dunroaming

18 hours ago, Tug said:

Here in the USA yesterday the wife and I did a shopping trip to Costco and the local Thai ethnic store both places were very busy but under control some limits on items others unavailable no panic I personally admired Costco they limited the # of shoppers in the store at any one time it all went smoothly that beeing said with the suppression of testing for cv here when the true #s become known it’s liable to get bad that’s the reason the wife and I with proper ppi risked the exposure we are now set for 3 months easy good luck and best wishes to my brothers and sisters acrosst the pond 

The headline is just a bit of media hype.  The supermarkets in the UK are introducing procedures to control the binge buying.  The main ones have introduced the first round which is to make the first hour after restocking exclusively for the elderly, vulnerable and their carers.  This will be "policed" by their own staff.  There are also restrictions in place over the amount of repeat items customers are allowed to buy and finally Waitrose are bringing in hundreds of extra delivery vehicles and drivers to put on more home deliveries.

Part of the reason for the panic buying is that now the schools are closing for an indefinite period of time (my son's closes today until after the summer holidays) people need to stock up for the little darlings being at home all day.  People are also worried that as they are being "advised" to stay at home and avoid large groups of people, that that advice may change into an "instruction".

London is not in lock down, some way off of it yet.  There were some tube stations closed yesterday but most remain open.

35 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, 70, says he has no intention of complying with the Tory Government's "order" to old folk to isolate themselves for four months?

 

Should he be regarded as a hero - or a villain?

Nor have I or anyone I know.  This advisory at the moment anyway.

43 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

My sincere sympathy goes out to you and your child or young adult as they probably see themselves as.

 

Sadly exam boards are still uncertain of any contingency plans. they have extended some coursework but that is it so far.

 

These E Learning platforms are not very good and have limited collaboration capacities. Classin, Zoom and a few others are better.

 

This decision will probably be taken away from them. It is a difficult situation and one that I fully understand completely.

 

Good luck it is extremely difficult times.

Thank you.

You are right there is "no set in stone" contingency plans.  Initially it was said that the exams would be put back until July which would be summer holidays and cause chaos with those families that are committed to go away already.  That was then deemed impractical and it was suggested taking the exams in September. That wouldn't work as most boy's in my son's school are going on to college for their A levels, starting in September,  their acceptance is obviously based on their GCSE results. 

Then it was muted that the students didn't take the exams at all and results were given based on their predicted targets.  It certainly seems more practical but there is a fly in the ointment.  This possible option I didn't share with my son because at a time when revision is crucial, any thought of not having to take his exams would result in him throwing his books in the bin and turning on the x-box.  Unfortunately some clown at his school (his head of year) decided to share this possible option with all the GCSE students.  As is the way with kids at this age, many have taken it as gospel!  As you can imagine, us parents are not happy.

As for the on-line tutoring options, you are right again, none of them work in anyway other than a temporary stop gap.  The students have been getting their homework on-line for some time and of course there are many revision pods for them to use. 

3 hours ago, chilly07 said:

Regarding the UK population as a 'Herd' and take no further shut down action doesn't  work with  Flu and won't  work  with covid 19. The idiots 'running' that country are truly demonstrating a Herd mentality worried only about the Economy and their investments not their citizens!

To be fair the economy is all important.  A weakened economy means there isn't money to care for the citizens.

5 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

And as soon as a child is tested positive, all schools will be closed. Who will be the clown then.

As the father of a child in school in the UK I do have some local insight.  He is in year 11 and revising for his GCSEs at the moment.  There have been a coupe of cases of teachers having Covid-19 and those schools closed for about two weeks for a deep clean. The general consensus at my son's school is that most students are very keen for the school to close and the majority of parents are very keen for it to remain open!  Probably because most parents work (both mums and dads) and it would mean at least one of them would have to stay at home.  Everyone is mortgaged up to the eyeballs around here and they need two wage packets constantly coming in.

I do think that eventually the schools will probably have to close for a while and our school has already set up systems to cope with that.  Lessons would be on line with all teachers available on Skype or What's App. Very doable for young teenagers but harder for the younger kids.  For Primary and Junior schools, an absolute nightmare.

On 3/15/2020 at 10:33 AM, Dumbastheycome said:

The world is now at war with an invisible enemy! The  biggest damage at end will be to the global economy.

My fear is that that could initiate more  conventional war.

 

 

The economic fallout from this pandemic is going to be staggering.  

20 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Thailand was one of the first countries to report a case of Covid-19 outside China. Iong before Italy. There was according to Thai government figures some 2 million Chinese here at that time, many from near the epicentre. Surely, if if we were going to get hammered it would have happened by now?

Valid point.  The new epicentre is Europe where the virus is spreading far more rapidly than in Asia.  It would be understandable if people from there travelling to South East Asia were being monitored closely.

Easter will be a test on just how many people will be travelling on holiday, but the real test will be in the summer.

7 hours ago, les1 said:

My wife & I came in from DaNang on Wednesday & as far as we could see nothing was being implemented on entering the Country. No temperature checks coming in however on leaving the Country 10 days earlier they checked temperatures on entering the departure lounges. Today UK Confirmed over 600 cases of Covid19 but Thailand with thousands of Chinese holidaying in all areas of the Country declaring only a handful. Also today the Guy who discovered Ebola maintains that you only need to talk to someone to contract the disease. Unbelievable....????

Thailand, as always, is full of unfounded rumour and government spin.  My wife is due to fly from Bangkok to the UK on Tuesday and has been told that the airport is going to be closed any time now!  Not by the airport or the airline (Thai Airways) but this is according to social media.  She also tells me that contrary to the low number of cases of the virus, local news channels have said that there are over 100,000 cases of the disease in Thailand and over 5,000 deaths.

Given that the WHO figures for the total number of Corona Virus cases is just under 135,000 and the total number of deaths is at 4,990, I think I can see the source of this confusion in this case.  The figures she saw quoted were for the total in the world, not the total in Thailand.  Likewise we all know that the official line of 50 plus is utter nonsense.  Difficult to work out what is fact and what is social media motivated fiction. 

16 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

Honda are cutting back on carbon based internal combustion automotive production and are making Japan their electrical production centre looking after Japanese workers, don't quote stuff like this which has nothing to do with Brexit but a huge re alignment of their business. Same with Ford at Bridgend, the workers knew the contracts for the manufacture of engines was coming to an end and new contracts might have come about if the switch to electrical propulsion hadn't occurred so fast. 

It is true that all the car manufacturers are in transition from petrol/diesel to electric and some hybrids.  It is true that that involves restructuring but the cars still need to be assembled and apart from the drive system they remain basically the same.   Car manufacturing is global and cars are built in many different countries.  The UK has been at the forefront of the automobile industry and Japan recognised that and saw Britain as a foothold in Europe.  BMW did say that they intended to build the electric Mini in the UK but have now said that they have to see what trade deal is agreed with the EU.. Time will tell but at the moment everything is in the air and will remain so until Britain agrees that trade deal.

As sure as eggs is eggs the government will blame the effects of the Corona Virus  for many of the upcoming problems with the economy.

20 hours ago, Greenhill said:

So, it's canelled but will carry-on?!!!   As usual that makes perfect sense in this country but wouldn't anywhere else in the world!!!!

The difference is that they say that it is cancelled and not banned.  Same thing in Chiang Mai.  Consequently people will just go ahead and do it anyway.

7 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Well killing them is one way to get your money back........LOL

I lived in Macau for a while, years ago and there were frequently bodies dumped in the bay.  I was told that these were usually over gambling debts and a message to others. 

There are agencies that arrange for girls to go to South Korea and work in massage parlours using tourist visas.  My wife personally knows two girls (actually women as they are in their thirties) who have done this.  They usually go for three months at a time and have done it several times.  They have also been to India using the same agency.

I am sure that the suspect in the case is well aware of the phrase "No comment".  The usual response of those who are guilty as charged.  At this point the Thai police would simply get on with torturing the guy until he admits to anything, including eating babies for breakfast. 

Obviously I bow to Britman's greater personal knowledge of police arrests and questioning.  Not that I haven't been arrested, charged, had my fingerprints taken and spent a night in a cell, because I have, albeit many years ago now.  But I wasn't facing a murder charge, that is a totally different ball game.  It also means the police are held to far greater scrutiny and that they need real evidence before asking the CPS for permission to charge the suspect.

The colder the case, the harder it is to find hard physical evidence and so the police would clearly be seeking a confession.  Maybe if they do travel to Thailand to interview him, they could borrow some "kit" from the Thai police and an instruction manual of how to proceed.  That should deal with the "boredom" aspect of the case and have him pleading to be extradited to the UK ! 

My wife flew out of Heathrow to Bangkok yesterday on the Thai Airways A380.  She phoned me from the plane before take-off to say it was 75% full.  Only a handful of people were wearing masks at that point, most of them being westerners.  I was surprised that there were so many on the flight. 

My wife is flying into Bangkok tomorrow.  Her father died last night after his triple bypass operation failed. She plans to stay for three weeks and then fly back to the UK.  She has been told that she will have to self isolate for two weeks on her return.  Can really see her doing that!

1 hour ago, mr_lob said:

Concerts around the World sell alcohol generally without issues. Its more to do with being unable to handle one's emotions here...

Stick a whole load of testosterone driven youths in a venue, lace them with drink and drugs and stand back.  Happens everywhere in the world, certainly did when I was at that age.  There were always concerts at the uni I went to and always there would be a fight somewhere.  Same goes for soccer matches or weekends away at the seaside.  It's a gang culture thing and always has been.

10 hours ago, champers said:

Your place or mine?

I am sure the girls scrub up very well and can sweet talk themselves into many a tourists bed.  No doubt many of those tourists daydream about setting up a love nest with one of these gorgeous looking girls to be pampered and looked after. ????

11 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Surprised no Laotians.

Lots in Pattaya recently.

Isaan girls are primarily Laotian, always have been.  And Isaan girls make up the majority of the Pattaya bargirls, always have done.  And in many westerners eyes, Isaan girls are the prettiest Thai girls.  I would go along with that view!

13 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Yes, but if i was a millionaire I doubt I'd want to visit next door, when i could visit the next town

Lot's of Indian tourists in London this year.  Not sure what you mean about "next door" against the "next town"..  It's true enough that you now see lot's of wealthy Indians on holiday in the Maldives and Seychelles but also in Paris and the South of France.  It is also true that Thailand attracts plenty of cheap Charlies, budget tour groups and worlds back packers along with the five star tourists staying at the top hotels and luxury villas.

That is the beauty (or curse, depending on your point of view) of Thailand.  There is something for everyone.  I enjoyed my time there immensely, from the dodgy nightlife to the cheap housing, great food and lot's of good beaches only a short plane ride away.  It has changed considerably now but still has a lot to attract the newbies.