Acharn

12 hours ago, JCP108 said:

"Eighteen-and-a-half million people have used the new ThaiChana smartphone app to check in and out of 133,694 venues across the country..."

 

So, it's widely used now for two weeks. Do we know yet of a single instance of it being used for its stated purpose...to trace and notify people who were in the same place as someone who later tested positive?

You know why? Because for the last two weeks every single new case has been from among Thais who have recently returned from overseas and were in quarantine. There has been no tracing or notifying because there have been no new cases in those locations. Isn't that nice? Of course, there's no guarantee that there won't be a "second wave" of outbreaks, so it would be kind of you to continue to check in and out, and to wear a face mask even though you know you're not infected. 

We were required to sign in at the Big C in Nakhon Sawan on Tuesday. My niece and her daughter tried taking a picture of the Q-code, but they don't have the app yet, so they ended up having to sign in, too.  I understood there was supposed to be an English version of the app out this week, but haven't seen anything about where to get it. I figure my great- niece will be able to install it for me. She's a teenager.

Something I don't understand, it's supposed to help in tracking Covid-19 contacts, but the sheet I signed had space for my name, a blank column whose heading I didn't read, and than a column for my phone number. It doesn't seem terribly useful without a time entry.

9 hours ago, oxforddon said:

That nickname is pronounced more like "Bam" than "Bum" by Thais .....

Or like "Bomb." My niece's husband has a niece in Kalasin with that nickname. 

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I've been wondering about having a flu shot here. Are clinics safe here, or should I be going to a hospital? Any indication on what it should cost?

I prefer my hospital, but when I lived in Bangkok I used doctors in clinics. I believe they're safe. I don't know about the cost at clinics, but probably not much more than the hospital, maybe even less. Last September my flu shot was ฿590, but that was the vaccine cost only. It was mixed in with my doctor's consultation, purchase of another medication, and the little incidental charges my hospital throws in. I would guess ฿800-900 for the flu shot alone. I forgot to ask my doctor about getting the updated vaccine. Last year he recommended getting the second shot in May because the vaccine is tweaked to better handle the current year's virus. I'm over 80, so I prefer to spend the money.

9 minutes ago, RloLigor said:

Line is not required. It's just a "generic" QR code with a link. My camera app (Xiaomi) can read QR codes.

Ah. Well, that's good. I accidentally discovered that Line is still on my tablet, and now on my desktop, but I really don't have any use for it. My sister-in-law had somebody install it on my phone and then used to send me pictures of buddha images, which were nice, but not something I really care about. I don't type Thai very well, so never used it for texting.

10 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

The way I understand it is:

It is contact tracing designed to provide your phone number and the time and date you were at any particular place ( mall, restaurant, etc ) so when any person is found to have Covid19 their movements can be traced and anyone who may have come in contact with them contacted.

 

The way it works is:

You are presented with a QR code on entry.

Open Line, click on “add contact “ , this will take you to a Line page where the QR code reader is available, choose this option and scan the code, another page will open ( presumably the ThaiChana platform) where you check in.

Check out on exit of mall or restaurant etc.

 

Signing in :

If the QR code is not set up or you do not have a smartphone/internet you will be asked to sign a paper with your name and phone number.

Ah, good there's an alternative. Line doesn't work on my phone. Too old a version of Android. Used to work, but then they made a change and I'm not going to buy a new phone for Line.

7 hours ago, tonray said:

and in other news...the baht continues to gain against the US Dollar......

This may help. They can dare to do it now, since the U.S. cut their overnight rate to 0.0-0.25%. Before the U.S. did that they feared being punished as currency manipulators. It's not at all clear to my what's causing the current rise in the baht, other than a general, world-wide recognition that the U.S. is governed by clowns, but I don't know if other currencies are also strengthening against the dollar. I guess that's why I'm not rich.

I have emphysema, so check regularly with a doctor who is a pulmonary specialist. I like consulting with him because he speaks English very well, and is very informative about options I might choose. He advises me to get the flu shot every year, which I do. Last year I came down with flu that required a hospital stay, but it was just overnight, so I felt the vaccine did what it was supposed to. I asked him about the pneumonia vaccine, and he said the vaccine available is for a strain of pneumonia that does not occur in Thailand. He did not recommend it.

ETA: My flu shot at the hospital costs ฿200.

On 5/15/2020 at 9:03 PM, IAMHERE said:

It has kept me from killing several times.

Really? Most people who kill do so without giving it any thought, purely impulse. At least that's what the books say, the interviews with prisoners on death row. Or they figure they'll never get caught, like Ted Bundy. I'm pretty sure this monster believed he wouldn't kill the kid he was beating, or believed that if he did it was OK because he was in the position of "master." I can't imagine how somebody would think hitting a person with a baseball bat would not result in really serious injury -- watching too many cartoons, I suppose.

On 5/15/2020 at 7:22 PM, Cryingdick said:

 

In two weeks those people will get their next pay check. What do you think would happen if they stayed home with no money? 

Yeah, I can't argue with that. California's unemployment insurance system is really broken, and I've lived most of my life paycheck to paycheck. I don't blame any worker who decides to take the risk.

On 5/15/2020 at 10:30 PM, Crazy Alex said:

Then your beef is with the government not doing anything about it, right? At least in part?

Yes, in part. In a way it's hard to blame them. He has a lot more money than all the residents of the county put together, so they really can't afford to fight with him through the "legal" system, but it's a shame they backed down. Also, a lot of the workers really need the pay checks. California's unemployment insurance system is one of the most sclerotic in the country, so most of those who filed in the last two months haven't received any money yet. The county's medical officer had pretty well agreed that he could open in a few more days anyway, and I think under the state's current policy it's OK. But, of course, I put most of the blame on Musk.

7 hours ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

I havn't read any of it , but i geuss nobody will answer with yes because a real alcoholic is always in denial . 

Not always. A great many alcoholics end up hurting enough that they cannot stand it any more and cannot deny any longer. Many of them just quit drinking, and are able to do so. I found a much easier way is to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where you can find people like yourself (like the people you sought out in bars). Many people find AA not congenial because of "the God thing." I don't know what they do.

Pfui! This is one reason alcohol rehab programs are so ineffective. Here's an easy way to tell. For thirty days, take two drinks every day. Do not drink more than two, no matter what happens. Do not skip a day. Every day, two drinks, whatever you're used to drinking, beer, liquor, whatever. Just two. If you can do this, you're not an alcoholic. If you're an alcoholic, like me, you'll know without even trying that it's absurd, that nobody could do that.

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Ours just stops working when I unplug it, should I return it to the store?

 

I can't imagine how unplugging it would work. Mine loses channels from time to time. I've learned to go to the menu (there's a button on the controller). Press the Right button twice to go to Channel Search, and then the Down button once to Auto. Press the OK button and go eat a piece of pie or something. Come back in a few minutes and all the current channels will now be available when you press the buttons. I don't have any idea how a newer TV that doesn't need the set-top box would work.

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Just wondering, is there still executions taking place in Thailand? if there are, no one ever gets to hear about them unlike other countries, and if not, what's the point of the death sentence than?...

Revenge. Prevent the individual from killing again. Because it's the Law. It's pretty well accepted that death sentences don't actually deter killing. It's a good question, though, because executions used to be reported. Maybe the junta decided to suppress the publication as a public relations measure.

On 5/13/2020 at 8:42 PM, Crazy Alex said:

It appears you're missing a piece of the puzzle. Musk is suing. That means he's using the legal system to seek a remedy. I predict he will prevail legally and will be able to open his plant soon. And why do you think you know how Musk's employees feel about going back to work?

I predict the court will dismiss his case as frivolous. I don't think he's going to be arrested, but I wish he would be. The authority of local governments to enforce quarantine to protect public health is well established in law, supported by a couple of Supreme Court decisions after the 1919 Flu Pandemic.

23 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Because they are over-cautious/know better/stupid.

 

 

I actually blame Immigration; having introduced this sensible amnesty they should have refused to do any 90 day reports and turn people away. Concentrate as well on a staggered period after 31 July to avoid congestion from the backlog. Better still, just cancel any 90 day reports in the 2 months to 31 July so those affected report 180 days after their last one.

The 90 Day Reports did not exist until the counter revolution in 1976. I don't remember which government imposed them -- probably Admiral Kraivichien's -- but they were not enforced until 2001. Thaksin's Minister of the Interior, Purachai, was xenophobic and also very rigid. He suspended issuance of permanent residence and also naturalization because he suspected fraud, although he never showed any evidence. Anyway, lots of us paid a ฿2,000 fine because we had never done the report. 

13 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

There is no law cited in the article. It's a local "order". Just like the governors really have no right to declare lockdown laws. Making laws is for the legislature. Just like Trump couldn't tell the states to open or close. Sounds like nobody has bothered Musk so far. 

 

He is almost begging to be arrested so he can be the one with the legal team to put this to a fight. If they don't arrest him it is because he is doing nothing wrong. End of story. 

It's a county health agency order. It's authorized by statute and by the state's constitution. There are a couple Supreme Court decisions from the 1918 Flu Pandemic and later that make it clear this absolutely is constitutional. It is a duty of the state to protect the citizens from health hazards, and that responsibility is devolved to the lowest possible level of government. We won't really know for a couple more years if the lockdowns were overreacting, but the orders are certainly legal and I hope Elon goes to his plant and gets arrested there. The feds allowed him to skate when he was openly manipulating his stock price, but that's a bipartisan thing. The Democrats have been at least as bad.

The only thing about it that seems odd to me is that the TE staff didn't just staple them in your respective passports. That's what Immigration Officers do.

On 5/9/2020 at 6:20 PM, Phil McCaverty said:

He died in hospital in Chonburi. After his conviction he lived in luxury at home. Although under house arrest was often seen being chauffeur driven around town.

 

He was Thai. Born in Chonburi. His father was also a village headman. Hated and feared by just about everyone. Interesting? If you're interesting in murderous torturing thugs, I guess so.

He was Thai? Strange, the Bangkok Post ran lengthy profiles on him a couple of times and said he was from China. Well, he wasn't interesting enough for me to look it up. You're certainly right, he was a murderous thug.

8 hours ago, brianthainess said:

And make sure they leave in-time to get home before curfew, keep the noise down.

Reminds me of a comment I saw about the old Thermae, back in the Vietnam War days. There was a curfew then, too, and it was written that fifteen minutes before the curfew time there was a "mating frenzy" as customers grabbed any of the remaining women to take home. Of course, there was no "social distancing" in those days.

7 hours ago, Phil McCaverty said:

Somchai Khunpluem (Kamnan Poh), the Godfather of Chonburi, father of Pattaya's current mayor and a former mayor, was convicted of murder and corruption and never served a day in jail. TiT

 

 

Yeah, but in the end he had to flee to Cambodia. Interesting guy. He was mayor of a village near Bang Saen, a beautiful beach just south of Chon Buri, and the villagers loved him. He did a lot to improve their lives. Started out as penniless immigrant from China, his son was elected to Parliament.

23 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Haven't you ever heard.... absence makes the heart grow fonder???   

The equivalent Thai proverb, roughly translated, is, "Three days away, beloved finds a new lover."