connda

Pack that pipe with poppy-dust and keep smoking. It's a pipe dream fabricated by people who fail to understand basic economics.

Depending on where you chose to travel.

30 or 40 years ago, those of us who came to SE Asian had a high tolerance to risk. Those of you who have arrived in the last 5 or 10 year probably don't. What is "safer" than a government who takes control of the county via a coup? The heavy-hand provides safety, right? They keep the commoners in their place. So the foreigners who prefer "safety" over adventure will gravitate toward the 'heavy-hand.' I'm not knocking anyone's choice, I'm just pointing out the obvious. The demographic who gravitates toward New Normal Thailand is not the demographic who will feel comfortable in Mexico or Columbia. In fact, they prefer to stay in places like Australia, New Zealand, or Canada - "safe" places where the government exerts total control and can provide the citizenry with a patina of safety at the expense of individuality. Just submit and safety is yours! Personally, if staying in Thailand becomes a bureaucratic nightmare, I'll head for Mexico. But that's just me. "But it's not "safe!"" Exactly.

You can fly into Mexico with a Health Declaration Form and no Covid Test or Vaccination Status is required. It's that easy. So? Those who are free-spirits and prefer "freedom" with all its warts will navigate to Mexico. I mean really? Those who are afraid of Covid are not going to go to Mexico for the same reasons that they are afraid of Covid. Those who are not afraid of Covid will go to Mexico because they are not afraid in general. It really does boil down to the amount of risk you are willing to accept. Some people dive off cliffs with wing suits or Base Jump, or are matadors or surf Monster Waves. Some people chose a risk level that heightens their life without going to extremes. Most people chose to live lives that are safe and predictable. Most people are spectators who live veraciously though others within the safe confines of their personal cocoon. Who lives the fullest? That is a rhetorical question.

I guess we will all get Omicrom, there will be so many people packing the hospitals that the health care system can no longer function, and people are dying in the streets. "Bring out your dead." It will be the plague 2021-2022. If so, the "everyone is gonna die" fear narrative was correct and from now on anyone with a brain will believe the experts, governments, and Big Pharma. Or I guess we all get Omicrom (or not), it will be mild and most people except for the feeble and at risk will be able to get over it in short order, and not a lot of people will die. If so, the "everyone is gonna die" fear narrative is incorrect? You will see the public do a quantum leap to the other side of the narrative and suddenly those who have been "good citizens" and have complied will be asking difficult questions. Then? Start a world war. Taiwan and Ukraine (China and Russia) are great places to poke in the name of freedom and democracy. You know. The attributes or "freedom" and "democracy" that - 'post-Covid' - most people have collectively given up in the West...in the name of safety, of course.

It seems this government is dead-set on destroying old Thai cultural icons and replacing them with upscale, gentrified proxies and then attempt to sell it as progress. More progress in the unending process of destroying the exact Thai cultural icons that drew foreign tourists. Well, Thailand will get a few "rich, well-heeled" tourist but they will never make up the short-fall in revenue that was supplied by the foreign demographics that they no longer want. Obviously most of the Thai elites have never taken a basic Economics class.

Last year at this time, had there been articles like this, the entire country would have been on lockdown. Thailand reports 2,862 new COVID-19 cases, 37 deaths, 4,818 recoveries Funny how thing change in a year. "Only 2,862 cases and 37 deaths!!! Open up the doors and time to party!!!" I can't wait to see what January brings. ????

Must be an old review. Taiwan may end up in a hot war with China. Borders to Australia, NZ, Canada, Vietnam and closed. Perhaps others. About the only viable countries at this time are Mexico, Costa Rica, and Portugal. In the Covid era, there "Best Places To........" reviews are about as useless as nipples on men.

Thanks for the post. I believe what you outlined is the exact reason why the tourism industry in Thailand is not going to recover. There are too many other tourist destinations in this world that do not require a gantlet of complicated procedures and processes in order to enter their countries. Tourist will pick destinations where they can enter a country easily and move freely. And enjoy an alcoholic beverage in a Night-time Entertainment venue or on a beach. Excellent post!

When the 'rules' require you to jam a swab through your nose into your throat and show a 'negative' result for the honor of attending an 'event' even if you are fully vaccinated with a 'highly effective vaccine'? Nope. I'll go elsewhere. At no time in history have people been forced to take invasive medical tests in order to move freely. Or fully vaccinated people forced to quarantine in 'special' expensive, approved, facilities. It's a bad precedent. Of course, Covid testing is now a multi-billion dollar industry which is fed by government mandates. The potential for conflicts of interest and outright corruption are massive as corporate and government entities milk that cash-cow as long as possible - like forever. All that needs to be done is to implement a Neo-totalitarian state that supports medical apartheid and normalizes it as a mechanism to keep the public safe from viruses for the collective good - just submit to medical tests and quarantines for the rest of your life in exchange for freedom of movement and be ready to show your papers to the proper authorities at all times. ???? Personally I don't need to attend any venue that requires an invasive medical test or a period of quarantine. The Thai government underestimates the number of potential tourists who simply will by-pass Thailand given those requirements. Honestly, given the precedent, why not mandate AIDS tests too for all tourist entering Thailand or all citizens attending a venue where there is even a remote possibility of "hooking up" with a sex partner? TB tests? How about a panel of tests of any and all communicable diseases. Never can be "too safe" right? For the public good of course? Where does it end? Does it end? Can it end now that the genie is out of the bottle?

Well farmers. Get your foot-dragging government to complete their end of the HS rail line and then you can flood China and other BRI connection points with your products.

Yeah. If you want to be safe, I'd recommend staying home. Much safer!

Cameras and 7 dogs.

Regressive taxes simply screw the lowest on the economic scale. Want to lower the salt in processed foods? Target the manufacturer's and limit the salt in their products. But no. They'll screw the little people. It's easier.

Mars-Rover

And so mired in debt that if they don't refinance the loans annually they lose everything. That external look of prosperity is a curtain the hide the house of cards it's built on. Well, unless they have a working girl in the family send money back home.

Now if we could just arrange to have the village power go out at midnight.

I will bet you 1000 points (and the points don't matter) that come the week of New Years Eve and New Years that Highway 11 in my neck of Lamphun heading to Chiang Mai will ram-jam-full of BKK holiday goers heading North. Perhaps a few less people will be taking buses. Private cars? Lots and lots of cars. All the Covid checkpoints in Lamphun (HW11 at Maeta) and Chiang Mai (HW 11-121 intersection) have been completely dismantled. "Come on up! The Covid's fine." I wonder how long it will take them to put them back up again in January? ????

"What we have achieved so far is to declare that cannabis stems, roots, leaves and sprigs are not drugs. Starting next year, we'll remove everything — stems, roots, sprigs, leaves, buds, flowers and seeds — from the narcotics list," he said. So buds, flowers, and seeds are can be harvested by citizen who applies for a permit to grow it. There may still be a "catch" but it seems they are starting down the road of "decriminalization."

My wife mentioned this a couple of days ago. My response was, "What's the catch?" Anyone know? What's the catch? If there is no catch, if this becomes the next Kratom, then its a economic and societal win for Thailand. Average citizens can cultivate the crops and benefit economically while societally the Thai prison system cab empty out with the exception of those who are incarcerated for trafficking and hard drugs. Now if Thailand would just embrace the Portugal model for dealing with hard drugs they could drop their prison population to 15% of what it is today (that was the effect in Portugal), and divert hard drug users to hospitals for rehabilitation. Then with the increase in economic activity, maybe these former "criminals" can find a decent paying job. Like cultivating cannabis and hemp products for export.

Legalize weed and you eliminate 30% or more of the 83% of the prison population who are locked up on drug related charges. Then try the Portugal model and offer the users of hard drugs (meth, heroin, coke) rehabilitation in medical facilities. Redefine what a trafficker is and isn't. Someone moving kilos of hard drugs is a trafficker. Concentrate on the supply not the street level idiots selling a few pills or other small amounts to support a habit. They need intervention and medical treatment. Not prison. If Thailand embraced a Portugal model they could very literally empty their prisons. If they legalize marijuana they could create an economic boom for regular Thais who could then cultivate cannabis and hemp for domestic use and export. Instead they make it a closed business model where only connected individual can profit in a highly regulated industry that primarily benefits the wealthy with friends within government while threatening the average public with - prison - should they attempt to grow the plant. That's simply greed.

Fearful people should simply avoid restaurants if the wait staff makes them feel uncomfortable. And if they go to a restaurant by vehicle, they should factor in the dangers of driving on Thai roads where over 12,000 have died on the road and countless tens of thousands injured. It's best to stay safely at home, masked.

Be sure to wear a mask when you drive. You may die of Covid. ????

The absolute pain in the behind to obtain a work permit will be the show stopper.

How lame. If you want foreigners to work in your country, pave the path with incentives, not a glorified tourist visa. How absurd!