grain

Yep, great idea, ease the restrictions, and in a couple of weeks if the Sth African variant gets out around the world, you reintroduce all the restrictions again, probably seal borders.

I'm in KK and have had 2 jabs of AZ and wouldn't mind getting one of those vaccine passports, the one with the 50Bt fee, so has anyone got it in KK, if so some details please.

He suggested that from here on in things would only get better and that "at least 8 million tourists would come to Thailand in 2022". Yeah, well, let's just wait and see what happens with the new African super variant before you go counting all your unhatched chickens.

Are all flights out banned? I sure hope so. But read today South Africa and some other African countries have been put on red list, which means they travel but must quarantine upon arrival, if that's the case then this new variant is going to spread around the world fast, and we're all, quite frankly, fckd. If all flights are banned and a total harsh lockdown (Aussie style) then we will probably contain it and it should just burn out.

I wouldn't do it now due to covid. There's more anti-foreigner sentiment in Thailand since covid. A xenophobic parent could well get concerned about a "dirty farang" potentially infecting their children with covid and make complaints to the police or health department. I also live in a small village in NE and I've also been asked by teachers to come to the school and do some activities, but I'm not interested and tell them why.

Thais will not see it that way. To them you have either had 2 jabs of vac or you have not. If the latter then you are an unvaccinated alien and a menace. That's just how it is. So as already stated, get vaccinated or stay home.

Thanks for the details mate, very helpful info.

Details please. Where in Pattaya did you do this?

Just more blah blah blah.

"bullet wounds to her mouth and chin"? In the photo I see a shotgun and shotgun shells, these are not bullets. If this shotgun was indeed the same weapon used by hubby then he fired from quite a distance and wifey has some pellet wounds to her mouth and chin. Close up a shotgun blast would take her face off and very few people ever survive that. Anyway, when shotguns get used in domestic disputes it's way past time to call it a day and get divorced.

Well if they're having a mass layoff I guess there's no chance of them ever giving me refunds for the 4 airline tickets I have for flights they cancelled in 2020.

Drove home from shopping in Korat city today, while we were waiting at a set of traffic lights a seller walked past the waiting cars with a sign reading Kratom leaves 20Bt.

Well KSR was basically a young budget traveler hangout, and it's unlikely many, if any, backpackers are currently coming in, so KSR will remain a graveyard for a long time yet.

Yep, it's looking that way, should have let it rip and we'd more than likely be out of it now.

Guys who were living in Thailand, or frequently visiting, pre-pandemic and want to get back as they have property/belongings/wives/tiraks/families. I get it. People who want to come in for business/work. I get it. People who want to come for tourism/holiday must be insane. And I've been saying this for the past year: When tourism starts up again there's going to be an almighty eruption of greed and fleecing the foreigners to try and make up for all that lost income. It's going to be ugly.

OK thanks for the info, I'll look into the phone app.

I've been expecting the financial requirements to be increased for the past couple of years, and it won't surprise me one bit to see them go up next year. My guess is 1.2 mill will become the new requirement, possibly 1.5 mill, but unlikely to be more than that. Of course this is just my hunch. Medical insurance also seems to be something they are inching towards as a requirement for all foreigners. And if so this will spell the end for many aged retirees, me included, who won't be able to get, or afford, medical insurance. Now's the time to be putting some thought to preparing a Plan B.

There are just too many potential traps for the genuine holiday makers. Who in their right mind would come to Thailand for a 2-3 week Xmas, or annual leave, holiday when they could give a false positive covid test and get slammed into hospital, or be declared a close contact and locked up because a covid-infected Thai was in the seat behind them in the plane. Or they find a restaurant that serves them a beer with their dinner and along comes plod and they get arrested and locked up and fleeced.

https://www.thailandintervac.com/ Plenty of options here.

Where are you phetphet? and please give a little more detail. I had my 2nd AZ jab last week at MedPark in BKK, I asked at the time about yellow International booklet and they gave me an info sheet but said I have to go to BKK in person, I asked if I could get it elsewhere (in provinces) and they said no gotta come to BKK. So if I can get it locally (Korat where I am) I really want to know more.

I got AZ-AZ totally free at MedPark hospital, Bangkok. Had to register online of course, and as I live in Korat I had to drive a total of 1100 KMs to get fully vaxed. Friends of mine got Pfizer vax at Central in Korat. Other friends in Pattaya have had 2 shots of Pfizer free. Others I know went to Bang Sue and got free AZ. My Thai wife got Sinovac-AZ at the local hospital. Seems there's plenty of free vaccines around now, and even walk ins. Yes, some countries are not accepting sino vaccines, even though they are approved by WHO, better for farang to take AZ/Pf/Mod.

Seems to me Thais are so quick off the mark to report things to the police. You see it all the time, somebody skinny dipping at Pattaya beach at midnight....call the police. This drongo here seeing a mannequin...call the police. Few years ago when I was staying at an apartment in Bang Saen a punch up started between 2 farang, the security guard immediately raced towards the telephone to call the cops, until I stopped him and said "mai pen rai", it was just a minor punch up, a couple of thumps and it was all settled. No need to involve cops in so many of these minor incidences.

Pre-pandemic my Thai partner & myself were spending our time more or less 50-50 between Perth, Australia and Korat, Thailand. She has a house in Korat; I own an apartment in Perth, so rent was never a factor. I never noticed any significant difference in our cost of living in Australia or Thailand. Our weekly shopping in supermarkets came to roughly the same (in Thailand we paid more for imported farang foodstuffs; in Australia we paid more for imported Asian foodstuffs) We don't eat much in restaurants in either country, but while eating out in Australia is generally more expensive than Thailand, we soon found good value for money restaurants around Perth. I enjoy my beers but mostly drink at home, and never noticed much, if any, difference between buying beer in Thailand or Perth. Good Aussie wines on the other hand are a fraction of the cost one pays in Thailand.

I just checked via that link posted by Upnotover, it involves 2 trips to BKK, said you have to collect new PP in person. For those of us upcountry paying an agent's fee certainly seems the way to go.

Thanks for the recommendation. I have to renew mine sometime soon, so I'll drop in at this agent and have a chat.