Senior Player

You're absolutely right. There were 1,540 more deaths than usual in England and Wales registered in the week ending June 24th, the most recent week for which data are available, according to the latest update from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), released on Tuesday. This is 16.6% above the five-year average. This also brings the total number of non-Covid deaths above the five-year average since April 29th, the start of the recent spike, to 7,840. Of these, a large proportion are occurring in the home, leading to calls for an urgent investigation into why thousands more people are dying than would be expected, despite Covid death numbers staying low.

Without knowing the full details of how this proposal will work, is it not possible to offer Thais with a Thai National ID card the 50% discount upon arrival at the hotel and keep things as they are on the booking sites? Also, some of these sites operate a "Book Now Pay Later" business model at the hotel, so it wouldn't be too difficult to implement. Just a thought.

I've just read that the Government plans to charge foreigners more than Thais for hotel rooms. According to reports, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to ask hotel operators to implement a dual tariff framework, under which foreign visitors can be charged the same rates as in pre-pandemic days, while locals will be charged discounted rates. Well, that should make us feel more welcome and get us booking our already expensive flights to Bangkok then.

Again, you make the common mistake of saying the UK, when the Covid response is down to each of the four nations and their regional assemblies. For instance, Wales is now looking to reintroduce mask-wearing in their NHS hospitals, whereas the other three nations do not. Besides, the 87 new deaths a day you quote doesn't mean they all died of Covid, only with it. In addition, the number of daily death figures have remained pretty constant throughout the last couple of months with no excess deaths from Covid since Omicron arrived. For instance, on April 13, 2022, there were 651 deaths recorded in the UK (source: Worldometer). Did you get all worked up over that figure on April 13th, too? You'd have to go back to March this year to see a bigger increase in that number, and still that was nowhere near the peak levels of January 2021. The real story is there have been nearly 6,500 more deaths than usual in England and Wales from causes other than COVID-19 in the eight weeks since April 23rd, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. Call me a cynic but this new scaremongering seems to coincide with a new 'super booster' Covid vaccine from Moderna which could be approved for use in UK within days and rolled out in September.

The number of international flights stands at only 30% of the pre-pandemic level, according to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasor. There's also reports that insufficient inbound international flights and surging airfares are challenging the recovery. Add to this many airlines are reluctant to expand their routes or increase frequencies as several global uncertainties threaten profit prospects—including substantial operational costs caused by soaring fuel prices as well as the longer flying time required to avoid the skies above the Russian-Ukraine combat zone—and it paints a rather gloomy picture for the remainder of this year. Personally, I still don't see things picking up until we're in 2023.

I had it about 2 weeks ago after visiting friends in London. I had the same symptoms as you except for the blinding headache. In addition, I had a slight runny nose (not constant or anything), but mostly a hacking cough and spewing up phlegm combined with chills and fatigue. It wasn't that bad; mild would be my own definition of the experience. It only lasted 5 days max, but I could still get about with ease when I had it. Just for the record, I'm aged sixty and not particularly fit.

The 1 in 30 testing positive is for England, not Wales. Though prevalence rates were similar in Wales and Northern Ireland. This figure is taken from an ONS survey of randomly tested people who were tested and needed to be informed that they'd had one of the variants. So what does this mean? According to the UK's Daily Mail: "Hospital admissions have trebled in the last month, piling pressure on an already overwhelmed NHS, although only a fraction of patients are primarily ill with the disease." It's worth noting that the detail is in the wording. So the hospital admissions are not from Covid, but are patients being tested as a matter of due diligence when receiving treatment for other ailments, and as a consequence are being included in the hospital Covid admission figures. And the reason for an "already overwhelmed NHS" is due to the huge backlog of patients waiting for elective care due to the long lockdowns in the first place. There was a funny article from yesterday's Daily Mail (online) instructing people how to spot the difference from summer hey fever and one of the new variants. Basically, the new variants are so mild they could be mistaken for summer hey fever. The guide was meant as a scaremongering piece, but it ended having the complete opposite effect.

As I pointed out a week ago, it's too risky to book an expensive flight to LOS right now as the Thai government have form in slamming on the breaks and going into reverse gear. The plan to downgrade the Covid-19 status from a pandemic to an endemic disease faces a deferral for another week, as health authorities are keeping a close watch on new subvariants and the consequences of lifting restrictions. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it faces yet another deferral after that, then another, and so on. From a UK's perspective, the latest Office for National Statistics survey show that infections are rising, but we are not seeing nearly the same levels of hospitalisations or deaths as we did before the vaccine roll-out. Figures published just last week show that an estimated 99.3% of the population have antibodies – whether through infection or vaccination. So as a result, although infections are rising, we are not being swamped by yet another Covid wave. If you want to use the UK, or Europe for that matter, as an example for more Thai restrictions, then you need to be aware that hospitalisations are still low, despite the usual scare stories from the legacy media.

It's worth pointing out that the 43% rise in infections in the UK is taken from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is based solely on swabs collected randomly from selected households. This figure is not a reflection of high admissions to intensive care units, which still remain low. The ONS stats reveal that in the week ending 11 June an estimated one in 50 people in the community in England are thought to have had Covid – around 1.13 million people. The figure is even higher, at one in 45, in both Wales and Northern Ireland, while it was highest in Scotland where, in the week ending 10 June, one in 30 people are thought to have been infected. Citing the UK government as a whole is disingenuous as each of the four nations has (or had) an entirely separate approach to combating the virus. If you recall, Scotland and Wales held on to all their strict mandates for much longer than England and they are now seeing a higher rise in infections. Prof John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said it was likely multiple factors were contributing to the rise in infections, including a shift in behaviour towards pre-pandemic life, waning of immunity from vaccines and previous Omicron infections and the rise of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants. He does not, however, attribute the rise in infections solely down to not wearing a constant "little piece of fabric" covering the face!! Prof Azra Ghani, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London does state: “This increase in infection prevalence is likely due to the growth of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, which as we have seen elsewhere in Europe, appear to be able to escape immunity generated from previous Omicron subvariants." He goes on to say: “It is therefore possible that we will continue to see some growth in infection prevalence in the coming weeks and consequently an increase in hospitalisations, although these subvariants do not currently appear to result in any significantly changed severity profile. This does however serve as a reminder that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over.” Now, some might read into the above statements from the Imperial College London and choose to believe that the sky is still falling. Personally, I see a lot to be optimistic about. Sorry to disappoint. You can read the full article in The Guardian, if you feel so inclined.

From 1 July, 2022, foreign nationals are only required to show proof of either a certificate of vaccination or a negative RT-PCR or professional ATK test result within 72 hours of travel. Without such proof, arrivals will be given random, professional antigen tests upon arrival at airports... Have I read that wrong? I'm simply following what the Thai government are putting out there in their official press releases. Now, you claim that we don't need to do any of those things, which tends to fly in the face of what they're advocating. Who to believe? Discussing how hassle-free the whole Thai Pass procedure was at this point is rather moot, considering that the requirements will be lifted for all people arriving in Thailand from July 1. (Again, I'm happy about this). My only concern is that by keeping hold of their state-of-emergency powers, these old measures can easily be reinstated at a moment's notice. I mean, it's not like they don't have past form on making sudden U-turns. All I'm saying is, I don't feel confident enough to book a pricey flight to a faraway destination that hasn't quite decided to live with Covid yet. Drop everything and keep it that way, and I'll be on a high-priced flight back to Thailand.

Arrivals will need only show their vaccination certificates or Covid-19 test results according to Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. So they're getting rid of the Thai Pass but still keeping some of their state-of-emergency measures then? Whilst I welcome the abolition of the Thai Pass, I still don't feel enticed enough to fly to Thailand yet. Not until they've completely abolished all their state-of-emergency measures will I consider it. That means not taking any COVID-19 tests before I travel, or showing booster certificates upon arrival. After 2 years of avoiding this virus I finally succumbed to the omicron a few weeks ago. I'm sixty and I can honestly say I've had worse bouts of flu than this. Sure, I felt a little under the weather, tired and achy, but it really wasn't all that bad. After a few days I felt right as rain again. Fingers crossed that Thailand drop all their state-of-emergency measures to deal with Covid-19 and get back to normality pretty soon.

So TAT are proposing visa fee exemption for international arrivals and eligibility extension for visitors from nations not requiring a visa to enter the country from 30 to 45 days? So another day, another new proposal. But will these "considerations" ever become a reality or are they simply more flights of fantasy from TAT? Meanwhile, tourists looking for a 2-week break in the sun are looking elsewhere. Sure, the tenacious and indefatigable will jump through the hoops that are required to enter the Kingdom and wear their dogged determination like a badge of honour. That's all very well if you've decided or planned to spend a long time in Thailand and don't mind the excessive bureaucracy, but what about those who only spend 2 or 3 weeks in the sun, and don't have the same luxury afforded to them as the long-stayers? And let's say they are prepared to undergo the considerable time and effort to get a Thai Pass and have all their ducks in a row—what do they get for their trouble? A decimated nightlife, more uncertainty and vague promises. That's hardly an inducement. I don't know about other travellers (tourists) but I've already abandoned any plans to return to Thailand this year. I'm now looking at early 2023 as a distinct possibility, having lost all faith in the Thai government's ability to get its act together.

I agree with you. It's nothing to worry about. There have been previous monkeypox outbreaks before in the West that have gone largely unnoticed by the general public until now.

It's quite possible that you've forgotten that you had the smallpox vax as a child. Unless your mother was opposed to you having the vax when you were young, you would have had it like everyone else.

Well, are you an expat living in Thailand, so you probably are a tad bored there. I can’t wait for your next outburst when you find out that his attacker also doesn’t have any travel or health insurance after living in the Kingdom for 5 years. It’s going to be epic. Then again, he probably gets a free pass as his mother hasn’t set-up a Go Fund Me page yet.

It's called speculating. It's also what you've been doing for the past half-dozen pages with the victim being at fault for not having the correct travel insurance in case someone decides to murder him. ????

Do you just get all your approved news and analytics from one source... the BBC? I'm merely reading between the lines and based on other sources that he will have to remain in the Kingdom if he is to be successful at pressing criminal charges. Strewth, are you always this imperceptive?

Indeed, some people would have received a smallpox vax in the late 70's as well, though this wasn't nationwide. Myself, I had one when I was born in Paddington hospital, London, in the early 60s and a booster at primary school (what Americans call elementary school, I believe).

You ask: they stopped giving them when? Answer: 1971 in the UK. Hence, why those aged 50 and over are likely to be the most protected. A study by the NIH found that the smallpox vaccine provided protection for at least 88 years—which was the longest time since vaccination of any of the people tested. In other words, the original smallpox vaccine is good for life. To say that the smallpox vax of the 1940's to 1970s only lasts 3-5 years is just not correct. Dr Breban told the Guardian newspaper: "This outbreak was really waiting to happen. Our immunity level is almost zero. People aged 50 and above are likely to be immune but the rest of us not, so we are very, very susceptible." There is a new smallpox vax available, though. Maybe this new one has a shorter lifespan, much like the Covid shots.

I get where you're coming from with regards to having medical cover and the bleeding heart stories, but there are exceptions. This is one of those situations where medical cover or insurance doesn't protect you against physical assault or attempted murder. The victim will still need to remain in the Kingdom to keep up the pressure on the police and provide statements which will cost even more money. This is how some of the perps getaway with their crimes, because as soon the foreigner goes home due to lack of funds or for their work, the case is largely forgotten about or no longer a priority.

I chose to ignore it because the whole scenario IS about the gym attack! As you didn't specify what you were referring to, I can only assume that you're peeved in some way about his travel insurance arrangements, or lack thereof, not covering assault and battery or attempted murder for his full duration. That's irrelevant. This is about seeing justice served, not travel insurance cover. Let's hope whatever ironclad travel insurance arrangements you have aren't tested by some nutter blindsiding you with a heavy metal object in Thailand. I'd hate to have to read your sob story afterwards. ???? But as another poster commented above: we're unlikely to discover the true outcome of this cowardly attack, especially as farang-on-farang crimes tend to be set aside and forgotten about, or gathering dust somewhere. He raised a good point: What did happen to that guy who got kicked in the head on Soi 6 outside a coffee bar? I can't quite recall the details of his travel insurance either.

I'm taking the story at face value, yes. Chiefly, because I've seen the video evidence of a large man striding up to another man flat on his back, blindsided and totally unaware that he's about to be smashed in the face with a 1kg dumbbell. What's there to question? Of course the perp is perfectly entitled to give his side of the story, but so far the coward hasn't. That in itself speaks volumes.

But he's not asking you to foot his medical bill. The choice is yours to make if you feel so inclined. I don't understand why you feel so slighted. Yes, it's said he had travel insurance to enter the country. But as well you should know, there are some people that like to extend their holiday stay when they're out there, but are also undecided. It's something they decide to do when they're there. I've done it myself. Fortunately for me I didn't encounter some deranged person who decided to sneak up on me and bludgeon me half-senseless. I also factored in my additional stay into my insurance should I decide to stay longer. Evidently this poor chap did not.

It's stated in another article that his medical bills could run up to 700,000 baht. I wouldn't necessarily call that a small sum, especially when you're the victim of the unprovoked attack. Sure, the victim made the mistake of extending his holiday stay that went slightly beyond his insurance cover dates. But how many of you are guilty of doing the exact same thing here? Bottom line, you don't expect to be attacked by some deranged person and need to pay your own medical bills. It would be different if he was riding a motorbike without insurance, but this is not the same. Why isn't it the same, you ask? Because he wasn't putting himself in any direct danger, unless you now consider going to the gym for a normal workout as a high risk endeavour.

You can't extend your travel insurance once you've already left your home country and travelled. It tends to stipulate that in the small print. Any insurance company would advise you to take out a full year's policy and not for a limited and locked-in time period.