DrPhibes

On 1/8/2021 at 12:11 PM, Neilly said:

 

There's a shop inside Tesco Lotus in Lamai called Banana IT...they have them for sure, saw some a couple of days ago...and Tesco sell paper

Thank you!  was able to get Officemate to ship all-in-one printer and crosscut shredder to the resort.  Will show up 2 days after I do.  Will need paper so thanks again on the direction.

Unless something has changed in the last 24 hrs TAT shows this for Chiang Mai restrictions for alcohol:

+ All self-service food outlets (shabu and BBQ) to switch to table service or seek prior approval for self-service options. Alcoholic beverages cannot be consumed at food outlets or restaurants, from 23.00-05.00 Hrs. 

Have the restaurants been misinformed?

3 hours ago, curtklay said:

I have never been able to get it to work. At my most recent in person renewal I asked the officer why. She took my passport, fiddled around on her keyboard, then said everything is correct, but the system just doesn't work for some people. Handed back my passport and said goodbye. ????

Given what I am hearing, could this be an anti-virus software problem/cookies/ or specific VPN companies or connections?  Windows version the same (check), using Chrome or another browser that has been successful for some (check).  Would be nice to have what anti-virus software, being used, are cookies on in your browser, and whose VPN (if using one) to try and diagnose.

6 hours ago, Mutt Daeng said:

May be the case for you, but for me it works using either Brave, Edge or IE browsers.

Antivirus software?

11 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

You will be fine.

When Samui was in total lockdown earlier in the year ie no visitors, the main ferry companies from the mainland still had their regular runs bringing water, food AND alcohol.

Thanks, nice to hear this from a local.  I'm calling Powerbuy, Big C, and even the 7/11 and Family Mart right outside the resort later today to see if still open.  In Phuket, most of the 7/11's in Karon Beach were closed.  Need to buy an all-in-one printer and some paper there as that won't fit in my suitcase.

Not 10 min ago I received my second flight change in the last 3 days for Chiang Mai to Koh Samui on Jan. 22nd (booked a while ago).  The new schedule has me arriving in Koh Samui before I depart from Chiang Mai.  If Samui gets cut off while there (scheduled a place for a couple of months to sit out the burn season) no water, no food.

Just arrived back from a Phuket dive trip 7 hrs ago after staying at Karon beach (absolute true ghost town) to this. At any time of day you could look down the beach and see maybe 5 people (except sunset volleyball players).

On 11/20/2020 at 5:16 PM, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

There is a Lao white beer available at Rimping. Not bad brew.

Sick of the old Chang, Singha and Leo.

Time for more fair priced competition. 

 

Ya, I hear you.  Was living in Fort Collins CO, one of the microbrewy Mecca's in the US before moving to LOS 4 years ago.  While in Phuket now drinking <deleted> water (every thing is closed in Karon) when I get back to Chiang Mai I'm heading back to the German Microbrewy for a decent fresh brewed pint.

Follow up 1/1/21 Karon Beach dive trip.  Staying at Baan Karonburi resort.  Only a couple of high end resorts open other than this and that might be why so busy.  We walked the beach road around to the main road as one big loop.  Only a few restaurants open (five we counted)  Ghost town.  One was O-Oh Farm.  Food was really fresh, a find given the current conditions.  Last night went to Costra Nostra all the way to Chalong for dinner.  We were the only cutomers not speaking Italian.  Tiramisu was perfect but Limoncello was warm :-(.  Will definitely return.  Every local has said, north of Patong or south/south east of Kata for anything really open.  Diving has been good.

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

One mans meat is another mans poison, you mean?

Don't you mean on man's mate is another man's person?

41 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Imagine being stuck on Samui for 2 months...that alone should tell you not to go

I'm doing just that.  Only it is for 3 mo to avoid the CM burn season.   2bdm detached sm house right at the beach about $500 USD/mo. Can't wait.

18 hours ago, Carmine6 said:

You had the right idea and Ubonjoe filled in the info.  They only list the actual flight into Bangkok and not all the feeder flights possible.  So, they would not, for example, have one line each for flight from SEA, SFO and LAX to Taipei, that feed BR211 TPE to BKK. It would be a nightmare to keep up with schedule changes for all the airlines.  (That's a made up example as I don't know what their schedules are. BR11 out of LAX does feed BR211)

 

So someone has to just check which airlines fly from their chosen origin to meet one of the flights to BKK and check the availability.  There are many times the number of flights possible compared to the repatriation list.  For example, I believe EVA has at least 2 flights per week from LAX through to BKK, and possibly 3 per week.  One on Wednesday, and one or two on Friday.  So about 8 or 12 flights per month.  That compares to maybe only 1 or 2 of the EVA flights being on the repatriation list per month.  It is also easier to switch to the week after on the same airline versus having to cancel a Cathay repatriation ticket and book on Korean the next week if things move to slowly.

At the time that I flew LAX to BKK at the end of August, it was a repatriation flight listed by the LA Consulate who were publishing repatriation flights out of LAX to BKK on their website with the knowledge that it was not non-stop and all were only repatriated or special designated persons.  There is right now a single flight listed on the website page I linked showing a flight 12/31 as a repatriation flight.  Try finding a flight from LAX to one of these spreadsheet flights in to BKK from that is not a connecting flight in one ticket through and you will find all kinds of reason why that can't happen.  Some carriers want 72hr PCR-RT tests that are no older than 72 hrs from test to touchdown at your final destination.  It just adds to the logistical nightmare that already existed when I flew in.

16 hours ago, Carmine6 said:

Just to clarify.  There are now "Semi commercial" flights.  There's a large spreadsheet of flights other than the repatriation flights that are available.  I believe they also generally cost less, or can cost less since there is less demand for those flights relative to the repatriation ones.

 

The spreadsheet is available from the link almost half the way down on this page, right above the repatriation flights:

» VISAS (thaiembdc.org)

Thanks, good to know.  However, the guy is flying out of LAX (Los Angeles) and there are no semi commercial flights on the spreadsheet leaving LAX (unless he can find a way to get to one of the listed departure countries airport).  He will have to wait for the January list on the LA Consulate website towards the bottom of this page:

https://thaiconsulatela.org/en/visa/related-procedures-in-requesting-for-a-certificate-of-entry-and-visa-to-enter-thailand/

And make his flight/ASQ reservations on a repatriation flight.

I actually keep an account where the years earnings (we will live on next year) are deposited into it on Jan 2nd of the next year.  Very clean, problem solved.

13 hours ago, sudsy said:

I'm filling out the COE through the LA California office.  I said I don't have have a ticket yet on the first page but they want me upload my ticket and proof of insurance on the last page.  I cannot complete the COE without this information. Anybody been through this? Solution?  Thanks

I came in 3 months ago from LA, you have to make a reservation from the repatriation flights listed on the Consulate website.  It was a reservation but not paid yet with iHanatour.  Consulate will accept that.  Once you get the flight reservation, you can get your ASQ reservation based on that. Once you get your COE, you then finish paying for your flight. 

For the insurance, I used Cigna Global, $1,000,000 USD policy (good everywhere but the US) also covering C-19 (tell them you need the statement and they will provide) is about $225/mo.  My regular insurance in the US could not come up with a C-19 statement.  Not going to lie, with the no older than 72hr C-19 PCR test and fit to fly (not to mention all of the other things that could go wrong), it was nerve racking right up to getting on the plane.  There were people at the airport that were being turned away from the flight because they did not have everything correct/complete.  Make double copies of everything in case the people checking the forms (checked 6x between LAX and the Hotel) lose copies.

22 hours ago, George36 said:

Thanks for the info.  Can you please describe the timeline that you used them?
 

Would greatly appreciate you posting a redacted copy of your Fit to Fly and Covid results if possible.  Thanks.  
 

I leave in three weeks.

 

Thanks.

So the RT-PCR test was actually done in their parking lot if you go to the Beverly Hills office.  They have a station set up and you schedule a test date/time on their website.  Nurse in hazmat gear takes the sample through your rolled down car window.  Results were e-mailed to me within 24hrs.  Make sure the test results date is filled out.  They forgot that one but rectified it within 30 minutes once I called the office (on a Saturday!).  The Fit to Fly is pretty much what is in the response sent right after your inquiry and was also e-mailed to me.  I both done on Fri afternoon for a Monday morning flight.

13 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

In and Out burger.

Yup,  not going back for work this year, all being done on the internet.  Walking distance from my office in Camarillo CA is an In and Out so I'm going to be a year without.  My Thai wife hates most burgers but drools at the thought of a double double with cheese, grilled onions, and fries animal style.  Great, now I want In and Out!

17 minutes ago, Estrada said:

I have had numerous HP Laptops and desktops including two pavilions for my businesses and my children. All were no good, especially the Pavillions. The early HP laptops all had broken hinges 9 in total. The small laptops overheated and burnt out in hot climates. I have been using top of the range 19" ACER Laptops for ever since. One is 12 years old and still going strong (cost $3,000 news). My son uses the ACER Predator 19" mainly for gaming and processing photographs as the program is hungry for memory and speed. My daughter uses a 17" ACER Nitro laptop for gaming and digital artwork and animation. All no problem. The two HP pavilions are gathering dust as they are not good. Lenovo is really the old IBM personal computer which was sold to the Chinese manufacturer.

 

Yup, the teen son has a couple of years old 17'' Alienware with two monitors and the daughter has a 17'' Predator both running near max memory and SSD's.  Great machines.  I'm on my 6yr old Dell Precision M4800 with upgraded memory and a SSD upgraded to WIN10, still works GREAT!

OK,

I took this as a personal challenge.  Could do 32 with 0 Lg Chang.  Drank 2 Lg Chang, waited 20 min until the burbing stopped.  Then did 42, yes regular style pushups.  Drank 2 more Lg Chang and waited another 20 min.  Then got to 44 and thought what the hell am I wasting my buzz for?  Stopped.  Drank 2 more over 20 minutes and now could care less about pushups, watching Spaceballs The Movie.

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

I think your assumption wrt efficacy is without basis. Most inoculations being given in the UK  are going to care staff, medical worker and the vulnerable and not to a specific region, also only the first of 2 injections , and are not immune until 21 days later after a booster jab. There has been no announcement that it will not work for the new strain . Also only 500,000 have been administered. 

 

I would certainly not travel to the UK though.

Latest research I have found is that the mutation is in the Spike (the part of the virus that attaches to the cell for invasion).  This is the main focal point of the vaccines.  If the antibody reaction produced from the vaccine is highly specialized to a specific Spike protein and that protein is the site of the mutation, good chance the antibodies will not be effective.  Former Med Tech so somewhat able to read the tech literature.

4 hours ago, Mai mee said:

Thx srowndedby,  myconcierge can do it pretty fast but expensive 225 for covid test PLUS $300 for Fit to Fly certificate but they're a hole card that CAN get it done quickly if I can't find a cheaper option by my travel date in mid Jan.

Yup, that is who I used and they were on time.  Ya, pricey, but I had been away from my family for 8 months.  Trivial.

Teens and I are staying Karon Beach for a dive trip in early Jan.  Have not seen that much closed there.  It will be a bit of  shlep to walk to EAT in Karon, our favorite falang restaurant, nut the food will just taste better!  They do a good lamb shank and such.  They have Limoncello, can't go wrong with a Limoncello aperitif.

2 hours ago, junkie said:

Thank you all for advice. I am talking about returning to UK but would not do so until well into next year now when hopefully situation improved. My visa is officially an extension of stay I believe. Had it for 17 years and renew each year and get re-entry permit at same time. Is the re-entry permit sufficient to re-enter and of course go to a quarantine centre for 2 weeks or must I get another entry permit from the London embassy and have medical certificate and covid test in UK before I could come back under current regulations. 

I would not leave for the UK at the moment, there is a new variant of the C-19 virus there that is easier to catch and it looks like the mutation is in the area targeted by the current vaccines meaning that there is a good chance they might not be effective against it.

4 hours ago, Barnabe said:

 

Or maybe they can look at Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, etc - your point being?

You think these clowns in the current government (and the general population for that matter) are even close in intellect/education to be able to be any of the above mentioned countries?

PM me with explanation of situation please.   Enrolled Agent.