eddysmit

On 12/4/2020 at 10:44 AM, recom273 said:

 

It is what it is, if I need it, and have to have it - then I’m sure I will pay, but private hospitals are a license to make money.

 

Just to see my specialist, I need to be guided to the waiting room by a lovely greeter, then have my temperature, weight, height and blood pressure taken (oh sir, good news everything is normal - as last month?) and if I’m allergic to anything - 250B
 

This is going to be an interesting time. 

 

 

Sounds familiar, and to get those vaccines in the UK will add the odd few ten pound notes if done privately for paperwork needed.

18 hours ago, TSF said:

Keep this up and we may as well move to Muslim Malaysia and enjoy some freedoms.

Yes, like far too many countries, they are taking over, the thing is most of what the more rabid ones forbid, you will find most of them do partake in secret/private venues, like adult entertainment and alcohol for instance.

12 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

 

Then the question is: Why did they not preorder as well, as other countries did? 

 

Where they just waiting for a Chinese vaccine? Or are their priorities more to have arguments to keep the emergency law as long as possible active during the coming year? Or were they busy with their own money making and just forgot to preorder a vaccine? Or, are the Western vaccines simply too quickly available now, as the bankrupted Thai tourism industry is not yet cheap enough for investors from China and from their own clique?

 

Probably all these points play a role together.

 

 

At this time many leaders of countries around the world are on a ultra power control surge high, all are in on the 'Great Reset', 'Build back better', Build back for them, not the soon to be second class people, there's only two classes planned for, them the 'few elites', and the majority of second class ones that will own nothing.

On 11/24/2020 at 9:27 AM, webfact said:

No vaccine, no entry – the next challenge of Covid-19
The Thaiger
 

OPINION

 

 

With the announcements this week about several vaccine candidate trials, either being completed or at the end of their Phase 3 testings, and the applications to government bodies for ‘emergency approval’, we now have to face the next question.

 

What restrictions will be imposed on those people who don’t have the vaccine, or even actively choose not to have the vaccine?

And more locally…

 

Will Thailand allow people to enter Thailand without first having the Covid-19 vaccine?

 

Given the Thai Government’s low-risk strategy, well almost zero-risk strategy, and reluctance to take any chances with a second wave of Covid 19, it is highly likely there will be a stipulation that anyone entering Thailand will need a vaccine certificate or stamp in their passports.

Couple this with the Thai population’s continued fear of allowing foreigners back into the country at this time, in poll after poll, and it’s a safe bet there will be a “no vaccine, no entry” restriction imposed.

 

On a positive note, the Thai government may drop the 14 day quarantine for people that have had the vaccine (but not in the early days).

 

At this stage we know that most of the vaccine trials have had a 95% efficacy. We also know that the leading BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine needs an original jab plus a booster and has to be transported at extremely low temperature.

To complicate matters, there is not yet sufficient evidence that having had a bout of Covid-19, whether asymptomatic or not, guarantees you immunity. Or, if it does, for how long?

 

All these factors will mean that some level of quarantine will probably be in force as the Thai government slowly re-opens its borders to a wider groups of vaccinated travellers. This would remain in force until the world has a better knowledge of both the proven efficacy of the vaccine, or vaccines, and the re-infection rates.

 

So, even if we start getting groups of the world’s populations vaccinated before the end of the year, and that’s still a very big IF, there’s a lot more water to pass under the bridge until a coherent, reliable vaccine strategy can be understood and implemented.

 

Then there will be a rump of people, either hard core anti-vaxxers, or others who are at least skeptical of a new vaccine, who will want to wait or not want the vaccine at all. Public education, some strong science and a successful roll out of the early vaccines will be a key to winning over a lot of the world’s population.

 

Somehow governments and health authorities are going to have to wind back much of the disinformation floating around the internet about vaccines that is so factually out of whack with reality, it’s going to be one of the greatest public health challenges of all time, to reassure people about the science of vaccines and vaccination.

 

All this, in the middle of a pandemic that, for now, is still on the ascendency as far as new cases and deaths are concerned.

 

But there is little doubt rejoining the world of international travel, even local travel, could become restricted to only those who are vaccinated. The rest will be stuck roaming around their own countries, or states, for… years with a raft of restrictions on their lives. Who knows.

 

Will shopping centres or public buildings also impose a “no vaccine, no entry” policy? Hotels? Public buildings? Job applications?

 

On top of the economic stress which has fallen on a lot of the world, with so many governments now facing the headwinds of deep recession, the vaccine ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ will add even more public disquiet.

 

At this stage nobody is sure how the vaccine will be rolled out in Thailand. The Thai government has already signed up for several of the leading vaccine candidates and will most likely provide the vaccine for free to citizens under its public health system.

 

What does that mean for foreigners living here? If you are covered, with a work permit, under the country’s public health, are you able to get the vaccine for free too? Will the thousands of foreigners on private health insurance be covered?

 

Surely the insurers will want its customers to be vaccinated. Sick customers cost them money. So, will insurance renewals be limited to only people who have been vaccinated? Will visas be renewed only if you have been vaccinated?

 

At this stage there are no firm answers to any of these questions.

 

And then there is the SARS Cov2 virus (Covid-19) itself, a living virus which has the ability to mutate and adapt. Will these new vaccines be effective against all mutations? Again, this is all ahead of us.

 

We’re certainly now entering a new phase of this pandemic. New challenges, new questions. The rising numbers of cases throughout 2020 is only the first chapter of a book that will be many more years in the making.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/no-vaccine-no-entry-the-next-challenge-of-covid-19

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-11-24

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Good article, but the vaccine results so far tested have an *UP* to ninety percent success result, for ninety odd percent of the people that would not die from the Covid disease. 

13 hours ago, donnacha said:

I do sometimes wonder if the Thai authorities will ever recognize that it was a mistake to torpedo their reputation, built up organically over half a century, as an easy-going destination for Westerners.

Just this week, I was talking to a friend making his first visit to S.E. Asia. He will be using Kuala Lumpur as his hub because, somehow, he heard that Thailand are no longer happy to have Westerners coming in and out of Bangkok - he wants to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam but has now arranged it so that he will have to make only one entry into Thailand. I have not said anything to him, but his understanding is that if you leave Thailand and then return a week later, you can be put in a cell and flown back to your home country.

I do not know how representative my friend is of casual Western travelers, but awareness of Thailand's anti-Western sentiment is clearly filtering into that mainstream. That represents a truly massive destruction of hard-won, irreplaceable brand value.

I understand the political reasoning - the Chinese government will never ask awkward questions about democracy - but it seems short-sighted to apply pressure to one group who have been reliably pouring money into your country for decades, in favor of other groups who may not ever actually deliver the five-star visitors that the Thai elites dream of.

I like Thailand, but it is not a five-star destination. For all the lovely things about Thailand, there are very real trade-offs. That's fine with me, because I am not a five-star guy. Thailand was, for decades, the right trade-off for me and many other westerners seeking a break from the world of 9-to-5 and competent driving.

I know that there are Chinese and Indian multi-millionaires, lots of them, but why would they come here? If you have real money, there are far better destinations. I am pretty sure that, at the end of this grand switch, the Thais will end up with roughly the same amount of tourists on roughly the same budgets, but will far less stability and long-term durability.

The real insanity is that they could have continued attracting tourists from both the West while simultaneously developing these new markets. Why jettison their existing market?

I would think your excellent comment sums it up for many Westerners like me as well,good to read an honest appraisal

6 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I still find this extremely hard to believe as the hospital will never let you leave until paid in full. How do you rack up a bill and then walk away?

 

All we can do is wait and see what comes out and how it is written. Not going to speculate, but I have my feeling there is more to it than that..

True, for my experiences for the great first class medical treatment received I would be interested to know how all these non-payers managed to 'escape' without paying, maybe I'm missing something seeing as for all my visits the hospitals have quietly requested some kind of guarantee of payment, two years ago the good hospital I have been using for a long time now asked for a deposit before proceeding with an outpatient small operation,plus copies of my passport,which I believe is the first thing any hospital and clinic ask for,well they always do for me,a few years before I had a bigger operation and a deposit was paid before proceeding,after three days of hospital stay myself in a wheelchair and my good lady were discretely escorted to the payment office to settle up the full bill,I really cannot see this amount of non-payers being true.

Not nice,I had similar some years ago,I had been in my apartment for a good seven years,great owners,nice neighbours,lovely surroundings until a new big fat German one moved in next to me,he was fine for a good year,always with a few sarcastic words and smug smile,no problem,then after about a year or so he suddenly went mental with loud music thumping through my wall non-stop,the last thing I want is confrontation,just live and let live,I dropped a few hints and he became worse,and always boozing with others on his veranda very noisily until the early hours,he had a lovely Thai lady always friendly,that was not a problem the late nights because it went with the territory and I was out most evenings until the early hours,and it was the place for late nights,others were complaining as well, the owners are excellent and were very good and I knew they only interfered if any violence happened or thieving went on,I wanted to know why he suddenly change from being friendly into a mental menace,I got talking to one of his ex German mates in a bar one night and he told me that my neighbour wanted me out so that a few of his Thai wife's family members could have my apartment,right,now I knew why, time for action,he was gone two months later.

All the best to you and your family,I was thinking about doing the same thing the other day,returning to the UK,but,I see it has been taken over by the PC lot and greedy bought politicians and people that don't like the UK or it's indigenous ones,only the freebies they can claim,anyway as I said,all the the best.

On 7/28/2019 at 9:47 AM, Isaanbiker said:

   

Just looking at a city in the lower northeast makes me believe that more foreigners are living here full time.

 

    When I arrived here in 2002, you could hardly see foreigners here.

 

    Now you can see them everywhere, at shopping malls, restaurants, and other places. 

 

   Pretty hard to understand that the number of expats has declined.

 But when is a foreigner considered an expat? After 5, 10, or 15 years?

 

  

 

  

Most of those could be 'tourists' on a 'shortish' stay.

On 7/23/2019 at 8:35 AM, Thainesss said:

I use Lazada all the time, and even for huge items like TV's and clothes Dryers, no issue and saves me the hassle of going to 10 billion shops and being told 'no have' when looking for stuff. 

 

When I need to buy stuff that I can't find in Thailand for a reasonable price, I use Amazon to buy stuff from the states and have it shipped to Thailand. They take out customs duties on checkout and it arrives REALLY fast from the states. I recently spent over $1300 bucks on electronic items and watches and it arrived from the states in 5 days, and even after paying for shipping and customs through Amazon, it was still cheaper than buying locally. 

Same for me,Lazada cash on delivery is what I always use,I just had to reply to your post because I always get a few close people almost in stitches when I did once always say when entering a big shop/store,'I wonder what "No have' it will be this time',that's mostly gone now with shopping on line,I have bought hundreds of items from TV's to drinking water filtration,only one slip up delivering the wrong item, they sent the cash instantly and told me to keep the low priced wrong item that came.

4 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

wait a minute..

 

if visitors from china, europe, oceania and the middle east are down but tourism is still up where are the new tourists coming from?

 

russia, india? they dont have the numbers to offset europe never mind china, so are they counting surrounding countries too?

 

this cannot be good either way (well for thailand, good for me :D)

 

 

Probably a bit of truth for both sets of Thai speakers,only problem is the American,European spenders are staying away,some ex long stayers are moving to easier countries Visa wise and better for spending wise and happy to put up with a bit lower conditions. where as the lower spending Chinese and Indianans have risen slightly.

On 7/18/2019 at 5:24 AM, smudger1951 said:

Forced to do a walk of shame ! Will they ever return to Thailand, losing more tourists or perhaps they've been banned for such behaviour. Yeah !

Yes,also the heading says,Brits do the walk of shame,then mention many other nationalities,at that time and where they were was it really so bad.

On 7/16/2019 at 6:10 AM, jabis said:

Personally I'd approach this the other way around - get some sausage, try to de-escalate the situation, giving you have time and repeated contact with the dog. You don't need to be a dog person to change behavior

Always surprises me how a dog that maybe belongs to someone else,can become a friend 'for life', if you give it a bit of food.

3 hours ago, patsfangr said:

I've caught and relocated several snakes during my 13 years here. I try to avoid killing any creature other than insects (which present various real threats to humans). Since I'm not an expert in identifying snakes, I treat them all as dangerous, and always approach and capture with great caution. But I do think they're beautiful, graceful creatures; and totally agree that nearly all of them will avoid humans when possible. 

That is so,I have seen many long/big Cobras in my time here,and all capable of killing me with just a tiny drop of their venom they always want to just slithery away,I saw a huge lizard strolling across a back road the other day,I thought it was a Croc at first sight,it had to be a good six to seven feet long,I pulled up and watched it slowly make its way to the other side of the road where there was a very large overgrown pond,amazing(no traffic behind me).

6 hours ago, transam said:

Because a weee snake may have a mum and dad holed up nearby....I have the T-shirt for that....

Good one and true,like seeing a cute little baby rat,you can be sure disease carrying and electrical wiring chewing mum and dad,plus the rest of the brood, are lurking somewhere.

7 hours ago, mikebell said:

More spouting of the bleedin' obvious!  Any tips on how to avoid bites?  Brand names of effective repellents?  Effective pesticides? 

Draining breeding grounds in gardens is easy, but how do you do it in Isaan where the whole area is under water for months on end?

I have heard Papaya leaves boiled up and drink when you get this horrible 

6 hours ago, aussiebrian said:

Mosquito larvae need to breathe ,a thin coating of oil on to the top of the water kills them pretty quick. Vegetable oil works well. You don't need much 

Also make sure your gutters on your roof are not holding any water, or anything lying around the place.

Make sure you have fish in water in any ponds or plants that need to sit in water will also eat them.

6 hours ago, aussiebrian said:

Mosquito larvae need to breathe ,a thin coating of oil on to the top of the water kills them pretty quick. Vegetable oil works well. You don't need much 

Also make sure your gutters on your roof are not holding any water, or anything lying around the place.

Make sure you have fish in water in any ponds or plants that need to sit in water will also eat them.

I can remember years ago when living down south the old dear next door had water pots full of rain water, when I looked I and saw little fish swimming around I mentioned it to the one that was,she said the little fish eat all the mosquito eggs.

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

There's a hierarchy even on the roads and pavements. People in cars don't stop for people who walk because people who walk are at the bottom. As for the pavements, I've had people ride their motorcycle behind me and then honk for me to move out of the way. When you stop and give them the stare, they look at you like you're off your nut. 

 

My missus is a great driver and she's very courteous. I was driving along a clear soi with no pavement and there was someone walking. I slowed down and gave the person a wide berth as I drove past them. My missus was dumbfounded as to why I drove like this. The concept that this person might suddenly just walk out into the middle of the road or fall over didn't exist with her.

 

When you're taught to drive where I come from, you're taught to be extremely aware of the pedestrians around you. 

That's true,like when passing parked cars always assume a door might open, I picked that up during my cycling days,many an almost over the handle bars trip when a door suddenly flies open in front of you.

19 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

How can any Policeman in Thailand keep a straight face when making such a statement !

True,in my forty odd years of visiting Thailand it quickly became obvious that many 'Private' taxi drivers were rip off merchants, surely this has not just been discovered ?

4 hours ago, dallen52 said:

For those who have problems with going to the dentist...

 

 

 

Like a lot of people I hate a trip to the dentist, now if that one was doing the work I would be visiting a lot and I definitely would not feel any pain.

21 hours ago, BestB said:

Of course it would be good when 70-90% of rooms will

be gone allowing remaining 10% to charge whatever they want.

 

only little thing these leading hotels and business people have not considered was that those who can afford 5 star hotel always stay in 5 star hotels and those that can not afford it , still will not be able to afford it and simply will not come. 

 

How good is it going to be for business then?

Exactly, this sounds like the few 'big boys' are thinking they will score well and clean up, when in fact they are driving away the main Pattaya supporters,all will eventually lose out.

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The type of tourists Thailand so dearly wants (along with Indians) !

They'll get what they dererve ! 

 

Many years ago most Bangkok hotels refused to let rooms to Indians,apart from them cooking in the middle of the room it took a long time to clean up behind them,looks like times have changed. 

On 6/1/2019 at 10:24 AM, taichiplanet said:

i will need the unpixelated photos and copies of the CCTV videos so i can help with identifying the woman.

I have just received them, I will pass them on after a very thorough look, she looks a bit alright too.

On 5/26/2019 at 10:45 AM, me4175 said:

The fact that Clown Boris leads the survey is saying something about the psyche of the Brits. They just can't be helped.

I would think that could be said for quite a few 'western' countries.

On 5/24/2019 at 12:07 PM, JohnOFphon said:

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

Yes, and it did cause a few problems when leaving, machines breaking down and such, I believe it's now put on top of or in with the price when you buy your airplane ticket now.