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Sounds idealistic. But I doubt in our lifetimes we'd ever see anything like this eventuate here. More of an advanced developed Western country theme with a fully competent administration. And I can only imagine the man-made canals ending up as convenient garbage tips, turning into a filthy black cesspool complete with the occasional dead body floating by, millions of plastic bags and other things.

Just yet another tantrum being thrown by CCP by anyone being critical against it. In their flawed eyes, they see themselves as some type of perfect Gods. They could not dare to own up to the virus being quite likely (even possibly) as a result of a lab leak. They could hold a smoking gun after firing a bullet and yet still point elsewhere for the blame. That's how deranged they behave. Same with the vaccine. A mature and confident nation would openly concede issues, mistakes etc. But China is caught in this vicious cycle of denying fault, like a mental illness. Sinovac is not as efficacious against the Delta variant. It is against Alpha. It can be effectively used it appears when a better vaccine is used as a booster. So, it can still have a place in the scheme of things. https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ Other vaccines are preferred as we move forward. Sinovac will be the last choice or not at all. If a Western produced vaccine fell short of efficacy, it would be called out just as much. But it happens to be Chinese produced and therefore we are all suddenly 'Anti-China'. There are also complex travel issues to consider whereby Sinovac is not recognized by many nations. Future travel will require vaccine passports/documents. China cannot shut people up outside its CCP controlled borders. People are entitled to criticize what they want. It's called freedom of speech. Look at the media gag going on and now the Xi Jing Ping 'thought' curriculum being rolled out in schools to further brainwash their citizens to revere this madman like a God. Really frightening at the evil mind control going on. We saw what happened in Mao Ze Dong era. The great famine .... I feel sorry for the oppressed Chinese citizens who really don't want to be a part of all this.

I had my own experience as a condo owner, thankfully selling albeit at a loss pre-COVID. Was a nightmare experience from about a few months into getting the keys. I thought I had done my due diligence with extensive research into the developer, the construction company, the land being approved, etc. I had employed a reputable law firm. Had the contract scrutinized as well. I recall when buying, the agents promised capital growth over 1 Million Baht and fantastic rental returns. Yeah .... Nah. Building quality was very poor under the impressive facade. It looked great brand new, but didn't take long for major problems to appear. Foreign kids ran amok trashing the place. Defecating in the pool .... I swam into a few turds. Not surprising with naked babies being allowed to do whatever. Other kids just openly urinated for fun. Security were hopeless. Another massive problem with foreign investors was the very poor compliance with yearly maintenance fees. It seems many don't wish to wire money through, rather paying in cash only when they come over for a holiday. Maybe due to them not wanting their governments to know they own offshore properties (I was told that by Juristic management). My condo complex only had about ⅔ compliance on fee payments so maintenance fell behind. Plus stolen or fraudulently misappropriated funds for services not rendered. Annual meetings became non-events as not enough owners turned up as most were overseas. A very convenient legislation to have. So serious issues could be continually diverted. You know you have problems when owners have to create an online group to voice concerns. Selling was an incredibly stressful experience. Firstly, the lying pieces of **** farang real estate agents who severely under quoted the sales price with obvious colleagues lined up to buy you out at a massive discount. Trying to convince me I wasn't going to get a better deal. Go to hell. Then the ridiculous jealousy and greed driven Thai agents who lied and pretended I had interested buyers, even lodging a fake deposit in my account for a customer who never existed! (I kept the deposit LOL). So I lost buyers a couple of times through other agents. I ended up selling through an agent who upsold through another agent who had a Chinese buyer. Luckily the exchange rate was in my favour, so I had didn't lose a life changing amount. I could have bought a new small car from the loss amount though. Always remember that an agent will always tell the buyer it is a good time to get in. And will tell the seller it is a good time to sell. BS dribbles out of their mouths daily. They could not care less how much you lose and how it affects you. Consumer protection laws here are about zero.

Unfortunately, not everyone is savvy to the scam methods used by unscrupulous, hard selling Thai and foreigner Real Estate salespeople. And it does not help when the main media outlets have heavily advertised as well as promoted companies like New Nordic Group and others over the years. The media group 'Thaiger' actually mentioned on their daily YouTube segment about a 'particular' company that was promoted by other media outlets with the knowledge they were scammers. No shame. Unlike other developed countries that are heavily regulated and could face penalties, it seems here that as long as they are being paid, they will advertise and promote anything for you. Run by crooks all of them.

This is quite a sad and depressing article as it reveals the unfair disparity of privilege between the wealthy, the expats and the poor downtrodden Thai citizens. I am an expat who was privileged to obtain my Pfizer shot. But, all around me are Thais who have got nothing and face at best, a shot of Sinovac for the time being, that is ineffective against Delta COVID19. Are their lives less important than mine? They ask me how did I get Pfizer, when they cannot? And they are citizens here. And here I read there being only a piddly 200 Pfizer shots offered and desperate Thais scrambling to get it. I didn't have to. I just registered on a site and strolled down to the vaccination centre. The article reveals the fear and desperation going on by these poor Thai people, who don't want to die. Definitely not something to make fun of. I could explain away to myself that I am helping to protect others from being infected and that I need Pfizer to travel abroad. That is true. But when the deaths of infected unvaccinated Thais continue, I feel guilty and a hypocrite.

Yet another sad story of expats who come here and turn a blind eye to the reality of the costs of aging and failing health. Since I have been here in LOS over the years, talking to retired expats, I have been shocked at the numbers who are dismissive at being adequately covered for health emergencies. Insurance costs and not being covered for pre-existing conditions is a biggie. But there they sit, heavily obese, drinking and smoking excessively, building up internal diseases, artery blockages, etc. Ticking time bombs everywhere. And no way in hell they'll be able to afford medical costs and definitely no way to afford a medivac back to their home country. I look at them sometimes and just think, "what in the hell are you doing? Don't you realise this is going to end really badly for you?" I suppose many just have a death wish.

Aw come on. You know the usual saying "Farang rich". And that is topped off with virtue signaling wealthy 'show-off' farangs who actually condone it too. I mean, it's only 16 x times more expensive for a farang! It's just another subtle way of extortion. No plastic bags used this way though.

This is just a continual pattern that's been going on for decades. Look at the Blue Diamond affair in 1989. Murders are just the norm. Extortions, cover-up killings, getting rid of witnesses etc. More recently is the current sitting deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao, who spent 4 years prison for conspiracy to import heroin to Australia. It basically shows little repercussions for criminal behavior. One may argue because it is just so entrenched in all levels of government. Another shocking insight into corruption is evident in the TV drama series 'The Serpent', based on the true life of a serial psychopath killer, who was drugging and murdering hippies, who was allowed to walk out of a Thai prison. Scores of other examples. Best to keep well away from anything to do with Thai police and government. Terrifying.

Just bring your sun shade portable umbrellas, flags and megaphones to lead the pack of Chinese tourists. Just don't stand in their way ... they'll walk over you and crush you to death!!

You would hope that Sinovac would have been scrapped as a viable vaccine against current strains by now and all future orders would be on only those vaccines that have acceptable efficacy. Having a Sinovac shot means having to then get boosters from other vaccines anyway, to improve your immunity response. The arrogant CCP in not acknowledging other superior vaccines for entry into China, is also a big part of this issue. CCP just cannot bear to lose face with anything at all. And big money likely changing hands. It's sadly the impoverished Thai people who are the ones getting the rest of the inferior Chinese made stuff to appease the CCP and hence the unnecessary deaths when COVID Delta kills a percentage of them. Really sad and disgraceful IMO. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/covid-vaccines-delta-china-asia/2021/08/10/24d0df60-f664-11eb-a636-18cac59a98dc_story.html

Rundown of shopping prices from an Australian perspective: Thai grocery prices are not cheap, if trying to replicate a western based diet here. Breakfast cereals here are very expensive. About 2-3 times more. Breads are much more expensive. Again 2-3 times price. Milk is 2-3 times more. Chook eggs are cheaper (but smaller and lower quality). Yoghurt is more expensive. About 3-4 times more. Any dairy a lot more. Meats: Chicken is cheaper here. Pork is cheaper. Beef is much more expensive. About 2-4 times more. Lamb is very expensive. Vegetables: bought in supermarkets. Depends on vegetables. Mostly cheaper. Fruits, also depends. Eg. Papaya is cheaper by about 2 x times. Standard bananas are more expensive. Apples more expensive. Orange more expensive. Avocados - very expensive (unless opting for Asian avocados which I don't like). Imported foods are obviously more expensive. Hygiene/bathroom products are more expensive. Buying goods at markets and if you are fortunate to come across a pickup selling discounted fresh produce, you can save several dollars/baht. Quality of fresh food in Oz compared to Thailand - like any Western country with proper refrigeration and strict standards, the quality is much higher. Food spoils quickly here unless cooked and consumed quickly. I would not rate Thailand as a cheap country, but dropping western products off your shopping list, buying at the markets more, can get the bill down to below Australian prices. I have been going back and forth between Oz and Thailand for many years. In Oz I shopped mainly at Aldi, Woolworths & Coles less often and some local fruit & veggie markets. Thailand: Big C, Tesco Lotus, Makro and of course 7-Eleven.

As a segue, talking of Jacinda; Yep, she's not as virtuous as she makes out to be. She's all for virtue signaling when it suits. Case in point: the mosque massacre in NZ from a crazed gunman. Jacinda wore a Hijab and did a lot of hugging. Ok that's fine. But when it comes to the growing evidence of mass genocide on an industrial scale, organ harvesting, rapes of women and children - in Uighur concentration camps, she refused to talk about it. No Hijab wearing this time. Reason is because NZ has done well from trade embargoes and massive tariff hikes against Australia and CCP controlled China. Money talks, human lives come last. Hypocrisy supreme.

Hmmm.... The majority of us have been sitting at home waiting and waiting and waiting for a vaccine to be available. 'Patiently' has been turning into 'impatiently' for many. Many people who wouldn't have died from COVID if they had been vaccinated in time, have died. There are a number of those who didn't die who will/are suffer/ing from 'long COVID' as well. I cannot understand why there has been so much hesitancy/slowness to acquire enough vaccines as quickly as possible. And why such a slow rollout? What's the holdup? These delays in acquiring enough vaccines has also financially devastated far more livelihoods due to extremely prolonged lockdowns. Lifelong hardship and misery is the reality for many now who won't be able to recover. I see that protestors have expressed extreme anger and made various accusations. And the government has also given their reasons. What is the truth? I think most of us would concur, that we are not ready to die, so please can we have the vaccine ASAP to reduce the chances of a premature death?

Opening by Oct 1st would be akin to moving a mountain. Only 38 days away. I am not sure what the accepted percentage of vaccinations will be before the decision is made to open up? A lot more than what it is now. How many Thai citizens here are not registered as living in Pattaya? Many. How could the borders around Pattaya be controlled for in/out traffic flow? That would require huge policing of many checkpoints and road blocks. Logistically it appears far more difficult to sandbox Pattaya than Phuket. How long would it take to vaccinate an accepted percentage here anyway? People need two shots that are weeks apart. The accepted number of people would all have to have had at least one jab by now I propose. I can't see it happening. Lambda variant is on it's way too. Will that cause more lockdowns again? This year is a write off.

The people arrested, yes were technically doing the wrong thing as per the emergency decree laws. But on the bright side, at least were sitting out in the open air. How many clandestine gatherings are going on every evening around there? There are plenty. And they are mingled closely together in closed off establishments, posing a higher risk of transference. I am not condoning either. Just comparing. As we can see all over the world right now, humans are social creatures and the unnatural isolation measures in place are unbearable for many. Depression, loneliness, alcoholism, urges for human company, are some things that come to mind. The type of premises you reside in likely is a contributing factor too. A palatial and comfortable place not devoid of windows, with an enjoyable atmosphere is definitely more conducive to the COVID lockdown. But many staying in Pattaya, I propose, are staying in cheap, quite depressing 'dog boxes' that were not intended to be used for long term periods of isolation. Many are not coping too well. And of course, there are those who are just plain selfish and/or COVID deniers. There are also plenty of people who are unaffected psychologically, have a nice dwelling and perhaps a significant other. It is easy to cast stones from this outlook. I think most of us are guilty at some point, to have made an unnecessary trip out, to have loitered somewhere longer than needed, to have dropped the mask, etc. None of us are angels here. Ideally we would all do the right thing, but reality is that it will never happen.

I've read what appears to be a growing consensus that, even with the better vaccines like Pfizer, triple jabs may be needed. And on top of that, 6-monthly booster jabs going forward, due to the expected ongoing mutated COVID variants. The inadequate efficacy of Sinovac against Delta strain, it appears will necessitate four boosters in total with another vaccine (three with AZ, Pfizer etc, instead of just the one or two currently being used). I read one minister needing access to Canada recently had four shots so as to avoid quarantine. We're all going to eventually be infected with COVID. Just hope I've got a round of at least two effective vaccines against Delta, when it does happen.

They need to make it easier for people with comorbid conditions, placing them at higher risk of death, to register without having to produce costly medical certificates, that many do not have. Prescriptions should suffice as evidence. A prior post I read of someone being quoted near 15,000 THB for a medical examination to prove his condition, so that he could merely register and upload the document, is ridiculous.

These definitions come from Google and in the main are what I believe to be my understanding as well. The use of the words 'SIMP' and 'CUCK', like any slang term, are often expanded beyond a dictionary definition. Adding 'ed' to each word of course is to describe the past tense form of these people already having transitioned to that label. These terms have gained popularity to describe modern millennial submissive men, who bow down to domineering feminists in the West. Men from the West bring their indoctrinated submissive belief systems and place too high a value on women here. Simp is a slang insult for men who are seen as too attentive and submissive to women, especially out of a failed hope of winning some entitled sexual attention or activity from them. ... The word simp is meant to troll young men for doing anything for a girl to get some action he supposedly deserves. A cuck is a weak, effeminate, unmanly, or inadequate man, who is often dominated by their female partner. It is considered derogatory slang. It is derived from 'cuckold'.

This is a bloody hot climate. Shade is a premium on the beach front. The proposed development theme along the beach is devoid of shade. High palms won't suffice I wouldn't have thought. Maybe others here have more of a green finger than me? Copying themes from countries with beachfronts that probably have much more moderate climates is poor planning IMO. Forcing people to sit in the paid shaded areas may be the mindset? I suppose removing shade moves on the poor who find respite from the heat. Walkway awnings would have been nice.

I have a solution to appease all the forum members here ..... "Hang em high". Hideous foreigners. And they are the dirty backpacker types too. Along with the man buns. We have to hang them. No other reasonable option. ???? The silly buggers.

Then they would have to declare their normally tax free incomes.

"This makes me want to cry. This place used to generate income and build the future for so many people.” Yeah .... from the dumb assed foreigner fools who threw cash at them like confetti and the multiple sponsors giving them monthly Western Union transfers for each manipulative vixen bar girl 555. Lots of greedy, self entitled little princesses running around from all the SIMPED and CUCKED customers. These girls can usually easily reset to their default lives back to the villages, farms, retail outlets and factories. Family support is usually always available with a roof over their head. It just means that their dreams of getting passive income streams from a few sponsors and spreading their legs inbetween for the 'hard' work are put on hold. I don't have sympathy for them. They are prostitutes. Been here long enough to listen to their antics. I look at all the hard working Thais who put in long hours, get paid modest salaries and don't screw over people. I respect them. Walking street run by greedy owners ripping off people IMO. Yawn.

What influence or rights do we as foreigners really have? Zero. The only thing that could happen that may be effective is if the US government themself placed pressure on the recipient to comply with the agreed conditions. Perhaps with some very stern but diplomatically worded warnings of future assistance being throttled down. However, I am not sure if Thailand are particularly bothered by negative consequences, when China is their main buddy.

So true! Confirmation bias is rife. Just google what you want to believe! Not many balanced opinions anymore.

I am very certain that foreign governments are very aware of the potential for misappropriation of donated funds. It may appear to be lunacy to donate money like this. There's more to it. The true purpose is very likely to try to maintain diplomacy with Thailand. China is the real reason. China has been and is still pushing hard for its South East Asian neighbours to take up allegiance with the CCP and turn against the West. Thailand also does not want China to lose face (as we know what the potential outcomes can be), hence probably why it has gone so hard in ordering so much of the inferior Sinovac vaccine.