G950

This is a gold rush for anyone able to export/distribute medical equipment and that does bring in unscrupulous sociopath operators that would sell their first born for a buck.

There have been multiple reports of shipments being diverted on route to another higher bidder. Governments are probably not doing it directly but it would be a good bet that they are buying stuff  and not being overly concerned to where the shipment was originally intended to go.

22 minutes ago, Eibot said:

Covid has been here since January...the only reason this isn't a complete disaster is because (seems extremely likely) of the climate.

Lets hope your theory is correct, because they just cancelled the last flights out of BKK..... Strap yourself in because this is going to be a hell of a ride.  

Say what you will about the Thai Government and there is a lot to criticise. Yet locking down the population now is the right thing to do. 

Current R0 number is about 3 in BKK (IE. Every infected person on average infects 3 more people) . By locking the city down it will get the R0 number down to less than 1 (any number less than 1 will reduce the total number of infections). Lock it down now and whatever cases there are in BKK / Thailand will peak in about 14  days and then slowly decline. Obviously you can't keep country locked down forever but it buys time.

If you don't lock it down now you are Italy in say 6 to 8 weeks. Btw, Italy has seemed to peaked 12 days after lock down. New infections have trended down the last 4 days. 

There is a solution to this mess, but it is probably 2 to 4 months away. Basically have to develop a way to get the R0 number to less than 1 without locking down the economy. The easiest way would be through testing the entire population on a daily or every second day - if you get geeky with the maths you theoretically only need to test say 10% of the correct part of the population to achieve blanket testing. Germany and S Korea seem to have worked out how to do this. Just have to build the system so the entire world can implement it. Just throw the best people at the problem, unlimited resources and it is solvable in 2 to 4 months. 

The trick is to survive to the mathematical puzzle is solved

A logical path to control is by having the ability to test the entire population regularly (daily or every second day) and instantly to see who currently has it as well as a test to see who has had it assuming there is some immunity. 

Once you have the data you can map out how to deal with each group which will get the R0 (basic reproduction number) which is currently 2.5 to below 1 which leads to theoretical control of the disease. 

You would think the ability to test so many people would be about 2 to 3 months away. Germany and South Korea are not theoretically too far away from this now and with the amount of economic carnage being down unlimited resources will be thrown at the problem.

NB: R0 number is currently at around 2.5 or each infected person in turn infects 2.5 people on average. If the number drops below 1 then the number of infections drop over time to theoretically zero. 

I noticed the super market on sukhumvit just after soi 33 was running very low on lots of "stock up" type items last night. The row of freezers that contained frozen quick meals (yes, I know I am a heathen!) were pretty much all down to just a few lonely less popular choices.

And yes, everything that comes from the supermarket and is assumed to be handled by the world champion of nose pickers gets put into sink and washed with detergent then into fridge. 

On 2/25/2020 at 1:06 AM, gimo said:

    Surprised Khaoshiung in Taiwan is 21st , even being on the list at all . Not a big city and on the coast near the southern tip of the Island . Always a lovely sea breeze when I've been there . I'm suspicious of the accuracy of this list .

I agree it is not very accurate, it is just a snap shot at 7.20am on Saturday (February 22), hence dependent on just 1 day.

Surely a more accurate way of presenting this topic would be to average rankings out over a month or more.

24 is a good day for Bangkok, it normally sits comfortably in the top 5. 

12 hours ago, London Boy said:

I never undertsand posts like this. I've just told you I've lived here for 6 years, during an period of elevated IO scrutiny, and was even pulled aside and had my entires printed. Yet you insistent on qouting theory, rather then listening to real life. If my passports were matched, they would be matched. 6 years is a long time. So many contributors on this forum cant accept anyones opinion but their own.

What you are seeing being printed is just part of your history. Everything is in there, it just depends on what is printed.

The last few days Bangkok has been noticeably quiet on the roads and general tourist areas.  Probably half the normal tourist population is here...maybe not even half.

On 2/11/2020 at 2:17 PM, legend49 said:

My Australian colleague is also located in west Africa  is head of security of 4 mines and has spent all his life in " global security work" . He shows me an app on his PC that is a global database that has every persons travel listed once you enter details. So we put my Aussie passport number in, OMG it listed places I forgotten I had visited plus it showed details of my UK passport and travel. That's all I am going to say , have a happy trip and pray no smart ##s immigration person does a thorough check on your arrival.

Not even a slight chance such a database app exists.......

Matching people with the various passports that they carry is one of the simplest tasks that any immigration database will do. Just have to match name/dob/place of birth/gender etc "simple database query 101".

The system will definitely "soft match" any passports you hold, only issue is how well trained the IO is. In Thailand, the land of smiles/incompetence there is a slight chance it is not matched on maybe the first presentation. However, it will be picked up pretty quickly on second or 3rd presentation and is definitely not a long term solution. 

For what it is worth I have been in computing for a long time. It would actually be hard to design an immigration system that doesn't match various different passports easy. Just basic basic stuff. 

Thai Police in general are quite small and inept at stopping anyone. Can just imagine 10 of them running Keystone cop style after big pink trouser dude complete with Benny Hill music playing. 

The best way IMHO is to get a tourist visa SETV or better still METV, then fly into neighbouring country and land border in. 

My preferred way is into Vientianne, Laos then bus it over the Udon Thani and fly domestic into Bangkok. Yes it adds an extra 1/2 day of travel, but i kind of like to just zone out and enjoy the journey.

I can't remember seeing a post of being denied entry at Vientianne with a valid visa. Secondly, there are no limits to how many land border entries per year if you have a valid visa - the 2 land entries per year only applies to visa on arrival.

Can't remember any reports of being denied entry at CNX (Chiang Mai), I may be wrong but i thought it is considered very friendly

One tip if you don't get an online visa due to the website not working. 

To get a visa on arrival you will need the small entry slip which is given to you on the plane. Plus, when you get off the plane you will need to fill out a full page visa on arrival application. Just grab the full page app from one of the little counter / stations and head straight to the right hand side of the terminal and queue up. Fill it out when waiting. 

Don't do what I did, in that is being one of the first off the plane and then stop at the counter and fill the whole form out only to join the queue when half of the plane had already passed me, cost me an hour in the queue.  

I just did flew from Vietnam into Vientiane, Laos then bused over the border back into Thailand with METV. It is very smooth and chilled experience. Don't be concerned, just enjoy the travel.

Definitely get online visa for entering Laos, if you are from most western countries you can get a Visa on Arrival but we had to wait in line for about 90 minutes as the whole plane was processed. Those with online visa just walked through in seconds.

I got a taxi from Vientiane airport to the international bus depot, was less than 100 Thai Baht - paid at the airport counter. I used Thai Baht everywhere - never changed into any local currency.

International bus has 2 routes. A bus to Udon Thani every 2 to 3 hours. Or another bus that goes to Nong Khai only, which seemed to be more regular. As I arrived the Udon Thani bus had just left and there wasn't another for 2 or 3 hours so I jumped on the bus to Non Khai (takes 1 hour) Both buses are less than $2.

The border crossing is very easy. Everyone gets off bus at exit of Laos, goes through immigration and then gets back on same bus on other side. Just note who are your fellow passengers, and then follow them through. Same process when crossing into Thailand. The IO was superfriendly to everyone, cracking jokes at Thais and Farang expense when they had filled out the forms incorrectly, all in good fun. I can't imagine you will have any issue with an METV, this is not BKK or DMK . I have plenty of history on my second METV in 18 months and they are just not concerned with this issue (yet?).

One note. Once you get to Nong Khai bus depot and want to go to Udon Thani, just grab a minibus from the bus depot (a 1 hour trip). Basically minibus arrives, once is full, which in my case was about 20 minutes, then leaves. Then another minibus starts waiting. Cost was less than 50Thai Baht.

I apologize for not remembering the costs to the exact Baht, but any long trips that are less than $3 my brains can't process because it is ridiculously cheap.

I just had a friendly entry into DMK. Served by a late twenties female IO. She barely looked at my numerous stamps and processed everything quickly and even gave a somewhat friendly smile while handing back my passport.

My history.

                Last 20 years, entered Thailand 4 times per year - staying maybe 5 days per time.

                2 years ago, 9 relatively short stays on Visa Exempt - cumulative stay 3 months

                This year: 1 METV, stayed 5 1/2 months out of 8 months of use. (came in and out of country 6 times)

                               2nd METV - used first time just now.

I think the people with issues are relatively small although I was a nervous entering this time after hearing all of the horror stories here. Probably will get retirement visa as just turned 50 although don't really want to.

3 hours ago, Number 6 said:

I thought it rather clever especially with the photos. Seemed like a damn good genuine reason. I was aware farang boxed especially Pattaya but wouldn't think it enough to arouse suspicion.

 

When will you guys just move on. Single white men are now persona non grata they're just never going to say that.

 

Always list a hotel on the tm card!!

 

Always list a hotel & for length of stay write 7 days. Even if you intend to stay 60. 

21 hours ago, Wizzy said:

EU. They wrote something in Thai. I saw on that paper that says act 12.2. searched a bit, apparently that is "no means to support myself" or something in that regard? I had about 40k in cash and could show them my bank accounts if they wished. I did say on many occasions I have the money, but they didn't care about it. 

 

It translates better as "does not have the means to stay in the country", the means refers to not having an appropriate way or visa to stay in the country. It doesn't refer to your financial ability to support yourself in the country.

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I have read where someone was able to fly to country other than where they embarked. Maybe it was true. Perhaps members can advise if that has genuinely occured. Personally I would suggest hardly ever.

Hence think very carefully with history of long stays and risk of denied entry at airports....do not take flights from Saigon etc. Choose neighbouring countries with border entries. 

I think in 95% of cases no choice was given but i do remember a few cases where they were given a choice.

The 1 case i remember was about a year ago posted on this forum. A guy in his 30's semi retired was pinged for living in thailand for about 7 years from memory. He and his buddy were denied and given a document to sign. Having lived so long there he was fluent in Thai and read the whole document and then refused to sign it. He stated by not signing it they couldn't charge him the few hundred baht per day temp accom fee. I think in the end they agree that he could buy a ticket to wherever. In Thailand anything is possible I guess. 

12 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You would NOT be given choice. You will fly back from where you embarked.

If denied there you would fly to home country

Hypothetically, if one flew in to DMK or BKK with say an onward ticket to Laos just a day or 2 later. I would think there is a good chance that if denied they would allow you to get on that flight to Laos?

If someone got denied entry at DMK or BKK and and were given the choice of which country they could fly to in order to exit Thailand.  Which would be the best country to in order to hit a land border crossing back into Thailand.? Cambodia? Laos?

I have apartments in both SYD & BKK. The air quality in BKK worries me everyday, it is horrendus in the dry season. It is better in wet season though when rain clears the sky most days. Sydney is more or less pristine if the bush is not alight, amazing air quality for a city of 5 million.

Ironically Sydney is 13th  (data taken on November 19)  in the grip of the worst bush fires in a long time and it is still better than BKK. 555