anrcaccount

Thanks, this is the main panel of the condo room Thoughts?

Thanks all - not my place, but am in this condo for a few weeks. Any ideas / hacks to make it safer?

Hello all Hitachi Fridge unsure of age ( maybe 10 years old if had to guess) , model R-T230W-2 . Has only a 2 pin connection. Is this fridge double insulated? Here is the picture of the voltage sticker. I cannot tell if that symbol top right is meant to be the double insulated symbol. Any thoughts appreciated?

The WFTP category is linked to the criteria of being employed. At least at the time of application and again at the 5 year mark. I was told in writing employment status would not be checked after initial application approved- until the 5 year mark. But the point remains, that in theory, if the employment ceases the visa ceases. Here’s comms(email) from BOI on this point. Bolding is mine. “Regarding your concern about employment, there is a requirement to stay employed for the Highly-Skilled Professionals and Work-From-Thailand Professionals category. Except for Wealthy Global Citizens and Wealthy Pensioners, there is no requirement to stay employed. However for Wealthy Global Citizens and Wealthy Pensioners, if you need a work permit you need to have an employment contract. You will not be granted a work permit if you don't have an employment contract. In the case an applicant is approved and ceases employment then your work permit will be terminated. Please be informed that in case you are a Highly-Skilled Professionals or Work-From-Thailand Professionals category, your LTR visa will be terminated as well. Meanwhile, if you move to another employer, you need to notify us so we can change your employment information accordingly”

No, they will not contact your employer in any way. The second part of your question, absolute uncertainty, no idea- no real clarity, which is why this visa category has a very small number of acceptances. In theory the visa is linked to your foreign employment. If this ceases you have 10 days to find a new visa. In practice, they probably won't know until the 5 year mark. But do you risk your visa status on this? As they say, up to you! Hence why this category has not been adopted very broadly yet......

Sure, only in certain places though, if the PM is bad. Not like the absurdity of mass surgical / cloth mask wearing that's still occurring in many parts of Thailand ( for no good reason) , and now, not occurring almost anywhere else in the world. Like you say -some regions are unmasking faster than others, but it can't come soon enough.

Now. Just don't wear it. There's no need or benefit to- for the vast majority the of people, in the vast majority of situations. Every person who makes that choice moves the country back towards normality quicker.

Yes, you are one of a very small number who wear N95s. For almost everyone else (yourself excluded as a permanent N95 wearer) the way masks are actually worn in Thailand, isn't helping reduce the spread of covid. The Cochrane review of multiple RCTS, found there was no evidence masks were effective at reducing the spread of covid at the population level.

I ride the BTS in central BKK almost daily, and the vast majority of riders I see are following the BTS's policy, and government's recommendation, to still wear face masks while riding the system. That's not what I said - I said N95. Almost no one is wearing them. Cloth and surgical is what's covering faces. So I'll say it again, the way masks are being worn en masse in Thailand is doing little to nothing to prevent covid infections.

Except almost no one on the BTS or anywhere in Thailand is wearing an N95. So the way masks are worn en masse in Thailand is doing little to nothing to prevent covid infections. That's simply the reality. The Cochrane review is a comprehensive study of studies, much more authorative in medicine than a selection of "experts" ; https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full As I'm sure you're aware, it concludes that there is no clear evidence masking makes any difference to the spread of covid. Now that doesn't mean that an N95 doesn't " work" , but even you may agree - it would be a special kind of hell on earth, where all people wore them permanently!!!!

This is not a comment on whether this is good / bad or in relation to the war. Just an observation: In Bangkok Hospital (Phuket) recently, speaking to the nurse, told me .....and I quote............................................... "80% of our patients recently are Russian". Looking around, many, many Russians employed as translators at the hospital to chaperone the patients.

No way to live though, is it.

This gives me “masks for the help” vibes and is not something I personally like at all! I prefer to see the smiles back.

Read every word . With an open mind. Based on both Cochrane reviews, which are the best evidence based based medicine studies we have- there’s no clear evidence either Ivermectin or mass masking is effective against Covid. Based on the evidence, my Opinion is neither is effective. Based on the evidence, your Opinion is masks are effective but Ivermectin is not. Is your mind open?

With statements like that you clearly don’t trust evidence based medicine then. Both Cochrane reviews are equally valid. Cherry picking is not a correct term for a Cochrane review, which is in fact as you’d know, a review of multiple existing studies.

There’s less uncertainty in the Cochrane mask review than there is in the Ivermectin one.

No evidence Ivermectin is effective against Covid. Low confidence: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015017.pub3/full No evidence masking is effective at the population level against Covid. Medium confidence: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full

This is actually important and does need to happen. More authority figures need to come out and tell the Thai people, directly, it's OK to go without a mask. It's very clear covid prevention is not the reason they are being worn now ( nor PM 2.5 either, ) and it's getting to the point of absurdity. I think even China is unmasking faster! Parts of Thailand are stuck in a (not good) time warp, social distancing stickers still all over the condo and in the lifts.............., people on TV still wearing masks or (even worse) the plastic face shields with goggles!

Further to this, the lead study author stated very clearly: “There is still no evidence that masks are effective during a pandemic.” The Cochrane reviews are the gold standard of evidence based medicine for healthcare. Clearly, masks are not as effective as some in Thailand think they are!!!

Thanks. I just hope some political party or other authority comes out soon to tell Thais clearly - it’s OK to take them off. Yes, many have already, but much more work to do to get the land of smiles back.

Yes, sure. But a tiny fraction of those who wear now. Almost never inside. Could go for days without seeing anyone in one.

I’m aware of that. The reason they’re still being worn in Thailand is social conformance pressure, nothing to do with Covid anymore. It will be interesting to see if any party decides to appeal to people, by encouraging them to show faces again.

Any bets on which party will take a position of “it’s time to take off the masks” into the election? Surely it’s time now, and it will actually be popular.

At least he doesn’t cover his face everywhere like most of the rest of them…..

Very true Lorry, despite much paranoia. Watch the few countries in the world who put restrictions on Chinese travelers quickly peel these back over the next few weeks. Great to see covid slowly fading out overall, although many in Thailand still need to get the memo.......