timkeen08

6 minutes ago, rwill said:

No.  Electric cars are not ready for prime time yet.

 

It would be better and greener to get the batteries out of the vehicles.  Plus make the vehicles cheaper.  Put the power source in the road.

 

It worked well on my racetracks and train set when I was a kid.  I like the idea but it would have to be made idiot proof, especially here.

15 minutes ago, colinneil said:

You totally missed the point of my post, how can a paraplegic walk away?

I'm not in a wheelchair yet, but close to it.  I do limp along slowly and painfully.  So as I said, I do understand.  But thanks for the sad reaction emoji.  Life is what it is.

5 minutes ago, colinneil said:

You totally missed the point of my post, how can a paraplegic walk away?

I already understand but it's meaningless and becomes boring over 8 baht which seems to fly over your head while you just have to have the last word.  Pedantic?

5 minutes ago, colinneil said:

So you think i should have walked away?

Priceless comment that, best laugh i have had today.????????????????????

Over 8 baht that you never received? Now that's a laugh. Try leaving a tip next time, even if it's only 8 baht.

On 6/4/2021 at 9:08 AM, colinneil said:

Bangkok Barry..... You avin a laugh,????

Time and motion here, ha, ha.

Recently i went in a local d.i.y. place, not a national chain, local.

I wanted 2 kilo of 3inch nails, 3 minutes, lady went off with my 100 baht note, to find the lady cashier, after 10 minutes i just left, better things to do with my time than sit there waitng for 8 baht.

A 10 minute wait for 8 baht?  Why do you think it takes 10 minutes?  They all seem to understand the English words "for you".  Then I or we walk away without a 10 minute useless wait.  Now if it's over 20 baht then my wife chases them down if it's not done quickly while talking away with them in a friendly irrelevant conversation or question.  She is like me, don't want to deal with coinage.

On 6/1/2021 at 12:46 PM, dwagner said:

I assume TSB is a UK Bank. I am from the USA and all my banks and credit cards are using my postal service company's address. Of course we had too do this since 9/11 - Patriot Act. 

 

Can you just use a family members address in the UK and then they should not (?) cancel your account??

Not completely true about after the 911 Patriots Act.  I opened a USAA bank account two years ago online from here without a VPN and I had my address changed to Thailand.  I was sent an international debit card to Thailand.  But I was a USAA member when I had USAA car insurance back in America before we moved here.  One of the perks of being a US Veteran (or an immediate family member of a Vet).  I was surprised to find that I still had membership after I canceled my insurance and could open a bank account so easily.  I don't know if it is all possible if you were not already a USAA member before you moved to Thailand.  That is how I transfer my company pensions to Thailand via WISE transfer service.  Two pension checks sent to me in Thailand were deposited using their online scan deposit service in between setting up direct deposits to USAA after Bangkok Bank stopped excepting ACH direct deposits.  And I keep money banked for anything I need to do in the US and that is where my COVID stimulus were deposited.  All I needed to be a member in the US was to scan and upload my DD214 and driver's license.  I signed my son up for his membership by uploading his birth certificate for proof of relationship before we left the US when I gave him my pickup. Thailand is listed in their drop-down country box.  Many active duty personnel have membership.

1 hour ago, flossie35 said:

What does the order say in Thai? If it just says "บัญชีธนาคาร" that could mean account or accounts. If it wanted to say "a single account" it would have to spell that out.

And according to my wife, if it meant plural or more than one was permissible then it would have been spelled out differently as well.

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So we go from a national vaccination programme to a scrambled plan at cluster hotspots within

province to province as apposed to certain age groups around the nation?

Gotta get the numbers down.  Tourists are waiting.

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I'm not a great believer in the Sinovac vaccine, I would rather wait a month or two and have 2 shots of AZ

I am with you to a point.  But if I cannot see the name on the vial I will walk out.  I'm already on a list at my private hospital for Moderna anyway.  Maybe Phizer will be available by then.  There is too much push from the private sector to be continually ignored.  Authorized for private hospitals will happen some time after AstraZinica rolls out, or is it runs out.  A lot of money is invested in that Thai company.

17 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

Not everybody lives in Bangkok.

Sounds easy, but a days bus travel to Bangkok + 1 overnight stay, queue at Embassy to get first jab + 1 day travel to return home to spend 14 nights self quarantine, to emerge just in time for the second jab, repeat, a complete wasted month.

Does that make sense?

Well said.  Fly into a red zone, especially Bangkok, for anything?  No way.  I can't stand the place.  I had my fill of big city life in my home country and I don't need it nor want it living in Thailand.  I'm fine with everything by mail with the US Embassy.  The village hospital next door can do vaccinations.  That's the plan for the village Thai people anyway.  The district hospital comes here once a week for this or that.  They were here yesterday walking door to door and checked my wife's name on their list to get the AZ vaccine when it's available.  They only need to know how many viles to order.  And everyone on TV is turning into big cry babies wanting their perceived Rights, right now.  It's only a list guys.  Did anyone expect anything else but having to wait? You forget where you live.

Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/health/coronavirus-mrna-kariko.html

Only Moderna uses her lipids technology for their mRNA vaccine.

1 hour ago, GiveMeAColdOne said:

If you haven't kept up with the local news, the Thai government is actively requesting Embassies to assist by vaccinating their own citizens.  The process of bringing in the vaccines is not difficult.  The US Embassy also has a resident mission in Chiang Mai, but as many have noted already, private contractors can easily be used to provide a wider coverage.  Where there's a will there's a way.  This isn't nearly as complicated as pulling off a Cobra Gold exercise.

What ever.

8 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

"Logistically very feasible.  How many expats from the US do you think there are in Thailand?  No need to enter very far onto the grounds.  Set up a big tent outside of the buildings.  Safer for unvaccinated people to not congregate inside of buildings anyway.  Appointment system?  Are you kidding?  This is so easy to do.  Easy to automate confirmation emails.  Military medics can be brought in to administer vaccines if needed, but local nurses could also be hired."

 

1) The exact number is unknown.  Could be at least 25,000?

2) US Embassies, in order to enter, have probably the tightest security protocols.  "A big tent"? On Wireless Road? 

3) Appointment system?  How long is the wait now for s simple service at the US Embassy or Consulate.  For passport renewals the US Embassy has been pushing mail in in order to discourage people from coming to the embassy for in person services

4) Nothing is "easy" when it comes to anything involving the US Embassy

5) Military Medics? From where?  The nearest US Military base with medics is probably in Japan or S. Korea.  The embassy reports to the State Department and Military Medics are under the control of the Defense Department.  This would require cooperation between DOS and DOD(sometimes not so much)

6) Local Nurses?  How would the Thai Government feel about that?  

7) The odds of an Embassy that charges $50 for a Notary stamp and no longer issues income letters taking on  this type of mission is Slim and none.  

 

As an American who has lived in several countries I have always felt rather unwelcome whenever I went to US Embassies.  This includes Thailand, Kuwait, Haiti, Kabul and Baghdad.  

I'm not flying to Bangkok just for a vaccine.  See, it gets even more complicated then people think or want.  Without Thai governmental assistance or approval.  The US can't just run right in to our rescue and do what they want.  It can be a very complicated and lengthy process or simple solutions might be arranged if there really such an emergency fir some that just can't wait.  The US Embassy has already sent out STEP notifications to follow Thai government processes.

Now I know where my wife gets her incoherent ping pong ball effect.

In this part of Issan they changed the name of hospitels to housepitels.

3 hours ago, starky said:

Cue the music... " it's the circle of life" lol more like the semi circle of life if you ask me. 

I will circle back to you on that one.

On 4/12/2021 at 12:38 PM, canthai55 said:

Seems to be quite a few Racist remarks in the posts above, blaming migrants for all the ills known to man.

Richard Leakey found the cradle of civilization in East Africa, so I guess unless you are from there we are all migrants.

 

I tell it as I see it about my America which so far is my right.  If TVF thinks I am saying something wrong they can do whatever they need to.  But you, I could really care less about your opinion of me.  I'm actually anti-reverse discrimination about America.  And you paint with such a broad strock my man.  I could care less about where anyone comes from, just do it legally like we have to do in Thailand.  And yes, I went through USCIS for my wife's green card so everyone else should do the same.

2 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

If you see the grave yards in Brazil, even if it is a small percentage, is a lot of graves, which mean that a lot of

people in Brazil have lost their relatives and friends. Same for the USA, it may be less than a million people

lost there so far, but again that is a lot of relatives and friends in the USA who have died as well.  Lucky for you 

expats in Thailand, who seem to have not lost anyone you know, but just wait a while longer, even a few of you 

will likely get to know that someone you knew has also died.  Say welcome to the UK variety as it has already arrived in Thailand.

Geezer

BS.  I live in Thailand.  I had a friend in America die last year and the father of a friend in America die yesterday.  COVID19 was responsible for both deaths.  My friend was in his 50's with no health issues as well as being fit as a fiddle.  I have no idea if the father had any comorbidities.  Being thankfull, unlike you, no one in my large family still in America has died, tested positive, or was asymptomatic from COVID19.  The same for all my Thai family and friends in Thailand.  Some in America have already been vaccinated with no symptoms but some are like me and choose to wait knowing oh so well how much trust we can have in our US government, big Pharm, or any government.

On 3/18/2021 at 6:49 PM, Scottie12 said:

This is the guy who screwed up whereby the Consuls gave you a letter confirming your monthly income which was very simple but no more. 
I wouldn’t trust this guy as far as I could throw him.

It may be simple for you but for some of us a trip to the bank and making some copies is much easier and less expensive than making a flight to Bangkok along with staying at a hotel waiting for your flight back home.  I'm glad the change happened.

51 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Because many blacks and Latinos are so far refusing the vaccine. They're not being denied. They are themselves avoiding the vaccine. Just search for it. There are pages and pages of links about this. Remarkable how this story never mentions the reason.

Here's just one.  https://khn.org/news/article/black-americans-are-getting-vaccinated-at-lower-rates-than-white-americans/

Thank you for contacting the Social Security Administration's Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

***********

Good day,

Mailing of the SSA-7162 is still suspended. Your benefits will still continue without the submission of this form. Thank you.

Social Security Administration – Federal Benefits Unit

Address: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 0930 Manila, Philippines

Allowance?  What the heck is that?

5 hours ago, Blumpie said:

That's not the half of it.

You will need to quarantine when you get home too!  

There is no rationale to it.  

Understandably, they need to at least try to keep everyone happy but these guys have gone on to full on delusion over the last year.  

There isn't a single country on the planet who's tourism industry isn't devastated.  And there is no way out until the vaccine is widely available.  As all reports indicate, maybe 2022 - 2024.  

Just in.

Gmail - Health Alert Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs January 15, 2021.PDF

On 11/12/2020 at 11:39 AM, wwest5829 said:

Just a bit of additional info for those it might assist. My most recent all to US IRS informed me they have no restrictions sending mail to Thailand. Latest info on the IRS website says they sent me a $1200 check on November 16. I'll let you know if I receive it ... first check sent May 8, 2020, never received.

Have you received the Social Security letter, "are you alive".  I got a return email earlier this year from Manilla stating it will be sent out the end of the year?