nigelforbes

The same restrictions on outbound Chinese travelers haven't changed, they are not allowed to travel. The article is a future forecast.

Lots of Westerners here seem to have translated that one off remark made by a mask proffering politician, into an enduring government policy, but I don't think the true picture looks like that at all. I think it's a combination of paranoia and a sense of self over importance that makes people think westerns here are targets for all things bad. The government doesn't think that westerners are bad and Chinese and Indians are good. The simple truth is that there are far more Indians and Chinese visitors to Thailand than there are white westerners, perhaps many of us can't handle not being number one but that is the reality, we're not. It's a matter of economics, it's all about money and income. Chinese and Indians produce more revenue for the country than we civilized and courteous , mostly law abiding and decent, well mannered westerners ever will. Our efforts at handing out food parcels, picking up the trash and helping old ladies across the street count for nothing unless we can show them the money, on a similar scale.

You should look at the supply and demand profiles of the area that interests you, prior to covid there was a massive oversupply of condo's in Thailand. That may have eased somewhat in the past couple of years as a result of lockdowns but not entirely. It's hard to imagine why any condo would see capital appreciation when there is an over supply, or unless it is located strategically in an area undergoing rapid change. I bought a unit in 2004 that I sold for the same price in 2008. Similar units today are selling for only 12% more than what I paid years ago and rents have increased by only a similar amount. The purchase was however a useful store of THB which appreciated substantially during the period and this was where most of my profit came from.

Nope and nope. Don't worry, you'll get it one day, just read some history books.

That's a good price for Sandoz

This is too funny by far. We're at a pivot point where the, "it's a minor disease like the flu" crowd have given way to the, "if the Chinese are allowed to travel they will spread covid and we'll all get sick and die" crowd. Prizes for spotting any members in both crowds at the same time. No, of course you don't need to wear masks, not unless the Chinese arrive that is!

I also became very sick in November that year, cause unknown but real knock out job.

January 2020, first case of covid in Thailand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_Thailand#:~:text=The COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand began with the identification,has been ongoing since then.

Disproportionate to what, the number of Chinese people in Thailand, the number of similar crimes committed by locals etc etc? Something like that might be newsworthy as a one off but reporting every crime by nationality is not because it eventually makes people fear Chinese (or other nationality) because that's what they keep hearing on the news when most are normal honest people. You can see from the posts in this thread already that many posters are anti-Chinese based on almost no knowledge of them whatsoever, apart from the theory that Covid was spread by them. Identifying people by race or ethnic background is a wholly bad idea because after a while it tars everyone with the same brush and pretty soon the entire group is viewed as pariahs.. The jews and the rest of the world thought that under Hitler; the Rohingya in Myanmar feel the same way too; black people in the West, especially in the US believe that also; Mexicans in the US agree; Burmese in Thailand also agree; Palestinians agree, Serbs and Croats thought so, the Uighurs in China think so, Aborigines' are the same and the Shia in Saudi agree, and so on and so on.

Crimes of violence by or against foreigners in Thailand are uncommon, perpetrators are far more more likely statistically speaking to be Thai. Crimes that are reported in the media tend to be more economic in nature. My question stands.

You seem not to have even clicked on the link I provided and read about the criticism the act has received and the foot dragging and stonewalling that the authorities are accused of in responding to requests by the public. It's one thing to have an act in place but it's something else entirely to have one in place that is useable to the extent envisaged by your use of the Western term, Freedom of Information Act. The realities are that the act is there in name only and little more, who can be surprised that is the case. But enough of your deflections, for the third and final time of asking, give me one good reason why that information is of value to the population?

You're a funny guy chuckles, here, laugh at this: The first get out clause is here: "A global principle states that state agencies are not to release information unless they are convinced that the request is necessary for the protection of the rights and liberties of an individual person or is beneficial to the public (section 11[4]). Good luck trying to convince them of that! The real killer though is here: Other exemptions exist, although they are not absolute, and thus may or may not be a motive for the prohibition of the disclosure of official information. They are listed under section 15 and include information which may jeopardize the national security or international relations, information which may endanger the life or safety of a person, and medical reports. A Royal Decree can at any time add an element to the list of exemptions. International relations, hmmm, how about if we tell everyone how many criminals we caught from your country, that should go down well don't you think! How can I cancel your request, let me count the ways! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Information_Act_1997#:~:text=The Official Information Act guarantees,”)%2C including the right to And I have to say chuckles, you've just been unpleasant or obnoxious from the get go on this topic, you don't seem to have grasped the concept of intelligent civilized debate very well so I'm not sure how long this is going to last.

I don't think I agree that filters are ALL about size or surface area. Since different filter components are required to filter debris and gasses, it's about the construction and composition of the filter also. IQAir for example uses three different filters in it's machines, each serves a different purpose to filter out different things. The filters on our Xiaomi measure 12 inches by 19 inches and are 2.5 inches thick, AND there's two of them, that's a lot of concertinaed surface area plus carbon layers! https://supersaversgadgets.com/products/mi-air-purifier-max-high-density-filter-replacement-dual-filter-pack-for-pro-and-max-pro-2pcsset

It's part of the marketing campaign that is part of their job. It's also a useful way to alert others, businesses and the rest of the population as to what is being expected so they can respond accordingly, raise prices, take on staff, travel/don't travel etc etc. Of course they don't know precisely but it's a measure of their performance and effectiveness if the actual visitor numbers come close to the ones that are forecast.

It says 2.1 million passengers using the airport, it doesn't say 2.1 millions passengers arriving. Since each arriving passenger has to depart also, you can halve your number of planes, that makes the number easily achievable.

When that happens and the infected masses do arrive here, I wonder what the "trivial disease/minor ailment" posters will have to say, will it be just nothing then?

Some people seem to want the best of both worlds, all the rights and privileges of back home, along with the freedoms and benefits of being here. They'll be wanting the vote next.

Freedom of information act, democracy, where do you think you are! Once again, give me one good reason why that information is of value to the population?

Nope, only inbound restrictions lifted, outbound travel restrictions remain.

Reporting of infections has already been lifted. But interestingly, people want all covid restrictions lifted but also want the number of cases to be reported, how does that work!

Not quite opening up yet. "The sale of outbound group and package travel (from a minimum of a flight + hotel package) was banned by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism from 27 January, 2020, and has not resumed. The ban was last reiterated on 16 November 2022. Outbound travel by individuals for non-essential reasons is strongly discouraged". https://dragontrail.com/resources/blog/chinese-outbound-and-inbound-travel-rules-roundup

I would argue that it rests on the shoulders of a cost effective workforce. Almost everything is a trade off between cost and quality.

Say what! You have a bad night last night or something? Be constructive. Tell me one single benefit to the general population of telling everyone the nationality of people who commit crimes.

Some good points made in the link below. "HEPA filters were first used in hospitals and nuclear power plants to protect people from harmful airborne particles and illnesses". They were not designed for domestic or residential use. Won’t remove every particle: Unfortunately, HEPA filters will not remove pollutants from the air that are smaller than 0.3 microns, including viruses, some bacteria, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are household items like hairspray and ammonia that are too small for a HEPA filter to eliminate. Airborne mold spores are large enough for a HEPA filter to catch. https://www.airdesigninc.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-hepa-filter-in-your-home-air-system/

An ingrown toenail is "a minor ailment", because almost nobody in the history of mankind ever died from one. Covid on the other hand has killed nearly 7 million. As for everyone now being "very happy", I suspect the families of those who have died are not.