Tropicalevo

My understanding is that the two tests must be prepaid - through the hotel(s).

I wear a mask for a number of reasons. Out of respect for the Thai people who live/visit here. Most wear masks all of the time. Out of respect for the staff that work for me. They all wear masks all of the time. (We are in the tourism industry.) And out of respect for the guests that we look after. It helps them to feel 'safe'.

Ah memories. 21 years ago on Samui - go to a local restaurant and order a beer whilst deciding what to eat. The owner would jump on his bike and buy a cold one from the nearest 7/11. Then when you ordered the food - the owner's wife would go and buy it at the market!

It's a big, bad, dangerous world out there. RIP little one.

Boss from Red Bull?

Very, very sad. I hope that the poor child can put this behind her.

Not true. Some of our guests have been allowed to quarantine in their pre-booked private villa. As long as their symptoms are minor. 7 groups so far.

OK. So I am old and suffering from memory issues, but..... ........is that suposed to be a photo of sniffer dogs? "police at the Lao border have seized the cargo of a transport truck carrying 20 tonnes of illegally smuggled pork." This from the BP and Thaiger 23/1.

Yes. I have just spent a few days on KPN with friends. Pretty much everywhere that we went, we were the only foreigners wearing masks. All others - maskless. The number of recorded Covid cases on KPN for the last four weeks - 683. (From the Koh Samui thread.) Population according to Wikipedia - just over 10,000. Not including tourists.

Similar story from Samui. Taxi to the airport for our guests - 400 baht. Grab - 150 baht or there abouts. The problem is that with Test and Go in December/January, Grab taxis are as rare as hen's teeth. The taxis are all queuing up outside hotels/ferries again. A few taxis are now using the meter from time to time. (First time that I have seen this for 20 years.) However, the meter rates are higher than say Bangkok.

So, just another 799,816 to go? "FTI: 800,000 migrant workers needed" from the BP

I am sure that all of this is so that they can 'organise' a larger majority! No way will they accept defeat.

Nah. They will do a 'Myanmar'. Huge electrion fraud and arrest the winners. Generals rule OK!

And yet students get shot at, water cannon (with chemicals) and gaoled? I suppose that fear is a powerful driver.

What is a lady's motorcycle?

Definitely plenty of empty rooms in February. Some 'Sandbox' hotels have been full though.

I do not know about the rest of Thailand, but here on Koh Samui, the hotels paint a zebra crossing on the road for their guests. Nothing to do with civil engineers. Not all zebra crossing are 'authorised' ones.

You will probably get a room in most hotels. What I do not know is 'walk in' rates v people like Agoda/Booking.com etc. It is very competitive out there. For example - I go to KPN every year for a few nights about this time. Same hotel every year. Agoda rates - 2,000 baht per night. "Special, special offer". Hotel rates own web-site - 3,000 baht per night.

The latest guests had arrived under the Test and Go process. They were found negative after the one night in quarantine and allowed to go to their pre-booked villa. They were then found to be positive after a 5th day PCR test from the villa. As they had very mild symptoms, they were allowed to stay in the villa for a 10 day quarantine. They were allowed outside but not supposed to travel far.

The busiest place on the island now is Bangrak. I have not been to Chaweng for a while but it was dead the last time hat I went. Friends told me that it was opening up a bit over Christmas, but it is nothing like it's former days. More than enough to do in Bangrak for a couple of nights. Mainland (Donsak) to Samui (Nathon), the ferries (Raja) are on a timetable. https://www.phanganferries.com/time-table/?from=12&to=2

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Thailand wide, I expect that you could add a zero onto the end of that number. ????

Star Petroleum Refining have already stopped the leak and repaired the pipe. They have commenced clean up. As always PM, your 'orders' are reactive and not proactive.

A Thai family of six - makes a difference. Especially when they can be bought for 37 baht.

Fake news ; - after the illegal coup, the man at the head of the government said that he would reduce corruption. Fail (big time).