scorecard

Sorry but I don't buy control paranoia. Have you not noticed it's a global pandemic?

...and many are searching for where to get the vaccinations tomorrow...

Meaning that they need to urgently reconfigure (cancel) quarantine, for tourists/visitors who can prove double dose of credible vaccine, perhaps also with a booster, and come from countries which have low numbers of positives. And perhaps with a new regime of double check prompt report tests before boarding and on arrival. One example of testing before boarding, one of the local very credible pathology laboratories /companies has a walk in testing facility at Sydney Airport on the departure level (can be walk-in, can be by appointment). One hour result/report guaranteed, report comes by SMS or e.mail and passenger can go back to the lab and immediately get a printed copy of the report. For swab test and report AUD$150-. Other tests also available. All well accepted by the airlines and Sydney Airport management. I won't be surprised if many/all countries require a negative quick response test/report on arrival, for several reasons: - Many countries want to maintain some method of strong control/authentication of have tests by managing/controlling a final test before passenger leaves the arrival airport. - Airlines wanting to see basically the same. - Many passengers wanting to see the same testing protocols to feel safe that they are not flying with people who have presented fake vaccination cards/screens etc. (Travelers buying/presenting fake Covid 19 Vaccination documents is already well reported.) But if travelers know they must get a negative report on arrival using a very credible but fast test, they will be very hesitant to present fake Covid 19 documents. The reality is that quick response Covid 19 tests on arrival won't be that difficult to set up/to manage.

Trains in Japan are wonderful, I've travelled on the shinkansen service Tokyo to Osaka and return many times. So smooth, clean, comfortable, good wi-fi and good clean food and drinks service at your seat. Also used an older (not ancient) electric service from Iwakuni to Hiroshima and return (1.5 hrs each way) several times on week-end excursions. As expected, totally clean, comfortable and in good condition. About 20 minutes after departing (both directions) a young lady and young man (both probably 17 years old) delivered hot coffee and donuts to all the passengers (train was about half full). Again 10 minutes before arrival the 2 kids came again with a ham and cheese sandwich (popular in Japan) and coffee and a bottle of water, all in a nice cloth bag. The young man touched my arm to get my attention then pointed to himself and with his fingers made a motion of walking and then walking back, then read from a small card in broken English "Hiroshima (Iwakuni on return trip) I help you". Sure enough 1 minute before arrival he was back, took my backpack and my arm and motioned to the door. When the door opened he pointed to the gap between the carriage and the platform and said seriously several times 'NO, NO, NO.' He then took my arm to the exit gate then with a big bow he said 'bye bye' I did the same, bowed and said 'thank you' and got a wonderful smile.

And maybe (just maybe) the gov't. will soon realize they need to re-plan/re-organize: - Quarantine Reduce the no of days according to circumstances including double vaccinated folks/departure country etc. - Covid 19 tests before flying (*perhaps with 1 hr report testing on arrival at departure airport) - Use credible 15 minute rapid tests instead of swab tests with 4, 5, 6 days gap to get result. (*travelers can get a swab or other types of Covid 19 test at a fully accredited private laboratory on the departure level at Sydney Airport - SMS result guaranteed within 1 hr and passenger can also nominate own and a second e.mail to receive the negative report and paper copy also available at their lab at airport within the 1 hr.) Seems that this is well accepted by the airlines. My son recently mentioned all of the above gets daily rehash in the professors lunch room. Plus several times someone has mentioned; 'The government urgently wants mass numbers of tourists to enter and spend, but they never recognize that tourists won't come if they must do 14 days quarantine, plus many countries have already rehashed all of the above so tourists can get in with zero quarantine, changed test structure etc. My son says the above sentence always gets very negative comments from many of the other folks in the lunchroom. 'They don't mind.' 'They know Thailand will take care of them.' And more. Son says most of the above comments come from the older professors and especially come from these folks who have never traveled abroad. And any younger folks who try to disagree get told to be quiet and have some respect. There's a long way to go to some reality.

"... I'd rather be sick from a vaccine than from covid any day." Best comment this year, well done.

Agree re tablet, and it doesn't need to be a full size model. My mother (sadly since departed) wanted to try to keep up but her shaking made it very difficult to use a 'standard' smartphone. We bought an 'all purpose' ipad, with screen about 14cm X 14cm, already ready as a smartphone and of course can be used as a good camera. She mastered the ipad quite well. The QWERTY keyboard was quite big and she used it easily. As time went to she heard about many smartphone applications and most got installed into her ipad. The one she was most proud of was the access to doing her banking online.

"Try as I might, I cannot get used to smartphones with the QWERTY touchpad, and the fact that I have fat fingertips doesn't help!" On most/maybe all smartphones you can increase the size of the keyboard area. Go online and find operating manual for your phone, and see how to expand the keyboard area. I also have fat fingers. My smartphone is a Samsung J7, when I want to key in an SMA message I just turn the device 180 degrees (so that in my hand it's landscape view rather than portrait view, that automatically spread the keyboard and makes it bigger. Dead easy. Why fight smartphones, get used to it.

Should be true. But I'm wondering whether both her mother and father are fit parents. So sad.

Further, seems that regualtions re cannot eat in restaurants without online proof of double vaccinations are developing in most Australian states. And seems to to well supported by the citizens.

Australian citizens do need permission to leave Australia, there are possible exemptions from that regulation but not easy to get. In regard to Australian regulations on having been vaccinated before you can leave Australia - I don't know. But a couple of days ago this was mentioned in a news conference here in Australia, one of the health experts mentioned that it will become more difficult for Australians to enter/re-enter Australia if they're unvaccinated. Also mentioned in that discussion in a media session; 'why would allow Australians to leave Australia unvaccinated which would just generate severe difficulties for that Australian to re-enter their own country?' But many countries seem to making rules that you can't enter unless double vaccinated. Singapore just one example, passengers must prove double vaccinated when they check-in. Also now cannot transit in Singapore unless double vaccinated (as last sentence) plus must now show, at departure check-in, a PCR negative report to board a flight anywhere which will transit in Singapore plus the time gap cannot be more than 48 hrs from time the swab was taken to time arrived in Singapore (very short time). Seems that travel for unvaccinated people will get more and more complex, with vaccinations being paramount. Which will probably mean more development of online proof of vaccination.

Further, can foreigners show on screen/printed vaccination record from their home country?

A good question, looking forward to some '''assumptions''' from the TV sleuths, no doubt there will be many. A factual/accurate/not twisted answer would be nice but very doubtful we will ever see it.

"... the fact that they have been answering their phones here in Sydney is a great start!" I called the published number. It's not their city office, the call is transferred automatically to their operations office at Sydney airport. The operations staff can answer basic questions about flight times etc etc., but nothing more. The bonus I got from this call was learning that there's a covid 19 test lab at the airport on the departure level who offer a 1 hr turnaround Covid 19 report to smartphone and passenger can pick a printed copy from their office. Open at 6.00 am 7 days. Cost is Aud150-. (Histopath.com.au - 9878 8173). I mentioned to the very pleasant TG operations lady that I was in a wheelchair, she offered to get a TG staff member to take me to the test lab (7 or 8 minutes walk from check-in), wait a few minutes while they took the swab and bring me back to check-in, then send a TG staff member to pick up the printed report.

Thanks for your comment. Actually my interest is a flight in the near future, with various Covid 19 'complications' from Sydney to Bangkok. TG have a semi-commercial flight TG476 every Monday and Thursday, Sydney to Bangkok. From what I can find the only other airline operating a semi-commercial flight SYD to BKK is Singapore Airlines, with a flight every day, obviously with a transit in Singapore. But SG have just added a requirement for passengers transiting in Singapore; the passenger must present a negative PCR report at check-in at Sydney airport and on arrival at Changi airport with no more than a 48 hr gap between the date/time on the PCR negative report and the date/time the passenger arrives at Changi airport. So I'm hoping some folks who have taken the TG476 flight might share their experiences re: - Making/paying for the booking? - What difficulties experienced trying to change dates? But today a TG local Australian employee in Sydney told me that change of date is allowed. Same employee said that she could not comment on refunds for old bookings where the flight(s) had been cancelled by TG (before she started work for TG, and this subject out of her work area), but she did mention that all bookings made now are subject to the new rules for the new TG and refunds are available. No further details on this. - Was check-in at Sydney airport smooth / chaos / complicated / stressful / friendly / efficient? - I'm told (today) that there's no extra charges to 'buy a seat', and F&B is full service - Any comments re recent flights on these subjects appreciated. - I was told today that the economy luggage allowance is 20Kg, buying extra Kg at time of placing the booking is possible but at AUD62 for 1 Kg. Did folks who used this flight recently have the same experience re extra luggage? - Was arrival at Suvarnabhumi smooth/efficient/prompt? - Did it take long to get all the COE etc., documents checked? Was there strong scrutinization of the COE docs? In your opinion was the COE docs check influenced at all by arriving on a TG flight? - Was getting passport stamped complicate or quick and smooth? - Was hand over to the hotel reps smooth/efficient? And any other comments who would like to share. Thanks.

Thanks, appreciated.

If you have used this flight would you please share details of your experience. Thanks.

Both of them: unqualified, have way too much serious negative baggage, dangerous.

Point taken. I wonder how many 'Thai journalists' deserve/qualify for/have the credibility to use the word 'journalist'?

A few question for Aussies who have obtained a 'Negative Covid 19 Report' and submitted the report to gain the COE from the Thai Consulate in Sydney: - Did you attend a Certified Pathology Lab to take the swab test? - Did the report come back very promptly? - Do you know if anybody has obtained a negative report by attending a mass testing venue and sent that report to the Thai embassy to get the COE? - Do you know if the mass testing report has different content to the report from visiting a Path. Lab. for the swab test. I'm asking because I need to get a COE to return to my family in Thailand. I'm in a wheelchair. I've called several Path. Labs. to ask if they can visit me to take the swab. Answer NO. Or, if I call them well in advance can I have a booking for the test at a date/time, at their lab. which will keep me within the 72 hrs 'rule'. Answer 'You have to take your chances'. And most have quoted fees between AUD195 - AUD300 (plus of course taxi fares to and from the lab. location.) Any comments/experiences you can share very welcome. Thanks.

"The pump attendant asked me in good English where I was from. I responded and asked him expecting Burma to be the reply." This paragraph reminds me of a situation maybe 20-25 years ago, on the ground level of CP tower there was a SONY service Centre. What was interesting was there was a big staff (M&F) who mostly sat and chatted whilst the security guard did 95%+ of the work: - Greeting and listening customers - Making an initial analysis of what the problem might be - Offering various SONY services for repairs etc - Documenting the name. tel no., etc of the owner. - Putting the item with documents into an individual bin and into a shelf system - Giving a nice good bye greeting to customers as they departed. Plus: - When the customer was a foreigner the security guard spoke good English, was respectful and helpful. I took a SONY handicam in and the young man was very helpful, good listener and he was well focused on getting the item repaired. He explained their process well and gave me a number to call in 2 weeks time. I did that and the repaired item was waiting for me to pick it up. I visited the shop, he asked me to test the camera and it worked well. He indicated that if there was any problem please come back. I paid the money (another lazy staff member was the cashier and she made it plain that all customers were a nuisance.) About 3 or 4 months after I first noticed this situation suddenly the place had closed, all fittings and signs totally removed. I never learned why it closed of course, but it would have been interesting to know why.

IMHO three cases is absolutely 3 too many.

And it's my choice who I will throw stones at, where deserved in my view.

Although not earned by any form of military service, it's common for royals to have such medals rightly or wrongly. Also in the picture is that some medals and awards are granted on the basis of 'praising' individuals and all members of a military unit involved in an action and the recognition continues forever to all service people who were members of that unit at the time of the military action and all future members of that unit, forever.

Good point, irate calls from BIL happen regularly and regularly ignored.