TallGuyJohninBKK

Yes... 4 months after your last prior shot seems to be the current general rule for timing. I got my 5th COVID vaccine shot earlier this month at a private hospital, after getting #s 3 and 4 at Bang Sue.

You always have to present your passport when getting a vaccination either from the government or a private hospital, AFAIK. But I've never had any of them specifically check the status of my visa or extension of stay, AFAIK.

I don't see you posting any credible scientific or medical or news source to back up what you're claiming, including how often things go one way or the other. And "generally" less severe meaning what....half of the time, 60%, 70%? Meaning there still remains some likelihood of things going the other way, as my posted news source above documents with real-life past episodes involving Ebola and others. From the above cited USA Today news report: ""The statement that 'in the history of virology, there has never, ever, been a viral mutation that resulted in a virus that was more lethal' appears to be quite untrue," Timothy Sheahan, virologist and assistant professor for the Gillings School of Global Public Health of the University of North Carolina, told USA TODAY."

Interesting report... Several things about its findings... 1. They made findings as to the amounts of titanium dioxide in SOME types of masks, moreso in the reuseable cloth/woven varieties than the single use disposable styles. 2. They made no findings as to whether or how much ofthat compound is released and inhaled from those particular masks when worn. From the report: "Face mask have an important role in the measures against the COVID-19 pandemic1. So far, no data are available that indicate that the possible risk associated with the presence of TiO2 particles in face masks outweighs the benefits of wearing face masks as protection measure. That is why we do not call for people to stop wearing face masks. However, the warning of Palmeiri et al.5 for the possible future consequences caused by a poorly regulated use of nanotechnology in textiles should be extended to face masks where TiO2 particles are applied conventionally, as a white colorant or as a matting agent, or to assure durability reducing polymer breakdown by ultraviolet light3,4." AND "No assumptions were made about the likelihood of the release of TiO2 particles itself, since direct measurement of release and inhalation uptake when face masks are worn could not be assessed." Also, their study seems to have involved 12 randomly selected types of masks obtained in the EU.... none of which were certified by the U.S. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) -- which typically certifies the top-line N95 type facemasks.

There have been more than 6.5 million official COVID deaths worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. And multiple studies estimate the true number at anywhere from 18-20 million. The largest share of those deaths occurred early in the pandemic prior to vaccines becoming available and then during the Delta variant wave. So there's many millions of people who would prove you wrong -- if they weren't dead already.

The alternative of doing nothing clearly would have been far worse. And there's no credible source that suggests otherwise.

COVID-19 vaccines saved an estimated 20 million lives in 1 year Jun 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." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/06/covid-19-vaccines-saved-estimated-20-million-lives-1-year AND Half a million in Thailand saved by Covid vaccine Thai researcher believes that the government’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has saved over 490,000 lives over the last two years. https://aseannow.com/topic/1266704-half-a-million-in-thailand-saved-by-covid-vaccine/

Nope, last recent update from the government here was projecting sometime into 2023.

COVID: EU warns 'completely new' strains possible this winter Amid concerns about a new wave of infections this fall and winter, the European Commission urged member-states to start rolling out COVID booster shots as soon as possible. ... "The urging comes after the EU's medicines agency approved vaccines from Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer that have been updated to tackle the omicron subvariant." ... "The measures include prioritizing adapted booster shots for higher-risk population groups, as well as trying to close coverage vaccination gaps for those who have not yet received a full dose or first booster — particularly among children who are now eligible for the jab. Countries have also been urged to maintain vaccination capacities by either reactivating vaccination centers or having general practitioners administer jabs." https://www.dw.com/en/covid-eu-warns-completely-new-strains-possible-this-winter/a-63006769

I believe some people have claimed here before, I believe without any credible proof, that virus mutations always become less virulent with time. From what I've read, there's little to no scientific evidence that that's always the case... may be sometimes... may not be other times. IMHO, best to stay up-to-date with COVID vaccinations and follow basic, common sense health precautions against COVID -- unless someone wants to end up being a COVID guinea pig for whatever variant comes next. Fact check: Yes, viruses can mutate to become more deadly The claim: Viruses never mutate to become more lethal ... " Experts say viral mutation is a complex calculus but there are several instances where viruses have evolved into more lethal strains." "Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that viruses never mutate to become more lethal. Ebola, the West Nile virus and the Spanish flu from the 1918 pandemic are all examples of viruses that became more lethal after mutating, experts say." https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/07/14/fact-check-viruses-can-mutate-become-more-deadly/7839167002/

The various government declared "pandemic" declarations of COVID may be ending in various places by various agencies. And yes, treatments are getting better and Omicron has generally been milder. But that doesn't mean COVID the virus and disease is over and done, because it's not and there's no sign it's going to vanish off the health landscape any time soon. It may be just a matter of waiting for the next wave or a next variant of the virus that causes a different kind or level of health problems. COVID: EU warns 'completely new' strains possible this winter Amid concerns about a new wave of infections this fall and winter, the European Commission urged member-states to start rolling out COVID booster shots as soon as possible. https://www.dw.com/en/covid-eu-warns-completely-new-strains-possible-this-winter/a-63006769 Is a Fall COVID-19 Surge Coming to the U.S.? "The combination of waning COVID-19 immunity and colder weather on the horizon that will see more people heading indoors could send infections right back up, with the trend reversing as soon as next month. “We are expecting a rise,” says Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. “The rise will be in reported cases. There'll be a rise in hospitalization and mortality but not as high proportionally to the rise in cases simply because many of us – the majority of Americans right now – have been either infected or vaccinated or both, so we have some immunity.” https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2022-09-02/is-a-fall-covid-19-surge-coming-to-the-u-s

Variously.... --to keep people from dying of COVID. --to keep people from ending up sick in the hospital from COVID. --to as much as possible prevent people from spreading COVID to others, who then end up dying or getting sick from COVID. --to prevent people from being unable to work post-COVID infections because they have long COVID symptoms like shortness of breath, inability to concentrate, "brain fog," etc etc. --to prevent COVID from prematurely killing off huge numbers of elderly people living in nursing homes and community care facilities. etc etc....

The earlier versions of COVID (original and Delta) definitely weren't anywhere close to being the same as colds or flus, as attested to by the millions who died from COVID in the earlier going. But even now, Omicron isn't the same either, even for those who get off with only light symptoms during the active infection period. Long COVID symptoms continue to afflict a share of those even during the Omicron period. "In a pre-print paper, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, researchers from the City University of New York sampled over 3,000 US adults between June 30 and July 2, 2022, during the Omicron BA.5 surge. They found that 17.3 percent of respondents had experienced a SARS-CoV-2 infection." ... "Most worryingly, some 21.5 percent of the respondents who caught COVID-19 reported experiencing long-COVID symptoms at least four weeks after their infection. This included symptoms like fatigue, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath, and the much-dreaded "brain fog." https://www.iflscience.com/a-spike-of-a-dreaded-covid-19-side-effect-may-have-hit-the-us-this-summer-65382

I was out before the noon lunch break yesterday, and that was with an extra hour of delay having to get a paid bank statement demanded by a fussy IO... In the last three years, I've always finished getting my extension and re-entry permit prior to the noon lunch break. I'm good for that. But I don't begrudge others who choose to handle their business in a different way. Just share what works for me, and why.

That's 30 minutes I'd prefer not to waste on the morning of my Immi visit. PS - Last I heard, Krungsri BKK CW was no longer providing the copy of the last bankbook page when issuing their income letters. They declined to give me a copy two years ago last time I did an income letter with them.

Re your first question about having a bank income letter from a province other than where you're applying to Immigration, I don't know the answer to that one... I don't know why that should/would be a problem. But I also don't recall ever seeing that addressed as an issue here. Re your second question, BKK CW says they will accept bank deposit confirmation letters issued up to 7 days prior to your actual Immigration visit. The letter doesn't have to be issued the day of your visit or even the day before. And, it's no problem if the balance listed on your bank letter is somewhat different than the balance of your bankbook update on the day of your visit. Just so long at your balances have always remained above the minimum amount/amounts specified by Immigration for your particular extension. PS - even though it's not required, I tend to like to get my income letter and day-of update balances to match. So the way I do that is.... 1. Get my income letter prior. 2. Immediately after getting my letter, do a 100b deposit at that same branch. 3. The morning of my Immigration visit, do a 100b ATM withdrawal to have some activity that day to allow a bankbook update. 4. And then run my bankbook thru the update machine to get the printed update for the day. 5. letter and bankbook balances match.

When I was using the photocopy shop in the basement of BKK CW yesterday at various points between 8:30 am and 10 am, there was never any queue line of customers, and I was served immediately upon arrival. In and out within a minute or two, Also, when I went the in-branch, day-of income letter at the BKK CW branch two years ago, they made me wait 30+ minutes from the time I finished all the application paperwork and payment with them, until the time they actually issued the letter. They claimed that was the time it took for them to clear the letter through their HQ branch for some reason. As a result of that unexpected delay, I was somewhat late for my scheduled L section appointment that year. And on that day, I was the very first person in line when the branch opened, so it's not like my request/paperwork for the letter was stuck behind others who had made prior requests. This year, when I got my income letter at my home Krungsri branch in the Sukhumvit area on Monday, I had my income letter within 5 minutes of the time I signed the application request paperwork and paid the fee. My general philosophy is to try to get as much of my business done as possible PRIOR to the 8:30 am opening of the BKK CW Immigration office.

Dunno what to say about what happened with your situation. For me, I never had any problem last year with my old Krungsri bankbook. I got a new Krungsri bankbook earlier this spring, and periodic machine updates since then had worked fine. The first I encountered any failure for the machine to update my book was Monday when I went to get my income letter at my home branch. And then same again Tuesday at Krungsri BKK CW. All I know, is the bank staff at both branches claimed they're having some problem with their bankbook update machines system. If it was a problem with the bankbooks themselves, then I'm hardpressed to explain how/why my new book updated without problem in their machines from March through August.... but then ceased working just lately.... And yet when the bank staff ran my book thru their desk machines inside the branch, both Monday and Tuesday, they were able to update it just fine.

The advantage of being able to update one's bankbook, as required by Immigration, BEFORE the bank branch opens at 8:30 am is that you're then ready to be in the Immigration pre-queue before the Immigration office opens just before 8:30 am, and thus able to get a very low queue ticket number for the L section, meaning hopefully you'll be served and out more quickly. Remember, the updating the bankbook process also involves two steps -- first getting the bankbook itself updated, and then heading down the row in the basement of the Govt. Complex building to get an updated photocopy of the newly updated final bankbook page...and then schlepping back to Immigration. If a person already has a previously issued bank income letter and can do the bankbook update at the passbook update machine well prior to the 8:30 am openings of both the bank and Immigration, they'll best be able to get a low L section queue number... And yes, that assumes they haven't used the online system to make a scheduled appointment time with Immigration for the L section.

There have been several posted reports here lately, including one from me, of the bank book and photocopies being required lately. Given how Immigration operates, it's hard to know whether it's an all-emcompassing policy right now, or just being periodically and randomly enforced. But, FWIW, the IO supervisor at BKK CW last week told me in English that it is now their POLICY.

Dunno the address answer to your question above.... But in terms of making payments when applying for a new U.S. passport from Thailand... 1. the actual new passport fee is paid online to a U.S. govt website and can be paid just fine with a U.S. bank card. 2. The other fee is a 100 baht prepaid mailing return envelope fee, which I believe is supposed to be paid with a draft (similar to money order) from one of several Thai banks that you're to include as part of your mailed application paperwork sent to the U.S. Embassy in BKK... As part of that application paperwork, you're also supposed to send a copy of the payment confirmation email you get from the feds when you pay online for the new passport fee.

In short, YES! Not asked... demanded at BKK CW right now. Told by my IO and confirmed by her supervisor in English last week. Assuming you have at least retirement extension based on a Thai bank deposit (I dunno if the same is being applied to extension people doing monthly foreign bank xfers)... as part of transferring your stamp to a new passport: Immigration at BKK CW told me they are now requiring in addition to the various items on their official list of required documents: 1. that you bring the Thai bankbook associated with your deposit and do a printed balance update in the book on the day of your Immigration visit. 2. that you also provide them with signed photocopies of your bankbook pages covering the period from the start of your current extension up through the date of your Immigration visit to request the stamp transfer to the new passport. They're going to look through those carefully to make sure that your bank balance never dipped below the required amount from the time of your last extension up through the date you're requesting the transfer of your stamp to a new passport. I'm guessing, but can't say for certain, that the same requirement is going to be applied to marriage extension holders who rely on Thai bank deposits... Because, what the IO supervisor actually told me in English was, ANYTIME you're coming to the L section to transact any business there, they're going to be demanding to see your Thai deposit bank book and set of signed bankbook photocopies.

Is that something they do for free, or is it a paid service? Is it university students doing it as part of their English language training?

Previously, two years ago, I didn't provide them, and was asked for them, as were others who posted as much here at the time. Last year I provided them without being asked, based on the prior year's experience. And the two pages were not returned/kicked back to me, but kept by the IO as part of my paperwork. This year, I didn't provide them, and wasn't asked for them. YMMV

Thanks! I corrected and changed my language above.... Their normal request is just for regular signed photocopies of the bankbook.... Only if there is some issue or complication, as occurred with me today, do they then resort to asking for the formal, bank-issued official account statement that you have to pay the bank to issue.