KhaoYai

I've heard this so many times but I disagree. 'Some men' would be more accurate as its clear that some may not have had much choice in their home countries but the majority? Have you carried out some form of survey? Most of the foreign men that I know in Thailand, came or come following a divorce back home, I'm no different - 21 years ago my (UK) wife of 19 years left without warning - it turned out she'd been having an affair for years. I don't consider myself to be particularly handsome but I'd never had a problem finding an attractive partner back home - my ex was a 'stunner'. Following the divorce I spent a year in the doldrums, approaching middle age and thinking life was over. I took a trip to Thailand. I regained my confidence and dare I say it, despite some relationship problems from time to time, I've had a much better time than I've ever had. The bonus point is, in the UK a much younger woman would not even look at me, in Thailand I had a choice and to a lesser degree (these days ????), I still have. As an aside, my UK ex wife wasn't so lucky. She moved in with the guy she'd been having an affair with but he turned out to be a pervert who sexually and violently abused her and ripped her of most of the inheritance she'd received from her parents - that lasted for 2 years. We have a daughter so I still see her from time to time.........jeez, she's fat, everything's gone south and she's clearly made a bad decision on some form of lip filler/treatment. She now resembles a trout - a fat trout.

Do you really think that will make a difference? I'd change your words slightly so they read 'stopping test and go would be insane - because that's exactly what it would be. Its been 2 years now, we have vaccines and reasonably effective treatments now and as the rest of the world is realising, Omicron cannot be stopped without a complete closedown - and even then its doubtful. I fully agreed with the initial lockdowns and other strict measures but things are different now - the economic hardship with the physical and mental damage it causes are more dangerous than the virus in my opinion. Covid can't be stopped and slowly the world is realising that - we just have to live with it and take whatever simple measures we can. The signs are the virus is beginning to burn itself out. I liken it to this: In Thailand my main form of transport is my motorbike, I rent a car on the odd ocassion when I need one. I'm fully aware of the risks involved with riding a bike and I do everything I can to mitigate my risk. I wear a decent helmet and my jacket has built in back, shoulder and elbow protection - I also 'ride aware' at all times. None of those measures provide 100% protection and nothing will. There is very limited public transport in my area and close to home, none at all. What should I do? Stay home? Not go shopping? Starve? Its much the same with Covid, we now have a reasonable level of protection - provided we choose to use it, its time to get on with life.

???? I remember seeing someone offering that service but why? You will still have to upload all the same documents whether you make the TP application or someone else does. The main difference is simply booking a hotel. Is your friend prepared to let someone else book a hotel for them without checking it out?

I'm not sure where this 'snapshot of general views' comes from or which planet the respondents have been living on but I disagree with most of it - the comment above especially. The people who think that clearly don't speak Thai. They very much DO want to know how much they are likley to get from you and often set about finding out what you've got from the outset. On more than one occasion, when I've visited a potential 'match' in her home town, she's booked me in to or suggested the most expensive hotel she can find to see if I balk at the cost. Go to any gathering, birthday party, wedding etc. and if you understand Thai, take a walk over to within earshot of where the women are gathered. All you will hear is, "how much you get from him", "what car you have", "how much gold he buy you". In fact I'd go further and say that a fair proportion of the population and some sectors of the government/authorities are out to see what they can 'get' from unsuspecting foreigners - even down to the BBQ seller outside my old condo in Bangkok that tried to charge me double what her Thai customers paid for a chicken skewer.

Don't understand that answer at all. However, if what mtis2005 states above is correct, that explains it. The lawyers are going after the police because he was allowed to go out on an impounded bike and they can achieve a bigger payout. I very much doubt they'd be able to extract 72 million baht out of the policeman but his employers will have the means - insurance or otherwise.

Then it would be interesting to know on what grounds they are able to sue the police.

Of course they would but as that's impossible, they want some form of justice.

I was just going to post that these vehicles are a waste of time, given the RTP seem to do very much actual 'law enforcement'. However, you are probably correct, that's exactly what these vehicles have been purchased for.

If the policeman was on duty, I believe this case will be successful, although there may be some negotiation on the amount. This isn't a run of the mill poor family, they seem have the financial ability to employ a decent lawyer. The sad part is that as the police are a public body - ultimately the Thai public will be the ones who pay. even if that's just an increase in the police's insurance premium.

I have travel insurance with Covid cover and I have cancer. Yes I disclosed it but it doesn't seem to have had any effect on my cover or the premium other than for matters directly related to my illness. I was very surprised because when I disclosed my condition for a regular health insurance policy, the premium shot up 300% - even though they excluded anything to do with my cancer. It doesn't seem to have the same effect on travel insurance. Granted, my policy is with a UK insurer but I can't see the US being much different. I understand resistance to disclosure but when you think about it, you might as well take that step. You either get insured, get a rise in cost or neither. The alternative is no insurance so resistance is pointless when you think about it.

They can do what they want - I suspect nothing will change. Thai's will still say Krung Thep and foreigners will say Bangkok. Pointless exercise.

Don't be too sure about that. They claim there have been 200,000 applications - that may or may not be true but whatever the true figure is, much of that will be people with wives, families and other connections to Thailand. Once that surge is passed and they see that the actual amount of touristsdoesn't even scratch the surface of the tourism defecit, provided Covid cases are falling, I think they'll scrap Thailand Pass. I think though that fully vaccinated will be a long term requirement. I agree that they don't care about their citizens but in recent months some influencial business leaders have started complaining - they will have to take note of that.

Yet mine were mostly rammed. In fact, I got upgraded to business from Abu Dhai to Manchester as they'd overbooked economy and everyone showed.

As opposed to Asymptomatic Thai citizens who 'spread the disease around the Kingdom' and don't undergo any form of test!

I certainly hope so. I also hope they remove the baffling requirement to go back to a hotel for the Day 5 test soon. I really can't work that one out - the test? Yes, the hotel? No.

There have been several reports, some on Asean now, where people have been forced to go to hospital to qurantine - one I believe was a Danish family who's young son tested positive. Another Danish family in the same position: https://scandasia.com/danish-family-placed-in-isolation-in-thailand-after-daughter-test-positive-for-covid-19/ I've heard that some have been allowed to 'home quarantine' but it seems to be 'hit and miss' - if your insurance doesn't cover it and you are forced into a 'hospitel', it could get very expensive.

I'm a retired mechanic, I know how to deal with that but thanks.

You will note that you only have to give an estimated departure date.

Amazing, the person I talked to at the TAT said they were in contact with the MFA and would try to do something about it - looks like they did. That's good to see but the cynical side of me thinks that even though its been removed, that won't change the requirement to isolate and pay for it if you've had a close contact.

Do you have anything to support that Joe? I read somewhere that its up to local officials.

Overnight I got another response from the TAT, its quite lengthy but in essence they are saying that the requirement to have cover for close contact isolation and the like is not confirmed. They say; 'even though the Thailand Pass website SUGGESTS that travellers must have insurance that also covers the cost of hotel isolation due to COVID-19 infection or being a high risk contact, they can still register for their Thailand Pass with their insurance policy that only covers the cost of medical treatment and COVID-19 treatment with the minimum coverage of 50,000 USD.' Baffled! Note, the TAT are a government agency, they are not THE GOVERNMENT and don't make the rules so don't rely on the above statement. I have also, no idea of the postion of the person I have been communicating with. They go on to say that they have raised this and other issues with the government and are expecting a response/some kind of announcement soon. The fact that ther TAT had earlier told me these changes only apply to Thai people only strengthens my thoughts that no-one in the Thai government or its agencies have any idea what's going on.

It states 'Recommened' but says you MUST have it.

Really, that's from a Kawasaki dealer? If so its great news. The price difference between the UK and Thailand is amazing! At that price, there would be no point in trying a breaker. Much appreciated, thank you.

You won't ever get any clarification on anything. I've had a number of concerns over the last few months and have taken them up with the TAT. Although they always reply (rare for a Thai Government Body) they usually refer me to the government contact centre when its anything serious. I've done that twice now and as expected, not received any replies. Complete waste of time, why would the mighty Thai government want to listen to a mere 'foreign tourist' about tourist matters? I've pointed out to the TAT that they are in a far better position than I am to be able to contact the government only to be met with silence. That's part of the problem, you have idiots making the rules and those around them. who may be able to see the mistakes and pitfalls, say nothing - because of course, in Thai culture, you don't question those above you, you simply stay shtum and eat s$7t. Not that my own government is any different mind you.

Why is it that its OK to quarantine in a hotel when you first arrive and are waiting for your PCR test result - but even if that result is negative, if its discovered that you've been in close contact with a positive case, you are carted off to a 'hospitel'. Why can't you stay at the hotel? Why are you suddenly more dangerous than you were when you arrived? I read in the news last week that in some areas of the UK, as many as 1 in 20 people have the virus now (many are asymptomatic). Given that figure, there's pretty high chance that 15 to 20 people on your flight are carrying the virus and there's no social distancing on aircraft. Has anyone told Prayuth/Anutin that Omicron is already spreading rapidly across the Thai population? Or have their 'Top of the Game' doctors found some mysterious way of stopping it spreading - something that every other country has found impossible? Some, including the UK have simply given up on trying to stop it and as its proving much less harmful to fully vaccinated people, removed virtually all restrictions. Cases will rise whether there are tourists or not but as we have seen here, they peak and then start to fall - hopefully the virus is now starting to burn itself out. The problem for Thailand is that its the tourist industry that's burning out. Prayuth's speech about 'learning to live with the virus' was much the same as everything else he says, total rubbish - just words.