Drumbuie

Not just anecdotal evidence. Unequivocal statistical evidence that the vaccinated were significantly less likely to be infected and if infected statistically less likely to die. However despite the Finnish longitudinal 18 year study of every child in the country showing clearly that vaccinations did not cause autism (or anything else for that matter), there are still people who would rather trust unqualified influencers, quacks and snake oil salesmen. Perhaps we should teach statistical analysis in schools.

It's interesting that China abstained, considering Putin's meeting with Wang Yi a few days ago, after which Putin's press release mentioned "new ties" between the countries. Wishful thinking?

Seeing dogs in rural Thailand and Sri Lanka I've often thought they have a pretty idyllic life in canine terms - freedom to wander as they please, as much or as little canine companionship as they want, and food they don't have to hunt for. Being often left alone, indoors, as many dogs are in cities, is not a kind way to treat an animal that naturally lives in a pack.

You're quoting Hitchens in the Daily Fail??? ????????????

Top virologists in most other countries are increasingly concerned about the long term effects of COVID-19 on the immune system, particularly in children ( in which it appears to be connected to outbreaks of Kawasaki syndrome - I'll wait while you all make your motorbike jokes - which can also be fatal). Not to mention Long COVID. Its actions appears to be more akin to vasculitis than influenza ( see several reports in The Lancet, amongst other medical journals). It is mutating all the time. It spreads as an aerosol. It has worse effects on the elderly, whose immune systems are already weakening. We live in a country with high AQIs, also, so why would any intelligent person object to wearing an N95 mask?

My youngest son is a policeman in Scotland and my cousin's son is in the CID in Cheshire - if the police force in Yorkshire is sending police officers out here, it's because they've assembled enough evidence to persuade the CPS there's a good chance of a successful prosecution. Police budgets are very tight, and they wouldn't spend the kind of travel and accommodation expenses money this represents just so that someone can have a "free holiday". They are also human beings. One of the least favourite duties they have is to go and tell people that someone they love is dead. My cousin's son explained to me that he manages to cope with traumatic cases by reminding himself that a successful conclusion brings closure to victims' families and enables them to move on in the process of grieving.

Adults? Technically, perhaps, but this may be the time to say that I have rarely seen so much regrettably adolescent sneering and sniggering on any forum - and I used to be a moderator on an MMORPG ( look it up, old guys) with a couple of million players worldwide.

I took the sleeper to Chiang Mai from BK a few years ago and loved it. I did all the research beforehand on this site so even though I was travelling on my own, it was easy. The toilets were a little bit of a shock but I managed ok! https://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm I'd like to do the day journey next time. You really get a sense of the countryside from a train and it's much more relaxed than traveling by bus or car.

You can book your train ticket online. Look at TheManInSeat61 's website, it explains exactly how to do this and everything you need to do to enjoy the journey. He recommends https://12go.asia/en for buying train tickets for Thailand online. It's not faster but it's much, much more pleasant than traveling on the road.

In my ideal world, everyone would have to work in hospitality for at least a year at the age of, say, 16, to teach them a) how much hard work it entails, and b) empathy and respect for the people who do the monotonous tasks of cleaning, waiting tables, changing sheets, or whatever. And to tip them. As my great grandmother said to my grandmother when asked why the box of chocolates she and her brothers had been given was being taken instead to the people in the local village, " You have so much, and they have so little".

Iraqi refugee made good and rich East African Asian economic migrant might be more precise.

Having spent rather too long trying to trawl through the myriad posts and topics here, I'm just going to post this - can anyone recommend a good visa agent here in Bangkok? I've slightly less than a month till my 90 days non-immigrant visa runs out. I'd intended to open a bank account, deposit the requisite chunk of money, and apply for the retirement visa extension but due to various family/nanny/grandchildren emergencies I haven't managed to open a bank account here yet, let alone apply for an extension. Also an indication of the rates. I had one quote of 14,000THB for the visa, with an extra 4000THB for re-entry permit, and an additional 14,000 for assistance in opening the bank account which seems, from the posts I have managed to fish out, rather a lot. Informed advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.