Blumpie

This really doesn't have anything to do with Thailand right now. The pandemic has changed things and international travel is extremely limited. There are countless horror stories out there of people having to quarantine after their holiday and even quarantining while transiting between flights. Then quarantining when they get home. Even those that travel feel that they aren't really travelling - it is difficult to even get around. And flights are hard to get. Give it three to six months and maybe travel will ease if this is indeed the end of the pandemic and the beginning of the endemic phase.

People travel for different reasons and people have changed. Gap year kids tend to have a little more money and don't mind spending it. I know several that were and are planning on taking a gap year and Thailand is not on their radar at all. If you want "Thailand-esque", then Bali is where they ALL want to go. Thailand is a modern 2nd world country that is in many ways solidly third world and acts like it is first world. Indonesia is what Thailand was years ago. Of course Indonesia didn't really change, Thailand did but that's the way things go.

What are you going to develop? I bet the parks will be the same after all this. Disused, trash scattered about, largely deserted. Don't we already pay way more than locals? Amazing Thailand!

Booster from Sinovac? That's one way to put it. Allow me to put it another way. Sinovacs efficacy against coronavirus is nothing short of,, um, interesting... If you put something that works in your arm the results are astounding!

Bwahahahaha! You nailed it there.

I am pleased that you haven't. I have many many many expat friends and they all had to. They do it themselves and not through a broker.

I understand all too well that someone who runs from their problems - their problems just follow them. When you are negative, thinking that you're going to drop everything and suddenly be happy in Thailand is fairly common. Agree with most here - your money is all that they want. Like many parts of Asia, you are always a foreigner no matter what and you will never be accepted as anything but. Expats fail to realize this until they move. Dual pricing is rampant in Thailand. Unsafe roads, pollution, and visas that are meant to be problematic and paying off officials at local offices to get paperwork done. Or you don't have to give them some bhat and come back another day with a copy of something something something.... And your version of democracy will be severely challenged. In short, you have no real say in how things go for you. It adds up until you decide that it simply isn't worth it. For some it is. For those whom it is, consider that you will have to put up with it or move to be happy. If you don't accept these terms you will be very very unhappy but that is your choice. I wish that it were different but the reality is it isn't going to change.

In the beginning of the pandemic this was false, in that what price would we pay for this immunity? Right now it is true. Besides, you aren't stopping omicron anyways so it's best to get used to the fact that we are all going to be at least exposed to it.

Look at what the vaccination rate is in the USA, and delta. Delta affects the lower lungs and Omicron primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. No doctor here, just being a parrot.

If you analyze data from around the world what is staggering is nobody is ending up in intensive care. I had a friend and his family get Omicron - it was a cold he said and he has significant health issues. The only real problem coming is A) What is the vaccination rate in Thailand and B) Testers will run out of tests or people to test because everyone is getting exposed to this. Omicron has been called one of the most contagious diseases in human history.

I disagree. It's half time right now with cases skyrocketing. The real fun will start presently. Expect lots of sick people and services more difficult to get. The good news is as fast as it goes up it drops right back down.

... and when you're vaccinated the chances of having any real problems is pretty low. A friend of mine had it - he was sick for 10 days, not well health wise before the infection. Said it was like a cold, that's it. The rest of the family had it and they said it was like a mild cold. Both double vaccinated. Not at all scientific but that's all that I have. We are all going to be exposed to omicron sooner than later. Don't sweat it. IF you're scared, stay home.

Actually there's a good chance this is the end of the pandemic and it will be over soon. If this was delta just hanging around then yes there would be a good chance because all the un vaccinated trash would drag it out forever.

I guess when you have nothing else to add, slinging mud works. He is highly watched and has been bang on for the entire pandemic from the beginning to now. He was the first person to be horrified at how transmissible it was far before it was released by the scientific community and was stating endlessly that the omicron variant seems to be far less virulent. He interviews doctors from all over the world and analyses data each day point by point and explains it to dummies like me. ????

We're open here, but still slightly restricted. Masks, etc of course. Omicron is everywhere. We can't test for it anymore because there aren't enough tests. Not enough people. Hospitals are strained but only because of unvaccinated and ICU capacity has gone down, not up. There is no way to stop this. The biggest problem that you may see is so many people off work that services may be limited. We are seeing this now. I guess my point is this will come to Thailand sooner than later. Look to other countries how they are handling this hopefully last wave of COVID.

I'm trying to picture this song with horrific distorted base, and high pitched asian screaming the words into this muffled cochoctamy of horror while sitting at a dirty beach drinking a beer watching two dogs humping.

Yep, they have to let it run it's course with some restrictions. Unless you want the unvaccinated dying in the streets that is. (some anyways) We are taking a somewhat similar course here - minimal restrictions, stay at home if you're sick, etc. WE will be herd immunity from this or pretty close in a month or less. IT's a fire that blew up. It will not be stopped. You ain't seen nothing yet!

And Leonardo DiCaprio is getting old and fat. Like all of us.

Only conjecture but it sounds like it could have been delta. You were vaccinated so very mild symptoms. With Omicron they usually end 3 days after symptoms like clockwork. That is, if you feel it at all. I know, it's gone from something to be fearful of to just going "oh shoot, I need to isolate now". I don't fear it anymore.

Well that's an eloquent way to put that this person is nothing more than just plain stupid.

Oh my god I"ve never actually laughed out loud reading comments before but this was the one. Nobody - nobody should be surprised that you have to quarantine after testing positive and the outcome could be like that!

Because COVID has changed from a dangerous lung disease to a three day cold. The only people who get in trouble are unvaccinated. This is widely reported. It's only the sheer numbers that are worrying. When the rate starts dropping you will see restrictions ease big time. Thailand will get hit, make no mistake. You probably are, the amount that have no symptoms is staggering.

You don't have a single clue what you are talking about.

2 years there? How is he eating?

It will make for good urinal conversation as we relieve ourselves. Isn't it fun talking at the urinal? (I may be kidding)