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Posted

A couple of days ago I decided I was better returning back home to wait out the coronavirus. Everything is progressing so fast and as a teacher I could see that schools were going to get shut down. 

 

So i'll lose a months salary, my deposit and everything I accumulated here. Safe to say the girlfriends not thrilled. 

 

Anyone else in the same boat? Who is going to stay in Thailand for lockdown and who plans on getting out of dodge? 

 

Gonna be a long year.... Keep fighting lads

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Posted (edited)

I guess if I were you it would depend on how much I have saved and how much you currently spend on rent. You could easily switch to a 2-3K room and sit out 2-3 months with a small budget, no need to spend that much. Or leaving, but then you also waste on a flight ticket, might see schools opening 3 weeks after that and needing to buy a flight again to return here + find a new room. 

Can imagine many teachers are going to have relative big problems because of this, often no savings either and on very tight budgets already.
Maybe I will be affected by it sooner or later too, if a global economic collapse happens, it all becomes a chair dance. Can't know who gets hurt upfront.

If you really go into temporary survival budget mode, get a 3K baht room, you should be able to survive for 2-3 months on <1000 usd.

Edited by ChaiyaTH
Posted (edited)

I booked to fly back to the UK on the early bird Friday morning flight this morning (after much shouting at the bank on the phone who were sending authorization codes to a completely wrong phone not on my accounts) - assuming Thai doesn't cancel the flight in the next 48 hours. Be honest I do not think they will cancel in such a short time, but you never know, though I am presuming they will start cancelling in the near future potentially.

 

I have enough money for the wife pay the rent and feed the kid, and will find a bed and breakfast for myself for a few months.

 

I am one of the at risk people due to an illness I had years back and I need medication from UK hospitals every 9 months, and am due back in the UK in June anyhow.

 

Do I want to go, no, far from it, but for me the decision is easy due to me own health situation.

 

Hopefully a few months and I can return - fingers crossed. My retirement based extension end in January, and if everything is not back to normal by then, then I thick many of you reading this may not be here welcoming me back !

 

I think people should also consider what happens to them if the banks fail here and in other places, what if you lose access to money. At least I know if I am in the UK, I can try and sort it. I think you need imagine worst case scenario rather than just think 'well, not worry, what will be will be'. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by RichardColeman
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Posted

I think it will be worse in the UK, USA and Canada if you are in an urban area.

Because 1) Older population will get more sick

2) Over crowded hospitals.

 

I think Thailand has lots of private hospitals so if you are sick you will be able to buy a bed at least. Also Thai government will enact strong policy to stop the spread.

I am suppose to fly next week back to Thailand. I just don't know, maybe the flights will be blocked?

Posted
2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Everywhere else that one looks around, in terms of this virus looks a lot less attractive than rural Issan does right now. Plenty of food all around us and little social mixing outside our own community. So I reckon the risk of encountering this virus quite low.

 

Like @ivor bigun above, I'm here with my wife and her family, so moving isn't really an option anyway. But even if I did have that choice, I'd stick it out right here.

 

I'm sticking to my belief that Thailand, especially the rural areas are not in any great danger anyway.

 

until  all those issan workers  who work in BKK come back as their  co. has  closed bringing with them their increased chance of having the virus  picked up more easily  in a major  city

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Posted
1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Home has a bigger problem than here does

I  wouldnt be too  sure  about that one,I suspect Thailand has not been testing  much whereas the Uk  has so would  find more infections making it  appear to be worse.

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Posted
3 hours ago, Chazar said:

I  wouldnt be too  sure  about that one,I suspect Thailand has not been testing  much whereas the Uk  has so would  find more infections making it  appear to be worse.

The Uk is not doing anything. They are taking a different approach. Just letting the virus run it's course.

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Posted
9 hours ago, Chazar said:

until  all those issan workers  who work in BKK come back as their  co. has  closed bringing with them their increased chance of having the virus  picked up more easily  in a major  city

Let them come if they wish. I'll be in 'social isolation' by then.

 

But actually I doubt if that will happen anyway. They'll want to be ready at the doors when facilities open up again. They know there are zero opportunities for them up here. Better to stay close to the watering hole and hope for rain.

Posted
19 hours ago, johnray said:

The schools seem to be closing for only a few weeks.

The MoE has it's hands full. May is a long ways away. I expect the announcement 2-4 weeks from now.

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Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

The MoE has it's hands full. May is a long ways away. I expect the announcement 2-4 weeks from now.

  Even if the MoE has its hands full, nobody know can foresee what will be in the middle of May, when most government schools are usually starting their new academic year.

 

  It's a strange time, and I genuinely hope that this virus goes back where it came from in no time.

 

This virus will change too many things and destroy not only lives.

 

I'm certain that many businesses will have to shut down forever if the virus continues to take its toll. 

 

Too many shops here in Isaan are going normal, but for how long?

 

Thank China and its people for their bat and other scurrile animals eating habit.

 

 

 

  

 

   

Edited by Isaanbiker
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Posted (edited)
19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Everywhere else that one looks around, in terms of this virus looks a lot less attractive than rural Issan does right now. Plenty of food all around us and little social mixing outside our own community. So I reckon the risk of encountering this virus quite low.

 

Like @ivor bigun above, I'm here with my wife and her family, so moving isn't really an option anyway. But even if I did have that choice, I'd stick it out right here.

 

I'm sticking to my belief that Thailand, especially the rural areas are not in any great danger anyway.

 

We too are in Isaan and both of us are heading to Australia next week. No kids - all grown adults now. I certainly hope the rural areas aren't in any great danger or there will be a virtual apocalypse of older people going belly up. The village we are in has a fair few schoolkids, not many young adults or middle aged people, but a lot of quite to very old people. Typical setup where the grandparents look after the kids while their parents work elsewhere. The big risk as I see it is when industry shuts down, and it will (not just bars etc)  and people return to the village in substantial numbers.

We decided to leave pretty well based on the fact that right now we can. In a few weeks that might not be possible. I don't have a lot of faith in the rural Thai medical system apart from the basic diagnosis stuff. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent specialists around but I've got my doubts about whether the system can handle the numbers of ICU patients that will need treatment. It hasn't happened yet but I think it will. We can always come back, we haven't turned our back on Thailand forever.

 

To add some clarity I should say I am still working, not retired, and my job continues in Australia regardless after the 14 days isolation, assuming I am not infected.

Edited by emptypockets
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, Don Chance said:

The Uk is not doing anything. They are taking a different approach. Just letting the virus run it's course.

if  you  think you  have  it  you can go and get tested  FREE, friend  did  it  after coming back from a cruise 3  weeks  ago,whilst  waiting for the result they self  isolated at  home, after the all clear back to work, all done in 7  days

Edited by Chazar
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, Don Chance said:

The Uk is not doing anything. They are taking a different approach. Just letting the virus run it's course.

They are heres just one example https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-test-drive-thru-wolverhampton-station-car-park-a9394731.html

Friend did exactly this,  called  the NHS 111  number  said she felt  not so good, was  told go to the test place, there are quite a few of  them

Edited by Chazar
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Posted
18 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Us moderators are a miserable lot, as I have no doubt many of you appreciate

unable to comment???? but  your my favourite along  with Crossy..............oh  bugga  Ive crossed the line  now

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Posted

work permit ends april 30th.  there is a chance i can extend with the same school, but let's say that's not going to happen.

 

i guess i could hope to do a border hop, plus extension, if all is not closed down in May.  That puts me to July 1st.  Then perhaps a tourist visa, if Laos is open.  Extend that visa, now I'm in November.

 

I'm a strange person.....lol...I don't like to be forced to do something.  I love my home country, but I want to go back WHEN I want to go back.  I'm not ready now, but maybe if all the schools stay closed and all my visa options run out....well, then that's that.  

 

Thoughts on the future?

 

 

 

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