Proboscis

With all the discussion about inviting in tourists from far off countries with higher levels of Covid-19 infection, why does Thailand not consider starting off by inviting in tourists from the very low infection rate countries on their own doorstep. Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia have varying numbers of expats who would consider a break in Thailand for medical tourism if nothing else. Many citizens of these countries used to travel to Thailand for shopping and medical treatment too. Each of these countries have very low or zero rates of infection. Thailand could also consider other nearby countries with low levels of infection too, including limited numbers from China.

My suggestion would be to test and trace all visitors to the country and let them stay in pre-reserved resorts. You could impose a further test after a few days and then let them go free.

This would be low risk with a higher rate of take-up.

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Shouldn't it be;

European Union members provide money for Putin's $1.5 billion lifeline to Belarus leader

 

Oil and gas exports are the principal source of Russian state wealth. The largest consumers of Russian gas are Germany and Italy. France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Slovakia are the other principal consumers.

I do get a chuckle when the EU  rings it  hands and goes tut tut one day and then sends its Euros to putin.

Same way that the USA sent billions to Saudi Arabia and Saddam Hussein' Iraq for decades UK sent billions to Iran. It is unfortunate that the energy is often located where the dictators are but I don't see what that proves. Should Germany and other countries freeze during the winter or create huge pollution by using brown coal (what they used to do before they got Russian gas)?

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

  

Why only temporarily?

Everyone of them and the people who bribed them should be charged/ jailed.

One of their own died, yet they put personal gain before justice, bloody disgraceful.

It is a little naive to say that one of their own died. One of the little people died. The little people do not matter and are certainly not considered "one of their own."

4 hours ago, terryw said:

The only people complaining are Remainers. <deleted>. Boris has the EU rattled.

Actually that is NOT true. The majority who voted in favor of Brexit did not vote for the UK to become a stand alone state with no trade treaties with anyone. If this legislation does go ahead and there is no trade deal with the EU and it is implemented, there will be no trade deal with the USA. Other countries will also be stand-offish. Why would anyone want to sign a trade deal with a government that signs a treaty only to break it within a year?

5 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

Expect more of these “bombshell” reports and never trumper “book releases” in the coming weeks complete with pre-made Joe Biden speeches pre-loaded into his teleprompter. 
 

This is nothing new. Trumps been saying all of this publicly since March. 

The trouble with your never-Trumper claim is that the rash of books out there are coming from all kinds of sources, some from his closest aids who he threw under the bus, some from insiders, some from real experts in their field. Many of these books were not from never Trumpers. They were from people who were pro-Trump individuals that Trump invited into the White House to work with him!

This latest book is a little different, coming as it does from a highly experienced journalist with the best pedigree in the business. But I am sure you will simply say it is fake news when he plays the tape of Trump saying one thing in private and another thing in public. Instead it is a fact.

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Someone's learned a new expression, haven't they. That's about the third time today you've said Perfidious Albion. Did you google it after seeing it trending on Twitter?

 

Anyway, if the EU are not going to abide by the terms of the treaty I see no reason why the UK should. The EU has consistently undermined UK sovereignty by demanding a level playing field in which they decide UK laws and regulations, as well as ECJ jurisdiction and free access to fishing waters in return for the trade deal. They have also not acted in good faith by demanding terms for a trade deal that they have never requested before and would never dream of accepting themselves.

 

Respecting UK sovereignty and acting in good faith were both terms of the agreement. So if the EU wishes to ignore certain parts of it, the UK will also. The EU can cry and squeal as much as they like. If the EU didn't want to fight dirty, they shouldn't have taken their gloves off. If you can't take it, don't dish it out.

 

Hopefully the UK will stop the remaining payments of the 30 Billion remaining from the divorce deal as well, until a fair, mutually beneficial trade deal that respects UK sovereignty is agreed. 

I have never read such a load of misguided nonsense. Your talk about sovereignity is totally misconstrued. There never was a trade deal of substance that did not involve some handing over of a little sovereignity. For instance, in the case of product standards, under a trade deal another country trading with your country is likely to insist on certain standards in the manufacture of products that are destined for export to their country. In that sense, there is now a limitation on your sovereignity which most countries are happy to give up because it means more exports. If you insist on total sovereignity, you will never trade with any country ever.

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Good on the UK. Be tough and protect our fisheries.

Should the UK go for no deal over an economic sector (fishing) that amounts to 0.12% of the overall economy, and less than 0.1% of employment? Even the UK leather industry is slightly larger and will be more affected by Brexit but no one cares.

The UK eats very little of what it catches, prefering the varieties of fish that are imported from the EU. Meanwhile the UK exports the vast majority of its catch to the EU.

This is a little like the way the UK is fighting tooth and nail over stilton cheese in the Japanese trade deal when the amount of cheese sold to the Japanese is tiny as they just do not eat it.

The EU amounts to approximately 50% of trade for the UK. A trade deal is crucial for many industries, especially with Covid being not so well managed.

Asking for a person or people to negotiate when you have taken away from the table everything they could negotiate for is not a negotiation.

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

This is what makes me made about people like Biden - all talk , no trousers. He makes no mention of how he would stop it and what he would do to his new voters for punishment for rioting and looting.

 

Like him or hate him , at least Trump is trying to end the looting and riots, even though it appears the government of some states would rather their cites stay in anarchy and lawlessness

 

 

From the way you are talking you would think that Biden is the one currently in the White House!

Trump has done nothing but stoke the violence. He has done nothing but send in Federal law enforcement into entire cities when it is just a couple of square blocks that are the problem. This does nothing but increase the level of violence

5 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Winning hearts and minds by attacking Rand Paul and his wife? The intolerance on display is quite staggering, this is fascism in action. Lucky the police haven't been totally defunded and were there to protect the couple from the leftist mob. I don't suppose this violence and intimidation will impress the average voter. Hope they find out who paid for this and take drastic action to stop this disgraceful behaviour.

Attacking? Shouting slogans is not attacking. There was no attack.

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

Excellent news - carry out sentence tomorrow please

Have you not thought of the valuable investigative tool that admission provides in netting additional criminals and avoiding unnecessary bloodshed? If criminals believe that if they are caught, they are for the chop no matter what, why not just shoot it out - it might give them a chance to escape and if they take a few men in brown with them, all the better (or so they might think).

If caught red-handed, police have nothing to bargain with in order to try to get the co-conspirators. And so they will go free. Is that what you want?

Besides, if you give it a thought, which would you prefer - life in a Thai prison (where life really means life) or a small scratch in the arm and oblivion? I know what I would prefer. The real punishment is life in prison.