rak sa_ngop

18 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

The largest joke. Marks on the platform to keep people apart but jammed into the train carriages like sardines.

The BTS I travelled on yesterday had big crosses on every other seat and were not occupied. It was a pretty new carriage, didn't even have station maps on the walls, so maybe more seat crosses are on the way?

Just to report back, I reached Ekkamai just before 7.00 am yesterday (Monday) to make sure I could get a seat on the first bus at 8.00 am.  However I was 'persuaded' to take a 'lot tu' departing in a few minutes for 140 baht. This was a bit faster than a normal big bus even though it passes through the Chonburi main drag and drops off and picks up. Also it travelled all the way down Sukhumvit in Pattaya down to Chaiyapreuk road which is where I wanted to go anyway.

No checks, no problems. Coming back I caught lot tus' as well as they are easy to flag down anywhere on Suk road.

I did not stay in Pattaya itself so no info on hotels etc.

Are buses now running normally from Ekamai, Bangkok to Pattaya Nua? Any restrictions on travel, checkpoints etc and does one have to make a booking (as for other interprovincial destinations).

Any info would be appreciated.

Swimming pools with 3 or fewer swimmers will/might/maybe/maybe not be open tomorrow Sunday...or not.

As it happens I received my IHerb order yesterday. Ordered 23rd March and I selected the cheapest delivery method option.

So hang on in there, it's coming soon.

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I received my pension statements and P60's about a week ago. They would have been posted after Apr 6th of course, the end of the tax year so I'd call that more or less normal delivery time.

Can you tell whether they were sent by Royal Mail or through some 3rd rate courier company in Europe. It used to be that Govt Gateway codes would be sent this way so that they had always expired before I received them by mail in Thailand. Happened to me twice, had to tell them to send by regular mail which took less than a week.

Not forgetting that Trump and probably a lot of his henchmen are being tested every day so number of tests does not equate to number of people tested,

I have a Thai friend from Pattaya who attended a funeral about 60 km outside Khon Kaen. He was there about 8 days and had to have a Covid test before he was allowed to leave the province. He arrived back in Pattaya last Wednesday and was told he had to self isolate/quarantine  at home for 14 days.  He is not sure if they check up on him, although he says they can drive by and see that his car has not moved to confirm he is still at home.

Maybe he was just unlucky and picked a bad entry checkpoint.....who knows.

Enter by gates 1,3,5,and7. Main gate on Rama IV/Silom was not open yesterday. Why? Maybe to stop homeless people camping out on the lawns around the statue which is outside the park walls. This area is now fenced off.

I miss being able to read through ThaiVisa forums without a advertising video appearing in the centre of my screen every 5 seconds. This started about the same time as the lurgy hit Thailand.

From my terms and conditions with William Russell UK insurers (international insurance plan).

In line with the terms and conditions of our plans, you are not covered if you knowingly travel to an area where there are confirmed coronavirus cases — if such travel is against the advice issued by the authorities in the country where you are resident and the country you are travelling to.

It is good practice to accept a squirt of hand cleaner when entering a shop/mall on entering even if you have just come from home with clean hands. Means that you will not spread YOUR germs onto any food items you may touch (and put down) when checking content, prices etc. Also will sterilise the handles of the shopping basket/trolley.

8 hours ago, faraday said:

Besides which, it does contain 0.05% alcohol.

Many 'alcohol-free' beers contain up to 0.5 % alcohol ABV, but information from Heineken states that its 0.0 alcohol-free beer has been brewed twice to remove ALL alcohol, without stating the actual residual alcohol content.  In reality this probably means less than 0.05% which puts it in the same range as many fruit juices.

There seems to be some evidence that contrary to what is assumed, smokers actually have better survival rates from Covid-19 than non-smokers. Chinese are heavy smokers and yet the death rates from Covid-19 are relatively low.  Possibly something in Thai cigarettes that makes them safer??

There was an interesting article in the BP a few days ago suggesting the use of a pooled testing technique. Basically pool the blood from a group of people and test for Covid-19. If the test is negative then all people in the group are negative. If the result is positive then they can then break the group down into smaller numbers and retest, or retest individuals. This way you can reduce the number of tests required significantly.

After picking through most of this thread I feel that quarantini time will come early this afternoon.

Thanks Joe, that's great.

I am coming up for my Retirement Visa renewal/extension at Chaeng Wattana but am a bit short of the 800,000 baht at the moment. Can anybody confirm that 2 months seasoning before the application date is required and not 3 months.

I have tried to find the answer myself but many sites are still saying 3 months.

Starting to panic, please help.

Some post offices seem to be of the opinion that both airmail and surface mail has been suspended  to most countries. I was told this at the Silom Road post office 2 days ago trying to send a package to Denmark  I then walked down to the main PO  on Charoenkrung road and sent my package by surface mail with no problem.

Lumphini now closed

Yes I went to Lumphini this morning and found the gates closed. But walking to the park I saw 4 or 5 building sites where workmen were still at work in close proximity to each other, and no doubt sharing food and drink and accommodation with each other.

Maybe their lives are not a valued as us fitter types who can enjoy a park in safe isolation?

Today April 1st I tried sending a small package by SURFACE mail to Denmark.  Yes I know airmail has been suspended and surface mail may take a few months to get there.

But I was told in the Silom PO that this was now not possible..

Has there been an new official announcement since the announcement last week that surface mail was still available to many countries.

Yes there are lots of other threads about this already but I want to know what the official situation is TODAY.  i.e. is it worth going to another PO and trying again.

16 hours ago, ricklev said:

Lumpini park is open with no changes in access or hours.

 

Open this morning. A few farang families with their kids enjoying the sun, but in general very quiet, peaceful and safe.