Pilotman

10 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

This is pure propaganda.

 

The message is it's safe and I'm willing to step up and take the vaccine so should you.

'Safe' and 'effective' are two different issues.  I want one that is the most effective and its not the Chinese version.  

7 minutes ago, DerbyDan said:

if you dont like geckos you should go back to the usa

They have them there too, in the hot parts.  

1 hour ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

if I was a rich man i would be japan for me--but Im poor----so its been LOS

 

Camb-Vietnam-Laos avoid? becos? I liked my 6 weeks in vietnam for what it was worth

Its a very personal thing, Cambodia; run by criminals, very poor human rights record, poor medical facilities, too many Chinese  chasing girls and gambling, a centre for under age abuse;  not a place for me.  Vietnam, great to visit, beautiful country, but not very advanced medical facilities, poor infrastructure, although getting better but I could not live permanently in a communist run country.  Laos, like going back 200 years in development. I wasn't born in the 20th Century to then live in the 18th. 

5 hours ago, smedly said:

In clinical and real world trials, China’s Sinovac underperforms | The Economist

says it all. 

On 5/17/2021 at 8:13 AM, Thingamabob said:

Amazingly sad and depressing. These creatures provide a useful service for us humans. Why would you want to kill them, and in such a cruel way ?

I agree, love to see and hear them around and they do keep the mosquitos away. 

1 hour ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Where would be your pick for best cheap asian country for a single male in 50s with open options?

That's a difficult one to answer, as it depends on the persons objectives in coming to Asia and how much 'wealth' that person has.  Thailand would certainly be high on that list, despite its frustrations, possibly followed by the Philippines, all post covid of course. Personally, I would avoid recommending Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam, but that is just a personal view. If money was no object then definitely Singapore or Taiwan, but they do not meet your 'cheap' criteria. 

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

I mean in the winter.  As a young kid, I remember loads of snow, fun building a snowman, sliding down snowy hills etc.  Now I think UK winters are mostly cold, drizzly rain....

 

Before I moved to live in Thailand, I lived in Andorra, in the Pyrenee mountains, with cross-country skiing on my doorstep, duty-free booze and food, very clean, highest standard of healthcare in the world.

 

When I'm done with online teaching, I hope to retire back to Andorra or nearby in the mountains, since elderly healthcare in Laos is probably not so good!

Only went to Andorra once, many years ago.  I was supper impressed with the place, but in those days there was only one road in from Spain and the same road out, so to see any large area of the country you had to endure a big boring bit, twice.  I guess it may have changed now, but very nice place, even then. 

Do I miss UK; never.  I miss my kids, but never that country. 

5 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Where else would you be and why..always open to other options on the horizon... ???? as Britman stated his reasons

I would base myself in the UK and travel extensively.  But as it is, unless Mrs P agrees, which she may well do at some point, we are here, temporarily.  

1 hour ago, Kingdavo said:

we are all immigrants, i

My original Visa and my annual extensions are on a 'none immigrant basis' , None 'O', we are not all immigrants by a long way.

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

In leads?

Oh no, none speaking walk around in the crowd parts, no idea why. Maybe just adds to the exotic atmosphere of the movie, to an Indian audience that is? 

Just now, placeholder said:

Really, they have lots of half farangs? I've watched, alas, a fair amount of Indian shows, and never saw that. I can't speak for Hong Kong and Singapore.

Interestingly they do. They also like to cast full farang women and some mixed race , at least in India.  My  daughter and her friend, on holiday in Goa, were asked to take a cameo role in an Indian movie being shot there.   Apparently she was told that  this is quite a regular occurrence.  

12 minutes ago, placeholder said:

I think people confuse racism with nationalism. Thailand is astonishingly non-racist when it comes to farangs. We know this because a disproportionate number of their successful actors are half-farang. I can't think of any other Asian nation where this is the case.

Hong Kong, India and Singapore to name 3.  

48 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

To each his own.  I will get vaccinated as soon as get Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca or "maybe" Johnson & Johnson are available.  I want to take "my risk" with something that shows a 95% plus effectiveness rate "based on testing in Western countries"   I have had too many experiences with other products coming out of Asia describing themselves as "genuine" to want to test their effectiveness in my veins. 

I'm with you.  I will do everything I can to avoid the Chinese and/or Russian versions

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Whatever the truth of that may be, it would be impossible to hide the fact that hospitals are overflowing with covid patients given the large number of westerners who live throughout China. 

I will concede that they had more time to develop a vaccine, as they kept the outbreak of  Covid 19 a secret for so long after it broke out and even silenced its own doctors/scientists who tried to blow the whistle and tell the World. 

10 minutes ago, simon43 said:

LoL, expats are prioritised below criminals!

Quite right too.  There is no way that they can take actions to protect themselves from exposure, we can. 

On 5/14/2021 at 2:55 PM, Kiujunn said:

Teaching tones to a native speaker of a non-tonal language is very repetitive and boring. Not something TGs with an attention span defined by tiktok would like.

indeed so. 

I would never ask.   

Take a pic of 'Felix, As Good As It Looks' Cat Food on your phone and just show it to them. 

34 minutes ago, placeholder said:

It's amazing that you believe there would be a serious covid problem in China and word not get out. China is not North Korea. It's an industrial powerhouse and as such is highly engaged with the world.

what utter nonsense. Its a lying, secretive, obstructionist, power crazy, xenophobic, untrustworthy, criminal State, that is directly responsible for this covid pandemic. 

On 5/15/2021 at 2:11 PM, Jonathan Fairfield said:

This means that in principle, foreigners will be able to use the walk in vaccination services as soon as they are up and running and the locations are confirmed. 

It will not be that easy, it never is.  What's the betting that you will need to produce a Certificate of Residence from Immigration before you 'walk in'?