mfd101

The dozen or more times I've been there over the years (usually escorting visiting friends from Oz) it has ALWAYS been swelteringly hot. Glad to escape after 20 minutes.

Given Thailand's fine set of statistics, its 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy is obviously working just fine.

Noting the low rate of testing, it does appear nevertheless that Thailand has a low rate of infection with the CV. There may have been quite a few more related deaths amongst the rural poor, marked as 'pneumonia', and there have been 1 or 2 reports of an increase in pneumonia deaths since late last year. But overall the evidence for a massive infection/death rate is not there - no overwhelmed hospitals (at least no more than usual) ...

The real question is: Why & how has Thailand come through relatively unscathed? It would be hard to credit the Thai government with good policies and effective implementation for just about anything you can think of, let alone a worldwide pandemic.

Perhaps climate? (warmth vs colder countries - I note for instance that the maps of French CV infection always show far more infections inland in the east & centre than on the Atlantic coast). Cultural? (relative social distancing vs Western hugging'n kissing, noting that apart from old people's homes in the West the evidence points to most transmission taking place within the family) ... Poverty here is different from poverty in Western countries - more open-air, more physical exercise ...

In sum, the usual b/s believed & propagated by the ignorant.

Putin will certainly be thinking hard about how to turn this in to the next block in his rebuilding of the Russian empire.

Remember, Putin is the man who has twice been mad enough to speak publicly of "My predecessor Peter the Great" ... which is the equivalent of Boris Johnson speaking of "My predecessor Thomas Cromwell" (or even 'Oliver Cromwell'), and not even Boris is mad enough to do that!

20 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Depends on where you do it.  In Buriram my 90 day report is always reset to 90 days from the date I extend my stay.

Yes, ditto at Kap Choeng.

If you check the baht's performance since March (eg at xe.com), it has basically fallen against the AUD & the Euro, but the picture against the USD, CAD & £ is messy & even rising (but with no very clear pattern emerging).

Bogans? Don't worry about them. They still know their place.

It's just that their place has moved. They're now next door to you.

- Incompetence at the political level (failure of leadership and clear messaging over time);

- Incompetent society unable to organize itself to look after the poor & the aged (Who cares about old people? they're all poor anyway).

I have no wish to protect those who killed, brutalized or tortured helpless & innocent people. But I do find the Bruno Dey case rather disturbing.

In this case nowhere is it claimed that a 17-year-old boy killed, brutalized or tortured anyone. In effect he is punished for just being there, and wearing the wrong uniform.

Which is rather like what happened to the millions who were killed by the Nazis: They were just there, in the wrong place, and - as it were - wearing the wrong uniform.

The fact that the now old man is tried under children's court rules makes the whole virtue-waving process the more ridiculous. Ignorant, anachronistic & unjust.

Why don't you hop on a plane so you can hand the money to her personally? That would be much more satisfying all round. You could then take the return flight home.

How about one here in Prasat, south Surin? Must be at least 10 other Apple users within a radius of 60km.

Exercise - neck, shoulders, stomach muscles, glut muscles - stretching ... 3 times a day.

In 10 years all will be well.

The West has been tracking China's economic ups 'n downs for some time now using lights at night as a major input.

Results are considerably more accurate than the Chinese government's statistics!

I'm sure there's somewhere in Usofa that will welcome you.

Woman of Steel, I should say. Nothing soft and cuddly there.

Thailand teeters on the edge of modernity.

I shall have to propose to my Thai b/f who is already my Oz certified partner. As we can see in the current plaguetime, being actually married here & recognized by the bureaucracy has certain advantages (much as in Oz where they're mostly financial).

As long as we don't have to go thru the Khmer village wedding ceremony again ...

21 minutes ago, PEE TEE said:

Must be ways of checking into it  

No doubt, but does anyone in the Thai government or bureaucracy give a damn?

At least giving it some publicity is a good start.

Yes, at this stage the Australian state of Victoria is doing a whole lot worse than Thailand ... through government incompetence (both political & bureaucratic).

Never let an opportunity go by without losing it.

Incompetent Victorian government and public service, ruled over by a smug Premier overly confident of his own capacities.