sambum

"Dr Kusak said there were negotiations underway to help with the situation." Good luck with that - my guess is that more money will have to be paid over by the insured tourists!

"Britain" is not an island!

I think the message could be getting through when you look at the "flip flopped" estimated predictions of future tourist arrivals in Thailand!

"..................director of the Veterinary Health Innovation and Management Research Group unit of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology ...." vet·er·i·nar·y adjective relating to the diseases, injuries, and treatment of animals. So Thailand has suddenly realised that the current regime and their associated regulations/restrictions isn't working, so now they need the expertise of someone used to dealing with animals? P.S. I bet his title looks impressive on a job application form (if there's room!)

I didn't say that there was anything wrong with a degree in Engineering - only that he didn't have any medical qualifications, which if he had, would probably help him to do his job as Health Minister. I also mentioned the fact that he had an awful lot of money - obviously an asset in obtaining a plum job with this Government! And if the "experts" predictions from TAT are anything to go by, I would suspect that they indeed got their qualifications from Khaosan Road! However, I do acknowledge that their "predictions" in tourist figures would probably be better got from the bottom of a teacup rather than Mathematics with all the chopping and changes that this Government make to the rules regarding visiting this country!

This Government can't count that far! However, joking apart,it's been said before by myself and others that the reason for all this "flip flopping" and changes of restriction rules are not to do with the welfare of the populace in mind - Covid is a perfect excuse to maintain the "State of Emergency" (which nobody seems to mention any more, but is still in place, and was extended (for the 15th time) on 1st December 2021 until 31st January 2022. And it is obvious what that means in terms of "democracy", and canvassing for votes in any prospective future elections!

" until covid is completely gone" ????

Apparently he has a degree in Engineering - sod all to do with people's health! But he also has lots of money - 'nuff said?

".................until the middle of next year...................." By the middle of next year (2023) you'd be lucky if there were any bars left to open!

"..............his government’s achievements during the previous year,..........." Not really anything outstanding there, especially the slow response to Covid, due to him and his DPM Anutin thinking they knew better than anyone else (and still do!)

You've got it the wrong way round there, mate! Can you imagine the reaction if, for instance, foreign visitors to London Zoo or the London Eye were asked to pay double the price that Brits pay?

It's been known to happen! Also I have apologised to a street lamp for walking into it!

During the first years with my wife, we went a number of times "pai thiao" with full loaded cars - full loaded, that is, with family members. And guess what, not a single time anyone of them had 10 bahts in the pocket, they always expected me to pay for absolutely everything. ... When I first met my wife, and she asked me to go to Esan to meet her family and friends, I was "forewarned" by an American mate of the dangers of the above. Apparently, he had undergone a similar situation except that when he got to the village, there was very little to eat in the house, so he offered to go to the nearest supermarket a few miles away in his truck, and do some shopping. This proposal was greeted with joy, and his wife asked if he could take one ot two neighbours with them as they also needed to go shopping, but they had no transport - just motor bikes, and as he had a "Ranger" truck, they would be plenty of room, and they would be able to "stock up". Well, you can probably guess the rest of the story. Without going into all the details (As he put it "they had more tricks than a circus dog!") they stocked up all right - trolleys and baskets full to the brim, and he ended up paying for everything as everybody mysteriously disappeared at the "checkout"! Anyway, advice well heeded as I told my intended that I would take the family (and friends and neighbours) out for dinner (which cost me less than 1000 baht) so I was not branded as tight fisted ("keen yao?"), but I was not being a food supplier for the village or a walking ATM! A suggestion that was accepted (reluctantly?), but I can remember that not one of them said "Thank you" after the meal! Needless to say, it didn't happen again!

How about the Ministry of Tourism and Sports being renamed as "TAT"? (The Tosh and Twaddle Department) Another new day, another new scheme that will no doubt be replaced by another new scheme tomorrow!

The statement should have given credit where credit is due i.e. "My thanks go to DPM Anutin for his inspiration in compiling the above ...............etc etc"

There is a showbiz saying that "all publicity is good publicity - however this is not the case here". This will make people who read the story wary of using TUI in the future!

And is it still "under control" as promised by Mr Anutin to the PM a couple of weeks ago? And is he still going to "kick its butt"? ????

Did I not read a while ago that a bill had been passed in Thailand to actually INCREASE the speed limilt on certain roads?

"Pay the fines or go to jail." And who pays for the cost of keeping them in jail? Better if they were made to work somewhere to pay the fines off - possibly on the roads? That would serve a dual purpose as it would reduce the need to import cheap labour from Myanmar, for instance.

"Thais urged not to drink drive this New Year" Wonder if that is "copied and pasted" from previous years? (Don't answer that!) "the country would have a campaign to limit accidents for the "Seven Deadly Days" from December 29th to January 4th." And what exactly will this campaign consist of? Loudpeaker vans going up and down the freeways saying "Don't have an accident for the next seven days"?

And Anutin "admits" that some cases "may" be brought in by foreigners! How about him admitting that some Thais "may" have already brought it in to the country? Hmm?

Must be different in your neck of the woods then - here nearly everyone wears a mask in a shop, and in large supermarkets like Macro there is even a security guard at the entrance to remind you! Having said that, there are many smaller shops where the staff do not bother with masks, and 95% of them are Thais!

How can you talk as much with your tongue in your cheek?

No, the hospital think they are not doing their job properly without sending people home with 4-5 different drugs, you should know that Thai people aren't going to argue with a DOCTOR! And it will be interesting to see how the current policy of hospitalisation of ALL Covid cases plays out - as a previous poster put it "There isn't enough room in Anutin's castle" ???? Personally, I think if they carry on with this stupid money making scam, we are going to be seeing a lot more "esapees" going on the run!

Like, that's gonna happen! (Not!)