mfd101

Yes but most of the difference in people's height comes from short vs long LEGS.

On the once every couple of months I visit the family farm they throw on a BBQ for the 10-20 family members present. If it's raining we sit inside the house we built for MIL, nice and cool on the tiles and I have a low plastic chair to sit on. If it's fine we all sit outside on mats on the ground, the concrete BBQs nearby, the plastic chair for me, and a small concrete table & plastic chairs for MIL & PIL (5 & 3 years older than me). And the farm dogs join us for the meal. All works nicely. Very relaxed. Perfect for life in the tropics. When the family members arrive to mow our lawns (currently once a fortnight) they sit outside on the verandahs as we feed & water them through the day.

Australia today has announced that it now recognizes Sinovac and Indian-made AZ (Covishield) for incoming travellers when Oz opens up for international travel (expected 1 Nov). Other vaccines (Sinopharm & Sputnik) are awaiting data becoming available. The main problem in 'Western' countries certifying the Chinese & Russian vaccines has been reluctance of the manufacturers to reply required data. No data, no progress.

So is that good or bad? and which is which? and how can you tell?

Shows that Thais have the same possibilities as everyone else when properly educated, trained & led.

Nonsense. Every 'Western' government has done the same thing as they keep the populace & the economy afloat during national lockdowns. The Thai government is no doubt incompetent in myriad ways but this happens not to be one of them.

Ironically, that cannot be true, given that sarcasm is a subset of irony.

Employs the otherwise unemployable.

They would be sacked if they provided accurate figures. Most obviously the figures for unemployment (& underemployment) which are always the world's marvel at less than 1%. But which observation in any Surin village would suggest must have been around 20% or 30% in the 9 years I've either lived here or been a regular visitor.

Yes, I've got that. All done.

OK, thanks. So I probably paid for it for nothing last year (PC included it without me asking.) Live'n learn.

Last year in my health insurance papers required for renewing my stay was a 'Certificate of Insurance' relating to minimum of US100,000 covid cover. I'm currently assembling my papers for my renewal ordeal late next week and I notice that in the health insurance papers I received today from PC there is no such certificate. Do I still need one for Immigration? or has it been overtaken by the COE for those entering or reentering Thailand? Glad for advice before I chase PC. (I'm not currently planning any travel outside Thailand in the next 12 months but that's probably not relevant.)

Incompetence + corruption make a mighty force.

Everywhere in the 'Western' world is debating & fighting over the same question: Should we make vax compulsory for you to do this or that? In Thailand, where enforcement of any law is problematic, compulsion will probably die a quick death except where it is obviously desirable and easily enforced (eg plane travel and immigration including stay renewals). And even if you disagree you'ld be foolish not to plan accordingly.

I had my second Pfizer on 16 September. 3 or 4 days later my b/f had a sore throat for about 1 day. Do you think they could be related? I'm very worried.

Wow. There's a thought. Let's build a wall in preparation for next year's flood.

Does it occur to anyone that the word 'stockpile' might be a mistranslation? And what he actually said might possibly have been "We will have ordered and received in total ... ".

Maintenance might be a small problem.

In my family village (c1000) there have been no cases of covid or related deaths. Which means that the Thai problem with risk & probability & safety kicks in. As we see when the PM - in the second half of the monsoon as downpours pour down - suggests it might be a good idea to clear the canals. Or as we see with safety barriers on roads not installed until at least someone has died on that particular corner ... So in my 'immediate' family of 20 people eligible for vax, only 3 have so far been done & they were working in BKK. Only when people start getting seriously ill and dying in the village will they move on vax.

Article in today's 'Australian', headed "China makes preparations for E's demise" "Chinese authorities are asking local governments to prepare for the potential downfall of China Evergrande Group, according to officials familiar with the discussions, signalling a reluctance to bail out the debt-saddled property developer while bracing for any economic and social fallout from the company’s travails." And lots more detail ...

I was visiting Thailand for the first time in November 2011. Arrived in CM for a couple of weeks stay, just after they had recovered from floods. They were highly amused that BKK was now under water ...

Everything depends on how skillfully the Chinese authorities wind back the ponzi scheme. If panic sets in, everything crashes (property is 27% of China's GDP). I watched a couple of days ago a video as some 15 new but empty high-rise apartment buildings were dynamited (Suzhou, I think). I remember arriving in a small (1 million) city in NW China in 2010. The railway station was huge, gleaming new, but the only train in the station was my one. I inquired about this and was told: No worries, there'll be 10 million people here in 5 years ...

Yes, many mistakes all round, it seems to me. But - as in Oz, but just about any other country as well - governments at political & officials levels, together with medical advisers, did the best they could in rapidly changing & unforeseen circumstances. Easy for the rest of us to stand back & criticize (eg the falang hysteria here over the last 2 or 3 months re Pfizer)

That's not really fair. He makes the point - valid in my view - that Sinovac was the only vac available to Thailand in large numbers at the relevant times. The others were NOT available at the time (ask any Australian). Of course there were also mistakes made (refusing Indian help with AZ, which was soon cut off anyway because of India's own needs, & no doubt some brown envelopes passing around).

If they probe far enough, he might start first to squirm, then to talk. And if he talks (preferably in public and on the record), wouldn't THAT be fun!