TallGuyJohninBKK

Tell that to the staff of the U.S. CDC: "The US CDC is investigating several dozen COVID-19 cases linked to its own annual conference held near the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, last week. About 35 people have tested positive as of May 2, according to a CDC spokesperson. The 3-day 2023 Epidemic Intelligence Service conference was the first time in 4 years that EIS officers and alumni gathered in-person. Around 2,000 people attended the conference, and while attendees said many people at the conference did not wear masks or socially distance, most were likely fully vaccinated.... The outbreak serves as a reminder that while COVID-19 may not pose the serious risks it did at the beginning of the pandemic, the virus continues to circulate, maybe especially easily at large indoor gatherings." https://myemail.constantcontact.com/--COVID-19-Updates---May-4--2023.html Dunno about those guys, but if it was me, I would have been wearing my mask AND socially distancing...amid a conference involving 2,000 people. That most participants at the CDC conference were not is a bad look for them, IMHO.

My wife and I took several domestic flights on Nok Air from and to BKK in the past couple months, and they were asking passengers to wear masks, and most were wearing them. Just as the BTS Skytrain system in BKK continues to ask passengers to wear face masks while onboard, and most do, especially the non-tourist folks.

But pro health!

We rent in a family's building. So I don't think I've ever received one of those maintenance notices in 15+ years living here... The owners may get them in the mail since they're the ones who pay the electric bills directly. But to the extent any notices arrive, they don't seem to get passed along to us. PS - looked thru the MEA's recent scheduled outages notice (thanks to your suggestion). Nothing pertained to our home area for the past couple days. https://www.mea.or.th/en/content/detail/80/7725 https://www.mea.or.th/en

Ya, we used to in past years have a lot of periodic outages, and transformers blowing out, during the rainy seasons, when the water apparently caused problems with the lines and/or connections. But in more recent years, that seems to have become much more rare around these parts.

I tried it last week... Signed up and all, and then got to the part about adding a bank card payment method in the app, where all the fields were grayed out. Contacted their support, and was told their app currently doesn't have the functionality for bank card payments...even though the app has a place for them, and doesn't tell you it's dead. Great idea on the app originator's part.... But lousy execution thus far. I wish they would do better.

We live in a central, well-developed area of BKK where we rarely have electrical outages in recent years... HOWEVER, two nights ago, the power went out at about 1 am and didn't come back until about 5 am.... which I assumed because of the hour might have been due to some kind of area traffic mishap. But then again this afternoon, the power went out again for about an hour.... as temperatures were soaring to about 100F..... So, anyone else experiencing the same lately? Maybe ours were just some kind of localized outages... Or, maybe not?

From the WHO's latest monthly monitoring report, the section dealing with SE Asia: Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 4 May 2023 "The South-East Asia Region reported nearly 257 000 new cases, a 454% increase as compared to the previous 28-day period. Eight (73%) of the 11 countries for which data are available reported increases in new cases of 20% or greater... The highest numbers of new cases were reported from India (222 784 new cases; 16.1 new cases per 100 000; +540%), Indonesia (27 358 new cases; 10.0 new cases per 100 000; +168%), and Thailand (3502 new cases; 5.0 new cases per 100 000; +468%). The number of new 28-day deaths in the Region increased by 317% as compared to the previous 28-day period, with 950 new deaths reported. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (652 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; +515%), Indonesia (257 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; +165%), and Thailand (19 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; -5%)." https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230504_weekly_epi_update_141.pdf?sfvrsn=ec8d9490_4&download=true Keep in mind, Thailand since last fall no longer publicly reports actual COVID cases or positive tests for COVID. Since last fall, the only "cases" Thailand reports for COVID are those that result in hospitalizations, which means Thailand's so-called "case" numbers aren't comparable to those from other countries.

"Globally, COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to drop over the past 4 weeks, but levels are rising in three of the six world regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest weekly update. In the Southeast Asia region, hot spots include India, Indonesia, and Thailand. In the Middle East, levels are on the rise in Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. And in the Western Pacific, numbers are up Singapore, Japan, and South Korea." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/quick-takes-cdc-head-resigns-mixed-global-covid-picture-us-rise-newer-subvariants

WHO ends COVID-19 public health emergency, warns of continued health threat "The World Health Organization (WHO) today declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) put in place on January 30, 2020, a move that its director-general said is cause for celebration and reflection—but warned it doesn't mean the pandemic is over. ... "However, that does not mean that COVID-19 is over as a global health threat," he added. "Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every 3 minutes, and that's just the deaths we know about. As we speak, thousands of people around the world are fighting for their lives in intensive care units, and millions more continue to live with the debilitating effects of post–COVID-19 condition." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-ends-covid-19-public-health-emergency-warns-continued-health-threat

I want to comment on the amazingly long commitment Joe made to this forum and his immeasurable contribution of time on behalf of fellow forum members. I don't know exactly when he started... but..... While some others have been here longer than me, I first became aware of the forum about 20 years ago, and it was thru Joe and his visa/immigration related advice and posts... And here he was 20 years later, still providing such an invaluable service to the forum and its members. His truly was a contribution of epic scale and consequence.

More than two weeks have passed now since this apparent murder-suicide occurred..... and this case seems to have dropped off the face of the earth in terms of follow-up news coverage. Unless I missed it somehow/somewhere, I haven't seen news reports of any follow-up police investigation to substantiate what seems to have been the widely speculated outcome... that the son of a former high ranking Army official shot and killed his GF (or ex GF) before killing himself. Nor does there seem to have been much public follow-up on how the guy involved managed to have access to so many guns, or how he obtained the weapon used in the shooting, which prior news reports claimed was registered to his father. Although, there were several TH news reports in the couple days after the shooting stating what appears to be the obvious. 2023-04-21 18:27:36 On April 21, from the death of Ms. Supitcha or Gigi, 19 years old, after she was shot dead by Miss Phumiphat Chaiwanichaya or Ikkyu. And the perpetrator shot himself to death in a luxury condo in the Asoke area, which was the last of the relatives of both parties. brought the bodies of both of them to perform charity https://www.archyde.com/bodies-of-ms-supitcha-and-ikkyu-brought-to-temple-for-charity-the-truth-behind-the-abhidhamma-prayer-ceremony/ There was some speculation immediately after the shootings that the father might have some legal liability for the handling of the firearm involved... But that issue seems to have died a quick death... Even though the son involved was too young to legally possess a gun in Thailand. "Under Thai law, it is mandatory for all individuals to obtain authorization prior to the possession, manufacturing, using, selling, purchase, ordering, and importation of firearms." ... You are not allowed to bring a gun with you into a city, neighborhood, or public areas without a license for carrying one on you. ... Thai law requires that you must be at least 20 years of age in order to apply for a license." http://thailawforum.com/database1/thailand-gun-law.html The shooter was variously reported to be either 18 or 19 years of age.

WOW.... so sad.... But a good reminder, as Joe did, to make the most of the time you have here in this world, and to be of service to others. RIP Joe.

New COVID hospitalizations in Thailand for last week (1,811) were up 10-fold compared with the start of April. https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/photos Both Malaysia and the Philippines are now facing rising case counts, and COVID crowded hospitals in Malaysia. Covid-19 rise tests Malaysia hospitals as Philippines reopens wards Updated May 4, 2023 KUALA LUMPUR – Rising Covid-19 cases are threatening to strain Malaysia’s crowded hospitals and the Philippines reopened its coronavirus treatment wards amid a surge in South-east Asia, underscoring the need for governments to adjust to the disease’s ebb and flow in a world now living with the virus. More than 70 per cent of government hospital beds in Malaysia were occupied as at April 29, up more than 20 percentage points from a week earlier, and the authorities have appealed to anyone testing positive to abide by a mandated seven-day quarantine in an effort to stem the pressure on its medical system. " https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/covid-19-rise-tests-malaysia-hospitals-as-philippines-reopens-wards

""It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the end of the emergency did not mean COVID was over as a global health threat. ... The WHO does not declare the beginning or end of pandemics, although it did start using the term for COVID in March 2020. ... COVID will continue to challenge health systems worldwide long term, including long COVID, infectious disease experts say. "No one should take (this) to mean COVID-19 is no longer a problem," said Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh." https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-is-no-longer-global-health-emergency-who-2023-05-05/

"Nearly seven million deaths from COVID-19 have been reported to WHO, Tedros said. More than 1 million of the deaths were in the United States alone. But Tedros emphasized that "we know the [death] total is several times higher, at least 20 million." https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/05/1174269442/who-ends-global-health-emergency-declaration-for-covid-19

"The U.N. health agency’s officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t finished, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. WHO says thousands of people are still dying from the virus every week, and millions of others are suffering from debilitating, long-term effects. ... WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said ... “That does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat,” he said, warning that new variants could yet emerge. Source link

'It’s still killing and it’s still changing.' Ending COVID-19 states of emergency sparks debate Moves by WHO and U.S. usher pandemic into new phase of disease monitoring, even as coronavirus kills thousands weekly ... "Gregg Gonsalves, a public health expert at the Yale School of Public Health, says ... Regardless of whether it is called a PHEIC, COVID-19 continues to cause death and suffering across the globe, he says.... “We’re willing to bake in a huge amount of morbidity and mortality to get back to normal [and] it doesn’t bode well for facing our future.” https://www.science.org/content/article/who-ends-pandemic-emergency-covid-19-deaths-fall

US Covid deaths are still running about 1100 per week. And just a few days ago, the CDC reported that COVID still ranked as the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. during 2022.

Let's wait and see what Thailand's upcoming weekly COVID hospitalizations and deaths statistics are when released in a few days. Last week showed a 10-fold increase in COVID hospitalizations compared to the start of April, and a fifth consecutive week of rising COVID hospitalizations.

Worth reading and hearing Tedros' entire message re COVID: "Tedros emphasized that this declaration does not mean COVID-19 is no longer a threat. “The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about,” he said. ... "A few thousand deaths are still being reported to the agency every week, and some models estimate that excess mortality is still at about 10,000 deaths a day worldwide." https://www.science.org/content/article/who-ends-pandemic-emergency-covid-19-deaths-fall And as the above article notes, in the U.S., about 1,100 mostly older people are still dying of COVID-19 every week, though the good news is, that's at a rate that's the lowest since the start of the pandemic.

The CDC's rankings for causes of death only use the narrower definition where a particular cause of death is found to be the "underlying cause." Those don't count the added cases where COVID or other factors were instead considered a "contributing cause". When counting the death causes listed as "underlying" (meaning primary), the rankings for 2022, as shown in the chart above, were the following: Heart disease -- 699,659 Cancer -- 607,790 Unintentional Injury -- 218,064 COVID -- 186,702 That meant COVID, ranked fourth, was the underlying (primary) cause of about 5.7 percent of ranked deaths for 2022, down from 12 percent or 416,893 underlying cause COVID deaths in 2021. However, the CDC also listed what it called "COVID-19 associated" deaths, which combine the underlying and contributing cause categories. By that measure, the U.S. had 244,986 COVID associated deaths in 2022, down 47% from 2021's figure of 462,193. The COVID associated deaths tally for 2022 accounted for 7.5 percent of the U.S.'s nearly 3.3 million total deaths. The CDC said the final death causes tally for 2022 will be released toward the end of this year. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a3.htm

"The spread of COVID-19 has been slowing, but the virus still remained one of the leading causes of death for Americans in 2022, falling from third place to fourth place last year. Among nearly 3.3 million fatalities reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics in 2022, COVID-19 was the underlying cause listed on 186,702 death certificates, substantially down from 416,893 in 2021. That means the virus now ranks behind heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries — a category largely driven by drug overdoses — which each caused the loss of more lives last year." (more) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-fell-fourth-leading-cause-of-death-cdc/ https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a3.htm

Is the RTP SO overloaded with useless brass that they have police Lt. Generals leading raids aimed at catching (but failing to do so) single expat alleged tax evaders? And who was out the ignoring drunk drivers while all these Thai police brass were scouring the German guy's condo? Wouldn't a team led by a police captain or colonel sufficed?

Sometimes "indefinitely" ends up being a lot shorter than people expect, especially when they ignore common sense public health protection measures. From the Thai MoPH in the past few days, via Google Translate: "Dr. Tares Krassanirawiwong, M.D. The Director-General of the Department of Disease Control mentioned the case of a 34-year-old Burmese man who died in a room in Sathorn District, Bangkok and ATK examination found COVID-19 on April 17, 2023. The results of the investigation showed that The deceased worked as a factory worker in Bangkok, had never received the COVID-19 vaccine before, and had no history of receiving COVID-19 treatment before his death. Songkran Festival The deceased played Songkran water with friends. And started to have a fever, red eyes, buy medicine and take it yourself, but stay in the room. Did not receive treatment at a hospital until someone found him dead in the room Computed tomography (CT scan) of the corpse by Chulalongkorn Hospital. compatible with severe pneumonia As for the results of the laboratory tests of the Department of Medical Sciences, it was found that the COVID-19 strain Omicron XBB.1.16.1" https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/pfbid07esigpoWz7ozMdMp8WFokfyaysYU6n4fWWWBGKp7wU31JaF3YNEhmSdLp492dk8Bl