TallGuyJohninBKK

Also worth noting to put those numbers in greater context: COVID thus far has killed more than 232,000 people in the UK. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/ And, COVID vaccines are estimated to have saved about 400,000 lives just in England. https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/16/whos-eligible-for-the-2024-covid-19-vaccine-or-spring-booster/

You might try asking your regional MoPH office there... or calling the MoPH COVID hotline at 1422... Last time I checked with them a month ago, the MoPH folks in BKK didn't know of any specific availability outside of BKK.... But, private hospitals now DO have the ability to obtain the new COVID vaccines and provide them for a fee -- if they want to... Even if the Thai government isn't doing so. Bumrungrad and Praram 9 hospitals are doing so in BKK.

Here's a bit more context on what to make of the Ministry of Public Health's latest weekly COVID report -- new COVID hospitalizations were almost flat compared to the prior week with only a tiny increase, but COVID deaths, serious condition hospitalizations and ventilations all rose substantially from the week before -- now 10 straight weeks of increased COVID hospitalizations. Thailand MoPH Weekly COVID report for May 12 - 18, 2024: --1,882 new COVID hospitalizations, averaging 269 per day, up 2 from the prior week --16 new COVID deaths, up 5 / 45% from the prior week --679 current COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition (pneumonia symptoms), up 91 / 15% from the prior week --281 current COVID patients hospitalized requiring intubation/ventilation to breathe, up 44 / 19% from the prior week The latest weekly COVID deaths tally is Thailand highest since 25 were reported for a week in early July 2023. The tallies of COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition and those needing ventilation are the highest since at least the start of 2023. https://aseannow.com/topic/1311049-weekly-thai-ministry-of-public-health-covid-reports/?do=findComment&comment=18927054

Note that one month ago, one prominent Thai doctor estimated that just COVID infections in Thailand (not hospitalizations) likely were approaching 10,000 per day (doing a projection based on the reported hospitalization numbers.) The officially reported COVID new weekly hospitalization numbers are just the tip of a bigger, broader COVID iceberg that's currently running through its seasonal spike here in Thailand.

Thailand hasn't had any nationwide COVID vaccinations campaign since 2022. The Thai population in general is long out-of-date for COVID vaccinations, and virtually none of them have received the latest XBB-focused vaccine rolled out in the West last fall, since the Thai government as yet hasn't offered those here to the general public. As for your first comment above, note this excerpt from the OP report above: "with both public and private hospitals feeling the strain as outpatient and inpatient admissions rise." AND "Private hospital data indicates higher COVID admission rates than official reports"

Thailand's spring 2024 COVID surge continued for a tenth consecutive week last week, with only a slight increase in new COVID hospitalizations to 1,882, but much larger increases in new COVID deaths and COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition. The 16 newly reported COVID deaths last week, up 45% from 11 the prior week, is Thailand's highest weekly COVID deaths total since 25 were reported in early July 2023. The latest numbers of serious condition COVID patients (679, up 15% from the prior week) and COVID patients requiring ventilation (281, up 19%) both were the highest weekly totals since at least the start of 2023. By comparison, at the start of 2024, the number of serious condition COVID hospitalized patients was 144, meaning the current number is more than four times higher. And the number of hospitalized COVID patients requiring ventilation to start 2024 was 89, meaning the current number is more than three times higher. COVID deaths for that week were four. The only good news in the latest weekly COVID report from the Thai Ministry of Public Health was the rate of rising new COVID hospitalizations slowed markedly last week compared to earlier in the spring, with the latest 1,882 new COVID hospitalizations showing a tiny increase of only two from the prior week. Still that total was Thailand's highest new hospitalizations tally since mid-June 2023. The Thai government does not publicly report the total numbers of all current COVID hospitalizations, but instead only breaks out the subtotals for those in serious condition and requiring intubation, and then the new COVID hospitalizations each week. With the latest update for the period May 12 to 18, Thailand's weekly new COVID hospitalizations at 1,882, averaging 269 per day, have more than tripled from the 501 weekly count recorded in mid-March when the latest COVID surge began. Thailand had a similar COVID surge in spring 2023, when weekly COVID new hospitalizations rose from a few hundred to a peak of more than 3,000 by early June 2023 before eventually subsiding. So thus far at least, the spring 2024 new hospitalizations have remained below the spring 2023 peak. Among the 16 new COVID deaths reported for the past week, the MoPH said 8 were male and 8 female. By age, 8 were 70 and above, 5 were 60-69, 1 was 50-59, and 2 were 20-49. The MoPH only recently resumed publicly disclosing the broad age ranges for Thailand's reported COVID deaths, something they had ceased many months prior with the end of COVID's declared emergency status in Thailand. With the latest weekly report, Thailand since the start of 2024 has now seen 16,819 COVID hospitalizations and 120 official COVID deaths, according to the MoPH. The weekly COVID new hospitalization counts reported by the MoPH during the past ten weeks have been as follows, with the spring surge beginning well before this year's mid-April Song Kran holidays, but then climbing rapidly until the slowdown for this latest week: March 16 -- 501 March 23 -- 630 March 30 -- 728 April 6 -- 774 April 13 -- 849 April 20 -- 1,004 April 27 -- 1,672 May 4 -- 1,792 May 11 -- 1,880 May 18 -- 1,882 The MoPH's weekly COVID reports for Thailand are available at the following MoPH website: https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main They also have been posted each week in the following AseanNow forum thread: https://aseannow.com/topic/1311049-weekly-thai-ministry-of-public-health-covid-reports/

Thailand MoPH Weekly COVID report for May 12 - 18, 2024: --1,882 new COVID hospitalizations, averaging 269 per day, up 2 from the prior week --16 new COVID deaths, up 5 / 45% from the prior week --679 current COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition (pneumonia symptoms), up 91 / 15% from the prior week (dark purple) --281 current COVID patients hospitalized requiring intubation/ventilation to breathe, up 44 / 19% from the prior week (light purple) Cumulative figures since the start of the current year are COVID new hospitalizations (16,819) & COVID deaths (120). Of the 16 new official COVID deaths, the MoPH below is reporting that 8 were male and 8 female. By age, 8 were 70 and above, 5 were 60-69, 1 was 50-59, and 2 were 20-49. https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main Reported weekly COVID new hospitalizations have now risen for the past 10 consecutive weeks since mid-March, despite the very small latest increase in the past week, and have more than tripled over that period, as follows for the weeks ending: March 16 -- 501 March 23 -- 630 March 30 -- 728 April 6 -- 774 April 13 -- 849 April 20 -- 1,004 April 27 -- 1,672 May 4 -- 1,792 May 11 -- 1,880 May 18 - 1,882 The latest weekly new COVID hospitalizations total is Thailand's highest since mid-June 2023, when the total hit 2,158. Thailand's weekly new COVID hospitalizations peaked last spring at 3,085 in early June amid a similar run-up that began in mid-April.

That was the same with me two years ago... I had brought my retirement extension deposits bankbook with me and the linked ATM card, just in case, even though I had no reason at that time to expect I'd need them for doing a passport stamps transfer.... Had I not followed my eternal approach to dealing with BKK CW documentation -- better to be safe than sorry -- I would have ended up with a wasted trip that day and then would have had to return the next day with my bank stuff in hand. Thanks for confirming the ongoing presence of that unfortunate policy of theirs.

Jack, when you had BKK CW transfer your stamps into the new passport recently, did they require you at the time to provide documentary evidence of your Thai bank account deposit having remained above the 800K requirement or of monthly foreign transfers? BKK CW was doing that, much to my surprise, when I went there to handle the transition my new passport about two years ago. At that time, an IO and her supervisor informed me that was going to be their new policy from then on.... But don't know that I've seen much on the topic since then.

The Thai police needed a "team" of a bunch of Lt. Col's. and Lt.'s just to arrest one female 23-year-old Only Fans model with a penchant for posting sexy photos? Did they have their SWAT team standing by in reserve???

It might be helpful to further clarify... Of all the documents you submitted that were reviewed first by the document checker and later by the processing IO, did either of them return any of your documents back to you as "unneeded"? Or they all were accepted and kept?

I ran into the exact same issue last time I tried to use the nearby Laksi station of the Red Line... before the Pink Line opened closer to BKK CW... No motorcycle taxis or car taxis to be found when existing from the station. Hopefully that will improve over time.

All-cause mortality among patients with heart failure. The study topic was aimed solely at that limited population -- those with heart failure. Thus was most of interest to doctors who treat those patients, e.g., the European Society of Cardiology, where the research was just presented. But the research has already been reported in multiple other sources, such as: https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/heart-patients-improve-with-covid-jabs/ https://www.miragenews.com/covid-19-vaccine-boosts-lifespan-in-heart-1232898/ https://jang.com.pk/en/11567-covid-19-vaccine-boosts-survival-rate-in-heart-patients-study-news etc etc. Meanwhile, it's interesting that a similar study and findings were reported out of the UK earlier this spring: COVID Vaccines Reduce Risk of Heart Failure, Clots March 18, 2024 – By now, most of us have heard the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, like the reduced risk of serious illness should you get a COVID infection and a significantly lowered chance of hospitalization or death should you get sick. Now, there may be another benefit to add: Getting a COVID shot may also help reduce the risk of heart failure. That's according to researchers from the University of Oxford in England, who found that people who got COVID-19 vaccines had a reduced risk of heart failure, compared to people who didn’t get vaccinated. The protection lasted up to a year and also lowered the chance of experiencing heart inflammation and some types of blood clots. The findings were published this month by the journal Heart. (more) https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20240318/covid-vaccines-reduce-risk-heart-failure-clots

The announcement of the study findings indicated they picked their unvaccinated and vaccinated study participants in a way that controlled for confounding factors: "The study included 651,127 patients aged 18 years or older with heart failure. The average age was 69.5 years and 50% were women. Of the total study population, 538,434 (83%) were defined as vaccinated and 112,693 (17%) as unvaccinated. To control for factors that could influence the relationship between vaccination status and outcomes, the researchers performed 1:1 matching of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients according to age, sex, other health conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.), income, and region of residence. This resulted in 73,559 vaccinated patients and 73,559 unvaccinated patients for the comparative analyses. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1043942 But I understand from your comments earlier in the thread and your above-quoted remark, you seem to be looking for any reason to think that the study didn't really find what it really found. To wit, during the months the heart failure patients were tracked: "Vaccination was associated with an 82% lower risk of all-cause mortality,7 47% lower risk of hospitalisation for heart failure,8 and 13% reduced risk of COVID-19 infection9 compared with no vaccination. Regarding cardiovascular complications, vaccination was associated with significantly lower risks of stroke, heart attack, myocarditis/pericarditis, and venous thromboembolism compared to no vaccination."

Virtually all the studies done on the effectiveness of COVID vaccines from Omicron onward have shown that they're far more effective in keeping people out of the hospital and helping prevent them from dying from COVID.... and less effective in merely preventing infections... That makes the findings of the current study entirely consistent with those that have preceded it. You're sniffing up the wrong tree. The OP article, btw, also mentions that the findings of this latest study also are in line with those that have preceded it. From the OP: "Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination is safe in patients with cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and that COVID-19 outcomes tend to be more severe in patients with the condition."

The first study of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in a large population of adult heart-failure patients suggests that vaccinated participants are 82% more likely to live longer than their unvaccinated peers, according to an analysis presented over the weekend at the Heart Failure 2024 scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Lisbon, Portugal. More than 64 million global heart-failure patients Researchers from the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital in Goyang, South Korea, analyzed information on vaccinations and clinical outcomes among 147,118 heart-failure patients from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, which covers nearly all Koreans. ... 47% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure Relative to one or no vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination was tied to an 82% lower risk of death from any cause, a 47% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, and a 13% reduced risk of infection over 6 months. Vaccination was also linked to significantly lower risks of stroke, heart attack, myocarditis/pericarditis, and venous thromboembolism. (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/data-heart-failure-patients-have-82-better-odds-living-longer-if-vaccinated-against-covid

COVID-19 Misinformation Persists, 4 Years After Shelter-in-Place While people’s lives are largely free of the extreme public health measures that restricted them early in the pandemic, misinformation about vaccines and conspiracy theories are still around. ... Even before the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the U.S., fears and uncertainties helped spur misinformation’s rapid spread. In March 2020, schools closed, employers sent staff to work from home and grocery stores called for physical distancing to keep people safe. But little halted the flow of misleading claims that sent fact-checkers and public health officials into overdrive. Some people falsely asserted COVID’s symptoms were associated with 5G wireless technology. Faux cures and untested treatments populated social media and political discourse. Amid uncertainty about the virus’ origins, some people proclaimed COVID didn’t exist at all. PolitiFact named “downplay and denial” about the virus its 2020 “Lie of the Year.” Four years later, people’s lives are largely free of the extreme public health measures that restricted them early in the pandemic. But COVID misinformation persists, although it’s now centered mostly on vaccines and vaccine-related conspiracy theories. (more) https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-04-01/four-years-after-shelter-in-place-covid-19-misinformation-persists

U.S. Veterans Affairs study finds 35% higher mortality rate in COVID hospitalized patients Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely to die than those hospitalized with influenza during the fall and winter of 2023-2024, according to an analysis of Veterans Affairs data. Among over 11,000 patients hospitalized for either illness during this past fall and winter, 5.7% of patients with COVID-19 died within 30 days of admission versus 4.24% of patients with influenza, reported Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, of the VA St. Louis Health Care System, and colleagues. After adjusting for variables, the risk of death in people hospitalized for COVID-19 was 35% higher (adjusted HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.10-1.66), the authors detailed in a research letter in JAMA. Al-Aly told MedPage Today that his group was actually surprised by the results. "We pretty much bought into the public narrative and drank the Kool-Aid like everybody, thinking that COVID is no longer [more deadly than the flu], although ... there was no data," he said. "But the verdict is out now, because we've analyzed the data from the 2023-2024 COVID season and clearly COVID mortality is still higher than the flu." (more) https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/110126 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2818660

Hopefully they know this -- COVID is ongoing in the UK: https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/ PS - (the vaccine uptake rate cited above is for the fall 2023 UK vaccine campaign that had a main target population of those age 65 and above) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-advises-on-eligible-groups-for-2023-autumn-booster

The reason why, IMHO, it would be best if BOTH groups were vaccinated is because.... Nothing is 100% effective. No vaccine has ever been 100% effective. The COVID and flu vaccines are not, and never have been 100% effective. But both substantially reduce your risk of getting seriously sick from and dying from those two respective viruses. That's the reason people get vaccinated. COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness February 1, 2024 What to know People who received the updated COVID-19 vaccine were 54% less likely to get COVID-19 during the four-month period from mid-September 2023 to January 2024. ... New CDC data show that the updated COVID-19 vaccines were effective against COVID-19 during September 2023 – January 2024, including against the different circulating virus variants such as JN.1 and XBB. Getting vaccinated now can help lower the risk of becoming infected with or dying from COVID-19. CDC recommends everyone 6 months or older receive the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine. ... CDC recommends everyone 6 months or older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/covid-19-vaccine-effectiveness.html

You also have to wonder at some of the COVID policy decisions being made in the UK these days.... For example, nursing home occupants are a priority target for receiving government provided COVID vaccines. But the staff who work in those nursing home are specifically excluded from the government COVID vaccines program, even though they spend their workdays around COVID vulnerable people... What about residents, and staff in care homes? "Those who are a resident in care homes for older adults are also eligible. Carers and staff in care homes are not eligible, this is because the spring vaccine is targeted towards providing protection to those most vulnerable to severe disease." https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/16/whos-eligible-for-the-2024-covid-19-vaccine-or-spring-booster/

That number/share is just the number of UK HCWs who chose to get (or not get) a COVID vaccine in the government's semi-annual (twice a year) COVID vaccination campaign last fall. It doesn't tell how many of those folks got vaccinated months before in the spring, or how many will get vaccinated in the coming weeks for the spring 2024 UK COVID vaccination campaign. It also doesn't tell WHY those who didn't get vaccinated chose not to... Perhaps because a lot of staff HCWs tend to be among younger age groups, and the UK government increasingly has only been targeting the elderly for government provided COVID vaccines. One thing I do know -- prior news reporting has indicated that somewhere around 90% of the UK's government health care workers have been COVID vaccinated with either their first and/or second vaccine doses. Per the BBC from 2021: Covid-19: Vaccinated NHS staff numbers vary across England "In England, NHS data suggests 93% of eligible frontline staff have been vaccinated - equivalent to one million doses." https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56291564