Tropicalevo

My electricity is 9 baht a unit. No 'massive saving' there.

"Prison" is not the problem either. All of the guests that we have checked in and then who then show positive for Covid, have been found on the second test. Day 5. (They then quarantined in their holiday accomodation. Not quite a prison.) This indicates to me, that the most likely place to catch Covid is on the plane or at an airport. Maybe even in a taxi or a bus! Some friends have just returned to the UK. Negative tests here during their three week stay but positive after arriving back in the UK. They think that they picked up Covid at Frankfurt airport!

Should be no problem. I have just picked up friends that have flown down from Bangkok. One showed the paper certificate (his Mor Prom wasn't working) and the other showed Mor Prom. Both OK. Full plane - mix of Test and Go (tested at the airport?) and domestic (seperate channel). Masks all of the time.

System stuffed up - posted my comment twice.

Good advice. My advice to everyone is - get triple vaccinated. ???? I am an oldie (71 next month) Two chronic diseases. (Lungs and kidneys.) Triple vaccinated - had Covid, no major issues. Mind you, I could be killed in a traffic accident tomorrow. Vaccination will not help with that one. ????

Sorry, but I find it difficult to understand why people would fly to Betong. "Prayut has now ordered authorities to tighten security in every area, especially around vulnerable spots such as transport and railway roads in the area." From The Thaiger March 11th. https://thethaiger.com/news/south/insurgency/prayut-orders-tight-security-amidst-new-southern-bomb-attack

I managed to visit Phu Quoc just before Covid wiped the smile off everyone's faces. Lovely island. Great people. Horrible killer hornets though. (They put me in bed for three days - my friend and I survived.) I certainly cannot see it become a hub for space tourism. Hopefully that is as fanciful as when some people hoped to put a ski slope on Koh Samui.

I can only speak for tourists that are staying in private villas. Since about November last year, they are allowed to quarantine in their villa. They are all OK with using the food delivery people and we wait until their quarantine period is over. First we ask the Tessabaan to come and disinfect the villa. Then we restart our normal service. So far, none of the tourists have had severe symptoms. We do regular ATK testing of myself and others that come into regular contact with the tourists.

More than 2,000 cases on Samui just in the last week. Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Total Reported 10-Mar 11-Mar 12-Mar 13-Mar 14-Mar 15-Mar 16-Mar Covid cases 292 289 277 219 269 362 347 2,055 KPN 82 60 70 57 45 87 56 457

I know nothing about khun Chatchai, but well done to all. I hope that the kids recover OK.

I would think that rising steel prices would definitely impact construction projects. As would labour shortages (stop sending the Burmese back), higher fuel prices, higher concrete prices as well as a general cost of living increase. What planet are these people from?

The UK does accept a full Thai driving licence.. I have always been able to hire cars from airports using my Thai DL. For an International permit, you have to go to Suratthani. When I went for mine, for hiring a car in Portugal, it was a quick, easy process once you got to the correct floor. The guard on duty spoke no English.

Koh Samui has an average of 12 hours of daylight throughout the year. (Between 11 and 13 hours.) Average temperature is about 28 C. (25 C in winter - 33 C in summer.) But as you say, not everyone wants the same things in life. I think that I will still give the Bristol Channel a miss thank you.

I do not think that it is the authorities doing more testing. I suspect that it is people who are found to be positive when self testing. We test all of our staff on a regular basis. I and my friends also test ourselves regularly. We are all in daily contact with tourists, customers and suppliers. Many of whom have had Covid. The Thais will usually contact the hospitals when they have Covid - in order to receive the free medicines. Most of us foreigners who have mild symptoms just self quarantine for 10 days. I had Covid in February. I did not bother to contact the hospital. I just shut myself in my house for 10 days - meetings with staff were through a closed glass door with (anti) social distancing! ???? A friend (again with minor symptoms) contacted the hospital when she tested positive. The hospital asked if she was able to isolate at home. When she replied yes, they said to stay there for 10 days. Neither of us will be in the Samui case numbers! The real numbers are much higher.

I am not sure what your motive is in commenting on an article that is nine months old, and where we have no new details. Going back to the original articles (7th June) - "the actual depth of the water at its deepest point was 3 meters and the pool had been used for diving instruction. " Their room was not made up as the resort was not open at that point. It opened for them. Maybe that is why the CCTV was turned off. Here is a scenario for you. Two elderly people drinking beer (5 empty beer bottles). Hot and so they enter the water. Lady slips on the slope to the deep end and struggles for help. (Fully clothed? Asians often go into the water in their clothes.) Man tries to rescue her - she is struggling and heavy. The lady drowns, the man dies at hospital. He was alive when rescued from the pool. Not that uncommon for an untrained rescuer to need to be rescued. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/more-details-uncovered-in-billionaire-couples-koh-tao-death I see that you signed up so that you could make this post. I am wondering - why?

And how do you suggest that they pay for the tickets when their debit/credit cards are frozen?

A billion baht would support a lot of unemployed people!

Chartered flights sent by the Thai government.

They are "stranded" when their credit cards and ATM cards are suspended thanks to sanctions. How do they pay for these 'regular' flights? We have guests that are checking out of their villas because they cannot pay the rent. They do not know where to go or what to do. I am not making a judgement on what is right or wrong - just saying that some visitors have serious issues to work through at the moment.

Most Russian credit cards and ATM cards cannot now be used. How do they pay for these flights that you recommend?

It should be enough but..... I went to KPN from Samui a few weeks back using the Lomlahk ferry. Nothing was asked for Samui to KPN. KPN to Samui, again nothing was asked for on boarding the ferry, but on arriving at Samui, there were some Thais asking to see my Thailand Pass. I explained that I did not have one nor need one having lived here for more than 20 years. They did not know what to do and so I showed them my Thai id card. (A Thai driving licence would also have worked.) They took a photo of it and waved me through. I never needed to show my vaccine certificate et al.

Sandbox is not Test & Go. With Sandbox, you are in quarantine. TAT and the government are touting Test & Go as 'no quarantine'. That is why it is popular. 'No quarantine' has been interpreted by some hotels on the island as exactly that. The crazy thing is that we have had guests who were negative after the first PCR test but were found to be positive after the 5 day test.

Insurance invalid as Russian insurance companies cannot pay hospital bills etc.

Not according to the guests and friends that I have spoken to who have been through the Test and Go scenario. Free to wander. Even on the beach. And that is on Samui.

I am not sure why you are asking these questions. The timing of the test results is immaterial. Whilst in your Test and Go resort, there are no restrictions. You are not confined to your room. You can go anywhere in the resort. You will come into contact with resort employees and other guests. Vaccinated visitors (who have regular tests) will be allowed. From what I have read, all of the people from outside, that the group met, all came to the resort.