ThailandPermanent

Just got told today that I'll need to do the test as I graduated from the PGCEi past 2019

That really is a kick in the teeth. I chose Nottingham due to it being accepted for so many years

What's the chance that Thailand bans travel from the UK, given the surge in omicron? 

(Crystal ball stuff, but perhaps there was some hinting from the TAT/government...wishful thinking though)

I'm desperate to spend Christmas in the UK with my aging parents, but have to also think about what happens if I get stranded there

My plan is to go to the UK for Christmas then jump back into Thailand

I know it's crystal ball stuff. But honest guess at the chance Thailand panics and bans travel from the UK?

Absolutely cannot risk getting stranded in the UK. This is giving me such anxiety

Has anyone recently flown into Phuket domestically that isn't fully jabbed (yet)?
 

For the record, I get my 2nd Pfizer on the 8th. I fly to Phuket on the 9th. I will take a PCR test 48 hours before the flight, as I believe you need to wait 14 days to be considered protected by the vaccine.

Current updated requirements say I'll be OK if I have that PCR test. But you know how it is. It's Thailand and I'm worried I'll arrive in Phuket airport and will be turned around. 

(Sorry if this is hijacking. I don't want to fill up the forum with a new thread for a reasonably similar question)

Do they give out the paper certificate after the second dose?

Bit worried. Really need piece of mind in having that for my school 

And thank you to all here. Managed to get Pfizer thanks to you guys bringing this to my attention

7 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

The vaccine is massive for preventing onward transmission. As indicated by every credible doctor and scientist.

OK but can you actually provide some papers showing data to support this?

Again, I'm taking the vaccine next month, and would have sooner but had to wait for my age group's turn. So, it's not as if I'm one of these people constantly linking to VAERS and Mike Yeadon.

I'm actually genuinely interested in reading up on this, but this is typically the response I get when I try to look for data/papers/numbers on it.

I think the vaccine is great as it's absolutely saved 100,000s/millions of lives

I'm also getting my first jab next week.

However, do you guys not think the "preventing onward transmission" thing is a bit overstated and being used to bully people a bit? I'm not convinced it's such a massive variable as some are making out (whereas taking the vaccine is massive for protecting the taker). 

Recent study is interesting on this: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.28.21264260v1.full.pdf

"Transmission reductions declined over time since second vaccination, for Delta reaching 42 similar levels to unvaccinated individuals by 12 weeks for ChAdOx1 and attenuating 43 substantially for BNT162b2."

Genuine thoughts?

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I thought that the MOE rule was that 85% of school staff needed to be vaccinated in order for the school to reopen. So, as 15% do not need to be vaccinated it shouldn't be an issue if some teachers either cannot or do not want it - as long as it's less than 15% of the total workforce.

Do you reckon it'll stay that way come next year though, what with the vaccine push etc?

 

What time between AZ doses do BHP at Central Festival do currently?

8 weeks or 12?

Some balance from me (so double the flaming to come? haha)

I'd give myself a 5/10 on the scale of vaccine hesitancy. Basically "Meh, alright then. It's not like it's dangerous. I'm waiting for AZ though".

I'm getting the vaccine next week. Waited until AZ was available for my age group.  Probably would have done Pfizer or Moderna at a push, but can't be bothered waiting that long.

I won't call people antivaxxers, that's incredibly lazy, and I get that a chunk of people here are more anti-mandate as opposed to thinking the vaccine is dangerous.

However, some of the NoCOVIDVaxxers here are becoming what they hate. They are living a life utterly consumed by all of this, from morning to night. While I have huge sympathies in opposing the mandates, you may be on a path to Pyrrhic victory: no visa, no job, no nice Thailand life. 

Are you OK with that? do you have a backup option that's workable that you like? Not saying it's right (it's not in my opinion), but that's how it's looking. Only you lose out in that situation sadly, and you will have a horrible time finding an education job elsewhere. (The guy who posted about China. You need 2 x Sinovac/Sinopharm to get in. They will not let you in unvaxxed. No chance).

Again, not saying that's right, but you have to see the trajectory of this whole thing. After 18 months of all this, they likely aren't going to just leave you alone, especially in this sector. Likely the decision will be made from the very top, i.e the MOE/immigration.

"Well I'll wait until that's likely to happen". That's fine, but only if it's actually fine for you. Again, are you truly 100% happy gambling all of this over this principle? Do you have a workable backup option in place? Only you can truly answer that deep down. 

However, on the other side of this:
 

I really am perplexed by just how much people care about the vaccination status of the teacher. Some of the arguments are becoming as hysterical as some of the die-in-the-wool NoCOVIDVaxxers.

The chance of hospitalisation from COVID for a young person really is incredibly low.

It's so low, that it's  potentially in the same ballpark of vaccine side effects (which are laughably low, as you'd agree.... right?) [Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study]

Even then, the students are likely to have had vaccines offered to them before returning to class, with their parents/grandparents fully jabbed.

Plus mask-wearing will still be a rule in the  school, along with some distancing measures and maybe even face shields again.

Huge precautions will have been taken, so I'm perplexed why some are so absolutely terrified of perhaps three teachers not having had the jab. There'll be around 15% of students in the room who won't have had it either, too. Perhaps up to 100% if you go towards a younger age group.

But yeah, back to the NoCOVIDVaxxers. Shools/MOE/Immigration will not care even if the above has some logic to it, and the principle sucks

Make your choice

Also guys. Good rule in life: when someone does/says something that irritates you. Start off by thinking of three reasons why that person might have done it, that could be explained through good intentions (that may have not resulted). Just a better way to live life, then constantly thinking everyone is terrible

Anyway, have a nice day. Will probably come back to both sides being irritated.
 

9 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Also, if you receive Sinovac for your first vaccine (which is unusual at this stage for foreigners) you would receive AstraZeneca for the second jab.  If you receive AstraZeneca for your first jab you would receive AstraZeneca for your second jab.  If you get Pfizer for your first jab you will get Pfizer for your second jab.  That is what is currently available for free. 

Some people have purchased in advance Moderna vaccines but I don't believe anyone has actually been vaccinated with Moderna in Thailand yet.  Sinopharm has also been purchased in some cases and received.

I really appreciate this. Thank you so much

1 minute ago, skatewash said:

I don't know of an instance that when someone was registered and received their first jab they didn't also receive their second jab after an appropriate interval.  Typically, you receive a vaccination receipt that lists the vaccine received and the date you should return to receive your second jab.  Possibly dates for the second jab have in some cases been brought forward or delayed but in my experience of reading these topics they earmark the needed second jabs when the first jabs are received.  My first and second jabs were done as scheduled.

Thank you very much

Putting my mind at rest

Complete newbie/dummy here. Just need a bit of closure from the people here who've done the process already

I'm going to Central Festival for my first AZ jab (with Bangkok Hospital Pattaya) on the 22nd October

- How likely is it that the operation will still be going in December when it's second dose time? (maybe a crystal ball question)

- Will the second one definitely be AZ? (I know it says clearly on the graphic, but I know how things can sometimes work here so I'm a bit jittery)

I just personally don't want to mix vaccines

14 minutes ago, dddave said:

Indeed.  Always faster.  It has never taken me more than 20 minutes.  Same re-entry permits, single or multiple entry for the same price as CW. Currently open when departing flights are scheduled.  It is located in the passport control area, after security. 

Is it open 24 hours?

My flight time would mean I show up about 04:00

I'm just paranoid I'll get there and it'll be empty lol

24 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In principle you should get your reentry permit.

But!

But in the moment they have a computer problem with the reentry permit. I just received my Non-B visa extension for a year. But no reentry permit. According to the agent the immigration office has a computer problem with that and hopefully next week it will work again. Better check before you go.

Thank you for letting me know this!

 

25 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Which appointment system are you writing about? It must be the one for re-entry permits since the other one is down.

You can still get a re-entry permit without a appointment.

Thank you ????

Hey there

I am jumping back to the UK to see parents and get vaccinated (yes, trying to come back will be fun indeed!)

Can I still rock up at Changwattana to do my re-entry there during these times? without an appointment?

Reason I ask is I just spent about an hour trying to understand the website guidelines/this online appointment system and I'm still confused :S

Thank you

5 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

Mate, what do want me to do about it? It ain’t my country. Gotta go with the flow.

 

I reckon there were 500,000 + people, 95% Thais having a ball today in Pattaya. Good luck trying to talk them out of having fun so you can go shopping. 

 

The Thais is are so fun and nice and easygoing. If you tried something like this in Oz or England it would end up in a bloodbath because farangs get upset over little things too easily. Thenthais are very tolerant.

 

Apart from Pattaya it doesn’t go longer than three days (that I know of) and Pattaya is a party city so it really is the best place to have the extended songkran. City Hall gets behind it.

 

The local Thais rich and poor cash in. eg i saw a lovely old lady selling soft drinks for twenty baht in plastic cups. Simple as buying a big bottle from 7/11 and a pack of plastic cups. High profit margin.

  

You can complain all you want, but it won’t change a thing. It reminds me of Muslims complaining about Xmas in Christian dominated countries.

To be fair, that's an absolutely solid reply

1 hour ago, RobMuir said:

Like going to a rock concert and asking for the music to be turned down. 

You are right, if you look like you dont want to participate this will make you a bigger target.

Non Participation really isn’t an option. It is very inclusive.

This isn't a very accurate analogy though, is it?

If anything, it's like walking past a rock concert and being dragged into it and forced to listen

I have no problem with people enjoying the rock concert. I may even join in. But I'd like to opt out when I'm ready to

I'd like to hear your arguments for why a person going food shopping at 06:30am has to be soaked with water? 

Let's not be overly apologist, and let's call out jerk-like behaviour. How does not soaking someone in that instance infringe on the Thais enjoying their new year?

Your post sounds overly apologist to be honest. "it's their country" holds true for a lot of cases, but people seem to use this defense for jerky things like: dual pricing, taxi scams, people throwing dirty water at you at the crack of dawn when you just want breakfast etc.

Also, there are millions of Thais who get sick of the water throwing, and would like to just go about their day, without preventing the other guys from enjoying it. Why is this not a reasonable compromise?

If it was just on beach road for the ten days (and nowhere else) I think the number of Songkran complaints would at least halve. All the ones who enjoy it, can enjoy it. All the ones who'd like to opt out, can opt out

Quote

got attacked 6.30 am & 7.30 pm, (means dark hours for those not living here)

is there any time i can stock up food without getting attacked ?

This is it right here

This guy just wants to peacefully get food and return home

But some idiot has to stop him doing that, despite him not infringing on their fun

I'm no fan of the Democrats or the Republicans (or Trump)

But the Democrats really need to approach 2020 from a better angle. Trump's base will hold their nose and support him through any screw-up he makes. They do not care about this Russia stuff. Their Russia pushing isn't winning over many new voters

If the Dem candidate runs on "We are all Americans", drops the excessive identity politics and proposes sensible border control, they'll win an absolute landslide

Democrats need to drop the hard-left nutjobs like AOC, and the corporate lobbyists like Clinton

Hopefully they choose Andrew Yang. Seems like a good guy

Jingthing is my kind of guy. Always talks sense in his posts

When is it actually 100% over in Pattaya? I get that today's meant to be the last day, but are some idiots going to push it through to Saturday? When was the last time that the 20th was a weekend day? It's not been like that for a while right?

Just wanna go to Jomtien and chill. Friend messaged me earlier saying he tried to peacefully go for food and got caked in white powder, water and had ice thrown at him lol

Hmmm. I've been reading a lot of these recent immigration horror stories and there seems to be a common theme:

The METV

Seems to be a real red flag for immigration officers, and it makes sense.

 What other reason would people get these types of visas? The fullmoon party?!

You're basically drawing 'long-termer' on your face with bright red pen

Thank you for the helpful replies guys

Have calmed my nerves a bit