1 hour ago, MikeN said:

I doubt you have actually heard anything vaguely reliable, but actually the CP group own 7/11. Big C are owned by the TCC Group.

Personally I hope that the Central Group (Robinsons, TOPS, Thai Watsadu, powerbuy, Supersports,etc) get it to keep a bit of competition going.

CP also owns Makro.

3 hours ago, Thian said:

This is why there aren't any mouthmasks for sale in BKK....when will the new stock arrive general?

The local Home Pro had plenty yesterday. The cheap ones were 99 B for 10 pack and they had lots of different better quality masks also.

27 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Exactly - they were already infected before they began their self-imposed isolation

What point are you trying to make? Liddelljohn started this post saying he was told he had coronavirus and almost everyone ( including  me) thought that wasn't possible since he was sent home. It turns out that the US is sending home people who have tested positive for coronavirus and telling them to self isolate. 

I am curious if if this is standard protocol in other countries. Seems like this decision has the potential to seriously backfire.

4 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

And were they self-isolating for the 14 (or is 21 now) days for the virus to incubate before their coronavirus was detected?

Did you not read the article? Some reported to health authorities within days of returning from Wuhan.

On 2/14/2020 at 3:25 PM, Sheryl said:

I too am amazed that you would not be put in isolation if really positive for Corona. 

 

Especially from a govetnment (military) hospital

More amazing stuff here: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/health/coronavirus-in-the-us-what-we-know-trnd/index.html

While the article is 6 days old, it lists 7 people that are confirmed coronovirus cases that are self isolating at home in the US.

I read that somewhere around 75-80% of infected people only have mild symptoms so maybe the view is to keep hospital beds free for the serious cases. But human nature being what it is, there will be people who won't be conscientious about maintaining self isolation.  

1 hour ago, talahtnut said:

If you go through the green channel, and get

stopped, you might lose the lot.

I always go through the red channel, and declare,

quite often they are fairly lenient if you're not

too greedy.

All baggage goes through a scanner so

they know whats inside.

Thanks for this info!

What is "not too greedy"? 4 bottles, 6 bottles? Wine or hard liquor? How much do you pay for amounts over the permitted 1 liter?

17 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

Seat configuration is something to consider.  The JAL business cabin is 2-2-2 while ANA is 1-2-1. Of course, ANA is more expensive but you get to transit Tokyo.

JAL from BKK-NRT/HND might be 2-2-2 but the flights into JFK/IAD are 1-2-1. Also DFW-NRT is 1-2-1

CX similar -some BKK-HKG are 2-2-2 and some are 1-2-1 but the flights into JFK/EWR are 1-2-1. 

EVA from BKK-VIE is 1-2-1 and Austrian from VIE-JFK also 1-2-1 and they have some of the best business class airline food but a mediocre selection of wines.

I use ITA and skyscanner and also Google flights.  Sample dates for Sep are showing $3,500 on Etihad and you can set an alert notice for price drops: https://www.google.com/flights#flt=BKK.IAD.2020-09-06*IAD.BKK.2020-09-20;c:USD;e:1;sc:b;sd:1;t:f

Some "consolidators" buy frequent flyer miles and book tickets using them.  Avoid those because if the airline gets suspicious, they will deny you boarding and you'll have a very hard time getting your money back.  

1 hour ago, Beggar said:

Are cruise ship tourists good tourists? They don't stay in hotels. The have their own food and drinks. They have their own entertainment. They often use land tours controlled by the cruise ship companies. Are they even worse than the so called zero Baht tourists? 

The cruise ship pays a port fee and taxes that are based on total people on board. Different ports charge a different amount, but around $15 - $30. So a ship with 2,000 guests and 500 crew would pay $50,000 per day if the fees were $20/person. That's why many ports compete for cruise ships.

3 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

 

What is your point here? Is the intent to insult everyone's intelligence with your use of  unsubstantiated statements from an unreliable and untrustworthy source of information.

The Global Times is a daily tabloid newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper. This is the same group that calls the concentration camps holding Uyhgurs,  "Holiday and Leisure Camps" and  "Education   facilities".

 

Do you really believe that  a 1000 bed hospital can be built in a week? More like a  detention center dormitory. All that the Chinese have done is build a place where people will be kept.   It is impossible to  have equipped  the facility with the medical equipment and  advanced care  devices common to a basic clinic. It takes time to install ICU equipment and to calibrate equipment. The facility probably does not even have a balanced  air flow and pressure system required to control infectious disease contagion.

Are you aware the  current infectious disease control protocols require patient isolation as in individual hospital rooms? This is why every new hospital being built in the developed world emphasizes individual rooms. Don't tell us that the  Chinese facility respects that basic starting requirement. Do you know what happens when you have 50 patients sharing one toilet?

 

You reference  patient age demographics as if  your data is reliable. Well, it isn't reliable because it has not been vetted and verified by third parties, specifically WHO. Are you even aware that the Chinese are not being overly co-operative in allowing foreigners  to observe the treatment facilities or to access patients?  What we are being fed is misinformation praising the Chinese with the goal to keep people from panicking.  China has unleashed another infectious disease on the world and its government is in panic mode trying to get its genie back in the bottle.

 

"Do you really believe that  a 1000 bed hospital can be built in a week?" You're right - wasn't a week but 10 days. Guess you didn't see any of the live streaming video that was broadcast during construction? The rooms are pre-fab. 7,000+ workers. Construction 24 hours a day. I'm definitely not a fan of the Chinese gov, but you got to give them credit for their response and ability to mobilize.

Here are some pics: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/world/asia/coronavirus-wuhan-hospital.html and https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/pictures-wuhan-fast-built-hospital-200203080542994.html

5 hours ago, davehowden said:

"where they can enjoy fresh air"

 

Won't be in Chiang Mai then thank heavens.

"Fresh air" can't be found anywhere in Thailand. Right now there are large areas of China that have better air quality than Thailand.

on Jan 20th there were 295 cases with 6 dead. Today, 2 WEEKS LATER, there are over 17,000 cases with 362 dead. 

But there's nothing to worry about. Nothing to see here. Just move right along but be a bit careful that you don't trip over the bodies as they pile up. 

Smaller really is better especially when you get a private butler:

https://bk.asia-city.com/city-living/news/bangkok-best-vip-cinemas

45 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

It's over... the dems had their chance. 3 years of litigation, Mueller investigation, no evidence, House trial, no evidence, it's over. Now the dems have to resurrect Hillary Clinton. Clinton will be the nominee and she will lose again. If the American's want Trump out, they will now have to vote him out. The investigation of Trump is over. 

I doubt it. They know they have no chance in Nov and will continue their attempt to prevent the people of the US from voting for the candidate of their choice.

Here is Shumer scolding Kamala Harris at his press conference. She can't keep a straight face while he spins his BS.

I'd post the direct twitter link but that might get deleted. Look at the twitter gif that's halfway down the article.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/chuck-schumer-scolds-kamala-harris-sherrod-brown-impeachment-trial

Warning, this is funny and addictive. Hard to stop watching  and laughing at the clown show.

Vietnam to stop issuing visas for Chinese tourists over coronavirus concerns

Reuters news: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-vietnam-visa/vietnam-to-stop-issuing-visas-for-chinese-tourists-over-coronavirus-concerns-idUSKBN1ZT203

I was under the impression that they always mailed the cert to the home address you listed on the form which they checked against your record on their computer. Since this was my first time, maybe someone with more experience will verify.

Maybe this should be moved to the the motoring forum or immigration forum so someone like Ubonjoe can comment.

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

io at chaeng wattana told me to return in 2 weeks for residency certificate as i had just recently mailed the tm30. guess they need 2 weeks to process it.

Just did this at CW 2 days ago. While waiting to file my first ever 90 day report, I asked the B section desk what I needed for the residency cert. She saw the 90 day form I was waiting to submit and told me to make a copy of the receipt along with the other standard passport pages incl TM6.

Afterwards I was told I would get my residence cert in the mail within the next 4 weeks.

16 hours ago, Genmai said:

 

We were all told by the media and the PM that certain measures were being taken to ensure the control of this virus. What I’m doing is presenting my account of how all of that is false. You want to explain to me how I’m in the wrong for doing that?

 

And no, according to the article I linked the guys job is now not only to check if I can come into the country, it’s also to do his part in containing the infection by certain measures which clearly nobody is doing.

 

As for learning disinfectant in Thai - sure, I’ll do that if you willing teach it to the millions of potentially infected Chinese visitors coming here AND get them to ask for it.

This is an OUTSTANDING TROLL. The first post sounded like either a Thai basher or more likely a Nanny stater. It's neither.

It doesn't matter if you're a virulent Thai basher or an benign Thai apologist or anywhere in between. If there is one thing 99.99% of TV posters can agree on is that no one on this site is dumb enough to believe or even take anything seriously to believe in things that we were all told by the media and the PM.  

"We were all told by the media and the PM that certain measures were being taken to ensure the control of this virus." The first post was a great troll post but you gave it away with this comment.

Interesting Reuters article with headline: Public anger grows over coronavirus in Thailand, with eight cases of the illness. 

"three months of reduced travel from China would result in 50 billion baht ($1.52 billion) of lost tourism revenue"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-thailand/public-anger-grows-over-coronavirus-in-thailand-with-eight-cases-of-the-illness-idUSKBN1ZP0GF

On 1/16/2020 at 1:42 PM, jayboy said:

Actually it can just go away if you are significantly overweight and then lose that weight preferably under medical supervision.Sensible diet and exercise will also help - but losing the weight is by far the most important thing.

I agree it can go away and I did it. Without losing a lot of weight (still overweight by 10 kilo instead of 18 kilo). All it took was a change in diet. Also a slight increase in activity.

In the US, I regularly enjoyed 300-400 grams of cold cuts (AKA charcuterie) like salami or ham loaded with salt and nitrates, along with 200-300 grams of cheese, again lots of salt, washed down by a bottle of pinot noir. Love salty snacks and used to eat too many carb laden processed foods. Here I eat mostly freshly prepared foods and I've cut my alcohol intake by more than 50%. The latter is an important part to why I don't need BP meds anymore because I still like to have an occasional bag of chips and still use some salt on my food. I monitor my BP at least 2x/wk and it's stays in the 125-130/80-85 range.

On 1/12/2020 at 8:28 PM, Max69xl said:

Chase won't transfer USD, they transfer baht using their own exchange rate, which is lower than the TT buy rate you would get if they actually transferred USD. I promise you that a $5,000 US transfer using TransferWise will give you more in your account even with TW's fee (no K-Bank fee). K-Bank is one of TW's partner banks in Thailand and when using the correct reason for the transfer "Funds for long term stay in Thailand" the transfer will show up as foreign. You'll also receive the money within 24 hours and the rate is guaranteed. 

Wrong. Chase does transfer USD. It's an option you choose when you set up the transfer. I did it at least 8 times in the last 2 years. 

Also, if you have at least 200K in your IRA/401K and transfer it to Chase JPM you get private client status which gives no fee international wire transfers and fees reimbursed for all ATM fees. Chase JPM joined the others and now offers fee free trading also.

Thanks for bringing up this topic. I was going to wait a couple of weeks before I asked a similar question. I have a BB USD time deposit account that doesn't issue a bank book, only a certificate. To withdraw funds I actually need to surrender the certificate. I'm wondering if CW is familiar with the structure of some of these foreign deposit accounts.

The different banks have different policies but the personnel in the branches will also vary widely on their knowledge of their own policies. I also had my annual condo lease and the TM30 that my landlord submitted for me when I moved to this location last month, but the latter really confused them. It really is important to be able to show them their official policy as listed on their website.

If you go the foreign currency route, I suggest you bring in more than the minimum to cover currency fluctuations. I brought in $30K plus the initial deposit of $1K so even if the USD drops to 28 I'm still covered.

58 minutes ago, JimmerJJ said:

I guess some Thai banks have a Passport true copy requirement and others don't and it varies?   My USA retirement incomes come to about 140,000 baht a month and 500K in savings so I hope I can find someone to help me.

I just opened both a baht account and a foreign currency account today. You don't need a certified copy of your passport. Bank personnel will tell you all sorts of wrong info. I went to 5 banks ( 3 Bangkok branches, 1 Kasikorn and 1 other). 3 locations claimed I needed a work permit. Again, that is wrong. Look at the website of the bank you want to use. It has the details and you will need to show them the info from your phone.

Here is what you can do. First go to Bangkok bank website. Find the requirements for a foreigner to open an account.

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Save-And-Invest/Save/Savings-Account

 2. Foreigner without work permit

• Passport
• A reference letter issued by one of the following institutes or organizations or required document
  • Embassy located  in Thailand 
  • An overseas bank where the customer holds an account sent via SWIFT 
  • Trusted individuals such as a Bangkok Bank staff member or customer, director of a private company, permanent residence in Thailand, government or private educational institutes located in Thailand trusted by the Bank
  • Trusted companies, e.g., an employment letter from the company if the customer is in the process of applying for a work permit.
  • Document showing ownership of a fixed asset such as a condominium sale/purchase agreement (a condominium which is acceptable to Bangkok Bank) Or a property reservation agreement valued at 100,000 baht or more with a reference letter from the property developer that is acceptable to Bangkok Bank.

When they all wanted an embassy reference letter I showed them the list and had both a social security benefit letter and bank statements from the US. The baht account was issued at the Sukhumvit 43 location and then I went to BB HQ on Silom to get the foreign currency account. If you go the foreign currency route, you need to have $1,000 USD or Thai Baht equivalent to open the account.