Jonathan Swift

6 hours ago, happydays said:

Agreed. Unless the teachers had a negative test before going there is no proof. They could have been infected by the students.

Oh, you're talking about SCIENCE?! Not a language commonly spoken on this forum. I'm actually amazed at how many Brits I've met between Pattaya and Bangkok who think Covid is a made up story and therefore they will not be vaccinated. And these are otherwise likeable chaps. It horrified me. Literally. Jaw on the ground. I personally think that any foreigner who refuses the vaccine should be deported. But I digress. Kudos to you and anyone else here who still understands and subscribes to common sense. Ignorance is as much a public health menace as any virus. The Stupidemic.

6 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Not to be picky, but shouldn’t the headline read “ foreign teachers go to phuket entertainment venue and catch Covid from Thai people, then go home and infect students”.

 

I mean if we are going the route of the blame game.

Not to be picky, but how do you know the nationality and identity of the source of the infection? Did you see some video footage? Medical records? Contact tracing? I mean if we are going the route of the where's the evidence game. Sad to see so many people out to malign the people in whose country they are basically trespassing. 

On 4/12/2021 at 5:15 PM, thequietman said:

Blah blah blah, change .... blah blah blah boosing investment ..... blah blah blah ....... making it easier for foreigners.

 

Nothing will happen. Mark my words. ????

Noted

On 4/10/2021 at 11:06 AM, herfiehandbag said:

What is incorrect about my post then? The estimate of peoples income? The expectation that they will be unable to spend that much money? 

 

It was opinions not information. Don't presume to tell me and others what we can and can't post!

My my we certainly are touchy about criticism aren't we? The person was being helpful in discouraging misinformation. That you couldn't see that says a lot about the caliber of person you are. Post away, there's no law against ignorance, no law against being an ill tempered cuss. 

2 hours ago, phitsanulokjohn said:

And that's why I believe Thailand's figures to be highly inacurrate,as compared to the size of their population,hardly anyone has been tested and at 1500 Baht for the ordinary Thai,are unlikely to be either.

No matter what any of you, or we, may think about the Thai government, I do not believe that ordinary Thai citizens who cannot afford 1500 baht have been denied tests. The tracking of cases that has taken place would not have been possible if testing were thus limited by cost. it's just logic. As to figures and statistics, the methods used and the accuracy of reporting are simply not standardized nor is there much central management of information. And then there is an inherent inaccuracy to be found in any story that passes through several layers of translation and editorial interpretation. Some news sources are more dependable in their details than others. A lot of their writers are not as educated nor as motivated as others. But the bottom line is, Thailand remains one of the safest countries in the world, and that is no accident. And therefore, regardless of any criticism, we are more likely to all be OK in the end than citizens of other countries. We are in the home stretch, the end is in sight. Let's focus on that, shall we? Count our blessings.

On 4/10/2021 at 10:06 AM, Thaiwrath said:

Should be free ! That is a lot of money for some citizens.

But submarines are probably more important than the well being of your fellow people ? 

Should be free, yes. Making it so is not as easy as you might wish or expect. It doesn't mean that Thailand is choosing one priority over another. It is simply a matter of trying to effectively manage a crisis of heretofore unseen proportion. And do a little digging into how the process was administered here, and how this government differs from other countries, good and bad. In many ways this has thus far been handled in an exemplary way - just look at the numbers and compare to other countries. So let's be fair and reserve judgment. As a serious medical matter, 1500 baht to 3000 baht for such a test, compared to the same in other countries (meaning how much such a test would cost during non covid times) , is economically reasonable. It is the virus that is unreasonable and unrelenting. 1500 baht is about $50 US, 3000 baht is about $100 US. For me that is serious money, I live on about $1600 a month. But since Thailand is so inexpensive in so many ways and since I am quite frugal in my lifestyle, I am prepared to pay such a price if need be. I keep an emergency reserve fund which I don't touch EXCEPT for emergencies. In the past I have sold off personal possessions in order to maintain that reserve fund. I dipped into it for my arrival quarantine, for my insurance policy, and for the extra cost of one way airfare. If this cost is the same for Thai citizens, which I doubt, THAT would constitute a problem. And the most important thing is the availability and cost of the vaccine. I don't know for sure, so feel free to correct me, but I think the intent is for the vaccine to be free. I don't think vaccination can work any other way. Be grateful that there IS a vaccine, and that we live in an era where the science exists to have produced and distributed a vaccine in record time, as much as 10 times as fast as in previous health crises. 

4 hours ago, JackGats said:

Suan Plu, ie the IDC. Cramped conditions to say the least. Would have been a good idea to give everyone there a jab of Chinese vaccine some months ago. Now it's too late.

OK, chicken little, the sky isn't falling, the vaccine is here, it's not gonna be the end of the world. Monday morning quarterbacking doesn't help. Did you have the playbook for this before it happened? No one else did either, so people have mostly been doing the best they can with something the likes of which haven't been seen in 100 years or more. Accidents happen, mistakes get made. We're human beings, remember? Fallible. Count your blessings and be well

13 hours ago, champers said:

Sounds like the comrades are agents. Considering that many Russians do not speak Thai or English, agents would provide a very useful service. I think there is more to this "story" than meets the eye.

You are no doubt correct sir. There's always more to the story, due to limited police disclosure, and to the inherent lack of motivation of "reporters" who are likely little more than high school seniors writing for a school paper. If you're going to cheat, it pays to use experts with the established chain of brown envelopes. I suspect the Russians left someone out of that chain, or pi$$ed the wrong person off. Or they were rank amateurs painting targets on their own backs. No sympathy from me, the Russians are doing nothing for Thailand except taking up space and being generally unfriendly to everyone. 

4 hours ago, inThailand said:

Did they put fish sauce on it and eat it? 

I think that's how it got there in the first place. Incredible inedibles. they just keep going 'round, 55555

6 hours ago, Frank Abegnale said:

Of all the the pictures of Thais pointing at things, this is the "Thais pointing at things-est."

maybe there should be a gallery and a prize once a year for the Thai Pointingest Thing Photo. We could all vote. much more fun that all the grousing and complaining. 

I fail to see any value to this as "news". By the time any story about exchange rate is published the rate has changed again. Meanwhile we can all keep track quite nicely in real time on our own. Did they run out of stories or just get sick of the complainers?

On 3/19/2021 at 5:15 PM, tomazbodner said:

In related news - price of all imported stuff increases 50%

News update - people complaining in record numbers about things over which they have no control, little understanding. toxic self flaggellation leading to increased suicide rate. Reduced population expected to reverse current downward economic trend.

On 3/19/2021 at 5:15 PM, tomazbodner said:

In related news - price of all imported stuff increases 50%

News update - people complaining in record numbers about things over which they have no control, little understanding. toxic self flaggellation leading to increased suicide rate. Reduced population expected to reverse current downward economic trend.

On 3/19/2021 at 3:29 PM, KhunBENQ said:

A long way to go.
If one has the moderate hope to get back to the 10 year high, the following gains from current  value would be necessary (rounded):

USD 18%
EUR 23%
GBP 31%
AUD 39%

(with graphs from xe.com)

https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=THB&view=10Y
https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=EUR&to=THB&view=10Y
https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=GBP&to=THB&view=10Y
https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=AUD&to=THB&view=10Y

A long way to go? Are we going somewhere? Is history expected to repeat itself, the "good old days" to return? Since in our reality time goes forward, not backward, it is pointless and futile to point to past events and circumstances and wring our hands and furrow our brows over whether we'll ever get back to some equivalent point. Now is the reality we have to accept and live with. If you've staked your life and future gambling that favorable exchange rates of the past would return and sustain you, you've made a very bad bet. Economic realities rarely cooperate with wishes and expectations. World economies will do whatever they do in spite of us, best to make peace with that fact and count our blessings accordingly. Since when has complaining done any good? 

On 3/20/2021 at 7:23 PM, bwpage3 said:

Perhaps during these poverty stricken times, Phuket needs to revisit poor treatment of tourists, scams and all the other bad things. 

mmmmmmm ya think? Hello, Phuket? You listening? . . . . . . . (silence). Unfortunately, I think that those kinds of issues exist on a different plane from the direct effects of the pandemic. Rooting them out would require some cohesive leadership which would HAVE to come from the local business leaders, who would HAVE to acknowledge that part of the problem  and be willing to tackle it head on. By its nature, mistreatment of tourism is a multi headed snake and to even acknowledge it is to lose face. Is there courage enough to look at it anyway? How about courage/business sense being on the same page? Very tough prospect indeed. Needs more publicity methinks

Having concluded that cynicism is toxic, I think tourism is an economic force that has been pressing against the closed doors ever since this began, and I think it will revive nicely, if slowly. I predict a welcome surge forward in the beginning. Just my own intuition. I think some measured optimism is justified. Also, yes this process will lurch along somewhat disorganizedly, and that is to be expected and not complained about. 

On 3/16/2021 at 3:26 PM, potless said:

As arrivals are whisked off to quarantine anyway and undergo 2 tests, what is the use of it? If or when these dogs are used, a better place to patrol would be the markets. Then again, they will possibly run off with the meat.

Covid has nothing to do with meat or markets. The manner in which it spreads is now well known and documented: aerosol micro droplets from speaking, breathing, and coughing into another person's immediate space.. Are you the only person left in the world who does not know this? Do you ever read anything but tabloids? You must live in a very small, sad world

7 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Someone else here has said that COVID detecting dogs in Finland have been 95 pct effective. 

So, strange but true. 

Correct. Here is an excerpt:

The COVID-19 Study

With the influx of COVID-19 cases, it makes sense that researchers would want to find a way to apply this science to detecting positive samples of the virus. One of the first studies took sweat samples from 177 possible COVID-19 patients in five different hospitals in Paris and Beirut. They then used these sweat samples to train 14 dogs, six of which were further tested in the study.

30 minutes ago, sambum said:

"and where are they gonna be sniffing as well is of concern .."

Got something to hide? Hmmm? 

They can stick their noses halfway up my a.r.$.e if it keeps me out of quarantine. methinks it a good idea to bring a bag of doggy treats

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

For reference (CTV News):-

Specially trained dogs are highly effective at sniffing out the presence of COVID-19 in human sweat, according to a new study, which bolsters existing evidence and suggests that dogs could play a key role in efforts to control the virus.

 

that would be me - the king of stinkfoot. My palms and soles of my feet sweat excessively - it's genetic. Poor doggies. 

3 hours ago, potless said:

I read that dogs may be able to detect the virus at an early stage whereas an RT-PCR test may not. That has to be a bonus. 

You read correctly. Not only that, but they make great pets and companions. I don't mean that to sound dumb, but it is their devotion and eagerness to please humans that enable them to be trained in this way. they will do anything for a treat and a pat on the head

22 hours ago, WineOh said:

did I get off at the wrong stop?

like cloud cuckoo land?

this place is mad!

Yes, the big real world can be confusing to people who don't keep up with the times. Ever actually read up on the subject? Dogs can be trained to sniff out just about anything including diseases. Dogs HAVE been trained to detect Covid with a high degree of accuracy, between 75% and 100% accuracy.  There, I just did the heavy lifting for you. If your reading skills are lacking, you can find youtube videos on the subject. To be fair, this is a world which is advancing so rapidly in science and technology that if you blink twice you will miss a dozen major leaps forward, and this is one of them. But come on. Instead of wasting time embarrassing yourself in this forum with your uninformed remarks, why not research a subject before you answer? yeah, you know, learn something instead of just sitting taking up space. 

33 minutes ago, bluedoc said:

Why don’t they use the dogs to sniff out their own people that have Covid. That would be a better use or are they worried they would find to many.

How do you know that this is not being done? But since you seem to be another whining victim of Thai "racism" let me 'splain it to you: The biggest threat from Covid is from foreigners bringing it into the country. It is not from the general Thai population. And we all know the tests are not perfect and may not reveal asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Anything, such as this, which can enhance screening and tighten the barrier against the virus is essential and should absolutely be implemented. I daresay it will make things safer even for YOU. But I wonder, if you have such disdain for the inequities here, and are so inclined to complain, what are you doing here? Are things that much better where you're from?