i.e. 50,000 baht fine or time in a prison of repute .

Backs up the shout for cashless transactions . Everywhere in the UK now and took me by surprise on my recent visit . Even in the pubs and taxis . Just make sure you read the bill / receipt to make sure it is the correct charge before you use your contactless bank card or even your smart phone app .

Most of the motor bikes / cars parked outside of shops etc belong to the people working in them and thus give no parking for customers . That is typical throughout Thailand . On the other hand , you get shop owners who think they own the road outside of their shops and put obstacles on the road to stop anyone parking there . Away from Asia ,often businesses have to show parking facilities in order to get permission to open their business but TIT .

The rat urine was not put in the fluid on purpose but because these back street filthy , unhygienic places that make the fluid are rat infested the urine is passed into the product . The same goes for fake tobacco / cigarette manufacturing which also often contains vermin faeces .

A point that needs clarifying . 2. All passengers must have health insurance coverage against Covid-19 or a letter of guarantee of full coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least 10,000 USD coverage throughout their stay in Thailand. Passengers can use this insurance to receive Covid-19 treatment if they are found to be infected At the moment a 30 day insurance policy will suffice . Has this changed ? It also appears that the authorities have not addressed the contentious problem of asymptomatic testing ( for the non vaccinated arrivals ) and the insurance companies that will not cover the event if the insured is hospitalised . This CAA rule has to be a spur to the unvaccinated or part vaccinated .

Legalising vaping is a step in the right direction but the product needs to be regulated . Especially the vaping fluids . There were many in the open market and vaping shops in the UK that had been manufactured in back street sheds in China with no control on hygiene or contents of ingredients . One analysis showed rat urine in the fluid . Thai government controlled manufacturing facilities would be much safer , give much needed employment and also revenue to the government . It could be a massive earner especially if cannabis was included . Aside from the fluids there are of course the actual vaping cartridges that could also be made in Thailand within quality controlled factories for both Thai use and a huge foreign export market .

Will Thailand open all land borders 1st May ?

There have been many flight cancellations because the airline crews were suffering with covid . In the UK it came to over the hundreds per day . So it has to be a consideration that all flyers comply with the vaccines as the airlines were losing money

Goodtogo insurance have taken Thailand off their listed countries , I wonder why ? Could it be that they did offer insurance for asymptomatic covid hospitalisation and got hit with heavy claims ? As far as I know there are no insurance companies who will cover you for asymptomatic covid . You must read their policy wording because they often state that they cover covid when they advertise but within the policy details there are exclusions. The mandatory Thai insurance that meets the requirements for the Thai Pass can be had cheap if paying for the basic 30 days . Then buying a travel insurance from a reputable western company will cover most other eventualities for a reasonable premium if you are not too old but when you break 70 the cost will shoot up ..

Yes , that is how I understood it , so on return to Thailand at a land crossing you must have to hand your pass port , your T/P QR code and up to date insurance . ( maybe extend your current insurance to cover for an additional 30 days upon entry to Thailand . and print from the email ) . What I cannot find is , will all land borders open on May 1st ?

Yes , your first paragraph was probably what I was thinking i.e. an individual Westerner will spend much more than the Chinese / Asians equivalent . However the Chinese contribution may be a quango because of the hierarchy involved at this end with a conflict of interest . We will never know the true figures .

Depends what you call considerable , they start at 2500 baht and if your request is urgent it may go double but they do guarantee your T/P or your money back . I have used them twice and they delivered both times , once in a couple of hours and once the next day . Considering all the possible aggro that you can get from the embassy , I think they take all the stress out of the application , especially for those who are not I/T up to speed . You say not necessary now , well they have a new deal where they charge 1900 baht which includes the health/ covid insurance policy . So all you have to do is upload your vaccine certs and passport copy of front page with also your re-entry permit if applicable .

It is the western tourists who spend much more money that all of your Asian countries put together . Even the Chinese come on pre-arranged all inclusive holidays / tours and stay at Chinese owned hotels and go touring on Chinese owned fleets of coaches .

+ vaccination certs and passport copies all uploaded in the correct format , then wait for approval or rejection . Imagine the aggro if you are a family of say 4 . Most families would look at other countries. The PCR , only needed pre flight for non vaccinated tourists . SHA + hotel booking now not needed for vaccinated tourists , Non vaccinated tourists need to rethink their vaccine plans . I think only a matter of time that some airlines will insist on vaccinated flyers only to lessen the risk to their crews .

Many travellers fly at short notice for various reasons and the embassy quote 7 days to address your application but if there is a rejection and you are notified with only a day or 2 before your trip , that is when your problems begin . If you plan further ahead your application is put to the back and I have heard that in a few cases people have been kept waiting for weeks for approval . Not the norm I know but it has happened . Booking ahead also means you are relying on your airline to not change or cancel your flight , as has happened recently also if there are new covid travel regulations made , they may impact on your travel plans . Even now I would be hesitant in making a booking a long way ahead .

I agree with you . The embassy can either be easy or a pain in the butt . On tender hooks waiting for your application to be accepted and in many cases your bookings for flying , hotel and insurance are just a couple of days away from being used . Perfectly presented files rejected for one reason or another but when I present them to the agency asq the T/P or COE is made in hours . I always use the asq agency because no hassle

The ins; is a racket and no company will insure you for asymptomatic covid i.e. test positive but no symptoms . Even UK companies complicate their coverage in their policy documents and indeed a mine field . Take the cheapest Thai insurance shown on the asq website cos none of them are worth a penny , just a way of gaining entry and the T/P compliance . In addition a normal travel insurance from a respected western company should cover most other risks .

For sure your vacc and ins certs could easily be shown at departure and arrivals . The T/P is free if you get from the Thai embassy but I know of many who have been rejected for minor things and so turn to an agency who take care of the business in hours but for a fee . Also the insurance side of things leans mainly to covid cover but this is contentious . I am not aware of any insurance company that will cover you for asymptomatic cases that require you to stay in a hospitel , plus further policy wording is open to interpretation . For more senior folk the insurance from a western company will be expensive but from a Thai company it will be a fraction of the cost . I see the ins; as an entry fee . On 2 arrivals recently in the last 6 months at suvarnabhumi airport , the I/O did not look at my insurance papers . I am wishing that land borders will open soon but if and when they do I guess that you will need to carry the same papers if you are a farang .

Your post is slightly off topic but never the less is valid and I would like to say that regarding the wearing of masks , the majority of cheap medical masks do nothing to protect the wearer . When you see mask wearers they think they are protecting themselves , naively . Often the masks have been used multiple times and probably harbour bacteria . The virus is airborne and can enter your body not only via nose and mouth but also your ears and eyes , besides settling in your hair and clothes . The entry level of masks for your personal protection is the N95 if fitted correctly . Not comfortable to wear for long periods and should be changed several times a day .

Only plants containing 0.2% THC - the drug that makes users stoned - can be grown legally in Thailand. Why ? I am not a user but it is well tolerated in many countries and is a much smaller risk than alcohol consumption and its use rarely sparks unrest . Let the people get stoned if they wish . If Anutin is so concerned , maybe limit the alcohol ( ABV ) to .2% per bottle/serving . That would be the final nail in the coffin for tourism and long stayers . Does he not understand that the open use of marijuana attracts many tourists to countries that permit its use .

Maybe that they want to align with China ? Also it is a well known fact that certain Thai elite are not fond of falangs and would like to turn the clock back 50 years . One thing for certain here in Thailand is that you cannot follow logic , can never assume or take anything for granted . Money means everything with the rich getting richer at the expense of the common people .

Lets get this right . Recently there were mutterings that July 1st would end the Thai Pass requirements , then a suggestion it could be as early as 1st May . So there may well have been a lot of flight bookings made by tourists to Thailand after those dates seeking to avoid the potential perils of the T/P . Does Anutin have a crystal ball to forecast the covid stats in 8 weeks time or is it a vested interest in insurance companies and hospitels ? What it has done is to send a message out to all potential travellers to Thailand this year , is to take nothing for granted when it comes to entry rules for Thailand . Airlines and hotels must be dreading cancellations ? There seems to be a divide between the western world and Asia on covid tactics .

I suffer with lower back pain and also sometimes neck pain which is all down to spinal stenosis . It limits my walking to about 50 - 100 meters and then the pain kicks in and radiates to my hips . MRI shows lower discs too close to the spinal cord . I tried some pain killers but no relief , have been told that an epidural injection can bring pain relief but often only temporary . Also some say that cannabis in either smoking or by way of oil under the tongue can bring pain relief . I would like to know if any readers are currently using pain relief for their back. I recently spoke to a Thai taxi driver who was given a small bottle of the oil to place under the tongue but said he then slept for 2 days . I do not want that to happen .

I used the above agency twice because on the first application direct to the Thai immigration I got refused 3 times ( wrong format , PP not clear enough etc } but the same info was supplied to asq who sent me the Thai Pass the next day . Costs vary and starts at 2500 baht if you have 7 days before departure but if under 7 days the fees will rise to over 4000 baht , as was in my latest Pass . They also provide you with competitive priced insurance companies and hotels . Also guarantee to get the Pass or will give you a full refund . Save headaches especially for non tech guys .

An insurance company that covers asymptomatic covid , can you share the name of the company please and the premium ?