CygnusX1

I’ve been travelling for a long while, stayed at dozens of hotels and Airbnbs, and at almost every one the unfortunate fridge has been wedged into some kind of decorative cabinet that leaves barely a centimetre clearance on each side for heat dissipation.

I’ve spent the last 3 months travelling in Italy, Croatia and am now in Turkey (sorry, Türkiye). Must have seen thousands of faces in crowded beach resorts and packed transport. Total of half a dozen masks in Italy. Absolutely zero in Croatia and zero so far in Türkiye. Thailand is really weird on this.

For the truly old among us, there was a wonderful episode of the British sitcom “Till Death Us Do Part” in which Mike drew a funny face on a sleeping Alf Garnet’s bald head.

Thanks for that, hoping it was that easy. Good to hear from someone who’s done it once. Not looking forward to another ride in the Golden Cart though. As an Australian, one of the worst things you can be is ‘up yourself’, and as the beautiful lady driver furiously beeped the cart’s horn to scatter the common rabble walking to immigration, I felt so far up myself that I feared I’d never be seeing daylight again.

Do you know what happens if you’re not in Thailand when the first 5 years of a 20 year elite visa expires? I assume there’d be no problems getting the next 5 years on your next entry to Thailand via Suv airport, even though there’d be a period when you wouldn’t have a current 5 year visa. I realise that I’ll need to contact the elite visa people about this, but it would be good to have a bit of knowledge first, especially if their reply turned out to be confusing.

For Bangkok Location High rise with option to pay more to get high floor Pool long enough for a weak swimmer such as myself to do proper laps Top sheet instead of doona suitable for a Chicago winter Fridge that’s not a minibar crammed with stuff I’ll never buy Ideally, a kitchenette Aircon that can be controlled Sizeable room safe Under 5,000 baht per night, but I’d pay more for something that checks all the above boxes

I’m wondering if that’s the fault of Thai airlines, or another case of the Aust Govt disallowing more flights in order to protect the market share of Qantas. For instance, I know that Qatar Airways is very keen to introduce more flights to Australia, but approval is continually denied to protect Qantas.

Lithium, nickel and cobalt are not rare earths. Rare earths are not especially rare, but since they comprise 17 different elements with very similar chemical properties, they’re very difficult to refine, which makes them relatively expensive. Most are produced in communist China, which has a big advantage in having far laxer environmental controls than in Western countries.

22 year old 3.5 V6 Mitsubishi Magna auto when I’m in Australia. No way would I drive any kind of vehicle in Thailand, have huge admiration for those who do.

There were a couple of chooks walking along a footpath in the very centre of Vientiane when I visited, location equivalent to Pitt Street in Sydney. The new Brisbane river walk’s beautiful, interesting at least for a short visit.

Virtually all of us are guilty of spending money that would be far better given to charities on unnecessary things (google 'Peter Singer drowning child analogy'). However, buying a bag that has no more functionality than another high quality one at a tiny fraction of the cost ups selfishness to another level entirely.

It would affect my enjoyment of the wonderful atmosphere of la bella Italia, especially the faces of the lovely ladies, much as if someone had scrawled graffiti on one of Italy's beautiful buildings.

I've been travelling around Italy for a couple of weeks. Not a mask to be seen - well, maybe one in a thousand or less. Lots of trip in packed public transport. Even better than in Australia, where there's still maybe 1 in 20 on trains. Italians are not letting hysterical fears interfere with their enjoyment of life. Wonderful to take a stroll through the crowds down the 'lungomare' of a coastal town with not a mask in sight.

April 1

You’re right, it’s none of my business, the fearful such as yourself can wear face masks, shields and disposable gloves for the rest of your lives for all I care. What I do object to is people trying to silence debate, all too prevalent among the woke left. There has also been reference in this debate to small children being made to wear masks for the protection of fearful adults, even though they’re at virtually zero risk. That has to be the ultimate act of cowardice.

You’re certainly no fan of free debate! The cancel culture personified.

Thanks for that. My mate’s back in Thailand next month, and I’ll ask him again when he returns to Oz.

I’m not disputing any of the data you’ve quoted. You’ve entirely missed the point I was making.

It’s hard to get a feel for large numbers, so let’s take your high estimate of 14 million deaths, and divide it by the world’s population, near enough 8 billion. Gives us 0.00175. Now multiply that by 30,000, population of my pretty sizeable town, and divide by 3 to get annual deaths of 17. Now, how concerned would I be about a virus that was killing 17 people a year in my town, almost all being very elderly. Just a little, especially since I’m not too young myself. Concerned enough to get a course of vaccines? Sure, especially if that was free. Would I be happy with being compelled to wear a face mask, and not being allowed to drive more than 5km from my home? Absolutely not, that would be a ludicrously over-the-top, paranoid reaction. And yet…

OK, great, thanks, but I still wouldn’t like to be the only maskless passenger. Happy to use taxis as a substitute for mass transit though.

I spent a week in Australia’s Gold Coast last month, and there were heaps of Japanese tourists there, speaking Japanese. Direct flights from Japan. I didn’t see a single one wearing a mask, in shopping malls or on packed public transport. I wonder if part of the appeal of Australia as a holiday destination for Japanese is that it’s now a place where they can escape from Maskland. I’d just disagree with Rooster’s estimate that 1 person in 20 in Bangkok was wearing a mask pre pandemic. I’d guess less than 1 in a hundred, unusual to see someone in a mask. Mate of mine returned from Thailand last month. He said masks were absolutely mandatory on airport bus to Pattaya and on Bangkok BTS. If I finally return to my place in Thailand, December at earliest, I assume that I wouldn’t have to wear one in a taxi? Maybe promise driver a good tip?

Do a web search for “‘cliff top monastery joke”. Never thought I’d see this ancient joke come to life in the real world.

Certainly not where I live in NSW, sadly, but maybe in other states.

Canberra (actually a NSW town next door, but effectively a suburb of Canberra). Population around 400,000. Only time air’s not so clean is on still winter nights when wood fuel stoves are being used.

0 in my city, so that’s another compensation.