BernieOnTour

4 hours ago, Funkymover said:

They will probably ask for a deposit as well,, 

Not probably ????

- as sure as eggs is eggs

“but you can also pay in Pounds, Dollars, Euro or by your credit card“ ????

Anyway ... I am sure, these tracking wristbands will attract a lot of tourists ????

Especially, if people are taking into consideration 

their ...well.. „extraordinary“ ability and track record in protecting your confidential data.

... as recently again successfully shown on not only with 1, but 2, governmental websites ...

12 hours ago, ChipButty said:

My wife thinks all farang should be made to wear one all the time

As you are Farang, that would include you.

... could it be, that her reason to support the wristbands

has some totally different, ulterior motives ?

????

15 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Ha funny you should say that..........quite a lot of farangs suddenly appearing around where we live??.......with their ball and chain.............my wife is 26 years younger than me (been married for 15 years)........... the looks I get from the husbands.....555

Had similar experiences, when travelling pre-Covid through Europe with my girlfriend. Astonishingly, the husbands were worse than their wifes- pure hate ???? Even some remarks like child-f..ker (- she was 27 then and mother of kid).

I assume, the increase of those coming with ball and chain has to do with the restrictions and reduction of constitutional rights due to Covid in certain European countries.

Quite a lot have suddenly the idea to emigrate ... without a lot of preparation. Or at least do a test run for several months, how emigration might feel.

Seems, those guys made a short cut in their decision process.

Leaving out one alternative scenario:

I you make such a drastic change in your life, you could also consider to cut off the ball and chain ...

However, those just making a test run, might come to the conclusion, the alternative scenario has it’s benefits ... ????

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a calculated risk needed to revive its troubled economy

I am asking myself, who „calculated“ that risk - Dr. Yong or Anutin ?

120 days? Instead being proud of what Thailand achieved, comparing their cumulative death rates, infections and number of positive tests to other countries,

another 120 days of not calculated risk for economy and prosperity ?

With their numbers, other countries already opened up and stopped wearing masks.

Take a look at the US: only 3 of all States not opening up and still stuck in Covid measures.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Of course, only those who had had two vaccine doses would be allowed into the country at all. 

 

Smart requirement ! ????

... it would maybe a good idea, to check first the global vaccination rate of 20.8%

... and then check the national vaccination rates of their main customers (not at least the Scandinavians forming an important part of their longstayers)

They are reducing with this rule their potential customer base

by 50-60%

sounds, as if the Arabian version of

„Tales of 1,001 Nights“

has now been replaced by a new Thai edition:

„Tales of 10,001 Nights“

... after before only adding 2 short addendums to the Thai edition:

“Harun al Rashid‘s Defence of Ko Tao from the Burmese Pirates“

„New Peaceful and Secure Life on Ko Tao“

????

Hearing these great news

- delay by 1 month

- 14 days confined on the island

- 3 tests

- up to 20,000 baht fines

I have to apologize, I understand now:

Phuket is definitely THE No.1 tourist destination in the world !

... and I will have to rush to join the queue, otherwise all direct flights and hotel rooms will be booked already !

????????

... guys, back to the drawing board again !

The summer school holidays in Europe you missed already,

if you proceed like this, you will miss out on the winter season also ...

On 6/14/2021 at 4:34 AM, webfact said:

Mr Pipat said that among the first people to visit the island in July will be  sailors from the US and British navies. 

Navy sailors ? - Really ? ????

It seems, all of us, who followed and discussed the Sandbox project in the last few months, totally misunderstood it:

• It’s not for tourists !
• It’s a revival of the R&R Rest and Recuperation program for soldiers during the Vietnam war !

????????

20 hours ago, masvil said:

Government at work:

"Anyone know how to publish a form on the web?"

"Yes, a friend of my son is good at these things!"

"OK, call him."

Well, I could point them to a Farang owned and managed IT company in Chiangmai with Thai staff, and therefore relatively low prices,

where the quality assurance and testing is excellent,

because their main customers are European companies with high expectations.

However, their Thai customer base is relatively low:

„paeng maak“, ... do we really need this, ...can you leave this out and make it cheaper, ...

Of cause, then the „friend of my son“ will be loosing out on this deal 555

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

And I think it would take an act of (insert favoured deity here) before Thailand starts letting foreigners to own land here. Even if the Chinese tell them to make it happen.

Actually, I assume, that’s what is most likely to happen.

We tend to apply our personal point of view and subconsciously translate „wealthy foreigners“ as being Farangs.

However, I bet, they are targeting the Chinese...

And the Chinese were already successful in Cambodia, especially Phnom Phen and Sihanoukville.

Not unlikely, those Thai working groups will further specify the land owning rules more „precisely“ and end up with some SEZs - Special Economic Zones- like in Cambodia.

On 6/11/2021 at 5:09 AM, J Town said:

Three friends of mine got arrested two nights ago at a small bar near Big C Extra. I warned them this could happen and stopped going there myself. I get it - we love the bar owner, just a gal struggling to put food on the table, and we want her to stay in business, but clearly the BiB are getting into the weeds. They were fortunate, 2,250 baht fine each, and now the bar is shuttered.

Well, the BiB are also suffering, aren’t they ? ????

Support our friends, who are here „to serve“ !

They also have mia nois to support, pay the loans for the Fortuner, ...

????

It’s unbelievable!

Any project manager with a record like this would join the rows of those unemployed, not getting any contract anymore.

They had months!

Even worse: they seem to think, there aren’t any touristic alternatives in world...

Most potential tourists will try to base their vacation planning on more reliable announcements.

“Amazing Thailand“  

Yes !   ...  However: said in a total different meaning, than you guys are intended it to be. 

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Meanwhile at  LAX:

 

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles World Airports began offering free on-site COVID-19 vaccinations to the public Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport.

The vaccine clinic, run in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and will offer one-dose vaccinations from Johnson & Johnson to anyone ages 18 or older.

 

There is a video posted on youtube at International arrivals showing a guy holding a sign directing international travelers to get vaccinated after clearing immigration customs and immigration.  Cost = Zero and supply = ample.  I should be arriving in the near future but I prefer Pfizer(higher efficacy than J&J).

Well ... the question remains, if that  is a really good procedure!

I‘m not anti-vax, therefore I had a lot of vaccinations in the past.

(The last one against bacterial pneumococci, which are a typical side infection of Covid - unfortunately, not many people take that jab).

However:

I   NEVER had ANY vaccination as an adult, where the doctor would not

make a thorough examination,

inquire about my medical history,

explaining risks, side effects and benefits of a vaccine,

answering questions.

I even remember, once the doctor recommended me not to take a certain vaccine, because he considered the benefit/risk ratio as not appropriate...

That can’t be done in 5-10 minutes !

This factory line approach in an airport is IMO against anything,

how an informed decision of the patient and an adequate vaccination should be done.

PS.:

The efficacy shows only the relative risk reduction. (eg. if you would had in the Phase 3 studies test groups of 10,000 each and the vaccinated group had 0 Covid deaths and the non-vaccinated group had 1 deaths: the efficacy would be 100% )

For selecting a vaccine, the absolute risk reduction, the effiency, would be better. Easy to calculate from the published Phase 3 study absolute data by simple division.

Another important selection criterion would be: to check the risks, the adverse drug reactions. The US system VAERS is an acceptable tool for this. 

The results are eye opening - contrary to common perception, which vaccine is considered the best !

Here, a relative never number gives a better foundation for a selection. Divide the number of Deaths and ADR by the number of 1 million vaccinated.

(Unfortunately, there are, afaik, no data published in English for the traditional produced SINOVAC, neither Phase 3 studies, nor ADR in the US VAERS (of cause).

Would be interesting for a comparison... a vaccine produced, as we are doing it since 100 years - against the brand new mRNA types.)

Just assuming, this typical TAT proposal would come true,

what could be some likely “collateral damage” ?

1) Digital Nomads taxed in Thailand (they are working from TH, so that could be interpreted as local earnings)

2) retirees from a country with no or only weak double tax agreements could see their pensions taxed in Thailand

3) the current regulations (800,000 p.a. or 65,000 per month) could be dropped in favour of the new regulation 

3 hours ago, thequietman said:

Check the bottom of the pool for a toaster!

 

Seriously, maybe electrical fault in pool lighting for example, and both electrocuted.

 

There better be an autopsy. ????

That could have been also the reason,

why the son did not immediately jump into the pool,

but instead called the hotel staff:

Enough experience with the work quality of Southeast-Asian “electricians” ????

I hope, they also checked for the impurities with human proteine, discovered in Europe.

... especially the „Heat Shock“-proteines !

Wait ! ... somehow, I don’t get it from the article above:

- it started walking hand in hand at Nana Plaza, documented on CCTV

- then it goes southward, 200 km to Huahin

- where they find his  clothes, he was wearing at Nana Plaza. How astonishing!

- they also find her DNA. Well, what do you expect to find on your clothes, if taking a girl of a Nana Plaza bar? The famous Thai wife search for hair not stemming from her comes into mind ...

- from there, it goes back northward, 140 km to the Mae Klong in Kanchanaburi, where the dismembered body was found.

All in all, that are alone 4:30 hours in the car.

And the Police is sure, he was the last one, who saw the lady alive !

You are sure, they didn’t mistype „British“ and it shouldn’t be „Burmese“?

(maybe, finally they find out, he also went to Ko Tao and the murder happened there ...)

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm confused, how can you reach a target 70% if only 65% come forwards ? 

Easy - you send the hitmen, sorry... always these auto-corrections: headmen

to „invite“ people to get vaccinated with an experimental drug, not having finalized the Phase 3 studies :

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Village headmen and volunteers will go door-to-door inviting people to register.

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand has not had a sub for over 60 years. Who will pilot this sub? Who will maintain it? How much is the projected annual bill for repairs, and upkeep? Do you army clowns care one iota about the people?

Actually, I assume, it’s absolutely not about navy warfare !

It is a Chinese built one - not a German one (better adjusted to their shallow littoral waters) or a US one ...

It is more like those gifts, the Ayutthaya kings sent to the Chinese emperor to show acceptance of the (in those times) strongest power. (That there might be some bread crumbs from the table in form of some bribes, is a nice icing of the cake ...).

The Thais always knew, how to maneuver between stronger powers, staying relatively independent:

in Ayutthaya times the Chinese emperors (unlike their arch-enemy Burma with 4 Chinese invasions), in colonial times between Britain and France and in WW2 between Japan and the Allies.

China seems to be unstoppable. All constructed „revolutions“, riots, and wars in the last 20 years did not manage to block their „One Belt, One Road“-initiative.

Even worse: the West drove Russia and Putin in the open arms of China, giving them more options to go around the arteries of global commerce, those sea lanes controlled by the Western Navy’s.

Covid was a Gift of the Gods for China !

They took it and used it according to the 36 Strategems, every Chinese pupil is taught in school:

Starting from their Wuhan laboratory, first keeping quiet, then stopping domestic flights to limit inner-Chinese spread, however still allowing International flights to spread it throughout the world, controlling with their funding the announcements of the WHO, increasing horror with photos from Wuhan,

enticing guys like Gates and the WEF in Davos to jump on the train pursuing their uncanny ideas to grab for bigger influence and money, locking down practically all public life and interrupting economy - not only for a few months, but extended endlessly. Increasing during the presidential race the pressure on China‘s most hated foe, Trump, was a nice add-on.

At the same time, China sacrificed a tiny percentage of its population in Wuhan and also somewhat reduced their own production and export, to get the „awareness“ they wanted, and to implement the stupid idea in the western media, a middle-ages style total lockdown would be a good idea to fight a virus spread.

After a few months, the show was over - in China.

They ramped up their production again, when their competitors where strangled by their own national politicians, so they could increase their market share and dependence from Chinese production.

Life getting back to normal in China.

Even making money out of the „pandemic“, by selling test kits, face masks and Adenovirus base to Astrazeneca...

Next big advantage is: all competitors and key technologies are now up to be grabbed for a song by Chinese money, their equity capital and profits severely reduced by their own national politicians.

So, if you see the Chinese success story and the inaptitude of Western politicians and  you were Thailand

- stuck between the loosing, but still powerful, US empire and the rising empire of the future, China ... -

to whom would you pay the tribute - some submarines ?

They never got it and they will never get it, what excellent chance to boost their tourism they missed,

when they last year kept their borders totally locked,

had excellent case numbers and an excellent death rate, when

1) people afraid from Covid tried to find an alternative with low rates

2) people fed up with unscientific, unconsistant rules from their own governments were looking for places with a more relaxed attitude 

And now, they are still not getting it -  requesting 2 vaccinations for Samui and Phuket and are adding on top even more rules, like tests and restricted movement ?

Did TAT ever hear, that there are endless forums and chats popping up abroad, with people trying to flee from the insanity in their countries and the enforcement of vaccination through the back door?

People looking for longterm stays and even emigration, exactly what they tried to achieve with the special and STV visa?

If in villages in Buriram only 30% are prepared to take jab,

what do they think, how high the number in some better informed European countries is?

Not astonished!

A lot of Thais can read English and in every Isaan village is at least one family with contacts abroad. Therefore, they know about the desasters happening with AstraZeneca.

Only astonishing is that they still assume, Biontech/Pfizer is better. (eg. the number of deaths per 100,000 vaccinations is higher.)

And higher efficacy rate of AstraZeneca and Biontech/Pfizer versus Sinovac? ????????

If you don’t fall for the marketing campaigns showing a ridiculously high relative rate of over 90%

and just check by yourself with a calculator the underlying numbers, you will find,

you have to vaccinate 120-140 people with AstraZeneca or Biontech/Pfizer to omit 1 case. 

The unemployment rate of 1.96% in the Bloomberg report is ridiculous...

Sounds more like a journalist working without any insight on Thailand, just based on other articles in the press and official, international statistics.

He is leaving the „gray sector“ totally out of sight.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

handing out tonic drink M-150 and vitamin supplement beverages for free. 

Well, they might be in urgent need for these vitamin supplements

- but should add at least Vitamin D and Ivermectine for a real boost to their immune system ...

From the UK‘s „Vaccine Surveillance Report“: 

As you can see: 

The risk, to get infected with Covid-19, is within 9 days from vaccination higher for those, who got the jab,

than for those without vaccination !

On 5/21/2021 at 3:39 AM, worgeordie said:

The response from those in the house was very excessive,

maybe they should have tried a bribe, before opening fire.

 

regards Worgeordie

That was, what I was asking myself !

Policemen, seemingly no SWAT team at that time, delivering a warrant.

2 policemen severely injured - that points more to the assumption, they did not expect anything dangerous and did not take any precautions.

More like: „We have something to discuss...“

Sounds all like a terrible misunderstanding ... not being fully aware of the local mode, how to deal with certain things.