1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

The virus is airborne.  A vast majority get the virus from air droplets, not from surfaces.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2021/05/04/who-coronavirus-airborne/?sh=53a4d41d4472

 

WHO Finally Admits Coronavirus Is Airborne. It’s Too Late

So why are we told to wear masks then? Normal cloth masks are at best only capable of stopping droplets and not even very good at that. If it is airborne the virus will go straight through. Hold a normal cloth mask up towards a lamp and you can see right through the small holes in it. Virus are tiny. Much smaller than germs.

Wearing masks was always political. It's greatest feature is to comfort the uninformed that feels protected by a mask. You breath in and out of the gaps on the sides of the mask and around the nose, and next to no filtering is done.

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

It's not such a bad idea to wear a mask if you are riding a bike it can protect you from breathing all that dust that get kicked up

In theory yes, but with the masks the vast majority wear you don't breath through the fabric, rather the air takes the least resistance. And least resistance is through the gaps on the sides and by the bridge of your nose. There is next to no filtering. Don't believe me? Hold your hands over your mouth and nose so the masks tightly fits over your face with no gaps anywhere. Then feel how hard it suddenly becomes to breath in and out.  Alternatively try wearing mask and glasses on a chilly day and see how your glasses fog up. 

30 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

If it was covid, you would loose all sense of smell for the duration.

so you are fine ????

Thanks for that. I am not worried about having it, as then I would be close to asymptomatic. If anything I am curious if I could have had it before.  Considering the very low testing rate in Thailand most likely a big proportion of cases go undetected.

Going home next month, so will get tested then.

The last few months I have felt this burning smell coming and going. When I feel it it lasts for quite some time, usually 5-10 hours. My partner says she can't smell anything like that. Neither a few other people I have asked. So I guess I am imagining, unless there are periodic smoke in the Jomtien area which I am unusually sensitive towards.  I read that altered smell is often a symptom of Covid, where people smell fish, Sulphur, smoke and other things. I have never had any symptoms of Covid, but neither had a friend that tested positive either. So it makes me curious. Anybody else on  this board with altered sense of smell, or have some explanation? 

It is quite annoying, so I bought an air purifier, but can't say it makes much of a difference.

46 minutes ago, ETatBKK said:

Thailand reported 1,543 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday

this is really alarming, hope everyone hears this and understands it ! but what action next ?

 

8,973 people remain in hospital receiving treatment

this is very worrying ????

Apr 01, hospitalised 1,247

Apr 15, hospitalised 8,973

It is worrying, but not as worrying as you might think as in Thailand everyone with positive test-results are hospitalized. This is also so even if you have mild or no symptoms. I am pretty sure the majority falls into that category.

What I really like to know is how many tests they have done and the positive ratio from those. I fear the numbers of tests done are limited and the positive ratio be high.

WB

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

Sorry mate, but a disagree with sending him back to Norway.

Look at the case of the man who murdered over 70 people, he has internet etc in his cell, gets almost everything he wants.

Norway treats prison inmates far to good, let the disgusting perv rot in a Thai jail.

Nope. That’s not correct. While Norway treats many prisoners with hotel like premises, that guy is serving in solitude. Solitude in Norway is no joke and often criticized as being inhumane. You sit alone in your small cell for 23.5 hours a day and you get 30 minutes to walk around alone in the prison yard. No internet. . 

9 hours ago, stevenl said:

Sure, that's why they imposed a lockdown on 28 January.

You mean the lockdown that let not a single person leave Wuhan. Not a single one, except international flights going to the rest of the world...

The management of my building closed down the swimming pool without consulting with the juristic person (where I am a member). Articles like this https://www.swimmingpool.com/coronavirus/ suggests that there is no scientific evidence that the virus spreads in pools. As there are very few residents at the moment, we want to keep it open, but limit it's use to one person at a time. I am sure I read somewhere that public pools must be closed, but condominiums can decide themselves. Still I can't find that article. Can anyone clarify the regulations? If there are regional rules I am asking about rules for Satthaip district, Chonburi province.

WB

13 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

CALL ME CRAZY....

 

I'm actually thinking most of us got this last year.  The dry cough, flu.....so most Thais got it as well.

 

Guess it is just wishful thinking, but must admit I been thinking along those lines as well.. 

I been in Thailand for 15 years. The first 10 without incident. Unfortunately I bought an expensive condo from a what turned out to be a crooked developer. Someone mentioned that crime is rife around the world, and yes, that is true. What sets Thailand apart from developed nations is that their legal system is not working, on any level...

If someone told me how the developer is able to get away with obvious criminal behavior I would not believed it. There's been countless court cases against him, he either gets off the hook on a technicality where the judge goes to any lengths to find a reason to let him go, the case drags out for eternity without any ruling, or he gets sentenced, but sentence is never enforced. Even our own lawyers work against us. The legal system here is non-existent when lots of money is involved.

WB

Obscure currencies is maybe pushing it, but I am looking for an institution in Thailand or on internet where I can open a currency account in currencies other that Euro/USD/GBP etc. Of primary interest is Norwegian kroner that to my knowledge has lost more than any other developed currency in the last 6-8 months.

I think there is a good chance of a recovery within a year or so, and I think the downside is low compared to what I currently have (AUD, SGD, JPY). I am not aware of any banks that offer Norwegian currency account. I know there are web sites geared towards trading, but I am in it for the long term, where the money sits and get some interest. Apart from traveling to Norway and opening a bank account there, what other options do I have?

WB

Have not read the entre thread, so apologize if this has been mentioned before.

Anyway, to me it seems like the Thai banks are collaborating on price which I guess is illegal even in Thailand. I have used my card in many countries, and except for Brazil (where the prizes varied widely) I have never been charged nearly as much anywhere else.

Consumer protection in Thailand is dearly missing, but this charge is daylight robbery. Would be interesting to get the authorities attention on this price collaboration...

WB

People who pirate would not have paid in any case and the copyright owner still has his property to sell to those who do pay, so there are no losses. Only a tiny percentage of the millions who illegally download will make and sell copies to those not savvy enough to download for themselves and even those people would not buy a 'real' copy of a music, movie, or software. I won't get into the morals, but the fact is, there is no monetary loss to the copyright holder because those who engage in piracy will never buy their products at the prices they charge.

Pirates always comes with this attempt to justify their actions. Take myself as just one example. I used to buy many CDs, but since mp3s got widely available in mid 90s, I have not bought a single one. Music sales is plummeting, and regardless of what you claim, other sources of income is not making up for it. I was a kid in the 80s and bought my games on cartridge for games consoles which could not be copied. That stopped as soon as I got my first computer. Only copies since then. Yes, I am a pirate, but I'm not fooling myself or anyone else. Pirates hurt the industry. The outlook for the music industry looks bleak. The older generation which still buys music will be gone, and the new generation that will not even pay 15$ for a months access to Spotify will be the market.

WB

Not so sure that this will affect the Thai economy in a bad way. Say I earn 15k a month I will still spend my full salary, but less on alcohol and more on other items. Alcohol industry will loose, others will benefit. It may even boost productivity, when hangovers are reduced....

Personally I hope these regulations will never be implemented. With all the new regulations and crackdowns the law enforcing capacity must be stretched to the limit already. And more paper laws are surely coming...

WB

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Why would you think that, after centuries of entomological, reptilian and amphibian consumption by generations prior within your "family", you're going to somehow be participatory in an extinction level event??

Let them dine!!!

All species existing today have existed for milleniums and longer. That does not stop them from getting extinct at an alarming rate. If not globally, at least locally... Anyway, the action of a single family does not change much, but it all starts somewhere. I guess you don't vote either, as a single vote does not do any difference...

WB

I am no engineer but I do work in the hotel business. Over the years I have had quite a few very large pools drained (in-ground) and it has never been an issue. And I do not think that build quality is much better in Vietnam or Cambodia than in LOS>

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I will try to locate some pool suppliers and here what they have to say. Anyone know any reputeable ones in the Pattaya area?

WB

I have been unfortunate to invest in a condominium project that should have been finished six years ago, but is going nowhere. We have now taken legal actions so the developer is fortunatly out of the building comittee, but it is all a big mess and finances are critically low. Behind the main tower is a large above-ground pool that is positioned between some low-rises that never got finished. It looks like ruins from an urban war-zone and needless to say, nobody is ever using this pool. Still we are running pumps, add chlorine and do maintenance. I want to shut it down, drain it and use the funds for something better. Is this possible? Our building manager insists that we can not as tiles can crack and it can potentially damage the structure. He showed me some photos of this, but it was from an in-ground pool. I guess that is different as the weight of the dirt around the pool will put enormous pressure on the pool walls when the weight of the water is gone. The pool is rather long (50m), but the greater part of it is very shallow. It sits on the third floor.

I have searched the internet, but found no info that it should be problematic to empty an above-ground pool. There seems to be no concern anywhere about cracked tiles. Then again, maybe the build quality in Thailand is so low that this is mainly a Thai problem? Anyway, if anyone has some knowlegde about this, I would be gratefule to get some information.

WB

I had 12k service on my Ducati Diavel 3 weeks ago in Pattaya. Price was 3600b, so don't think it will be more expensive on a Monster. They missed that the bolt that holds the exhaust had fallen out (!!!) and that the chain had stretched out of spec, so not sure if they check anything apart from changing oil. The missing bolt was really annoying as the muffler was only secured by the manifold and would probably broken loose if I didn't take it back to them. A new bolt was 800b...

The manual clearly states that 95 octane gasohol can be used, but no more than E10. E20 will destroy the engine. The bike runs rough under 4000 revs, but that is due to EU emission regulations that dictates the fuel-to-air mix. If you don't care about the environment, parts are available to fix this. I think this is same for all Ducatis, also the Monster.

After 3 months I am still waiting for my green book which they promised would take two weeks. Even had to go back to immigration to get a new residency permit as it expired before they could get their asses down to the transport office.

Great bike, but Ducati Pattaya has not impressed me at all.

WB

I am selling my Kawasaki Er6n for 148,000 Baht. Bought in April 2010 and only one owner. All services done and no accidents or scratches (what you see in photos is dirt). Great engine. Broken in very carefully and changed oil frequently. I live about 15km from Pattaya, but can drive it to Bangkok if neccesary. Low mileage (9200km) as I have been to Europe most of the time since I bought it.

Phone:+66896811497

Oh, I just remembered. They don't want us here. No convenience for us.

Farang go home after 2 weeks. You give us all your money first.

Nope, you are wrong. They just don't want the grumpy, bitter, ugly farangs. The rest are most welcome...

I have been to Norway where a tip is required in establishments and which no one gives a toss about, but this thug deserves a longer sentence and the cane of you ask me. Beats a guy up over $4? As already said - what a tool.

There is not a single place in Norway where tip is required. Not one...

WB

I am considering buying an off-plan condominium unit. I have found that the Thai condominium act Section 6/2 requires that any contract that fails to meet the minimum protection provided by standard contract O.C. 22 is not valid.

I have been able to find some excerpts of the standard contract, but not the complete text. I would be very grateful if someone here could provide a link to a complete English version of this contract.

The standard contact covers issues like liabilities if either partner can not meet the requirements agreed upon, warranty on building and fittings, penalties for delays etc. To me this law seems to be not widely know, and it could only be a good thing if more potential customers get to be aware of it.

WB