Australian, usa expats, what is your plan?

[DannyCarlton]

23 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i should not have used B52's as a example of what you can do with twitter. that was confusing.

A couple of B2s flew over my house a while back when the N. Korea crisis was at it's peak.

[JimLuce]

1 minute ago, audaciousnomad said:

2 hours isn't too bad. It probably becomes 3 hours if they start locking provinces with checkpoints.  My worry was mainly that I would have to use public transport, which I don't trust will be available if some serious locking down happens.  If you have your own transportation, that would be ideal.

Yes for this trip we have our own transportation. I definitely wouldn’t want to take the bus right now. 

[JimLuce]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

A couple of B2s flew over my house a while back when the N. Korea crisis was at it's peak.

I remember I was assigned to Tokyo and we were living there when North Korea was launching missiles over our heads in Tokyo. I was in Seoul Korea when the north sunk the sub, and during the artillery attack in November 2010. We also first started visiting Thailand then as well ten years ago when I was working in Japan. 

[emptypockets]

6 minutes ago, JimLuce said:

Well that’s only one. We usually buy that much and it lasts most of the month. But so far we’re not doing anything out of the ordinary. Except staying home more. We were in Surin a few weeks ago a couple hours away. 

We just drove to Bangkok from Surin today. Easy drive with no real traffic jams. Got a bum gun in Oz so the dunny roll will last a long time. At least the 14 days solitary.

[JimLuce]

1 minute ago, emptypockets said:

We just drove to Bangkok from Surin today. Easy drive with no real traffic jams. Got a bum gun in Oz so the dunny roll will last a long time. At least the 14 days solitary.

Good hopefully it stays that way and if panic travelers do flood the roads hopefully by next week it’ll be cleared up. 

[Bangkokazy]

Nordmann lives in New Orleans: - There are third world conditions here.
The corona epidemic has revealed how disadvantaged the United States is. The hospitals lack the most basic equipment, and now have to beg for help from companies and individuals.

 

However, The Washington Post newspaper revealed that the president and the White House received repeated warnings from the US intelligence services about how dangerous the epidemic could be. Already in January, they reported that the corona could develop into a global threat, but that the Chinese authorities were very late in telling the world about the disease.

Now Trump blames China for keeping the outbreak of disease secret at first. But at the same time, his government and the United States have lost 10 valuable weeks to prevent the outbreak. Because in January, Trump did not heed the warnings of his own intelligence services.

Edited March 23, 2020 by Bangkokazy

[Scott]

Off-topic posts reported and removed.  

[Max69xl]

On 3/22/2020 at 2:25 AM, daveAustin said:

Not interested in hearing from others then? 

He's seems to be living in a small world. 

[tifino]

I plan to be Objective.

 

Do a running recce each morning of whats left in the pantry, in the dunny corners, and hanging on the wall. 

 

Currently 5 days have passed since I started Monitoring;

 at three 'times'per day,

and the same Roll which started then at Full, is now at 40% 

 

At that rate, the remaining Collection; should last us 341 days!! woo hoo   - and No hoard/panic buying of any.

Looking back we've not bought any since early Feb 

 

(Physical Usage also gladly supplemented by 'visits' at the supermarket dunnies)

 

dunny roll calculator   

See! there are plenty of 'rainy day' things to keep ones minds active, during these stay at home scenarios!

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed.

 

[moojar]

Well if it wasn't already too late to leave, it very soon will be:  

 

Quote

Thai Airways International cancels Australia / New Zealand service in 2Q20

Bangkok – Auckland
29MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
Bangkok – Brisbane
30MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled

Bangkok – Melbourne
31MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
Bangkok – Perth
30MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
Bangkok – Sydney
01APR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled

 

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/290449/thai-airways-international-cancels-australia-new-zealand-service-in-2q20/

 

Qantas and Jetstar cease all international flying from "the end of March".  Rumour has it Jetstar will also cease domestic flying. 

Singapore has closed their border AND banned transit passengers as of today.

Etihad and Emirates stop flying from 25 March for at least two weeks - the UAE has closed their borders. 

 

Good luck all. 

 

[Olmate]

4 hours ago, moojar said:

Well if it wasn't already too late to leave, it very soon will be:  

 

 

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/290449/thai-airways-international-cancels-australia-new-zealand-service-in-2q20/

 

Qantas and Jetstar cease all international flying from "the end of March".  Rumour has it Jetstar will also cease domestic flying. 

Singapore has closed their border AND banned transit passengers as of today.

Etihad and Emirates stop flying from 25 March for at least two weeks - the UAE has closed their borders. 

 

Good luck all. 

 

Best not to BS, Open the link and see Thai flights reduced...Not cancelled...of course you may be right about the rumours!

[moojar]

2 hours ago, Olmate said:

Best not to BS, Open the link and see Thai flights reduced...Not cancelled...of course you may be right about the rumours!

Best to open the link and actually read the <deleted> thing.   All flights cancelled until June 30, all flights reduced (compared to today) from July 1.  

 

The wording is not that clear, the cancellations are an update to original (now rescheduled) service reductions filing.  I left out the service reductions part so as not to confuse those with comprehension difficulties. 

 

Quote

Bangkok – Auckland
29MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
eff 01JUL20 Reduce from 7 to 3 weekly, 787-9 operating

Bangkok – Brisbane
30MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
eff 01JUL20 Reduce from 4 to 3 weekly, 777-200ER operating

Bangkok – Melbourne
31MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
eff 01JUL20 Reduce from 14 to 3 weekly, A350-900XWB operating

Bangkok – Perth
30MAR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
eff 01JUL20 Reduce from 7 to 3 weekly, A330-300 operating (Service cancelled 30APR20 – 16JUN20)

Bangkok – Sydney
01APR20 – 30JUN20 Service cancelled
01JUL20 – 24OCT20 Reduce from 7 to 5 weekly, 777-300ER replaces 747-400

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/290449/thai-airways-international-cancels-australia-new-zealand-service-in-2q20/

[Olmate]

3 hours ago, moojar said:

Best to open the link and actually read the <deleted> thing.   All flights cancelled until June 30, all flights reduced (compared to today) from July 1.  

 

The wording is not that clear, the cancellations are an update to original (now rescheduled) service reductions filing.  I left out the service reductions part so as not to confuse those with comprehension difficulties. 

 

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/290449/thai-airways-international-cancels-australia-new-zealand-service-in-2q20/

Yep best to do that and my mithtake...thanks your most kind!

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

18 hours ago, Bangkokazy said:

his government and the United States have lost 10 valuable weeks to prevent the outbreak

W.H.O reported Covid-19 on Dec 31 2019 - Trump announced the travel restriction 30 days later.

 

Despite that announcement your own prime minister Erna Solberg of Norway sat on her hands for the entire month of February and half of March, until finally closing Norway's boarders on 16 March. A full 45 days after Trump's announcement and 75 days after W.H.O's announcement. 

You judge Trump's action harshly but it wasn't called a pandemic from the beginning and hindsight is always 20 20.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by WhereIsMyRyeBread

[audaciousnomad]

36 minutes ago, WhereIsMyRyeBread said:

W.H.O reported Covid-19 on Dec 31 2019 - Trump announced the travel restriction 30 days later.

 

Despite that announcement your own prime minister Erna Solberg of Norway sat on her hands for the entire month of February and half of March, until finally closing Norway's boarders on 16 March. A full 45 days after Trump's announcement and 75 days after W.H.O's announcement. 

You judge Trump's action harshly but it wasn't called a pandemic from the beginning and hindsight is always 20 20.

 

 

 

 

Who cares? None of who we blame will matter if we don't survive it.  Good luck and hope to see all of you post-apocalypse! ????

[ThaiWai]

Put plan A into effect today.

Plan A: Buy some groceries and a bottle of whiskey and some ice and float around the pool for a few hours.  

Plan B: See plan A

[moojar]

For those that haven't heard,  Australians are banned from overseas travel from midday today (Wednesday.)

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-25/coronavirus-travel-ban-overseas-australian-citizens-midday-start/12087818

 

Fair enough IMO -as the PM said, there are still people travelling for leisure under the current 'do not travel' advisories, and they pose a threat to the rest of us when they return. There's a lot of that 'posing a threat to the rest of us' going on actually - I'm not loving the 'boomer remover' nickname for this virus!  

 

NSW alone has over 1000 detected cases now, <deleted>'s gettin' real.  

  

[moojar]

15 hours ago, Olmate said:

Yep best to do that and my mithtake...thanks your most kind!

No worries Olmate - honest mistake, the wording is not clear.  I think the Routes Online people probably have a lot going on right now!  

[BTB1977]

I just bought a BBQ grill and a sh|t ton of beer. Looks like I'm in it for the long haul. 

[tifino]

just try not to go too overboard, in your quest to avoid boredom

 

do not try this at home

 

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

On 3/25/2020 at 9:14 AM, JimLuce said:

This weekend, Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx reported having few respirators left

No one wants to read about the Bronx on a Thai forum, trust me.

 

[Rimmer]

Off topic post and replies removed

[rken2]

I will be staying put here in the land of smile. The insanity in the US is going to much worse than anything Thailand could dream up.  I have precious metals like lead and brass so no worries

 

[tifino]

the plan!

 

nothing has changed...

 

 

 

[KhunFred]

My only real option is to move to the Philippines. Much friendlier environment as regards Immigration. You can stay there indefinitely on a tourist visa. You need only leave the country for 24 hours, every three years.

[DjChris28]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I ended up flying back home to Australia. I literally just jumped on a plane one night and then messaged my boss and told him I had to leave urgently due to covid crisis. He was not happy to say the least as I gave no notice, but given I was working for a company in the tourism industry and given the flights were disapearing out of thin air with no sight of them returning anytime in the near future (I have read reports that international travel may be suspended for at least a year, if not 2 -3 years), I felt that I could have eventually lost my job and have been stuck with no income in Thailand with no flights home - that was the fear and I was losing sleep over it. I Apologized to my boss and told him that I had no control over this and had to do what would have probably saved my life. They told me they would never hire me again. I was upset to say the least.

 

I offered to do my work while back in Australia. They declined.

They cancelled my Work permit remotely the next day I arrived back to Australia. I will thank Qatar airlines, They probably saved my life.

 

Now I will watched everything unfold. If International airlines are still not open in a years time, I will know I did the right thing.

Edited April 21, 2020 by DjChris28

[Rancid]

Currently in Oz. The media keeps flashing every death on the TV screen screaming about the hideous calamity that awaits us if we don't isolate more. Checking further the poor souls were pretty much all very old and in poor health, but why ruin good pandemic click bait?

 

Its odd here, the progressives want the country locked down till a vaccine is found, if not, then never open the borders again. They keep calling it the "new normal". The moderate right  mainly seem to want to get back to the old normal. Seems the US is similar. Telling that so many progressives stream their "all in this together" spiels from their expansive mansions.

 

I'm ready to retire so when airports open again I'll fly to Thailand. Thailand certainly does have issues, and isn't the free place it was, but on the balance still less fascist than Oz.

[DjChris28]

3 hours ago, Rancid said:

Currently in Oz. The media keeps flashing every death on the TV screen screaming about the hideous calamity that awaits us if we don't isolate more. Checking further the poor souls were pretty much all very old and in poor health, but why ruin good pandemic click bait?

 

Its odd here, the progressives want the country locked down till a vaccine is found, if not, then never open the borders again. They keep calling it the "new normal". The moderate right  mainly seem to want to get back to the old normal. Seems the US is similar. Telling that so many progressives stream their "all in this together" spiels from their expansive mansions.

 

I'm ready to retire so when airports open again I'll fly to Thailand. Thailand certainly does have issues, and isn't the free place it was, but on the balance still less fascist than Oz.

 

Either Australia needs to eliminate the virus or loosen the lockdown and accept the inevitable. The worst case scenario is literally just keep lockdown in place with no end resolution while more people die because of no income. I have a better chance of living with lockdown lifted than lockdowns in place and no income.

[kokesaat]

We came to the US in mid-Feb for a 3 month vacation.  Our return trip in May has been cancelled by the airline, with an offer to resked anytime until Dec at no extra cost.  We've lived in Thailand for 23 years and have every intention of returning.....but recognize that it probably won't be June or maybe not even this year.  Fortunately we've always had a plan B in our hip pocket to walk away from Thailand if not for Covid then for a nasty turn in the country towards foreigners or just a nasty turn in government or for health or any number of other reasons.  I've often commented to my wife of 48 years that if the need arose, I could pack a suitcase and leave if that was in our best interests.  Fortunately, that hasn't (hadn't) occurred despite coups, tsunamis, Thaitanic, or growing old.  

The biggest concern at this point is not knowing what tomorrow brings.  You can dream all you like about life being better in the PI or VN or anywhere else, but until this Covid pandemic settles down, none of the best experts in the world can answer that question.  If you're living overseas on a shoestring or burned all your bridges back in your home country or invested all your savings into your oversea's adventure,  then you're more of a gambling man than I'd care to be as I grow older (70 now).  Long before Covid came around, I've always advised people who consider moving to Thailand to have a plan B.