TallGuyJohninBKK

XBB.1.16 is still a small but growing share of the different COVID variants circulating in Thailand. But Omicron overall is definitely making people sick and putting them in hospitals, as has previously been much reported here... reports you seem to choose to ignore. "Department director-general Tharet Krutnairawiwong said 435 patients were admitted to hospital for treatment of Covid-19 between April 9 and 15, about 62 cases per day. Of the number, 30 had lung inflammation and 19 were put on ventilators, up 58% and 36% respectively, from the previous week." The same weekly report cited 2 additional COVID deaths for Thailand, but didn't specify what variant was involved... not that it matters greatly.... Dead from COVID is still dead from COVID. https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40026704

Or it could more likely be that Thailand's number of COVID hospitalizations more than doubled to an average of 62 PER DAY earlier this month, compared to the week before... And probably will go higher still when last week's latest numbers are soon released.

It doesn't take a very large "minority" to end up with a lot of COVID sick people and hospitalizations. It's not the "majority" I'm most concerned about. Gone away, no longer an issue??? "A COVID-19 outbreak in staff and patients at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rose Medical Center in California has prompted new masking rules, hospital officials announced this week, according to the local newspaper. The policy applies to visitors, doctors, and staff." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-elevates-xbb116-variant-interest-levels-rise-us-and-other-countries "More than a dozen hospital workers at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, along with “some patients,” have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting new masking rules at the facility, hospital officials said." https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/covid-19-outbreak-reported-at-kaiser-santa-rosa-hospital-local-health-offi/

WHO elevates XBB.1.16 to variant of interest as levels rise in US and other countries The World Health Organization (WHO) this week boosted the XBB.1.16 Omicron subvariant to a variant of interest (VOI) from a variant under monitoring (VUM), based on the latest assessments from its technical advisory group on virus evolution. The subvariant is fueling India's biggest surge in about 7 months, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported another jump in the proportion of XBB.1.16 viruses. ... Its growth advantage and immune escape properties suggest that XBB.1.16 may spread globally and trigger increases and cases, but so far, there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease. The WHO said an initial risk assessment is under way and will be published in the coming days." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-elevates-xbb116-variant-interest-levels-rise-us-and-other-countries

The general COVID situation in many places is a lot better now than what it was in past years, both in case counts and in terms of severity of illness. There's no denying that, and I never have. But that's a far cry difference from people coming on here and claiming COVID is gone and no longer is a health risk to people at large, which is simply false and ignorant. It may not be a high risk to otherwise healthy, younger people. But it's still a potential risk, if you end up being one of the unlucky ones. And frankly, whether in the U.S. or here in Thailand, the majority of the overall population certainly has various of the chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk from COVID -- things like being overweight (U.S.), diabetes/high blood sugar (Thailand), liver disease (Thailand), etc etc.

Don't have the time for that, though I applaud your effort and talent!

If you dig into the details of those kinds of reports from ThaiPAN, there's also a big variation in the found pesticide levels here based on the type of vegetable. Some of the Thai local items like Thai red bird chilis were very bad, whereas other types like, if I recall cucumbers, were much less problematic. BTW, one of the issues I also have with Foodland, and some others like Makro, is that some of their fresh produce is grown in and imported from China, which is a no-go issue for me.

For starters, they're totally lacking in any selection of decent salsas, whereas Villa carries a wide range of locally produced good brands like El Sapo and El Charro.

This is very good news for U.S. expats who might at some points want or need to be returning to the U.S. and using those trips as an opportunity to catch up on COVID vaccinations or other COVID medical treatments, which tend to be more widely available and accessible in the U.S. vs Thailand. Some, like retired U.S. military folks, may have government/U.S. health insurance that would cover such things back in the U.S. even if the federal government hadn't launched the abovementioned program. But I'm guessing many other U.S. expats here may not have regular U.S. health insurance coverage, even if they might have have domestic coverage for Thailand. $1.1B program will keep COVID-19 vaccines, treatments free for uninsured in US "HHS announced a $1.1 billion program to keep COVID-19 vaccines and treatments free for uninsured people once the public health and national emergencies end next month in the United States. The HHS Bridge Access Program for COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments is a public-private partnership to maintain access to COVID-19 care at pharmacies, local health centers and through other public health infrastructure for people without insurance. ... CDC plans to establish contracts with pharmacies providing a per-dose payment to facilitate vaccinations and treatments, including Paxlovid and Lagevrio, at no cost for uninsured people. (more) https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20230419/11b-program-will-keep-covid19-vaccines-treatments-free-for-uninsured-in-us

Not knowing the workings of his particular Immigration office, but if needed, he could also consider humbly offering to pay a "fine" of some modest amount to make up for the financial boo-boo. You never know...

As usual, I think DrJack has given good suggestions for options above... I'll just add, my impression from past cases reported here is that Immigration in general seems to have been pretty unforgiving when it has come to even brief lapses in meeting the financial requirement for retirement extensions... The OP certainly isn't the first soul to have fallen afoul of this thru various kinds of mishaps. Not saying he and the wife shouldn't try to persuade their local Immigration chief or at least give it a try.... But in the past, the odds of such things succeeding don't seem to have been very good.

Strange how the Thaiger article above fully names the now-deceased gun nut suspect, and states the obvious that he likely shot and killed his ex-GF before shooting himself. The ThaiPBS article, on the other hand, strangely says the guy has only been identified by his first name, which is ridiculously false, since he's been fully named since the very beginning. And makes no mention at all of who likely shot who -- afraid to step on the Army's toes, I wonder? Meanwhile, the plot thickens even further with the disclosure that the handgun used in the shooting supposedly belongs to the shooter's father, a former high ranking Army major general. Anyone want to lay odds on the likelihood that the Thai police will end up finding the father won't be held legally responsible for allowing the son access to the gun?

Perhaps I've never gotten COVID (AFAIK) because I've always taken sensible precautions and followed the prevailing public health guidance on things like: --wearing an N95 mask when close around any others --trying to follow social distancing when out and around other people --getting fully vaccinated and boosted, including with the latest bivalent vaccine --using hand gels and soaps at home to regularly clean hands after being outside etc etc etc. I also haven't had the flu or a cold since the duration of the pandemic. So I fail to see what's so difficult for some people to take sensible precautions to protect their own health and the health of those around them. And, if I HAD had COVID before, I'd probably double down on all of the above, because even if I got it once, I'd certainly prefer not to get it multiple times and thus multiply my risks. AND, FWIW, COVID hasn't been just, to use your words, "any other disease," considering that in places like the U.S. it's been within the top 3 causes of death of any kind at many points since the start of the pandemic.... far more fatalities than the flu, colds, and most other maladies.

The problem with your comment is, while the odds of having bad health outcomes with Omicron COVID certainly DO weigh toward those who are older and/or have other chronic health problems, that doesn't meant other healthy people are entirely immune. For example: "infections remain a threat to vulnerable populations — and occasionally to otherwise healthy people. “There are still people who are getting wicked sick,” said Libby Hohmann, an infectious-disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. She cited two covid patients she’d recently seen in the intensive care unit — “both vaccinated and near death,” with one immunocompromised patient in their 60s dealing with infection from another pathogen, too, and a second patient in their 30s who was previously healthy but suddenly fighting heart failure." https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/04/16/covid-deaths-per-day/ I'd prefer to NOT spin the COVID roulette wheel with my health.

This is the EN translation of the Thai message on the former IOD webpage for making COVID vaccine appointments: "Closing the vaccination queue booking system You can get a walk-in vaccination service at Floor 12A, Institute of Dermatology Date 8,10,11,12 April 2023 (Last day of service 12 April) Time 9.00-15.00" https://covid19.iod.go.th/vaccine/

Had you filed any recent (or any prior) TM30 for your current home... before making the recent hotel stay that triggered this problem with Immigration? The supposed policy at BKK CW for TM30 for people on annual extensions like retirement or marriage is that they are NOT required to file new TM30s for their existing residence, even if they make domestic or international travel trips -- as long as they're coming back to their previously TM30-reported same residence. So, had you done a prior TM30 for your current home? As quoted by @Maestro above: "2.2 After a householder, owner or possessor of dwelling place or hotel manager already made a notification according to 2.1, then the alien goes to occasionally stay somewhere else and return to stay at the original place within the notified period of stay that has not yet ended, such householder, owner or possessor of dwelling place or hotel manager is not required to make a notification again."

Or they're just not looking for / testing for them... Cambodia was never particularly strong on actually testing for cases in its domestic population, although they did for a time with incoming international travelers. The public health system there is miles behind someplace like Thailand in terms of funding and capability. And the PM there was an early COVID denier. But all of that is off-topic for this thread about Thailand. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-the-notorious-nine-these-world-leaders-responded-to-the-coronavirus/

Pretty funny you, of all people, quoting the China Daily as your source... And relying on advice from the Chinese government on how COVID-related things should be!!!

Looks like the WHO disagrees with you: From the WHO as of March 30, 2023: "while SARS-CoV-2 may be moving towards becoming an endemic disease that can be managed through routine systems without significant ongoing PHSM [Public health and social measures], that time has not yet arrived. As long as there is widespread transmission, which there currently is, there is a high risk of the emergence of additional variants, which have the potential to be more severe and thus require the reintroduction of significant PHSM. Further, with every new case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a potential for the person to develop post-COVID-19 condition (also known as ‘long COVID’)." etc etc... https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1495640/retrieve

When exactly did that happen, and "considered" by who exactly? You? I must have missed the memo telling me that 23,000 official COVID deaths per month in the world, and the real figure likely being higher, is nothing to be concerned about.

Thailand's government is probably giving LESS attention to COVID as an issue than other places like the U.S. and the U.K., and certainly far behind in widely offering the newest bivalent COVID vaccines. It's just that COVID denyers here on this forum get agitated and offended anytime they see a news report or thread on a subject that they really don't want to see... Unfortunately, sticking your head in the sand isn't going to stop COVID deaths and illnesses from occurring.

Which is clearly a false claim, as prior post responses to your claims have shown. And once again, as usual, you provide absolutely no credible sourcing to support your claim. Similar symptoms... to some extents yes. No more dangerous, definitely wrong.

1. the current variants are still variations of the earlier Omicron variants that the bivalent vaccines were developed for, so there's still relevance, and better relevance than the original, pre-Omicron COVID vaccines. 2. the key governments and vaccine makers are already planning for yet a newer version of COVID vaccines to be rolled out later this year based on the more currently circulating COVID variants. It's going to end up being much like the annual flu vaccine, where a new, updated version of the COVID vaccine is developed each year based on wherever the COVID virus ends up heading. How and whether Thailand will participate in that upcoming cycle of new, updated COVID vaccines remains an unknown at this point, as they have tended to follow far behind places like the U.S. and U.K. in terms of COVID vaccine deployments. Because everything COVID vaccine related right now for Thailand is a paid for import.... not something they themselves have developed and can economize on.

Except for the 23,000 or so people around the world who are dying from COVID every month at this point, according to the WHO. "Globally, 3 million new cases and over 23 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (13 March to 9 April 2023), a decrease of 28% and 30%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days (13 February to 12 March2023) (Figure 1, Table 1). Contrary to the overall trend, important increases in reported cases and deaths were seen in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions and in several individual countries elsewhere." AND "Current trends in reported COVID-19 cases continue to be underestimates of the true number of global infections and reinfections as shown by prevalence surveys.1-4 This is partly due to the reductions in testing and delays in reporting in many countries." https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20230413_weekly_epi_update_138.pdf?sfvrsn=2f5d54c6_8&download=true Thailand is a good example of the above. Doesn't even count or publicly report just COVID infections /positive tests anymore. Only reports COVID hospitalizations, which are what the various counting entities now count as their "cases." Not to mention, previously having adopted a very narrow definition of what the Thai MoPH will consider a death caused by COVID.

Yes... the COVID mortality percentages these days are very small... in part because of vaccinations and prior COVID infections among the population. But even very small percentages become significant numbers of deaths when you get to the country levels.... such as the close to 200 people per day dying from COVID in the U.S. A tiny percentage compared to the U.S. population. But not so tiny if you or your family are involved in one of those hundreds of daily COVID deaths. And then there are the thousands of daily new COVID hospitalizations in the U.S. that don't result in deaths, and the toll of Long COVID that leaves people with long-lasting symptoms that leave them unable to work, etc etc. Despite what some claim, it's an ongoing public health issue around the world.