TallGuyJohninBKK

The science and credible studies in support of face mask wear as helping reduce (not absolutely prevent) the risk of contracting and spreading COVID are overwhelmingly clear. The WHO supports that, the U.S. CDC supports that, the American Medical Association and countless other public health agencies support that. Even the Thai doctor in the OP article advised that people should still wear face masks when in crowded indoor places: "The virologist adds that adults with respiratory diseases should continue to wear face masks outside the home. In addition, everyone should wear a face mask on public transport and in crowded spaces." The arguments against face mask wear mostly come from right-wing political idealogues and fringe scientists and doctors (whose backgrounds often are in fields unrelated to COVID and infectious diseases) who often publish their opinions in dubious journals, and/or eventually have their writings later pulled or ripped apart by actual experts in the field. There is an expert consensus on face mask wear as one of several key measures to combat COVID, along with vaccination, social distancing and hygiene practices. But as with anything, there are always going to be a few fringe groups and voices shouting into the wind.

A betting man would guess this has something to do with the DSI's director's involvement in the current Chinese "gray market" business and visas investigation, either for better (he was actually trying to prosecute them) or worse (he was obtructing attempts to prosecute them). Take your pick! So now the former DSI chief is chief of the place that keeps track of dead bodies. Perhaps that's meant as a lesson/warning to him....

And as far as likely relevance to the OP's question, all these years later, ancient history....

You didn't say WHEN you had that experience... But either way, it seems to be quite at odds with the recent Laksi experience cited by the OP here. That described by the OP was the same kind of answer my wife got back in November when talking in person to the counter staff at the Bangrak district office. Through a series of recent interactions here, I've gotten the feeling that the whole COVID pandemic ordeal has resulted in Thai government offices becoming much more focused about far ahead scheduled appointments and much less receptive to walk-in transactions that might have been more normal in the past.

I opened a Krungsri MTD account at my local branch some years ago, and have used it ever since as the home for my 800,000 baht deposit required for my retirement extension. I've never had a work permit here, and opened the MTD account solely on the basis of having a retirement extension. The account came with both a VISA debit card and a regular passbook. The account and its passbook have always been accepted by BKK Immigration for retirement extension deposit purposes without issue. Krungsri's online banking is reasonably good, and you can online transfer funds between Krungsri and other Thai bank accounts. The limitation on monthly withdrawals in not really an issue for me, since I really only use the account for Immigration deposit purposes, and not other activities.

Why would anyone want to sign on as legally responsible for a multi-million baht loan for a house that they won't own, won't live in and won't have any legal rights to?

For example: For the United States: Report: COVID-19 vaccines saved US $1.15 trillion, 3 million lives December 14, 2022 A Commonwealth Fund study estimates that, through November 2022, COVID-19 vaccines prevented more than 18.5 million US hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths and saved the country $1.15 trillion. The modeling study estimated hospitalizations and deaths averted through the end of November 2022, at a time when 80% of the US population had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. ... "Without vaccination the U.S. would have experienced 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations, and 4.1 times more deaths," the authors wrote. (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/report-covid-19-vaccines-saved-us-115-trillion-3-million-lives For the world: COVID-19 vaccines saved an estimated 20 million lives in 1 year June 24, 2022 COVID vaccines reduced the potential global death toll during the pandemic by almost two-thirds in their first year, saving an estimated 19.8 million lives, according to a mathematical modeling study yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. An additional 600,000 lives could have been spared if a World Health Organization (WHO) goal of vaccinating 40% of the population of every country by the end of 2021 had been met, the authors of the study say. ... ...the model estimated that vaccination prevented 14.4 million deaths, or 79%. When they accounted for under-reporting, however, they found that COVID vaccination prevented an estimated 19.8 million deaths out of a total of 31.4 million potential deaths that would have occurred without vaccination—a reduction of 63%. (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19-vaccines-saved-estimated-20-million-lives-1-year

You might -- but probably won't -- stop to consider that perhaps the reason everyone at your work who got vaccinated and later ended up getting mild cases of COVID escaped relatived unscathed was exactly because they HAD been vaccinated... In the current Omicron world, the current vaccines at far more effective at keeping COVID cases alive and out of the hospital than they are at preventing infections. Yes, the shots still help somewhat prevent infections, especially if the person has received the newer bivalent vaccines recently... But that protection against mere infection is not 100%, and does tend to wane substantially by several months after the latest shot. However, the protection from the vaccines against COVID death and serious illness has been shown to be more substantial and durable, even with the newer Omicron variants. So far from your "biggest swindle in human history," the vaccines during the course of the pandemic have kept many millions of people alive who otherwise would have died from COVID. And perhaps your co-workers are among them.

Mask Mythbusters: Common Questions about Kids & Face Masks How do masks prevent the spread of COVID-19? "When worn correctly, face masks create a barrier that reduces the spray of a person's spit and respiratory droplets. These droplets play a key role in the spread of COVID-19 because they can carry SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Masks also can protect you from others who may have coronavirus but are not showing symptoms and who could come within 6 feet of you, which is how far respiratory droplets can travel when people sneeze or cough or raise their voices." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Mask-Mythbusters.aspx

You managed to find a study by an avowed anti-COVID vaccine doctor -- Tracy Beth Høeg -- who's working with the anti-COVID vaccine and COVID skeptic state of Florida Health Department, which recently has been trashed for putting out bogus COVID vaccine research: "Tracy Beth Høeg, M.D., Ph.D. is an epidemiologist currently doing COVID-19 vaccine research with the Florida Department of Health and a physician in private practice in California." https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/tracy-beth-hoeg That's one bio description of her. But others make it clear that she's primarily a sports medicine doctor with an interest in something called "othobiologic medicine." "She then completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UC Davis, where she was Chief Resident, followed by a fellowship in Interventional Sports, Spine and Regenerative Medicine in Napa, California. Dr. Høeg is highly qualified to treat disorders and injuries of musculoskeletal system such as tendon, joint, cartilage and bone as well as disorders of the spine which can cause neck, back and sciatica pain. Additionally, she is highly qualified to diagnose conditions of the peripheral nervous system and musculoskeletal system using EMG/NCS and diagnostic ultrasound." https://www.norcalorthoassociates.com/team/hoeg.php Doctors sue to block California COVID disinformation law "The plaintiff doctors have been vocal in the debate over pandemic health policy, pushing back publicly on school guidance and mandates. Duriseti and Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg are affiliated with the “Urgency of Normal” group that in June urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to dial back school guidance to minimize disruptions from quarantines and end vaccine mandates." https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/11/14/doctors-sue-to-block-california-covid-disinformation-law/ Experts slam Florida surgeon general’s warning on coronavirus vaccines ‘If you submitted that to a peer-reviewed journal ... it would get rejected,’ vaccine safety expert says about study on which it is based https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/10/11/florida-surgeon-general-ladapo-covid-vaccines/ There's quite an industry of fringe academics who write all kinds of junk related to COVID and COVID vaccines and/or produce low-quality research that's published in low-quality journals... including academics who opine on topics that have nothing to do with their field... Such as Ambarish Chandra, the co-author with Hoeg on the study on masks, who's actually an economics professor: "Ambarish Chandra, an economics professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough..." https://www.chroniclejournal.com/news/national/social-media-tools-were-key-to-freedom-convoy-protest-expert-tells-inquiry/article_81175b13-6c73-549f-894f-fe0de1a177f8.html Not exactly the kind of expertise you'd want to bring to bear on issues relating to public health and COVID.

And as usual in this forum, those claiming N95 masks don't reduce the likelihood of being infected by COVID and the spread of the virus provide absolutely no credible evidence or sources for the claims they're making. Yes please, let's follow the science: Mask-wearing linked to 53% cut in Covid incidence, global study finds Researchers said results highlight the need to continue with face coverings, social distancing and handwashing alongside vaccine programmes Mask-wearing is the single most effective public health measure at tackling Covid, according to the first global study of its kind, which found that the measure was linked to a 53% fall in the incidence of the disease. ... “This systematic review and meta analysis suggests that several personal protective and social measures, including handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing are associated with reductions in the incidence of Covid-19,” the researchers wrote in the BMJ. ... Results from more than 30 studies from around the world were analysed in detail, showing a statistically significant 53% reduction in the incidence of Covid with mask wearing and a 25% reduction with physical distancing. (more) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/17/wearing-masks-single-most-effective-way-to-tackle-covid-study-finds

Perhaps the good Thai Dr. should check in with his colleagues at the WHO: WHO updates COVID-19 guidelines on masks, treatments and patient care 13 January 2023 WHO has updated its guidelines on mask wearing in community settings, COVID-19 treatments, and clinical management. ... Masks continue to be a key tool against COVID-19 WHO continues to recommend the use of masks by the public in specific situations, and this update recommends their use irrespective of the local epidemiological situation, given the current spread of the COVID-19 globally. Masks are recommended following a recent exposure to COVID-19, when someone has or suspects they have COVID-19, when someone is at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and for anyone in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated space. Previously, WHO recommendations were based on the epidemiological situation." (more) https://www.who.int/news/item/13-01-2023-who-updates-covid-19-guidelines-on-masks--treatments-and-patient-care In other words, they've now broadened their face masking recommendations to be more expansive, and not merely based on whether infections, hospitalizations, deaths are rising or falling in any particular area.

Regarding China and their outbound tourists: Almost a fourth of air passengers screened from China had COVID-19, report reveals January 14, 2023 Italian officials who screened 556 airline passengers from two Chinese provinces in late December found that almost a quarter of them tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, with one flight having 42% of passengers infected, according to a report yesterday in Eurosurveillance. Authorities conducted the screening from Dec 26 to Dec 29 after Omicron cases spiked dramatically in Beijing and other Chinese cities. The screening took place at two major airports: Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci in Rome and Malpensa in Milan. Of the 556 passengers from China screened, 126 (22.7%) tested positive via polymerase chain reaction testing. The proportion testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 per flight ranged from 11% to 42%. The flights originated from either Nanjing in Jiangsu province or Hangzhou or Wenzhou in Zhejiang province." (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/almost-fourth-air-passengers-screened-china-had-covid-19-report-reveals

It's already pretty clearly been established above that the U.S. Embassy in BKK does not require Americans going there to obtain their certified freedom to marry affidavit to bring along any kind of witness. I got my freedom to marry affidavit there in the past, and no witness was required, nor does the Embassy webpage on marriage affidavits make any mention of needing a witness. The OP needs to download and fully complete the marriage affidavit document, IIRC except for his own signature, make an appointment to visit the US Embassy, and then present his US passport and the completed affidavit to the embassy officer, sign it in front of the officer, and then the officer will certify it, and return the certified document to the applicant. https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married-in-thailand/

N95 masks, when worn and fit properly, have repeatedly been shown and proven to be very effective in blocking airborne virus particles and significantly reducing exposure to infections, including from COVID. Because the virus particles aren't just floating around in the air by themselves, but instead as part of respiratory exhaling. Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent ----------------------- "After all, N95s were what ER doctors wore to treat COVID patients at the very beginning of the pandemic—before vaccines or boosters were available, and before most people began wearing masks indoors at all. “These masks are literally designed to block out infectious aerosols,” says Abraar Karan, an infectious-disease doctor at Stanford. He thinks that more everyday people should upgrade their masks, and that for health-care workers, N95s should be made mandatory." https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/01/does-it-help-wear-mask-if-no-one-else/621177/ ------------------------------------- By Reuters Fact Check "Reuters recently debunked claims about masks and lockdowns, finding they effectively slow the spread of COVID-19 (here). Several studies show mask-wearing helps reduce transmission of the virus (here, here). ... A Sept. 2020 Duke University study found that out of 14 different face covering types, a fitted N95 respiratory mask, commonly used by healthcare workers to prevent transmission of infectious diseases, provided the most effective protection against respiratory droplets (here)." https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-coronavirus-masks-idUSL1N2ST0OO

Americans at the top of both nationality lists... I figured we'd be relatively high on the lists given the size of the U.S. population, but I didn't expect we'd be at the top of both... and by a pretty wide margin... especially considering the Chinese and Japanese business presences here. But perhaps it's a result of that famous and often mis-attributed American slogan -- "there's a sucker born every minute." ????

I've always understood that "possessor" in these discussions here in Thailand pretty much comes down to being translated at "occupant," which you are. But at some point, Thai Immigration may demand from you either a signed lease and/or a copy of the owner's legal ID, signed by the owner. I believe I did the "possessor" deal for TM30 registration at some point in the past. But I had a signed lease and signed copy of my owner's Thai ID.

I answered the part about the wife's loan issue above... As for the getting married (remarried) documentation part, the specifics may vary some from amphur/khet office to office... Some places make it relatively easy, others hard. But in general, as an American, they seem to want: --a US Embassy certified copy of my passport face page (some offices don't) --the completed US Embassy-stamped affidavit of freedom to marry --then translating the marriage affidavit and my US passport copy into Thai, and taking them to the Thai MFA to have the translations/documents certified and stamped there. --And then for the district office, I believe we also need to bring the Thai Khor Ror 2 and 3 documents (original Thai marriage certificate and marriage registration document) and subsequent Thai divorce certificate. I'm not clear yet on whether those also have to go thru the Thai MFA process. When we got divorced here, the district office gave us the TH language version of the Thai divorce certificate, and also an EN language version of the same. So I'm planning to bring along the EN version when I go for my US Embassy appointment. For whatever it's worth, when we originally got married here many years back, I had a single prior marriage and divorce in the U.S. I had documentation of that here with me, and wondered if the U.S. Embassy would ask to see it when I applied here for the affadavit of freedom to marry. But they did not ask to see or use it at that time.

The bank already knew it was her funds, not mine, going to pay for the house purchase. But because it involved a loan, if we were married, they (the bank) insisted I had to sign on the loan. It wasn't about complications at the Thai land office. It was the government bank relating to the loan. All I can add is that, my understanding of Thai marriage law confirms that any loans or other debts that a husband or wife individually takes out while married are considered joint financial obligations under Thai law -- even if the actual debt was only incurred by one person, not both. The issue about the affidavit for the Land Office is for a different purpose and doesn't somehow erase the legal joint obligations of spouses for debts incurred while married.

At that time, we didn't have anyone in our immediate circle here who was sufficiently English fluent for the purpose, not to mention having to drag them down to the khet office for a half a day.

The Thai government bank where my wife was taking out a loan in her name on a house she was buying for her parents' use. If we were married when she took out the loan, the bank was going to require me to be a signer on the loan -- even though I'd have no actual or legal rights to the house/land.

AFAIK, that waiting period does NOT apply if the same man and woman want to get remarried after getting divorced here. Rather, it applies if one or the other, after getting divorced in Thailand, want to marry someone else.

How recently or long ago was that?

My wife and I originally were married at Bangrak quite a few years ago with very little fuss or hassle, all in the same day on a walk-in basis -- unlike what other district offices in Bangkok were demanding at the time about having to bring along two witnesses and a Thai-English translator, and other junk. Recently, the wife and I needed to get temporarily divorced so she could transact some land business here without having a farang husband complicate things. So, we figured we'd go back to Bangrak to check about the divorce, which we did last month... WRONG! The desk clerks there basically told my Thai wife the same rigamarole that JNP recounted above about needing an advance appointment and facing a long wait, etc etc. We passed on that, and instead paid an agent who took us to another district office in BKK where we got divorced in about one hour without having to bring any witnesses, have any translator, wait long for an appointment, etc etc. But now that we're ready to get re-married again, I'm wondering if Bangrak is still an easy-go place to get the deed done... Because they sure weren't when it came to getting the divorce done.

The legal claims against Merck that Zostavax caused some vaccine recipients to later develop shingles apparently were never successfully proven. (See the Fierce Pharma article I linked to above). But the main reason to prefer Shingrix over Zostavax appears to be the issue of their relative effectiveness in preventing shingles and PHN: "Studies presented to the committee show that Zostavax is 51% effective against shingles and 67% effective against postherpetic neuralgia. In contrast, Shingrix is 97% effective against shingles for people between the ages of 50 and 69 and 91% effective for people 70 or older. It is 91% effective against postherpetic neuralgia for people 50 and older. These rates are based on evidence presented to the committee from clinical trials with over 38,000 total participants. Both vaccines wane in effectiveness over time. Zostavax diminishes in effectiveness by 15% to 25% after the first year and shows no significant protection by the ninth year, according to research presented to the committee. Shingrix remained at or above 85% effectiveness up to four years after vaccination; longer-term effectiveness is unknown." https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/health/cdc-new-shingles-vaccine/index.html