law ling

How odd that such an important institution doesn't have the rules and mechanics (other than the PM's personal pleas) to adequately deal with this situation - it seems like their beautifully crafted constitution has a real flaw.

1. Yes, as they say: If you read a book on Tropical Medicine, you'd never go near a tropical country. 2. It's very scary visiting up-country and noting what they eat e.g. all sorts of gathered wild food e.g. water snails. I have to ask for some chicken or pork, but even that can be undercooked and bloody. 3. This Christmas just passed, my restaurant's set menu started with a shrimp cocktail - the shrimp were raw inside, and sent back ... but it ruined what should have been a nice lunch.

I thought the (pro-junta) senate functioned, more or less, as a bar to a non-junta group taking power. So, is the OP's dream of: "winning a landslide in the next general election, forming a new government" actually a possibility?

Yes, well done Thailand. Would have scored higher if these were in the mix: -beer and - hookers. Clearly they didn't lose too many points for: - packs of stray dogs, including rabies near Jomtien - recent sickle-murder of a Brit, and murder of Swiss woman in Phuket, questions over some Koh Tao deaths ...

1. The full report notes: "Banglamung Hospital or Muang Pattaya Hospital, treatment is free of charge." - good to know (or is that for Thais only?), as I'd heard that the usual course of treatment can cost thousands. 2. About time stray dogs in tourist-frequented areas were eliminated (whereas Thais grow up with them, and have the skills to deal with them, tourists mostly have no such skills). 3. I wonder if dogs can carry covid. Just saying.

RIP Sir. I've felt quite unwell during massages here, and no longer partake: 1. lack of oxygen in a poorly ventilated cubicle, 2. extended blocking of blood vessels in the groin, 3. suspect hygeine of the bed and bedding, 4. clearly untrained staff just giving it a go, 5. lack of clarity on exactly what service is on offer and what tip is expected. Having had (in the old days) what I consider to be a proper Thai massage by a properly qualified person, it's easy to pass on silly slap and tickle on offer these days.

An interesting article. But in so far as: 1. it will require Thailand to take on huge debt, and 2. that already there are problems with trade with China, ... I'm inclined to leave the thing alone, and put it back into the "too hard" basket.

Agree with the OP to a large extent, but it doesn't address the oft-sited issue that out-of-control cases will result in some becoming very sick .... and hospitals becoming over-whelmed - or am I just believing government propaganda?

1. Indeed, it would be unethical, I suppose, to also compare results with a group that received only a placebo (e.g. a saline solution, or a vaccine spoiled by incorrect storage). 2. Nevertheless, I always find it odd - and it causes me to wonder - that they say some vaccine is say "98% effective" in preventing something, when it appears to be the case that say 98% of people either don't contract the disease, or get only a mild or asymptomatic form. (Disclaimer: I don't read research reports. In the best traditions of being a ThaiVisa member, I just hold unsupported opinions.)

1. Always good to hear Yong's pearls of wisdom. 2. And, good to hear that the vaccines are proving to be somewhat better than just an injection of a saline solution. (I presume all these studies had control groups?) 3. These kinds of reports cited here just collect and report data - which could just as easily be done by a junior lab assistant? ... and leave our "top virologist" free to roll his sleves up and do new and real research into new treatments.

Not sure I understand the exceptions: "Small Talk or Bluetooth". Why prohibit navigation apps that call out the directions?

1. There are more important issues than this around in the world today. 2. Chief issue is governments failing to have proper rubbish disposal and/or recycling programmes. 3. A few years ago we were told everything would be just fine and great if we only stopped getting free "single-use" plastic bags at shops ... so we all did that - and even though I warned (on these very pages!) that multiple use bags were unhygenic - and what happened next: a global pandemic. (Score ... me:one, anti-plastic brigade: zero.)

The word "accident" carries with it, does it not, that something was both: 1. unintentional (OK, I don't say that it was intentional), AND 2. that there was no apparent or deliberate cause (I do wonder here if there was a cause: such as careless indifference to others on the road). My point is: by (the police) calling it an "accident" seems to be forgiving, and indeed just plain ignoring, the culpabality of the motorcyclist. I'm no lawyer, but shouldn't the headline read "manslaughter" rather than "accident"? End of rant.

Hope his expectation is right ... but who knows if another, and worse, varient won't just come along (and why wouldn't it?) ... sending us all back to square one ... and off for further boosters ... Perhaps the public need to read such encouraging news ... but I'd rather these medical types got back to work on effective treatments - and less headline-making predictions.

Quite impressive.

Yes, a shocking story. It's a wonder: 1. that the Thai worker had access to the Princes' diamonds, and 2 that the theft wasn't discovered sooner, so that the Thai could be arrested and searched on arrival here. But, the fall-out: two murders that remain unsolved (and other deaths) - just shocking. Seems the only winner was the thief, who got early release (and who to this day is the only person who knows what's buried in his tomato patch).

Except perhaps in extreme cases, the concept of "mental health" is somewhat nebulous and subjective. Hope the mental health issue doesn't allow this 22 year-old to walk (and re-offend) after a token stint in jail.

I don't see here (Pattaya) cans of salmon (mix with mashed potato, etc, for salmon cakes) - only tuna, sardines, mackrel - all good fish, but many of which are spoiled (in my taste) by being canned with sauces or spices - still there's enough tuna in spring water or brine for a simple meal - but I do miss the salmon cakes I used to make.

Good luck to Thailand on this tricky issue, but a few casinos in a few tourist centers won't dent the huge appetite here for on-line and local "casinos". I have several addictions, but am grateful gambling is not one of them.

I like Yong (but not sure about his new haircut - looks like a B100-barber job) ... ... and I like his "water in a glass" analogy - it really helped me understand this previously confusing issue.

Yes, a lot of hot air to try to convince the masses that "the government cares and is doing something about it" ... but nothing will change ... "unfair product pricing" being a totally nebulous, subjective, unquantifable concept. I pity the Thais already on tight budgets ... but good luck to the committees - and here's hoping they have some good catering for their meetings.

... although in the Joe Ferrari case, it's known that the local hospital obliged the police in their initial death certificate.

Yes, "up to 20 years" ... ... and what term have recent convictions actually received? ... and are they entitled to the usual birthday reductions? ... what terms did they actually serve?

I like Yong. I think that his impressive mane of white hair lends a lot of authority and gravitas to what he says.

Early reports (if my memory serves) were along the lines that the victim had offered B1m to walk, and that Joe was trying to up it to B2m ... so with that kind of money on offer - and just within reach - Joe probably didn't intend to kill him (if indeed intent is an ingredient of what he's been charged with), in which case his guilt is more along the lines of negligence or careless indifference ... Let's hope the Thai legal system comes through.