jayboy

The fact that you have no idea what I'm talking about speaks volumes and suggests your decision to take Thai citizenship was a wise one.Where ignorance is bliss, it's folly to be wise.

I don't use AXA in Thailand.I use AXA International which has a worldwide clientele. Having said that, if someone on AXA Thailand books with first hand knowledge could advise what's needed, that would be very kind.

My insurance company does provide a general letter on Covid as an add on to the policy.But it does not mention a specific amount like Dlrs 50,000 for Covid simply that Covid is covered under the policy.My question related to what the Thai authorities actually require in practice.I don't think one can rely on the insyrance companies knowledge of the right wording since they have to deal with multiple countries/requirements.

I apologize for raising an issue which I suspect has already been answered but I can't seem to find the relevant thread. I'm making my first overseas trip (to the USA) since 2019.I'm aware that COVID-19 insurance is required on my return to Thailand and I'm covered by medical insurance cover with AXA International which states cover will be provided for in-patient treatment as the result of a pandemic including COVID-19. My question is what exactly do immigration officials in Thailand need to see on COVID-19 cover and how thorough is the perusal of relevant documents. I'm 99% certain all is in order but I would kick myself if there's some small adjustment which could have been sorted out in advance (e.g getting my insurers to provide a form of wording that satisfied Thai entry requirements.)

Because there are some who want to obtain the benefits and security of permanent residence but have no wish to become Thai citizens (and all the baggage that goes with it). How many in that category? Probably not many but I am one of them. There will be some in that category who take a purely utilitarian approach (for example wishing to buy and own land/houses in own name) and will take the now cheaper and easier course of going for citizenship even though profoundly uncomfortable with prevailing Thai values.They are right to do so on practical terms.

I'm not sure what point you're making but yes, the number beginning 8 is the same.As a matter of interest, the number allocated at time of PR doesn't actually appear in the Red Book or Blue/White one (at least I haven't found it yet). It's on one's page in the tabien baan.

I'm not sure about that.In the 1980's I recall at least two senior British businessmen learning Thai who took the Thai language examination geared to Thai primary age children.I can even remember the photograph of them both at the British Club when receiving certificates

For the record the pink ID card has nothing to do with PR (I have both) and does not in any sense form part of the documentation for PR.I appreciate it was referred to as "optional" but the key point it is available to most resident foreigners.Some PR holders have it and some don't. On a personal basis I would recommend getting one as it is gradually getting more known about and hence more useful than hitherto.This was illustrated recently in the vaccine rollout.

Personally I find Thai banks to be superior in service and technology compared with my UK bank.

Anything to avoid dealing with the issue, it seems.Never mind - many have a blind spot on the subject of British obesity.To some extent it's a class issue. As to the UK culture of obesity this is hardly esoteric material.There's so much evidence. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/britain_diet

Is that your rather lame excuse for disregarding the obesity issue and the scientific evidence on it? Can you identify what you disagree with? I cannot see anything in it which is in the slightest controversial. It's not enough to say a post is packed with nonsense if you are completely silent on even the general gist of your reservations.None of us are immune from criticism on this complicated subject, certainly not me.But you seem to be caught up in your own narrative, most of which is plausible as I pointed out earlier, but angrily intolerant of contrary opinions or indeed any evidence which unsettles your narrative.That's your right but this is a discussion forum.

Your head in the sand position on the devastating relationship between Covid and obesity in the UK isn't that unusual.It's not however one shared by doctors on the front line though you no doubt dismiss their opinion as casually as you ignore the views of the BMJ and the CDC.

No, because the way you phrase your question reflects an unwillingness to grasp the immensity of the problem in the UK.The intractable problem of obesity in the UK is directly relevant to the high number of deaths, the subject of this thread.This kind of denial is sadly widespread. For those who are genuinely interested the British Medical Journal and the Center for Disease Control have relevant background. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/03/04/we-must-tackle-obesity-and-health-inequalities-in-order-to-build-back-better/ https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html

This is broadly speaking correct.However it's necessary to have perspective when judging the UK's comparative performance on Covid mortality, the best way being to examine excess mortality - essentially the additional deaths that have taken place using a baseline of recent non pandemic years.By this criterion the UK comes in the middle of the pack of rich European nations.Better than Italy and Spain but worse than Germany and France. The UK government has certainly made mistakes and the media has rightly focused on these but frankly so have many other governments.What is almost never discussed is the UK's particular problem of obesity and those knowledgeable about Intensive care facilities will tell you that most of the patients (elderly 80+ excepted) are seriously overweight.Of course obesity occurs in other countries but it doesn't seem so embedded in the culture.Immigrant communities and ethnic minorities are affected disproportionately as they are in other European countries - but in the UK the explanation is almost always "systemic racism".And of course all and sundry blame the heartless Tory Government as though there are no other factors in play. I'm all for bashing Boris but there's a stench of dishonesty in the air in the discussion of Covid in the UK.Let's see what a judge led inquiry throws up.On a purely anecdotal basis I was watching a BBC report recently when a morbidly obese NHS nurse was explaining her condition as a result of lacking the time to eat healthily and that the government was to blame for under funding the system.Pull the other one.

No that's not correct.Lots of foreigners have the app.I can see why they said that though.It's because a 13 digit number is required.Foreigners who have a pink card or who are registered on a blue tabien baan (PRs) have one.I'm not sure about this but my impression that many foreigners without either also have the app.I think the software at the vaccination centers requires a 13 digit number.

Problem solved.I disabled the VPN on my iPhone and Mor Phrom worked flawlessly.

My Mor Phrom app on my iPhone was working well until recently.Now when I open it after entering my password it disappears completely before I can log in.Is it possible to delete the app and download again? I suppose the more sensible option would be to hang on until the software is fixed.Anyone else experienced similar issues?

That's a question that needs to be unpacked.There are many Thais who rationalize their urban privilege and contempt for genuine democracy by referring to darker skin Thais as "uneducated." Apart from the common error of confusing lack of education with lack of intelligence, they always ignore the massive skewing of government expenditure on education towards Bangkok.Traditionally Bangkok based politicians needed the darker skinned rural millions to bolster their political strength, but very few made any serious effort to take them seriously and meet their needs.He Who Cannot Be Named put an end to all that and scared the pants of the old guard.Naturally he, his family, and those who thought like him were then sidelined permanently.(Yes I know he was corrupt so don't bother pointing that out) The odd thing about this prejudice is that it is found all over Asia, even India.Asian lefties often blame the malign influence of the Western colonizers for it.That is nonsense because the the preference for white creamy skin predates the arrival of Western imperialism by thousands of years.In Thailand the manifestation of this prejudice is often laughable, for example those plump pudding faced girls who used to win beauty pageants when other Thai visions of beauty were ignored.Obviously part of the problem is good old fashioned class prejudice and the fear of being confused for someone who works in the fields.There's an irony here since the well off Sino Thai urbanites who are among the most prejudiced mostly have ancestors who not so long ago were sweltering in the rice fields of Southern China. All this seems depressing but there's good news.Thailand and social attitudes are rapidly changing.The dinosaurs cannot resist the inevitable.In addition there are many genuinely upper class types who are very dark skinned.I know several such who attended English public schools and Oxbridge.At a personal level I'm not sure there's much individual prejudice anyway.By and large Thais are kinder about class differences than England where every man, as Bernard Shaw noted, is branded on the tongue.But even England is changing for the better on that front.

The situation is certainly confusing.I know for a fact that in the case of a large very well known hospital in Bangkok in the last month. 1.Walk in customers have been successful in immediately obtaining the Moderna vaccine. 2.Telephoning enquirers have been told the timing of the arrival of Moderna vaccines is uncertain, perhaps March -June 2022 3.Customers with prepaid booking (In August 2021) of the Moderna vaccine have been given the same answer as 2 above. 4.Other customers with prepaid bookings (in August 2021) have been offered confirmed appointments in late December 2021/January 2022. I can't really make rhyme or reason of this.

There is a distinct correlation in the UK ,and increasingly in Thailand, between social class/wealth and obesity.When I last visited the UK (three years ago now) I visited my father in a Manchester hospital.The level of obesity there was staggering particularly among nurses and ambulance staff.I also visited my niece's son at a well known Dorset public school event for parents.There was not a single fat person at the gathering.Later back in London I spent time in the Sloane Square area (almost no obesity visible) and then Peckham, South London - much more obesity.Without going into detail there is a distinct ethnic aspect to this as well.I remarked on all this to an American friend who mentioned that the disparity is even more glaring in the USA.

Only true up to a point and it's never a compliment.I'm aware of many Thais with 'fatty' type nicknames and there is no obvious malice on one side (the opposite really since usually used with affection) or resentment by the person so called. But there is a huge pressure on Thai girls - and increasingly boys - to be fashionably slim, even underweight.This causes a great deal of unhappiness.

Most respondents here make no distinction between wealth and class.However although they overlap, they are not the same thing at all.A wealthy plumber is not upper middle class.An impoverished clergyman might well be.In England (there are different rules for Scotland) social class can easily be determined from the way people speak and the vocabulary they use.Thus - to take a few wealthy people - David Beckham, Alan Sugar, Jonathan Ross fall into one category.James Blunt, Tom Hiddleston and Jack Whitehall fall into another. In Thailand there are very few upper middle class expatriates and almost none would be members of this forum.I doubt there is one upper middle class expatriate resident in Pattaya among the plump tattooed retirees. The rules are however being rewritten by the young and it's sometimes difficult now to tell the difference between the poshies and the proles. Good thing probably. And me? Educated prole - working class for generations.

You need to do some careful checks.If you have had 2 AZ shots and then a Moderna shot after 3 months, there is no need to plan for a second Moderna shot in March.

Thanks.I had a look at the Bangkok Hospital's offer via Shopee and the explanatory detail (all in Thai) is interesting.It was encouraging to note you can actually book an appointment although this seems in conflict with evidence from elsewhere that Government hasn't yet authorized release.Essentially it is the same arrangement as that provided by Bumrungrad, ie private sector provision under direction from Government. Actually I'm quite surprised at the lack of activity on this forum on the booster issue.Evidence from the UK indicates 2 doses of AZ doesn't provide any protection against Omicron, though a booster provides a great deal of protection.We also know that once present in a country Omicron is incredibly infectious.Let's hope that the early indications that it doesn't generally result in severe disease/death is confirmed.However, coming back to Thailand, it does seem unfortunate that the booster rollout is so sluggish.Having said that I'm fully aware that many Thais have received a Pfizer booster on top of 2X Sinovac.But overall the response to the Omicron variant isn't that impressive.

Many expatriates have advance purchased a Moderna booster vaccination at Bumrungrad with the expectation it will be available in the first quarter of 2022.If you ring the hospital to inquire on latest news, it's almost comical how little information is available.Dare I say it but the emphasis seems to be on calming anxious inquirers down rather than conveying information,