spidermike007

1 hour ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

WHAT ban are you talking about?

 

acctually it is not true. there are'nt many competitors to thailand.

thailand still offer the best value for quality, anb thailand is still quite a friendly place.

most tourists don't know about internal politics and the things you hear on the news.

they just come for few weeks or months, trying to enjoy the moment and than leave.

The Chinese were the first nation banned from Thailand. Knowing them, it will not soon be forgotten. And there are plenty of alternatives to Thailand. Friends of mine who visit here often times remark at how unfriendly the officials, and immigration are. They will pay a high price for that hubris and false pride. 

2 hours ago, yogi100 said:

It hasn't but a theory has been put forward that high humidity slows down the movement of the virus.

 

The moisture in the air acts as a barrier to airborne particles.

Apparently it is also the Vitamin D that the sun in a tropical climate produces in the body, which bolsters the immune system to a significant degree. 

If you look at the timeline, it is astonishing how many mistakes were made, how long it took for Trump to take this seriously, and how little is still being done to prevent infections, and death. Fauci is the wrong guy for the job, as he cannot think outside the box, is bought and paid for by big pharma, and is way too orthodox to even consider progressive methods, and abandonment of medical protocols, which is needed at this time. Protocols are killing people. The ventilators are not working, and the drug cocktails need to be used. Just check out this video. When failure surrounds you, you must look toward those who are having success, right? This doctor has nailed it.

some vitally important front line information about the effect covid has on the lungs. and why we are getting it wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4u1LJQ7_k&feature=youtu.be  on that video minutes 18 to 35 are brilliant. alot of clarity.

5 hours ago, pookiki said:

I am in agreement with your analysis of the recovery - that it will be long and excruciating but I am at loss to understand why you consider the lockdown 'inane'.  Thailand's lockdown has been looser than most but we still don't know to what extent there is community spreading because of so little testing.  I guess the bottom line is what loss of life is acceptable to protect economic activity?  Do you think the rich are at risk in either scenario? Since this disease seems to prey on the old and infirm, is this an acceptable way to rid society of those who do not contribute to the economy but worked hard all their lives in an attempt to enjoy there retirement years? I guess the question I would put to you is "What is the greater good and who decides what it is?"

As far as I am concerned we barely need testing at this stage. Thailand had millions of Chinese and European tourists in Dec, Jan and Feb, when this thing was gaining traction in China, and the first cases were happening in Europe. If this was going to blow up here, it would have happened already, as we are well past the incubation period. It is declining now, and will be a trickle within a week or two. The economy must be ramped up. People are hungry, and millions are without work. It is easy to suggest caution when you have a nice pension, and savings. Most Thais do not. 

Many researchers seem to think the ideal temperature for this virus to thrive is between 36 and 64 degrees F. Also, the vitamin D absorbed through the skin in tropical climates is of great benefit, and may be at least part of the reason why Thailand has escaped with so few fatalities. If this thing were going to blow up here, it would have already happened. There were millions of tourists running around in December and January, and early Feb. Many were infected already, no doubt. It has incubated, and it is gone, baby gone, for the most part. 

Some very helpful info here, about the doctor just north of NYC who is having great success with the treatment of Covid-19.

I do not think it is that simple for Thailand. They are not capable of just printing money, like they are doing in the US. They seem to require some external loans, and bond programs to finance this bailout. Where that will leave the baht remains to be seen. 

The package for South-east Asia's second-largest economy includes a law to borrow one trillion baht plus central bank measures worth another 900 billion baht in soft loans and support for corporate bonds, Mr Uttama told a news conference. Of the one trillion baht borrowing, 600 billion baht will be for public health works and relief measures, and the rest for rebuilding the economy and job creation, Mr Uttama said. The government expects to start borrowing in early May, mainly from domestic sources, he said.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thailand-announces-825b-plan-to-mitigate-coronavirus-impact

I think we will see limited flights domestically in May. After that, who knows? It will be a while until there is demand for international flights to Thailand. The tourism industry is going to be decimated here, for the next year, at least. I do not think it will ever recover to it's former levels, and that leaves millions of Thais out of work. 

It is impossible to get a Covid free health letter in the US. So, returning to Thailand would not be possible for the foreseeable future. I usually travel back at least twice per year, but will not be returning until the requirements for a Covid letter are eliminated. How long will that be?

One positive thing to come out of all of this is the drop in oil prices, for the average consumer. With (95) gas at 16 baht a liter, we are at least getting a minor amount of relief. Hopefully, within a couple of weeks, we can start hitting the road again, to take advantage of this. 

24 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Well they have made a start in cleaning up the police force by arresting a policeman last week for attempting to rob a bank, you know they can't be everywhere at once and overdo it, step by step - please. 

Oh my. What an astonishing bit of detective work. You know they are really cracking down on the police franchisees, when they arrest one for robbing a bank! 

It is said that almost 20% of the total economy is based on tourism, in one area or another. That is nearly 3.5 trillion baht annually. And the vast majority of those folks are out of work now. How long will it take to "ramp up" tourism here? And will it ever return to it's former levels? I do not think so, for so many reasons. The Chinese were the single largest group, and they were the first ones to be locked out. The Chinese have alot of pride, and I do not see them taking kindly to that. Granted, there were good reasons to do so. But, the Chinese have Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and many other areas to patronize, support and visit. 

This administration, the TAT and immigration have been making so many mistakes in relation to tourism, for so long now, I just do not think it will ever fully recover. That is great for most of the expats here. But, it will be devastating for millions of Thais. 

Hopefully, the inane economic shutdown will end May 1st, as millions need to earn something to get by, and the rate of application rejection of the subsidy program has been nearly 80%, which just shows you how sincere the army was about the assistance. This line for food shows how many people are having a very hard time coping with this bizarre reaction to Covid. It might have made some sense to shut some things down, but nearly everything?

Absolutely not worth it. I am not sure how many large gatherings it has discouraged, and it has denied millions some much needed recreation, and unwinding during the zombie apocalypse. Nothing gained by it. Thailand is one of the few countries that did it, and it was wrong headed, to say the least. But, things are winding down now, and hopefully the country will re-open for business May 1st.

On 4/14/2020 at 3:51 AM, gk10002000 said:

I bet there will be a large switch to Cambodia.  Cambodia news has been pretty quiet on the scale of things

Yes. Already there have been huge Chinese investments in Cambodia. I also would include Vietnam (despite some historical animosities between them), Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma and the PI to the list. Thailand has alot of competition now. They have taken a huge financial hit. Many of us are hoping this recent shutdown brings with it some humility on the part of the army and immigration, if that is possible. 

On 4/15/2020 at 4:05 PM, caribbean82 said:

Mike i love you're posts. How long have you lived in thailand 

Thanks alot. Well over a decade. I would certainly call Thailand home, and I love it here. 

Nice to see a kind gesture. Good on him for helping out. Now, what we really need to see are major acts of largesse by the super rich, who have made it a habit of hoarding their fortunes, even in such times as these.

1. Dhanin Chearavanont: US$16.9 billion

2. Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi: US$16.6 billion

With only 700 cases in the past 9 days, and barely 15 deaths, it is safe to say this thing has leveled off, and Thailand is out of the woods. If this thing were going to blow up, it would have happened long ago, when millions were visiting from China and Europe. Incubation is only a week or two. Think about it.

The Zombie Apocalypse is NOT on its way. Take a deep breath. Hopefully, the restrictions will start easing soon. 

His words are encouraging. With only 700 cases in the past 9 days, and barely 15 deaths, it is safe to say this thing has leveled off, and Thailand is out of the woods. If this thing were going to blow up, it would have happened long ago, when millions were visiting from China and Europe. Incubation is only a week or two. Think about it.

The Zombie Apocalypse is NOT on its way. Take a deep breath. Hopefully, the restrictions will start easing soon.