superal

I looked at categories and nothing to take me to motoring / ref driving licence renewal

You say sinovac is cheaper than the other ones ? I Googled this recently and as for sinovac prices all I could find was the price that the Chinese paid , an incredible $60 a jab . However the article went on to say that the price of sinovac depended on the wealth of the population of destination . Surprisingly the cheapest vaccine appears to be the AZ at around $ 4-5 per jab and Pfizer coming in at $20 per jab . But will we ever know the reality ?

Tried to renew my Thai 5 year driving licence recently ( old licence relapsed by 5 months cos overseas ) and had to start all over again . So had to show my passport to a young lady . She asked for my old licence and told my lady to take it to the first floor office . My lady came back after 10 minutes and with the help of an office attendant I downloaded the licence renewal app . So I answered a few simple test questions which I passed and then was told to download and watch the 1 hour long safety driving video . After about 15 minutes it stopped working and returned to the start ( happened 3 times ) . I informed the attendant who said my phone signal maybe no good and to go outside and try again which I did , along with others who had the same problem but the video stopped again so I gave up and returned home and tried again but it stopped again . Does anyone know the process / procedure for renewing your d/l considering my aforementioned plight ? Also my UK d/l is valid , does that qualify me to drive in Thailand in the interim ?

The preferred first jab being sinovac must have been made because it is readily available in big numbers , is easily stored in normal fridges and is WHO approved , also recognised by 50 other countries . My quick Google search tells me that the Pfizer vaccine is around $20 a jab , AZ $4 but the only price I could find for the sinovac was a staggering $60 in China , however it seems thar vaccine prices are determined by the wealth of the country . Within the 50 countries below there are few big players and so how will Thai vaccine roll out be seen/ approved by the big boys ? Albania Finland Paraguay Armenia Georgia Philippines Austria Greece Serbia Azerbaijan Hong Kong South Africa Bangladesh Iceland Spain Brazil Indonesia Sri Lanka Cambodia Kazakhstan Sweden Cape Verde Kyrgyzstan Switzerland Chile Laos Tajikistan China Macedonia Thailand Colombia Malaysia Togo Cyprus Mexico Tunisia Dominican Republic Nepal Turkey East Timor Netherlands Ukraine Ecuador Oman Uruguay Egypt Pakistan Zimbabwe El Salvador

Thais are not alone cos I know quite a few farangs who do not trust any of the vaccines and think the pandemic is a conspiracy and / of a money maker by the global pharmacy companies .

This vaccination plan will not restore the UK governments confidence in Thailand's vaccine rollout and Thailand will stay on the red list for some considerable time . It's not about how many arms you have injected but it's what you put into the arm that counts .

and millions throughout Thailand

1 dose of AstraZeneca vaccine for not less than 14 days, 1 dose of AZ is not sufficient protection and this is coming from those in control and who must be obeyed , similar to the Phuket sandbox when they said 1 sinovac at least needed to qualify working in Phuket . Even the top government officials go along with this . Why are they not aware of the correct requirements ? B/S baffles brains ?

No he cannot and I believe that FARMA ( 3 posts back ) has got the correct info

Me too . 15 nights in Phuket sandbox deal and 4 covid tests ( 1 in the UK ) . Sandbox deal says I am free to travel anywhere in Thailand after my 14 night stay but they forgot to tell the local Kap Choeng immigration cos when phoning them to tell them I am back living in my village the officer said I must stay in my house for 2 weeks . Do you think I can get my " sandbox deal " money back ?

Exactly and what other country offers a similar deal ? Plus I stayed in a 4 star hotel with direct pool access from my bedroom , top class bedroom & bathroom , all for just over 9000 baht for 15 nights

no , at an open air restaurant , hotel restaurant was closed

I think the 2 week holiday folks are the ones who have to be careful and many assume that the seas are same as in the med etc

Just did 2 week sandbox in Karon and every evening had several beers , served in a glass tankard , before a meal and in full view of passing traffic , including the cops . Some guests from my hotel often came back at 03 00 am following a drinking session and no curfew laws were imposed by the cops who saw them .

Today Saturday the 18th and yesterday the UK has kept Thailand on its red list , why ? With Thailand now reporting fewer infection and death rates every day from covid you would think that the UK would relent and allow holidays to Thailand . I believe the main reason is 1 / the low rates of vaccination 2/ The efficacy of the vaccines used 3 / The low rates of daily tests carried out 4/ An overall lack of confidence the way that the Thai government has performed and reported its stats 5/ The percentage of the Thai population who have received adequate vaccine protection is both questionable and at best too low . The general daily reduction in covid cases since going on the red list is amazing .

Me thinks that this airport has a lot of potential . It will / can serve as a hub for inter provincial travel and bring to an end of having to travel to Bangkok to visit other provinces in Thailand . It will almost certainly become an international airport with weekly connections to the middle east and will involve Emirates who were involved on a feasibility study for a new airport near to Surin which was cancelled when a certain gentleman from Buriram intervened . I for one will welcome the changes and expansion to an international airport .

There are more and more virologists subscribing to this theory . Once described as droplets and then aerosoles , now micro organisms that are carried in the wind for great distances . In some places where clusters have occurred , previous weather and winds have shown that the wind / breeze was blowing in that direction . Heard today that in the UK there was a significant spike in people falling down steps and escalators because they did not want to touch the hand rails Finally , the Thai authorities have really shot themselves in the foot with putting the blame on immigrant workers as you would think the immigrants would have been quarantined / tested / double jabbed before being admitted to covid protected island . Thai authorities are responsible for who they allow on to their super sandbox project of Phuket .

There is no need for that in these modern times and the local authorities should be accountable and maybe those who promote holidays where this happens . There seems to be an area of mystery as to how can a situation of raw sewage going into the sea where people will bathe is both tolerated and lawful . If the beach cannot achieve a level of no pollution it should be closed down . The UK does have a grading system on beaches , I do not know about other countries . Maybe the WHO should be aware ? No excuses because you are a third world country , cos if you want to attract tourists to your beaches you should be able to provide a safe environment , boast of your hygiene compliant procedures of keeping bathers safe from pollutants and not putting them in danger . Absolutely disgusting that local authorities are both aware of the ensuing dangers , yet allow it or make it happen .

when your sandals and socks are frowned upon when having gone to town or a bar you realise you left your teeth in the bathroom when you forgot where you hid your viagra when you forget all of your passwords

Some really informative replies and I for one appreciate those who took the time to explain the realities of swimming in the seas around Thailand . Especially for the once a year swimmer , you should ask around about the safety of where you want to swim . I mentioned earlier the non tidal mediterranean where I have swam many times but when I view the Thai seas I have some reservations and will stick to the hotel pool . BTW about 10 years ago I witnessed a drowned 20 year old UK man get dragged to the shore by fishermen in Koh Samui . Apparently went for a moonlight dip the night before and had been drinking .

I have swam many times in the mediterranean but swimming in the seas around Thailand does not appeal , why ? I know that there are dangers such as rip tides and undercurrents . There are seldom any qualified lifeguards and the red flag signs are not dependable for their accuracy . I have even heard that nearby vendors have removed the flags as they discourage people from staying on the beach . Also there is the sea life such as jellyfish and maybe other forms of sea life that are not to be messed with . The presence of lifeguards on European beaches is comforting and assuring in the knowledge that they are trained and manage the safety on their beaches but that seems to be lacking here in Thailand . Am I alone in thinking this way and are there many regular swimmers from this forum who take to the Thai seas ?

Just a matter of time , not too far away

Actually the tourism is only 6 - 10 % of gdp but ironically is one of the biggest employers , keeping the low paid workers fed . Thailand's huge foreign reserves , which include US dollars and gold bullion , are one of the aspects that maintain the countries respect in the monetary markets . Thailand's exports continue to thrive , using cheap labour and making the Thai industrialists extremely rich but for how much longer as other emerging Asian countries are learning fast . I expect / forecast a devaluation of the baht very soon to counter its current strength due to market demands on its exports and to improve its ailing tourism .

The pandemic has hit the low paid workers whilst the top brass are still making vast profits with soaring exports . However the working class must be maintained in order to continue to serve up the cheap labour and to work in the communities by way of government projects or the consequences could see poverty on a massive scale . In other words , you cannot ignore the welfare of the poor completely otherwise it could end up in a national riot .

A country's currency value is mostly an indicator of its general economy , trade and well being . So for what reason would the Thai baht still be in a similar value as it was pre pandemic ? Let's face it the tourism in Thailand has finished , exports of motor vehicles and spares + electronics however are rocketing ( up 44 % year on year in June 2021 ) and are producing revenue for the government . So there is a conflict within the country where only the rich are doing well and are dictating the bahts value ( mostly by cheap labour ) by using established factories that are not worth opposing by copying to work in other countries , using massive investments and slow long term returns . Indeed it is these industrial exports that are keeping the baht buoyant with one of its best customers being China who let's face it could outperform any country on efficiency but in this case it seems to suit them , I wonder why ? .