superal

and the rest but you cannot generalise on their farang charges , both private and government cos they have a free hand . BTW last year I had an eye examination in our local government hospital along with 7 Thai folks , after , we all sat at the pharmacy with our prescriptions which we compared . The average Thai bill was about 350 baht , mine was 2,240 baht . Having said that there have been times when the fees were low but not always .

This is one of the rare events where info is given in a list of provinces effected by covid . I for one would like to read this type of bulletin soasto know what is happening in my part of Thailand , covid wise . Thank you

Have a friend who went to a local Thai government hospital and was told he needed a CT scan . How much he asked and was told 17k Baht + 8 K for extras . When he got the bill they hit him with 29k plus extras plus 1% credit card charge and the total came to 50k Baht . He enquired why the bill was so high and was told that there was a government Ministry of Health instruction /directive , to up the cost for farangs no matter how long they had been in Thailand . He had also been paying into the social medical insurance scheme that started up around 2002 and is married to a Thai lady for that time . Last year I paid 7k Baht for a CT scan at a gov; hospital . Today I Googled the cost of a CT scan in Thailand and with private hospital averaged out at 7k Baht .I am aware that a Dutch gentleman challenged the MOH over farang fees and I believe that he lost his case but is appealing . Is this charge a mistake that makes Thai government hospitals more expensive than private hospitals ? Not according to the hospital admin who , it seems , can charge what they feel like .

I left my Isuzu pickup under a carport in rural Thailand for 3 months . It started on the button but when I got on the road and switched on the aircon , I was hit in the face by red ants and got many bites . So I took it to a main dealer who air blasted the system but was only good for a day . Took about 2 months before they were done . On another occasion the truck would not start . Called dealer and the mechanic opened the bonnet and took out the block of electrical contacts and threw it on the ground . Out came red ants with many inside dead as they had shortened contacts . Also as mentioned before by Tropposurfer rats love it under the bonnet . Knew a guy whose motor was written off because they had more or less eaten the wiring system . Tyres would have suffered in this 40c Thai heat when taking the full weight of the vehicle , in the same position for 3 years and I bet they are flat . I would call a reliable garage and give your car a full inspection / service . BTW what make and year is your car ?

Well that is a surprise , where are they for sale cos I never seen them . Are they legit or dodgy ?

If the minister is really concerned he could try to allow nicotine patches , gum and pills . All 3 are effective at reducing the nicotine craving but not accessible in Thailand , unless you know better .

Most , if not all of your points are valid , however as I said in my post earlier we will never understand the Thai way of doing things . Your comments come from a westerners perspective and that is my point . You know as well as I know , you cannot apply western logic here in Thailand . I also think that there is a puppeteer in the background who is a major influence on Thailand's future and I will go so far as to say that the whole of Asia will be affected sooner or later . Indeed your listings are comprehensive but just from the lack of care to address some of the items , just shows what consideration they have about us westerners .

Do not underestimate the actions of this country's leadership . They made their intentions loud and clear 4 or 5 years ago to clean the place up E.G. Pattaya etc and turn it into an upmarket holiday resort that will be suitable for families . The powers that be are stubborn , inconsiderate for others sufference because of their actions . They are well aware of western ways but choose to ignore them because their illogical ways are correct in their eyes . We will never understand Thai thinking as it is alien to us and much of it is based on religious beliefs and culture . It is well known that some of the Thai aristocracy would like the country to return to ways of old , say some 40 years ago which would involve a complete reconstruction of current Thai living for most but not all , as some of the older Thai folk retain the old customs . The TAT idea of encouraging wealthy tourists would mean a reduction of general tourism but would still bring in a comparable income . Thailand wishes to keep its identity and not be another western type tourist spot . I reckon the famous Thai holiday / bars and resorts may be over and there may well be another Asian country ready to take over . The about turn will be a tricky process with so many unemployed people from the entertainment businesses .

Amlodipine , My doctor has just put me on them 10 mg . Do they narrow the arteries ? Thanks for the info and I will get in touch with the Chula hospital . I was in a wheelchair , then a walking frame but now I can walk unaided about 200 meters , albeit a little unsteady . I wish you all the best and thanks very much for your help .

Many thanks for your reply . I have a suspicion that the above in bold could be my problem and I have been Googling to find a hospital to carry out the procedure . Can you advise where you went for the op and how much was the hospital fee please ? How are you feeling now ? has the dizziness gone and your balance restored ?

You hit the nail on the head . Thai government are taking a massive gamble , same as poker " all in " bet , so what could possibly go wrong ? Travelling to Thailand for a holiday and the need to comply with ever changing rules is both confusing and risky . Risky why ? The reporting of covid stats is not convincing and I choose my words carefully . Even if you are double jabbed with a good vaccine you will come into contact with many unvaccinated people and those that have been jabbed will mostly have received a weak vaccine . Also , coming into very close contact ( wink wink ) will certainly test your vaccination . This is brewing up for the perfect storm from which there will be no return . It seems that many countries are more concerned with their economies rather than their nations health . I am intrigued as to how the government intend to halt the old tourism bar scene , as I think that could take a generation to stop and at the same time they will have to give a good standard of education to enable young people to secure a worthwhile career away from the bar scene .

May I suggest you proof read your post as it makes no sense , especially the writings in bold print .

Your original remark said " Whatever you say. Aspirin is more dangerous than it helps." Please post a link to support your statement . Certainly not on any medicinal guidance leaflet . Why try to influence readers with your unqualified opinions . I do not pretend to have a medical background but as a layman I can spot an uneducated view . I trust and take heed from my doctor who recommends that I take a baby aspirin every day . I am well aware that aspirin may not be good for everyone but you cannot generalise .

What field of medicine are you involved with that qualifies you to make such a comment , or is it just a personal opinion ?

When you stopped taking aspirin , did your vertigo stop ? so what blood thinners do you take now ? Reason for my interest is I had 2 strokes last year , now on statins , baby aspirin and amlodipine 10 mg and I have dizziness and loss of balance as soon as I stand up

Your having a laugh huh ? People who are vaccinated are 70-80% less likely to catch the virus or spread it around . If they do catch the virus they are less likely to suffer the extremes of the virus potency and less likely to end up in hospital putting a burden on doctors and nurses . Also you are not immune just because you caught the virus previously . You can be infected again . You will find yourself isolated from some social sectors . E.G. entrance to nightclubs , sporting events , air flights and some countries will not issue visas . I and others find conspiralists difficult to understand and they have no evidence to back their claims . I hear that certain social media sites are taking down conspiracy theories .

Speaking as a UK national , how can you book a foreign holiday with any confidence at this unpredictable covid time . Worse case scenario , you book and pay for your hotel and flights and then the holiday venue has an increased infection rate that brings hotel closures and flight cancellations and you are faced with trying to get reimbursed . Secondly the UK declares that your holiday country is going on the red list within 4 days and any returning arrivals to the UK after that date must quarantine in a quarantine hotel at over £2k . Someone on your flight tests covid positive meaning all passengers must quarantine in a local facility . Better staying in the UK , ok so the weather is not so good but at least the bars are open .

and open controlled casinos and betting shops / online betting .

I agree that there are tourists and non tourist visitors to Thailand and a good enough reason to separate their entry requirements . Many countries are relaxing travel restrictions having had over 50% of population vaccinated and if travellers must have had 2 jabs and a pcr test prior to flying , that in itself should suffice flying needs . The cons are there are fake vaccine certs on the web . The fake certs are difficult to spot . Mr PCC is taking a big risk opening the night scene and it reeks of desperation . Why ? because 20% of the countries gdp comes from tourism and a similar % of the population derive their income from it . If it all goes xxts up because of further virus outbreaks it is game over for him and a lot of starving, tourist dependent, Thai folk . For me he should delay relaxing restrictions until such times 70% plus of the Thai population have been double jabbed with a WHO recognised vaccine . Open up free food kitchens and give government financial help in family finances till such times the country can return to some sort of normality .

had / have you been vaccinated ( sorry if I missed that )

Thanks Sapson , Tis all confusing with , if you are this and that and if you travel now or later etc etc but I think you are not quite correct when you say " no restrictions other than a lateral flow test on day 2 " cos that comes in at the end of October , please read attached link for your opinion https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52544307

Indeed and I agree the above . Will there be an escalation ? will there be a retaliation by the police ? Seems like the gloves are coming off , so a resolution is needed quickly .

Thailand removed from the red list ? not according to this UK gov; link , still have to take a test 72 hours before you leave Thailand and also book another pcr test on day 2 after arrival in the UK and fill in a passenger locator form . Not quite back to normal yet . Pre- warning , there will be delays and queues at the UK immigration zones in the airports . Get your paperwork in order for UK Border agency inspection. https://www.covid19-testing.org/country-page?results=1&direction=entering&country=thailand&date=2021-10-22

When I went back to the UK I gave my lady one of the above but when I returned to Thailand I had to confiscate it because of the dental bills I had to settle for her missing teeth .

Nothing wrong with the original 7 day sandbox that became 14 nights as directed by Cha o Cha who was guided / influenced by the big boys of Bangkok hoteliers. So if you have both fully vaccinated tourists and service staff what could go wrong ? No doubt there were fake vac certs from some tourists , the service workers were considered vaccinated after 1 jab of sinovac . The entrance to Phuket was not secure at the start and quite a few Thai locals were able to gain entry . Then came bar closures and a ban on alcohol sales followed by curtailing of provincial travel . To the majority of tourists Thailand is famous for its nightlife of bars and beautiful ladies , not just beaches and temples etc . Many people are holding their breath awaiting the UK government's decision on Thailand's red or green colour status this coming Thursday . I cannot help thinking that the poorly managed sandbox concept will not help in Thailand's favour . Or could the whole event be a planned campaign from the Thai/PRCC on to rid Thailand of foreigners and to secure Thailand on China's list of acquisitions ?