internationalism

looks, like those 12 arrested (and probably another 6 on the run, who were not home at time of raids of raids) is just a tip of an iceberg, taking into consideration, that many kids between age 12-17 were forced to have many clients. Were those 6 not apprehended tipped off? It looks like that, when 33% of raids are unsuccessful, even if 100 strong police force involved. There is no mention for how long this proceder was happening. There is also cultural aspect - south of the country is partly muslim. As military, civil servants and medics are involved, there is a high chance this investigation will be stalled by the government (same as Rohingya mass graves, koh tao multiple murders). From list of suspects there are no any police officers and politicians - the usual figures associated with mafia style local power set up. Is it just coincidence or deliberate exclusion from investigators? Gen Surachate Big Joke Hakparn, who flown to Surat Thani, was involved in threatening police investigators into mass graves. He acted on orders from Prayuth and Prawit, so this scheme might be also used in that case. How independent politically is he now? With the elephant ticket not much chance is will be impartial.

vaxins dont expire. Once given they are there. Dr anutin mentioned that after getting rid of thailand pass a booster will be needed, but he is blabbing

condition for donation of 2.5mln pfizer from the USA, that some of them will be allocated to foreigners. First some 20% was proposed, but at the end only 10% from the first batch of 1.5mln (so 150k doses) went to foreigners. That was not enough for all and only a very few hospitals administered it. I had to travel twice x300km round way to pattaya

maybe she is more thorough in inserting swab into nosal cavity, thats why she is positive. Eating, drinking, washing tooth etc before swab can also make negative. btw - time for a yearly flu jab, just before a rainy season. Also there are some vaxes for lung infections. You can do them together with flu or in monthly intervals.

you can enter thailand on visa exempt as often as you need. Always return/exit ticket. If you do have a son, do have a copy of his birth certificate with you. If your expired non-O was for child, you can point it to officer - you are still a parent

ok, so Thairong, a member of a democrat party, which is part of the government, accuses unknown political group (alleging to the opposition) for offering bribes to vote against prayuth at censure debate. Also states, that it's not his own party involved. Minister Somsak, a member of the government, does't deny those claims, but corrects figures to well below 30mln. Minister Anutin, a member of the government, doesn't believe there is conspiracy involving bribes, to topple the government. If corruption rumours are true, it's from within the ruling coalition. Probably again former minister Thamanat "flower smuggler" Prompaw, has now more vengeance (and more "banana" money) to stage the second attempt to topple prayuth. He is a protege of Prawit (the deputy PM with political ambition to become the PM) https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/politics/coalition-of-parties-said-to-be-plotting-for-pm-prayuts-removal During the censure debate in Sptember it was the PM itself being accused, in parliament building itself, of bribery of opposition MP's (some 9 "cobras" voted for him, certainly they were bribed) "PM denies opposition MP’s accusation he bribed a group of MPs in Parliament" https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pm-denies-opposition-mps-accusation-he-bribed-a-group-of-mps-in-parliament/

"A Thai woman whom Prinn allegedly sexually assaulted in the United Kingdom also said she would reopen the case after a well-connected woman had threatened her into dropping the charge in 2002." From "Term 'cockroach party' surges on Google searches over sexual allegations against Prinn" https://prachatai.com/english/node/9809

it's only for tourists, so I don't care much. "Initially, the fee will only apply to air arrivals, seeing that Thai authorities are yet to define how other land and sea arrivals will be charged without leading to long waiting lines at entry points. There will, of course, be exceptions: even when flying to Thailand, work permit holders, other expats living in the country and infants will not be charged an entry fee." according to earlier plans, 20% so 60b will go to insurance fund (this article states only 50b). Some 30% (I dont remember now exact figure) to operating this scheme (so some of this might go to airlines, agents). The rest 50% for developing local tourism infrastructure (which pose chance for corruption - as all governmental projects). So money might go to building a road leading to a resort belonging to some politician, officer, civil servant. Possibilities of skimming funds are unlimited

I have written it. First talks with vax supplies were done just after songkran 2021. But they were contracted only at the end june. thailand had chance to join covisheld, that was advice given to them by the AZ yet in 2020. Anutin has declined, because they wanted only locally made one. They had to beg the AZ for a small emergency supply 200k, which suppose to come from Italy, but it failed. At the end only 117.5k arrived from Korea. The link you posted is to donated pfizer from the USA. The contracted one started to come only this year (I don't follow it carefully because it's not an issue for me - got vaxed by the donated one and for booster I had to travel abroad)

fwd has from 650b per month or from 4200b per year (multiple entry). That is still $20k. The new once, for $10k, would appear sometimes in May

so test&go package is from 3300b. From that some 2000b is for a pcr test (don't confuse it with an atk test 50-200b) and for airport transport 500b. That's some 800b for AQ hotel room. Your friends chose middle priced hotel - some 2500b per night is within any travellers budged, who can afford 10 days holidays in Japan. People are moving in and out of thailand all the time, even monthly - for business, family, tourism and many other reasons. Some are even forced to do "visa runs" in a new format. They have to leave to prevent overstay and ban

this party was formed by the former PPRP very high ranking members who wanted nominate Prayuth for the PM at the next election. That's because Prawit took full control of PPRP and will run himself or one of his proteges. I would not be surprised if this newly formed party is just playing game for the masses. Their aim might still be Prayuth nomination. And certainly they would be in a coalition government formed by him.

it's his own fault - contracting only 2mln of astra zeneca per month. Even when the AZ offered them large increase his government still refused. They were only for $7. Then ordering substandard and expensive Chineese vaxes, for $20 per shot. They needed booster within short time. And they are not recognised in many countries for entry. Sinovac has some 15% shares from thai monopolistic conglomerate, the CP. When made a czar of covid just during the 3rd wave after Songkran 2021 he delayed contracting new vaxes (pfizer, moderna) until end of June - over 2 months delay. He contacted also sputnik, but failed to contract it. That's because he didn't want any new vax before locally made AZ to enter. That's why vax rate is low and that's why covid is still rampant. There were many more minor examples that his government doesn't care about people, but about envelopes and "face"

there is no need for a booster shot to get to thailand. Also there is also no any time limit on received vaxes. You can enter thailand from 1st May unvaxed - just a pcr within 72h submitted to thailand pass. From July there might be no requirement for any vax certificate. The full opening. Lets see how it plays out, but that are the plans. The 3th stage of opening from 1st May is really a radical change - no testing and no 1 night quarantine

he is behind bars for 1 year. Supreme Court refused bailing. https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/5415835985101956

that are guys who shoot rubber bullets, gas canisters directly at head level of protesters and spray strong chemicals from 30mln water cannons. They do often so without warning and without reason - just because they can according to emergency law

he stole this bike from a police station. This bike wasn't registered, no road insurance. He didn't have to pay anything to get it for his daily use. here you can read all details of this case https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2022/01/30/opinion-life-is-cheap-in-thailand-and-even-cheaper-on-thai-roads/

so those some 200-250 cases of malaria per month is not small. I would also suspect that this year dramatic drop of 72% is just under counting, because health system is preoccupied with covid and omicron, so many other diseases are missed or misdiagnosed (recorded as covid and not as malaria - as some symptoms are similar). So the real figure might be same as the last years, as there is no rational reason to drop that much within year. So still there might be as much as 300-400 cases per month. Can be speculated that closed land borders for 2 years and little legal migration resulted in this drop. But still there is illegal trans border movement and malaria in remote communities is beyond radar if thai health service. Once land borders do open (that within a few months) there would be surge of cases. With civil war in birma and their collapsed health system, there would be steady traffic of patients into thailand seeking medical help

apply now for entry on 30.04, that requires hotel booking. Once you have thailand pass do cancel hotel - on agoda it's doable. The cheapest one are from 3300b. thailand pass is valid +/- 7 days from date

for new thailand pass there is no need for airfare booking, as it was not needed also before. Just vax, insurance and passport copy. Application is free and entry date allows for +/- 7 days margin. So buy airfare after you get thailand pass

just 2 jabs and no pcr since autumn the last year. she should be well aware by checking net or asking on discussion forums

just one more week of preparations, registration for May entry starts on 29.4. Just enough time to arrange holidays from work and buy airfare. There is no rush at all, as this liberalisation of covid rules is radical and unexpected. Tourist season has ended in February, within weeks there would be beginning of rainy season. People come to thailand for very many reasons, tourism being only a part. First of all there would be small and medium size traders, who would be able to come immediately. Tourists will come during summer holidays (july-august) and later at the end of october

so for the last hour I have read tens of articles and documents pointing to tens of camps across thai/malaysian border from 2012-15, housing 150-2000 each. The first camp was discovered by malaysians in January 2015, but instead of investigating it, they have completely destroyed it. They revealed and allowed exhumation only after thai discoveries in May. In each camp there were tens of graves, many mass graves. Some bodies were carried away from camps to mountains, not buried. Thai investigator estimates 500k smuggled. What was discovered is just a tip of an iceberg. Yes, I have read at the time, so 7 years ago, some 2k dead and buried. That's why I have quoted it. Here is Paween's statutory declaration. Possibly more figures, but it's a long document to read. https://www.moveforwardparty.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/paween_pongsirin_statutory_declaration_for_publishing.pdf

that what I have written, some 30 mass graves. Rohinga were transported as far as from Mae Hong Song - the closest border to their province. But they were crossing everywhere, closer to Malaysia, tp shorten their travel within thailand. With 500k refugees there were hundreds routes, including by sea. They were escaping on able, working boats, when apprehended they were towed away and engine broken, so they would not came back. There was no point for thai marines to give them any fuel. Those marines were protecting their own smuggling routes, not allowing the other smuggling gangs to pass through.

to get into police or army you need to pay 250k to pass entry exam. from that moment they become part of the corrupt system, absolutely by their own will. The lower they are in rank the easier for them to brake away, move back into society and become good people. The longer they stay the more dependent on corruption they become. To the point, they just can't leave police or army - they will have to give back all ill gotten assets, because they won't be covered anymore. To being assassinated by their own closest colleagues, superiors and subordinates. They brake rank and become danger to the rest remaining in the system. That's exactly how mafia and criminals function (yes, most of them also think they are good people and are judged as such by some people). in thailand "good people" are actually the scum. That's why protesting kids are calling themselves "bad student" or "bad pupil" to show hypocrisy of the whole system. yes, I have in my family a good cop (very low rank, he actually finished law studies and working for local authority at amphur level) and a bad cop (worked for many years in CIB under the corrupted boss, who was sentenced to 12 years). Also a retired marine officer who had nickname Kitten through all his military carrier, as he is so soft mannered (in contrast opposition to the rest of very harsh and brutal environment)