law ling

Good luck to Thailand, but have they ever heard that "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush"? 1. Pre-pandemic: they spent years pushing people out by cutting down on visa runs and repeat visas. 2. Now I hear (from a few vloggers) that "covid visa extensions" will no longer be offered, and people are leaving.

Good luck to the Thais and their famous soup, and to CNN with their worthy search, but for me that soup is inedible - tried once out of curosity ... never again.

So, if there's a million tickets printed per draw (yes, not all are sold), and if average mark up is B20 (yes, can be more), that's B20 million - every two weeks - into the hands of vendors (over and above their approved commission).

1. You've got to feel for the locals (well, those lucky to be employed) on fixed incomes, who already live on the knife's edge as per their costs for rent, food, etc. Another say 20 baht per day in costs is 600 baht a month. 2. A result perhaps of the government apparently ignoring the swine flu problem ... until it was too late.

1. His thinking is bit jumbled, as long-term "retirees" are not really "visitors" - which implies short term come and go. 2. OK, but he ought to state who the alternative groups are. 3. Easy: win an election with a majority (and have all the Senate on side!), form a government, and legislate to your heart's content.

Yes, the north side was for registration, and the south side was another queue for those to be vaxed (who seemed to be clutching a queue number, or some small bit of paper). I was told no more than the date to return and the time (11 to 14:30).

Yes, it was open today. 1. First, it's a long queue for about an hour, then 2. At the reception desk, non-Thais like me join another (and this time, a disorganised) queue ... wait time: another 45 minutes. Many in this second queue were agents or fixers who had a dozen passports, etc, which made processing very slow. 3. Then you got processed - which involved the guy entering all your information on computer - even though I had Mor Prom, a vaccine certificate, etc ... seemed like they were starting everything from scratch (i.e. they are not linked to previously gathered and recorded information). 4. Then I was told to return on 20 January for the jab. Just short of two hours in a crowded, enclosed space ... (you have been warned!) just to get an appointment over a week away ... in all, a shambles, I thought. The up-side: Dairy Queen is open on the ground floor.

Other than the little I know to get by, I gave up serious study of Thai once I was taught the rules of how to work out the tone of a word from its spelling: a complex set of multiple rules that every word must be subjected to - sorry, but to me it is a language of insane (and otherwise unnecessary) complexity. Plus: - can't read signs due to odd fonts, - no space between words, - most Thais can't help ... they cannot speak slower, louder or clearer when asked, - many Thais speak dialects, - I could go on ... To many, its complexity may be a challenge they relish ... but to me, the tone rules were a deal breaker.

I think the porous land borders have been a greater "loophole" ... but the guy is a Dr. so I won't argue with him. Why didn't he speak up earlier? Test & Go is a child of the government ... so he's just made himself unpopular ... next time Senate seats need to be allocated.

A guy has a business in a tiny shop space on South Pattaya Road, just three or four doors up from the intersection with Second Road (opposite the school, same side as the temple). (Was there a few weeks ago to get some extra holes punched into a leather belt. He charged B20 - so I asked why was it so expensive? - and he explained that it took a lot of effort to get through the leather.) (Another shoe guy near my place was there for years operating from the sidewalk - always seen up to his elbows in shoes and bags - but gone now ... another covid business casualty.)

I suppose it's the handing around of glasses, mixers, bottles, ice tongs, cigarette packets, lighters, snacks, etc that can pass the virus along ... and/or the shouting of yarns and jokes at each other in close promixity in poorly ventilated rooms ... but yes, it's not the alcohol per se that's the problem.

Yes, for a press release designed to clear things up, it is confusing. Perhaps Thais are treated free, but what about: - stateless persons here, - Burmese refugees permitted to stay here, - documented and undocumented foreign workers, - detained family members when one in the family is infected, - all sorts of foreigners here on all sorts of visas Why is any sort of covid-insurance required by anyone - the same insurance said to be sending some insurers bust.

Yes, a "good news" story to deflect from all the bad news of late, and to come ... Government by press release ... money is then allocated for committees to mull ... brothers-in-law, nephews and cousins all usefully employed for a year or two ... then off to lunch.

Charming! Though, in fairness we're not sure yet if he was knowingly in on the proposed romance scam ... although I have little doubt ... we'll have to let the judge decide that one.

All because of what that Israeli guy did?

1. This one made me laugh: "He also said they must attend legislative sessions to pass laws..." ... surely there's an option to reject proposed laws? ... or is it true that everything must be passed? 2. Nothing to do with the speaker as such: there should be laws in place governing how the business of parliment is to be conducted - if opposition (or lazy) members exploit existing loopholes without sanction, then good luck to them.

Yep, sounds impractical, even unworkable, until you think about it: the BIB will have a field day turning "a blind eye" for the usual "payment" - and in that respect, it's a master stroke.

Wow, "Amazing Thailand" indeed! What a horror story! Thanks for the report - and the point is well made re not changing gloves between tests, etc.

Good to see the Tourism ministry starting off the new year with a new batch of ideas. Keep up the good work! And, wow, there are clean toilets at Krabi Airport ... good to know.

... or flight crew.

From the linked article: "... as punishment for Thailand’s failure to fully implement the global anti-doping code." So there's the problem. I wonder if there's a solution?

Hmm ... hard to define what is "fake news". Really two types: 1. Sharing news you know to be fake, and 2. Sharing news you believe is true, even though it's ultimately found to be fake. If only the Center could get inside the mind of the ones sharing ...

Many countries simillarly effected to the same or different degrees. A sluggish vax roll-out, plus porus land borders haven't helped here.

Yes, it would have helped if they'd advised what are the alternative, and safer, ways to chase away bad karma

And if the fine were paid, would it go to clean-up the area, or just disappear ... to be treated as government revenue? ... or just disappear completly ...