Jonathan Swift

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Perhaps you can explain to us why drinking is safe at 9pm but not safe at 10.30. I can't think if any other country where such a ridiculous rule exists. Can you? Anywhere else, where places are allowed to open, which is almost everywhere, they are also allowed to operate normal hours, not close at some time picked out of the air.

The various states in the US and I'm sure many countries have had all kinds of equally ridiculous blue laws, liquor laws, etc. for 100 years or more. So there's one. next question? Oh, explain what they're doing as to 9pm/10:30pm? They're trying to limit exposure by curtailing the hours people are allowed to spend drinking and socializing in public, which is scientifically and statistically valid. has nothing to do with the drinking or the booze. Has to do with crowds and exposure. Capiche?

7 hours ago, anwa said:

Follow the laws!If not,go to another country.

 

That's what I did. And here I am. 

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

What Thailand? Relative to where?

I think this is a typo. He meant - Police state: "sad"  

6 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

I thought you were all for the bars being open, and a free fot all to get through covid and get everything  open again.  One min your like wheres your statistics,  next min youre like, "They're  rammed."  So which is it.  You think the bars should be open spreading covid or not open?

Smedly was making an objective factual observation. I've been to Soi Buakau, and the bars there ARE rammed until 11pm closing every night. I was actually surprised to see it. That's not an opinion or viewpoint on what's best for public health. There's no argument to be had here. Don't know where your combativeness is coming from, maybe you need a drink or two. 

7 hours ago, Joules said:

Rebirth of the speakeasy.  Natural reaction to repression.

Inevitable.

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

Cats and mice, catch me if you can games... CAN IT BE more ridiculous than this i wonder? has the police nothing better to do? no pride?... guess not...

I think they literally have a deluded notion about how this actually plays out in the press. In their minds they think this makes them look good, like real cops doing the job they're supposed to do - now don't laugh - which is to control Covid outbreaks. Certain phrases come to mind - nailing jello to a wall, whack a mole, etc. What happened to all those fun poses of cops pointing their fingers at things?

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thailand in regression once again. Cops seeking out people having a drink, just like in the USA 100 years ago. Adds to the tourist experience, I suppose. Or it would if there were any. Most though are sensible enough to stay far, far away.

Yes, the cops and organized criminals soon to be equipped with .45 caliber Tommy Guns and mowing down those poor suffering and innocent partiers. All joking aside, "sensible" is the key word. I don't claim to be an expert even after my many years here, but I think this was for show, to make an example of someone who misrepresented their business to get around the laws. For the last 3 weeks Soi Buakau and other places in Pattaya had all their bars and pubs open to 11pm. There was a recent announcement about crackdowns on those bending  the serving rules. This was no doubt in the works at the time of that announcement. Just my theory

I spent the holidays in Koh Larn, Pattaya, and Jomtien, all bars were open until 11PM. Nobody got arrested. 

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

What Thailand? Relative to where?

Ummm, Antartica maybe? The moon? Mars? 

9 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

The never ending circus.

Must have been freeckin' hilarious. When does the video come out?

11 hours ago, charmonman said:

As is typical, this article raises more questions than it answers. As previous posters have mentioned, covid-19 insurance is a condition of receiving a Thailand Pass. Without a Thailand Pass you can't even board a plane to go to Thailand. So how the heck are people arriving in Thailand without already having covid-19 insurance? It seems this is a question that should have been addressed in this article.

 

I am constantly amazed by the sheer amount of shoddy journalism out there.

Shoddy "journalism" is a universal plague of the 21st century

3 hours ago, calbts2 said:

In all my years here I don't think I have ever seen a short period(the last month or so)  where an inept government is making one decision after another to dissuade tourists from visiting the country.

What you said LITERALLY is that you've never seen the government dissuade tourists. I'm sure you meant: "In all my years here I don't think I have ever seen a short period(the last month or so)  where an inept government ISN'T making one decision after another to dissuade tourists from visiting the country."

3 hours ago, stigar said:

And there is no ATM before immigration.

"will you take a check?"

I have never in the past been able to do this online, but tonight I used the latest form and was processed and received my confirmation email immediately today Sunday 9 January. One odd thing is the box for type of visa is unchecked, and the arrival card number is also blank. I assume that all of that info is already in their system attached to my passport number and not required on the form. So maybe sometimes the bureaucracy gets it right. I think we finally have a functional system for TM 47 90 day reporting

On 1/7/2022 at 10:29 AM, Charlie Halliday said:

From friend of friend who works at money manger in Boston: 

We had the Director of International Infectious Disease at MGH join a call today with the partners and managers of my firm.  I thought I'd share a few of the interesting points from his presentation: 

    1    Close to 100% of the positive cases in MA are Omicron.  Delta is almost completely gone from New England. 
    2    This surge will peak sometime between 1/10 and 1/21 and then begin a quick downhill journey of two to four weeks. 
    3    We will end up with a 20-50% positivity rate. 
    4    February will be clean up mode, March will begin to return to "normal"
    5    Omicron lives in your nose and upper respiratory area which is what makes it so contagious.  It isn't able to bond with your lungs like the other variants. 
    6    The increased hospitalizations should be taken with a grain of salt as most of them are secondary admissions (i.e. people coming in for surgery, broken bones, etc. who are tested for COVID)
    7    We won't need a booster for omicron because they wouldn't be able to develop one before it's completely gone and we're all going to get it which will give us the immunity we need to get through it. 
    8    COVID will join the 4 other coronaviruses we deal with that cause the common cold, upper respiratory infections, RSV, etc.  It will become a pediatric disease mainly affecting young children with no immunity. 
    9    40% of those infected will be asymptomatic
    10    Rapid tests are 50-80% sensitive to those with symptoms, only 30-60% sensitive to those without symptoms
    11    Contact tracing is worthless because we're all going to get it and there's no way we could keep up with it. 
    12    We are fighting the last war with COVID and should be pivoting back to normal life, but society isn't quite ready for it yet. 
    13    There is no need to stay home from work or to be a hermit unless you're immunocompromised or 85 or older, but he does recommend staying away from large gatherings for the next six weeks. 
    14    Spring/Summer will be really nice! 
Overall a great presentation.

"Friend of a friend" meaning unreliable 3rd or 4th hand unconfirmed sources, you being in the middle between your secretive meeting and us,  you having no particular expertise or credibility as a source. Where is your documentation? You give no names whatsoever, not even the name of the "money manager".  Did you yourself try to contact the "Director of International Infectious Disease" (what's his name?)  at MGH before posting this for confirmation? Do let us know when you have something factual to offer beyond hearsay and your local gossip. None of those numbered statements which are presented as though factual are to be trusted. Most of them sound pretty fishy and do not sound like the language of reliable medical professionals. This is all, according to you, a corporate presentation and not an authentic reliable peer reviewed scientific study or bonafide medical opinion or policy. Anyone who would take this at face value has rocks in their head. And you are recklessly spreading hearsay. Shame on you.

All six have been found, claim not to have known they had tested positive, per Bangkok Post. Wonder how this website missed that little item? But I predicted capture within 48 hours, and was correct. 

6 hours ago, Puccini said:

Interesting. Let's see how long it will take the police to find them and what will happen to them.

My bet is 48 hours or less, and they will be immediately confined to a hospital, passports confiscated, if and when they test negative if they don't die they get deported, and good riddance. 

6 hours ago, RandiRona said:

We will need Dog the Bounty hunter here pronto!!

Does he have a dog face shaped "bat signal" that we can shine on the clouds?

First, the exchange rate at 33.5 baht to the dollar is great. Use Wise for transfers, there’s only one fee, I pay about $15 for a $2000 transfer, and it comes within 24 hours.  Second, there is no way around the practical necessity of having a Thailand bank account. In fact, your imaginary nemesis Kasikorn, has a phone app where you can make international transfers back to the US for a flat 250 baht, they convert to dollars before it leaves the country, you get it the next day, and it comes in as a generic ACH deposit so your bank will charge no incoming fee. Also, from time to time these websites will change their security protocols such that glitches in the system will randomly reject certain cards. I have had my Bangkok Bank Mastercard rejected online yet the same business Big C  when  I pay on delivery their wireless card system accepts my Bangkok Bank card just fine.  But you are right about billing addresses being accurate. I had to update Amazon and Ebay to reflect the Thailand addresses for those cards, but they work fine now. Also, T-Mobile suddenly rejected my Bangkok Bank card, so I switched to the Kasikorn card and it worked. T - Mobile couldn’t explain it and their employees just made up a bunch of bull$hit so I just did a successful end run around them. Bottom line is sometimes these glitches can be nearly impossible to diagnose, so you have to have backup plans.

14 hours ago, steven100 said:

another one who suddenly just vanished into thin air,    this happens to many who come to Thailand and get mixed up with the wrong crowd. 

Mixed up people getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. A well adjusted person doesn't fall victim to booze, loose women, or gambling. As many of you no doubt know, there are some people that should not spend time at places like Bangla and others because of vulnerability to such temptations. Loose cannons without rudders. Pretty sad really. I feel bad for the family. 

13 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why the sudden urgency after six years?

why don't you ask his family?

13 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why the sudden urgency after six years?

I doubt there's anything sudden about this other than your new awareness of it. 

15 hours ago, Gold Star said:

Would that make him a Scammedinasian?

I believe that would