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ABCbangkok

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  1. Hi All I haven’t posted since my escape from Thailand in June to Canada. I recall that not a few posters at that time were cheerleading for Sinovac. How’s that going for you? All the best, ABCbangkok
  2. What?! Oh, I thought Anutin said, ‘waxing’. (Roseanne Roseannadanna: “Never mind”)
  3. Happy to say I did make the move to a country I can indeed call ‘home’.
  4. Yes Thais nationals and offspring can hold onto their Thai citizenship, for what it’s worth. Not much in my opinion when compared to what immigrants receive in the West. Here is a short list of the rights you can expect to have as an expat in Thailand: - the right to be called a farang (connotation outsider/visitor) - the right to report to Immigration every 3 months - the right to go every year to Immigration for an reentry permit (even if you have residency) - the right to be overcharged by those who think all westerners are rich and can handle the cost - the right to be considered kee nok (bird doo) if you don’t spend generously - the right to be denied rights by the authorities despite the taxes you’ll pay if you work there - the right to be told ‘you can go home’ if you don’t like the ways Thais do things - the right to be frustrated by the corruption of Thai politicians and unable to do or say anything much about it - the right to suck up the illogic and downright lunacy of Thai culture on a daily basis
  5. That must be some damn good weed you’re smoking!
  6. Yes! In all three of your sentences: “rights”. Something that Thai society in general doesn’t understand, for both Thais and foreigners alike.
  7. Totally agree. Got back to Canada recently and I can’t believe how clean and fresh the air is here. Nice to live with an open sky. The cost and tax are high because you get quality and services. Arrived in June and my free medical coverage starts in September and in October for my Thai wife. We both had our first shots of Moderna, no costs. Not bragging. Had we been we been able to get any Western vaccine in Thailand I might not have left. COVID infections and deaths way down across Canada and many believe due to aggressive vaccination rollout. I do expect some counter trend due to variant Delta and who-knows-what-next but govt isn’t lying and Canadians know what is going on. I’m also appreciating not being treated like a tourist or second class citizen. I was in Thailand for 30 years and begged the banks for a mortgage, despite having sizable assets to put up as collateral. (Long time ago, could have done something with Bangkok Bank for triple the rate for Thais). No can do. Some found a way but I could not. Canada extends mortgage to one and all no discrimination. I got tired of not having rights in Thailand and the hassles at banks and immigration.
  8. April 23, 2021, Nation Newspaper: “The government aims to procure 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for 50 million people before the year-end, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday evening.” July 24, 2021: “The news comes after the Prime Minister's Office on Friday said that 13 million more vaccine doses will be administered throughout August - 8 million AstraZeneca doses and 5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine. As of Friday, Thailand had administered approximately 15.4 million vaccine doses.” Dec 24, 2021: “Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha announces that he has ordered the Health Minister to investigate why only a total 20 million vaccine doses have been administered this year. He has also asked his top advisors and business leaders what else can be done to lower the daily infection from 40,000. He is asking the people to strictly follow current restrictions.”
  9. Believe it or not, I empathize with you. This shouldn’t be the case that a variety of vaccines are not available. You and all others in Thailand need to have the right tools to survive this terrible pandemic. Before June 9th, my wife (Thai) and I were in the same position as you: Living in Thailand. But after 30 years, I threw in the towel. I could not accept what I think has now become evident to all. The systems there are broken. And I was unwilling to pay the possible price. We still have family there (my wife’s elder mother, older brother, and aunt) and they are hunkered down in their homes, afraid to go out, fearful of the COVID in their neighborhood (several single infections, no cluster yet). Regardless of the vaccine issues, things are not going well. And our thoughts are with everyone in the country. May the Thai ship be righted, may we see calmer waters ahead.
  10. Yes. Some people fall for false correlations. (To clarify, I agree the lockdowns work; remains to be seen if the vaccines used contributed to this. Considering there is no DELTA in the country, it’s a big question mark over the future.)
  11. Yes that’s how it works you place an order for next year. And of course if production ramps up in places like in SK as they are reporting, you’ll get product faster. no point to repeat what has been repeated so many times already re: C vacs.
  12. How is it that SK can make the effort in at least providing some mRNA vaccines while Thailand says no to those in the private sector such as the private hospitals that can source some more effective vaccines? https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorean-companies-offer-employees-covid-19-vaccines-work-2021-06-29/ The narrative that there is no mRNA product available is wearing thin. There is product but you have to line up for it and the sooner the better. The Thai govt is still dragging its feet and unwilling to do right by the people. (Though it should be congratulated on joining COVAX — over a year after everyone in the world who needed it, signed up for it. Thai pride?) Here’s how to do it right and do it now, so this time next year Thai officials don’t have to make ridiculous excuses: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-secure-more-mrna-vaccines-covid-19-booster-shot-2021-06-29/
  13. As to the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines, some posters here are touting the Chilean success. Well look at the dates of the reports of the ‘success’. Some are a few months old which in the COVID era is a long time. This from a July 10th study by The University of Chile: … if this study is correct, the CoronaVac vaccine could be correlated to a mutation, one that’s led to a more transmissible and potent mutant. The authors suggest mass vaccination programs conducted directly in SARS-CoV-2 hotspots should be coupled with “strict genomic surveillance.” https://trialsitenews.com/university-of-chile-scientists-study-indicates-sinovacs-vaccine-elicits-more-transmissible-potent-variant-called-lambada/ Yes. Who knew that viruses mutate? In anticipating some blowback for posting this ‘less-than-flattering’ report of the Chinese vaccines, please read the research at the link first before passing judgement (bias). Opinion and conjectures are one thing, and scientific research another. (Don’t shoot the messenger, cause you don’t like the facts.)
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