edwardandtubs

If it's credible evidence and sources you want, you should be focussing on randomised controlled trials and these don't support the wearing of masks as a public health measure to reduce covid transmission. No statistically significant difference in covid transmission rates among health care workers wearing N95 masks and medical masks: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1966 No statistically significant difference in covid transmission rates between mask wearers and non-wearers: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M20-6817 And the low quality observational studies that your article refers to have been debunked: https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(22)00550-3/fulltext

Certainly not in the UK where they swab and can tell you straight away if you've got gonorrhoea or not. Even in Thailand I doubt a ceftriaxone injection is available over the counter so if you have to go to a clinic anyway, why not get the swab done so you know what you're treating?

Self diagnosis and self prescription is not a good idea. It can wipe out the weak bacteria leaving only the strong drug resistant ones which then multiply and become difficult to treat. A visit to a decent sexual health clinic to find out exactly what (if anything) you've caught and then the proper prescription is better. Definitely, any case of gonorrhoea needs an injection of ceftriaxone in the bottom and doxycycline is more effective than azithromycin for chlamydia, as long as you take the full 7 days.

They have gone up but it's better to pay in dollars. For a UK passport it's now $40 (1345 baht). Thanks for the report. Did you see much in the way of public transport as you passed?

Because they're cutting people open, not something I've ever seen on public transport.

The world is full of idiots doing exactly that, which is why it is inexcusable there weren't normal procedures in place to protect the worker.

It would take a total redesign of Bangkok's sois, together with mass compulsory purchase orders and demolition to achieve even basic standards. Most sois don't even have a pavement and that's not going to change.

Yes, clearly the main issue here is the lack of proper safety procedures to protect the worker.

As someone who splits time between Thailand and the UK, I can say this is definitely not so. Groceries are cheaper in the UK due to the fierce competition in retail. A week's grocery shopping at Aldi in the UK is much cheaper (and better quality) than Makro in Thailand. If you compare like with like clothes are also cheaper. You can get cheaper and better quality stuff from Primark than the cheapest rubbish in Thailand. If you're looking for better quality, that will also be cheaper in the UK. Cars are cheaper. In fact, any time you want to "buy stuff" the UK is cheaper. I would say the thing that's cheaper in Thailand is what people may term their "expenses" like rent, energy and petrol. But if you own a house and a bicycle, the UK is cheaper overall.

It's back and runs at 0930 and 1500 from Ubon: I assume the vans from the bus station are more frequent and cheaper though.

It seems the busses from Ubon to Mukdahan might be more regular and therefore a better option.

I quite like Ubon so was thinking about flying there, taking a van to the border, get the Laos visa on arrival, cross and then come straight back for my 45 day visa exempt and get a van back to Ubon to spend the night there, returning to Bangkok the next day. Any pitfalls in my plan? When is the last van between the airport and Chong Mek and the last one from Chong Mek to Ubon city?

What a load of rubbish! I've lived in London and Bangkok and Bangkok's congestion is many times worse. London is actually quite good.

My only experience with the Penang to Hatyai van was when a family who were traveling in the van were being held up at immigration. We waited and waited and waited with no end in sight and it looked like I might miss my flight so I paid 800 baht for a taxi to the airport instead.

Getting drunk and mounting an unstable buffalo "work of art" is a stupid thing to do, but at least they didn't get in a Bentley, decide to race it on the highway and then plough into four innocent people like this guy: The 'farangs who hate farangs' brigade need to keep everything in perspective I feel.

It's a very corrupt area where the moto drivers take you to a fake Cambodian consulate on the Thai side of the border to get ripped off. I think they prefer to keep long stayers away so they can rip off the backpackers more easily.

That's totally different from the non-existent 6 month rule you're talking about. People running into problems tend to be those with many years staying in Thailand without a long enough break in their home country.

No, it really is only Aranyaprathet immigration. There's no "6 month rule" and no other immigration office mentions it. Even Aranyaprathet don't mention it and just make up vague nonsense about being in Thailand too long.

No such rules exists. Aranyaprathet immigration just make this nonsense up, which is why it's best to avoid this crossing.

Get yourself to Pailin and then to the Prum border crossing. Cross the border into Pakard and then take a minibus to Chanthaburi. You can then get a bus to Pattaya or Bangkok.

At present it seems the land borders are unaffected so that's the best option for a border hop with no vaccine certificate.

Cases will be going through peaks and troughs for the rest of our lives. The Thai authorities are not going to screw their tourist industry every time cases rise. And your quote mentions a flu epidemic. That's not something new at all and has never led to travel restrictions.

The rules last until the end of this month and as they appear to be a knee-jerk reaction, may not be extended. But if they are extended then you would have to check whether the country you're going to "refuses entry to infected people" from Thailand.

The rules are unambiguous. Why are they confusing for you? There's no exemption for retirees but it obviously wouldn't affect you as the US doesn't "refuse entry to infected people" from Thailand. So you need your vaccination proof but no insurance needed.

Thaipbsworld, either their own website or their twitter account, is the best source for official information (being a public service broadcaster): https://www.thaipbsworld.com/rules-for-air-passengers-arriving-in-thailand-between-january-9th-and-31st/