expat_4_life

How big a deal is this so called "pork hoarding"? Tony claims up to 5 producers are hoarding up to 400,000kg each, 5x400,000 = 2 million (kg of pork in the freezer) Thailands pork consumption has ranged from around 9.5 to 10.5 kg @ person annually over the last 10 years. Lets us assume it's at 10kg per person for easy math. Population 70,000,000x10kg = 700 million (total annual kg consumption) Now lets do daily consumption (using 350 days @ year - it an easy number), 700/350 = 2 million kg @ day. So ex-PM Thaksin wants you to believe producers are hoarding when in fact there is roughly only enough pork in the freezer to last a day .... hmmmm

A nice kitchen can make a big difference, Assuming you or a partner likes to cook then it offers lifestyle choices.

I was just in Jomtien for 5 days, basically there are no rules. There were places that required a test to dine on their premises, places that offered optional (free) tests, and places that never asked. I spoke at length with the staff at one place that offered optional testing, they said if I tested positive then I should go home and that they were not going to inform anyone, go see a doctor if you need one. So I let them test me as some of the staff had become infected. I tested negative. They also gave me the dated ATK test which I could use to avoid testing elsewhere for 3 days.

Glad he's fine, assuming he is. Not much of a story without the sordid details of his years long disappearance. <shrug>

My hair dyeing adventures began when people started saying "OK Boomer"..

40 million tourists does not compare well with the populations you suggest. For example, if it was 52 million tourists each staying 1 week, you'd get an increase in "population" of one million on a constant rollover. Do they spend more on more high margin telecom services than your average Thai? Probably. Very likely that new sims and short duration top up services are more profitable but not in the numbers you suggest.

well done, exquisite typo

I'm rather fond of O'Sheas's on Sukhumvit 33/1 (which didn't make the poll list), like the location, sitting outside, and they have some decent Happy Hour specials.

@FruitPudding FYI, Kiwi Sport Pub, just off of Suk Soi 8, is gone for good according to a friend that walked by there not long ago. He said there is a for rent sign. Can anyone confirm?

My understanding is it's two-fold, AMLO regulations, and designed to bring freelancers/online retailers/etc (avoiding tax) using the platform under the taxable income umbrella. This from the wife who works at one of the major local banks in the AMLO division.

"A luxury hotel chain in Thailand is reporting a data breach thanks to a notorious group of cyber criminals" Hmmm, yet no mention of the quality of their security infrastructure

Anyone else notice this part of the story? "The handymen survived the fall after being rescued by another condo resident, who happened to be near the balcony at the time." I wasn't aware anyone had fallen?

The simple thing to have done is honor already issued CoEs and not issue any more of them.

Jack Dorsey, Twitters CEO, apparently does - thinks hyperinflation is coming!

I went looking for the referenced article, what I read is that this only applies to Thai nationals. Would have been nice if it applied to anyone on a re-entry visa, but that seems not to be the case. Still a good catch, lots of us have Thai nationals as significant others that may travel together.

The Atrium at the Landmark Hotel, assuming it's still up to it's standards since Covid, is a good option. Located at the Nana BTS station. 1105-1275 @ person on Eatigo https://eatigo.com/th/bangkok/en/r/atrium-the-landmark-bangkok-378

I remember the current rule by association, otherwise I'd forget. I call it the 2-3-4 rule, 800k 2 months before and 3 months after, never less than 400k.

Far as I know VAT is not going up for another 2 years - On 24 August 2021, the Thai Cabinet approved the extension of the reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) rate of 7% for another two years to sustain the economic stability of the country. The 7% VAT rate will, therefore, continue to be applied for sales of goods, provisions of services and imports of goods from 1 October 2021 until 30 September 2023. Has this changed recently?

I like the way that this "TAT predicts 1 million tourists" story follows the "Thai tourism is in a coma" article in the newsletter - tourist news for everyone!

They seem to think we've forgotten the data breach reported a few months ago by Richard Barrow and written about here: (secure indeed) https://thethaiger.com/news/national/another-data-breach-info-leaked-on-bangkok-immigration-website

I'd recommend AZ. mixed is not recognized by some countries as "fully vaccinated". And with the rules constantly in flux or subject to change, I'd go with the most strict definition of fully vaccinated. From the US CDC website: In general, people are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series. You can always get a booster later.

OP, u mention twice that your visa expires on Oct 5th. Be sure you're looking at the "Admitted Until" date on the stamp immigration placed in your passport when you arrived.

If u think the cost of additional tests is exorbitant, consider the inconvenience and cost of a false positive result! I still don't get why any tourists would travel internationally just now, every rule is subject to change without notice.

I'm due for my 2nd jab in a few weeks, personal choice. Once I'm fully vaxxed I'll make my own risk assessment choices about what I do. I'm not afraid of the unvaxxed, everyone has been pretty much unvaxxed here for a long time. Once I am fully vaxxed, I'll not participate in any activity that requires showing my "papers" that I can avoid. I don't believe in mandates or so called passports. I'll cook at home, shop online, stay away from the pubs, etc.

I agree, if you're fully vaxxed, you know the risks and take your chances. What more than get vaxxed can someone, including tourists, do? Should tourists that are fully vaxxed be made to undergo testing and subject to other restrictions? I'm also not a huge fan of even having to produce proof of vaccination or the testing. We'll see where it all leads., but I'm not gonna put myself at risk by not getting vaxxed. Foe now I'm not traveling if they require proof of vaccination, quarantines, etc, not going travel anywhere until all restrictions are lifted. The same applies to local anything, restaurants, shopping malls, pubs etc. I don't mind masking up though, reducing risk makes sense, vaxxed or not.