Spock

1 hour ago, bigupandchill said:

He likely paid off the family to their satisfaction, brought great shame to a high profile thai family and has not been able to openly travel back to his home country - his actions surely had consequences.

Surely you are not suggesting that the consequences he has 'suffered' sufficiently pay for the crime?

1 minute ago, Doctor Tom said:

In this case, if proven, he will no doubt die in Jail, so not going anywhere and you don't need a valid visa for that to happen

Can't imagine a worse punishment than being 80 in a Thai jail.

Just another example of Thai wowserism in a different form, trying to pretend their lives are based on the best of safety concerns, the same mentality that has closed down tourism as soon as it was reopened through overreacting to a relatively mild if contagious virus variant. I would certainly not get the test. If the Thais on the board and in the condo are too stupid or blind to reality as to think another test on top of 2 already taken is necessary, just let them do their worst. Thailand is a country currently going nowhere fast.

2 hours ago, Niteowl45 said:

The point of letting in the 200,000 that, like me, already applied (I literally got my thai pass last night) is not so much to get tourists, as much as the fact that to get the thai pass we booked flights and spent money on hotels, insurance and testing...

If at the last minute they void their thai pass, and make us lose a bunch of money in the process, it probably won't motivate us, or anybody else for that matter, to try to plan vacations over there in the future. Why would anybody go through all that again knowing that they can just deny us entry at the last minute?

 

As it is they are doing plenty of stupid things, imo, but at least they're honoring the thai passes they already issued. If they didn't they would lose face big time.

 

Having said all that, I agree that voiding those passes would have made more sense from a safety standpoint... but then again it's really a small number. Imo, honoring already issued passes is the right choice.

You are 100% right. People have to be able to book a holiday with a fair degree of certainty that the tables are not going to be turned on them. Even Australia, the most cautious country in the world, is not panicking over Omicron. Sure there are lots of cases and it's highly infectious, but hospital admissions and deaths have not been greatly affected and there is no need to lose the confidence of prospective tourists by once again changing their mind. The Thai government should make a decision and stick with it. We have to learn to live with the virus because it is not going away. If the population is vaccinated, life should be able to proceed as normal.

4 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

All has to do with pricing.  When I was there in the age of dinosaurs, I could have a good time for 50 Baht or less up-country.  90 Baht at one place in Bangkok, but they provided the short time room and it was in a nice part of town. That was like $4.50 at the exchange rate at that time. 

These short term rooms were, I assume, to offer you temporary relief from the heat and exhaustion after devoting hours to the inspection of temples, ruins or other historical or cultural displays. Once refreshed, I imagine you moved on to the next town to avail yourself of its cultural offerings. Yes those indeed were days to be savoured by the discerning Thai tourist.

4 hours ago, sezze said:

Well they are right . It's perfectly fine to drink alcohol , but not if you are cold and trying a drink to heat you up , since in fact it does just the opposite . Alcohol widens your veins and by that more blood goes to your skin . This makes you feel warmer , but in fact it is cooling your core temp .

Nobody said you can't do , only give the recommendation for people who do try such thing .There are people dying many times in Thailand from undercooling , and many Thais do not have the knowledge that in fact the lao khao just does the opposite .

Is that you, Dr Sarayuth Bunchaiphanichwattana?

There are actually lots of very wowserish Thai people, largely among the middle class, particularly noticeable to me when I rented in the vast Lumpini apartment building complex in Rangsit where no alcohol was available at the 2 7/11 stores on site. It's not a country in which I am keen to spend time anymore.

3 hours ago, darrenr said:

They have lost the plot ! Already done 2-3 swabs to get into Thailand, rate their going you’ll be swabbed 10 times a day, and they certainly won’t be getting my personal details off my vaccination certificate (such as full name and DOB), unless government official.

 

I hear Cambodia as of 15 Nov - no VOE/Thai Pass, no PCR test, no insurance ,only rapid test on arrival, Thailand May lose a lot of business to other countries with less complicated entry 

Cambodia is where I am now heading. I don't trust the Thais. Lived there for 6 years and now find it conservative and puritanical as well as poorly governed. For some years now Cambodia has provided a more relaxed and friendly environment in which to stay or live than Thailand. 

20 minutes ago, Salerno said:

There are cheaper options available.

There would want to be. 6000 baht is absurd.

11 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I teach at a very prestigious private school and we have been having online classes since May. I'm not worried about the school closing down for good. The school has been in business too long to forfeit. The fallout would be unthinkable.

You are probably at Bangkok Patana or somewhere similar which would have had an online program for all and collected fees throughout. No way such a school would fold.

On 9/24/2021 at 4:56 PM, Russell17au said:

It took time but now in Australia if you are caught eating or drinking anything whilst you are actually driving a vehicle you are put off the road and get a hefty fine as well, because whilst eating and drinking when actually driving you do not have full control of the vehicle that you are driving, thus even drinking hot coffee and you have to hit the brakes in an emergency and that hot coffee spills in your lap and causes a split second reaction by you that has now cost the lives of an innocent father, mother and 2 young children aged 5 and 8 years

As an Australian citizen stuck in the safety cocoon in which this country envelops its citizens, I would happily be in any other country which doesn't prevent its own citizens travelling OS, or boasts the longest locked down city, the most punitive traffic fines available and the most restrictive speed limits in the world. You may value the priority placed on attempting to ensure that people's safety is the only priority in life worth pursuing, but the flip side is a dull and bland society which is currently revealing to discerning citizens just how an obsession with safety to the detriment of anything else can be stultifyingly boring and restrictive.

13 hours ago, Pravda said:

Lets try this.

 

What is it with forum posters obsession with the banning of alcohol?

Generally people move to these developing countries because they are more liberal and offer more freedom than their own. Having said that with Thailand's  high infection rate, the country probably should have been in a long lockdown with restaurants and bars closed. It's when alcohol is banned through shops that the ban becomes really draconian. I am sure this happened last year when Thailand locked down. I enjoy a drink at home every night and I certainly would not consider moving to a country that banned alcohol at all points of sale.

16 hours ago, itsari said:

Strange statement a fate worse than death . Are you quoting an experience in a Thai Jail ? I would say with out the experience my self I would prefer jail than death .

Cost ? You have knowledge of the cost of jails in Thailand ? 

 

The cost of feeding a prisoner I read about 10 years ago - less than $1.50 a day. I have a goof Thai friend doing time and have visited on numerous occasions as well as regularly correspond. I have a fairly good understand what life inside is like.

8 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Many are there due to inhumane crimes!

70% are drug related

2 minutes ago, Tonypandy said:

So being vaccinated you are safe, you cannot catch or pass on the virus? Dream on. 

That wasn't my point, but carry on regardless.

9 minutes ago, Surasak said:

The answer to your first question is complacency. Initially March and April 2020 Thailand was lucky and the low infections and deaths drove this complacency.. Thus, where was the need and urgency to mass purchase what was not needed? The rest of the world did the sensible thing and now Thailand finds its self up the proverbial without the paddle. Why is anyone surprised by this, in a land where no one fails??   

Australia was in the same situation and didn't order enough vaccine. Then the locally manufactured Astra Zeneca, already not producing sufficient quantities, was undermined by an AZ blood clot scare, and the government banned its use for under 60s. Then with rising cases, the government reversed its ban, but the PR damage meant the country became awash with unused AZ. There is more of an uptake since it has become obvious that lockdowns will be a permanent feature of Australian life until 80% vaccination is reached. Thailand and Australia actually have quite a lot in common in terms of the rollout, with Thailand displaying an even greater level of incompetence as well as being totally overrun by cases.