mbenson

9 hours ago, sapson said:

...

The need for further testing and 1 days quarantine seems incredibly xenophobic or part of a master plan to shift the focus of  blame for an escalating Covid situation on arriving foreigners. 

 

What is the point of it? How likely are people to catch Covid, to the degree that it will be detectable, over the duration of the flight? How likely is it that the home country tests are faulty or the testing circumstances such that a Covid infection will be missed? I think not very.

I think, as you say, there are other reasons for it. They were talking about drastically lowering the cost of tests in Thailand, so lucre is not so filthy, however there is the economy of scale. 

I would think that if she is planning on working at the time she would already be booked.

17 hours ago, newnative said:

   No, it's not 'racist'.  Korean isn't a race.  Neither is American or British or Thai.  They're all nationalities.  At the most it might be considered discrimination to favor one nation over another nation with tourist policies.  Ditto for favoring a citizen of one nationality over a citizen of another nationality.  For example, a Thai citizen regardless of race might pay a park entrance fee in Thailand of 50 baht.  Foreigners of other nationalities, regardless of race, might pay 100 baht.  Possibly discrimination in some eyes.  But, not racist.   Now, it would be racist if an Asian American is charged 50 baht to get into the Thai park and a white American is charged 100 baht.   

I said Asians or Asean's. They are not a different race from Caucasian? Gee, I guess I just have a poor vocabulary. And, additionally, I didn't know Korea was a country.

I just saw a report that Chiang Mai will open on Nov 1 but only for "Asians" or maybe "ASEAN's." They are after Koreans mainly, is said. So, even if things go loosen up, they may only extend those terms to selected groups. I think this will serve to just really make people angry. I mean, it is racist, essentially. 

Note that Don is one of the cabinet ministers rumored to be the victim of an impending cabinet reshuffle.

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Catchy, just trips off the tongue, then stumbles, crashes through a table and lands flat on its face. 
 

In effect a metaphor for TAT’s grasp on reality. 

Not the least bit awkward, isn't it?

On 9/22/2021 at 8:09 AM, notrub said:

Thanks for that Brit Tim,  I had no bad side effect from either the Sinovac or the Astra Zeneca, not even a sniffle.  From what I can gather the shorter time interval results in less efficacy but having had the Sinovac already as the first shot some time ago that gives a bit of extra insurance, so to speak.  What do you think about the statement on the French government website noted above.  'Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) as well as their equivalents *  ; in particular the Covid-19 vaccine Astra-Zeneca produced in Thailand.'  Does that mean the Thai Astra Zenca is accepted?  It seems a bit tacked on to me.  Thanks again.

How would they, or you, know which AZ you got? Is the source of the AZ noted someplace on your record? Note that not all AZ administered in Thailand was made in Thailand.

They give passengers those lovely suits to wear? Wow. I wonder how long one must wear it. I guess until hotel. 

7 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

Local production largely remains committed to orders outside Thailand and the materials to produce are supplied from elsewhere which supply issues from both ends may be causing problems. The suggestion of banning the export of production seems to have been quickly abandoned I believe.

Meanwhile there has been no reporting whatsoever about how many doses have actually been exported. It could well be 0.

It was previously announced that AZ would deliver 6 million doses in June and then 10 million a month until the end of the year. It was reported that Thailand was to keep 1/3 of production and export the rest. Meaning that production was projected to be 30 million/month. I think the last I heard they were making something like 3-5 million. It has been VERY quiet about what is going on with the local AZ production. I would love to know more if anyone has seen anything.

13 hours ago, phetphet said:

What does he mean? I thought Thailand, through Siam Bioscience had agreed the the rights to produce AZ. Is there a time limit on that? Seems a very short one if cannot produce next year.

Yeah. I noticed that too. What does he know that others don't? Is this is something that might be up for renewal? Based on their failure to deliver on their contracts, maybe renewal is unlikely?

BTW: Has anyone seen any figures about the actual production of the AZ vaccine from the Thai plant 

It must be quite easy to run afoul of the law in Nakhon Sawan.

The seat gets hotter and the news gets faker.

I wonder who the boy friend knows or is related to. It sounds like a whitewash by the police. What would be their motivation for doing that?

19 hours ago, club said:

I googled this and Canadian Immunization research network article that made this claim. 30 to 40 other articles that came out around the same time disputed the one jab theory. All articles do say 2 jabs of AZ give you around 90% protection against severe infection and is right up there with Pfizer and Moderna against Delta. Before believing you only need 1 jab I would need to see more data and articles. I still consider 2 jabs of Astro Zeneca to be full vaccination and its to bad Thailand cant get more of it  

It is also a preprint and not peer-reviewed. It didn't such glowing stuff about AZ. It was consistently less effective than the two mRNA vaccines. Interestingly, Moderna outscored the Pfizer vaccine consistently as well.

6 hours ago, jackinthebox said:

i wonder how easily one can become a loan shark or "work" as black bank or sell underground lottery? If you want to make cash, everybody has to fear you, you would have to be very scary and everybody should know your mafia-gang and remember some examples of your extrajudicial killings and torturing defaulting debtors, right?
Otherwise you only loose money and no one ever pays you the debt. I would love to be a loan shark, but I can't even get my money back that i borrowed with no interest to thai friends or neighbours...

Yeah, imagine if Woody Allen became a loan shark.

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

Have any credible studies been published in the meantime that show that this drug is actually beneficial?

 

It doesn't seem to be used in many countries, so allow me to question the Thai excitement.

The US FDA has approved remdesivir. I don't see that anybody has approved favipiravir. It was interesting, because some time back the Thais said they would not allow use of another antiviral because it had not been approved by the WHO.

I think there is something going on with this. They have arranged to be able to manufacture it and have bought millions of doses. I have not heard that they are administering it to anyone. I think somebody is making some money off of it.

12 hours ago, John Drake said:

Compare to first batch of Sinovac arrives. 

 

http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/sgxw/t1856464.htm

Yeah. It does appear that they are trying to downplay the US role in the region, just like the Chinese bosses want.

Has anybody ever heard talk in Thailand of Sen. Tammy Duckworth being luk kreung (ลูกครึ่ง) and supposedly fluent in Thai? In another age she would have been called out as a Thai hero, sort of like Tiger Woods. Do Thais even know about her?

7 hours ago, ArcticFox said:

It looks like the United States isn't giving any of its American Expats a vaccine but they are giving them all The Bird.
 

American Expats - Uncle Tweetie says,
"Sinovac For You - At The End Of The Line After All Thais." 

Looks like he's flipping off all the US veterans? 
As a vet, it looks like it to me.

The embassy seems to be making a point of the fact that there are no strings attached. Note that the Chinese donated vaccine but on the condition that Chinese nationals get a part of the donation. It looks like the US is trying to differentiate itself from the strings attached idea.

Frankly, this was their opportunity to do the exact same thing and at least get American expats vaccinated, but it appears there is a motive to contrast the US strategy with that of the Chinese.

I know that these are days off for government workers and banks, etc. But what other businesses normally close this type of holidays? Foreign factories?

And put thousands of factory workers, the majority female, out of work. Look for thousands of new massage places to open and have even fewer customers than they have now.

5 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Covax is it has ordered millions of doses of Sinovac and Sinopharm.

 

What are they thinking.

 

We know Sinovac is basically useless against the Delta variant.  I think thats why its so easy to get.  Only the cheap charlie countries want it.

https://www.reuters.com/world/gavi-signs-covid-19-vaccine-supply-deals-with-sinovac-sinopharm-covax-2021-07-12/