mlmcleod

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved new rules that will help people aged over 70 purchase health insurance as part of the application for a Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa.

I do not need this kind of help!  The Immigration department has finally decided that retirement is not in the cards for expats!  After 70 you can pay 200,000 baht a year for insurance or leave!  In the past I was not able to buy Thai health insurance at any price.  I suspect that this is just going to be another gouging of the expats.  What ever happened to grandfathering in of existing expats as was always the case in the past.  I wonder if they are going to rescind the airport fee that they currently charge to more than cover unpaid expat hospital bills?

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout is going according to plan

True, if the plan was to force everyone except HISO's and government officials to take Sinovac!

14 hours ago, geovalin said:

For the past 17 years, the US Embassy in Phnom Penh has been proud to support the World Heritage Foundation’s conservation activities at Phnom Bakheng with more than $4 million from the US Ambassador’s Fund.

but no money in the fund to conserve US expats by providing access to vaccines.

11 hours ago, wasabi said:

The USA is literally giving away millions of doses of vaccines

but none for their expats!

12 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

The Deputy Secretary reiterated the U.S. commitment to the people of Thailand in our fight against COVID-19, which includes $30 million in COVID-related assistance to Thailand. The two sides agreed on the importance of continuing to work together to combat COVID-19.

So, the US donates $30 million bucks to Thailand but not a penny to vaccinate their citizens here! 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Hundreds of ordinary people had been waiting for their jabs since 8.30 am - now it was nearly midday and they still hadn't been seen to amid growing frustrations.

This is completely ridiculous!  It takes less than 30 seconds to get a job.  So why are people waiting so long for vaccinations.  In the USA, anyone can get a jab at their local drug store.  Why does Thailand always have to have centralized control over everything.  These poor people waiting should not have to suffer in the heat while waiting for hours to get their vaccinations.

The primary requirements will probably be the folowing:

1. Health certificate
2. police report
3. current valid passport
4. proof of residency
5. birth certificate translated to Thai
6. proof of $100,000 insurance
7. etc
8. etc
9. etc

Available group: People aged 60 + years old, people living with any underlying diseases following;

**Note**

COVID-19 Vaccine Availability

Updated on June 6^th,2021

COVID-19 Vaccination locations

23 hours ago, tracker1 said:

This Government Gazette must have a multitude of laws they think up but never enforce !

It is intentional.  That way you can never escape a fine at a checkpoint---if you are a farang!

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

This has never happened to me, but others would say that it is better to give a cop 200Bt than having to go maybe miles away to find a police station to pay a fine. That is assuming that they really did commit a traffic offence.

I have never had a policeman offer to accept less than 500 baht!  Things may be different in the provinces.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite the end to this money for police they will still be eligible to claim a proportion of traffic fines gained by non-electronic means - that is to say face to face fines collected on the spot and not issued through the mail. 

Hence the pressure to pay at checkpoints!  Never ever pay cash to a policeman!

6 hours ago, Excel said:

And who exactly will be enforcing this ? The RTP  can noteven  enforce currently speed limits 

Since the Thai police abhor leaving their air conditioned offices, I strongly suspect that they are going to introduce speed cameras everywhere.  There are parts of America where that is already happening and the drivers are revolting!  Some have had half a dozen tickets arrive in the mail on the same day!  Speed limits are about revenue not safety!

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that he had been in discussions with his counterparts at the Thai tourism ministry and they were expecting 3-4 million foreign tourists this year. 

 

Thaivisa did the math - that would mean for the top end assessment 18,691 would need to arrive every day on average.

????????????  I guess these numbers are to be expected from all of the relatives working together at TAT.  I think 30-40 thousand is about tops for this year.

11 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

When foreigners in Phuket might actually receive a vaccination injection remains unsaid.

I suspect the delay is to encourage farangs to either leave Thailand or to encourage them to pay a hefty fee for their vaccine.  Originally, the PM stated that farangs would receive AZ just like he did.  However, the rumor mill says that SInovac is going to be administered to everyone anyway.

On 5/29/2021 at 12:46 PM, ikke1959 said:

Maybe they have to start working. 

and not only office hours from 9.00 - 16.30 but day and night in shifts

And checkpoints are to check... everything and not only tax paid yes or no...

Check alcohol abuse, driving license, and if your car is ok to drive with.  working lights, wipers, brakes, profile of the tires, overloading, to high loaded and black smoke.. and of also for motorcycles. helmets, age, three on a bike, driverslicense, speeding and make the list longer. There is a lot of work to do every day and night. So start with it

 

 

The Police at Pattaya checkpoints already do that -- for farangs!  I remember once having everything checked out by the police at a checkpoint.  They were so frustrated that they gave me a ticket for a passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt.  Then they spent 15 minutes trying to convince me to pay them in cash on the spot!  I disappointed them and paid through the post office.

The irksome part of this ticket is I was right behind a pickup truck full of Thai children with no seatbelts and they were just waved through.

I strongly believe that no policeman should ever be allowed to accept any cash from the public.  Anyone who does so should be charged with a felony.  The Police administration should establish a strong Internal Affairs department with all of the resources they need to weed out the corrupt no matter how many are involved.  Finally, elephants will fly before anything serious is ever done!

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This did not deter Mr Dicko who just added Abou to his name, changed his birthdate from 1992 to 1998 and got a new passport in Africa. 

Instead of just business as usual, perhaps the Thais should ban all Ivory Coast citizens until they get there passports in gear.

Just use a Visa service.   Not cheap but far easier.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

just "some foreigners" were likely to arrive in the third quarter

I wonder how many people are tied up in computing Thai tourism numbers for the future!  I suspect that very very few if any tourists are going to the Phuket "sandbox"'.

As always the truth will win out as no one comes on July 1st.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

In fact doing anything to damage the exemplary name of the Royal Thai Police was a strict no-no. 

It is a shame that only the name is exemplary!!

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai tourism authorities think foreigners will come. Many cheeky observers have noted that pigs are more likely to be flying into Phuket than tourists from abroad. 

 

Previous attempt to promote foreign tourism have all largely failed in Thailand leading many to suggest that the current optimism will again fall flat. 

 

Why all the pessimism?  WE all know that TAT has a big plan to bring in the high class wealthy tourists and ex-pats that Thailand deserves.  Relax and leave everything in the hands of the government.  Thailand will be buzzing with tourists in no time!

I personally expect to hear crickets after July 1!????

2 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

Now, Russia. Sputnik. You don't like it because it's Russian, I understand that, but this is only vaccine not to produce any side effects in old population as well as kids. Russia was the first nation to launch the first space apparatus, first man in space, first man in free space and they kicked Nazi's ass. And they are producing it in a sizable volumes, so all nations can get it, that's when EU holding all vaccines for their own, same as Americans

 

I would take Sputnik over Sinovac in a second!  It is far more effective! Nuf said!

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Asked by Thai Rath if that meant AstraZeneca for all, the DMP said that Thailand has plenty of different brands of vaccine to choose from - people will get what is best for them. 

and Sinovac is what's best for everyone!