How Covid-19 can have a longer term impact for Expats in Thailand

[rvaviator]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

No.

World population: 7.8 billion

Dead from the virus worldwide as of now: 38,769

Damage to world economies: Priceless.

Dead in Thailand from the virus: 10

Dead on Thai roads per year: 25,000

and for everything else its MasterCard ...

[Toosetinmyways]

I could see the Thai government bringing in a tax law for foreigners residing here for more than 180 days per year working or not. Maybe coupled with a basic Thai type health care plan. Renewing visa or leaving country you would need a tax certificate.

[peterrabbit]

When this is all over the way foreigners were forced into overcrowded Immigration Officers with the inevitable infections and deaths among the tourists and Expats will be called to account by the countries of those Citizens and the world in general. 

 

How the Thai authorities act NOW to protect foreigners, will shape their future foreign relations and tourism industry for a generation to come.

 

At some time in the future the pandemic will be over, but how Countries and Governments behaved in this crisis,  will NOT be over or forgotten. 

 

 

 

 

[Gandtee]

2 hours ago, Rod the Sod said:

I had a physio appointment at 1.30pm today at a very very good Hospital in BKK. I used 70% alcohol before I left the unit to wash my hands and at the same time took my temp. I got to the car park and had my hands rewashed and temp taken again before I could even get to my Vespa. I thought I would buy a bottle of Gin in case there is a lock-down and so the Supermarket kindly washed my hands and lasered my forehead once again. 10 minutes later I arrived at the Hospital and they gave me a thorough cleaning and temp check before I was allowed in. The lift had a hand gel machine and I couldn't resist it. I checked in where they nodded at the hand gel and then I was led to get my BP, temp & heart rate checked. Upon my return to the Condo I had another temp check and got doused in gel once again. In the lift was another hand wash gel and I thought "In for a penny, in for a pound" and had another splash around. So all in all, in the space of 2 hours I had 9 hand washes and 6 temp checks. Am I alone thinking the world has gone crazy?

No need to get heated up about it.????

[amykat]

I would like to remind people that a few very important people in the world, are in the high risk group.  It is possible, though they do get the best care and attention and will get a respirator, that they could kick the bucket and that would cause quite a few changes for some countries, like say North Korea ...or some place like that ....I wonder what countries come to your mind??

[Kalasin Jo]

The immediate cost is in lives but  this craziness of borders closed and lockdowns ( house arrest really in places like Italy, France and now the UK) will go away once a vaccine is available. That could be a year away. So a huge amount of damage, socially and economically isn't just going to go away. That cost is already enormous in every country.

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, Rod the Sod said:

I had a physio appointment at 1.30pm today at a very very good Hospital in BKK. I used 70% alcohol before I left the unit to wash my hands and at the same time took my temp. I got to the car park and had my hands rewashed and temp taken again before I could even get to my Vespa. I thought I would buy a bottle of Gin in case there is a lock-down and so the Supermarket kindly washed my hands and lasered my forehead once again. 10 minutes later I arrived at the Hospital and they gave me a thorough cleaning and temp check before I was allowed in. The lift had a hand gel machine and I couldn't resist it. I checked in where they nodded at the hand gel and then I was led to get my BP, temp & heart rate checked. Upon my return to the Condo I had another temp check and got doused in gel once again. In the lift was another hand wash gel and I thought "In for a penny, in for a pound" and had another splash around. So all in all, in the space of 2 hours I had 9 hand washes and 6 temp checks. Am I alone thinking the world has gone crazy?

Wait and see what happens when they have the 5 minute blood test.....

[DrTuner]

5 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Wait and see what happens when they have the 5 minute blood test.....

Autsch. Fingertips will look like minced meat.

[ericthai]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

No.

World population: 7.8 billion

Dead from the virus worldwide as of now: 38,769

Damage to world economies: Priceless.

Dead in Thailand from the virus: 10

Dead on Thai roads per year: 25,000

We all know the Thai govt and numbers dont work, and god forbid if they look bad, so how can we believe any numbers being touted by the govt?  I think 3 months from now things will be very different!

 

When this first started I thought this was being blown out of proportion too.  

However, in the past week my thinking has changed. My brother works with a hosp in the USA

and he said they are non-stop with 5 times the normal patient load.  The issue is this is all happening at one time so the systems are being overwhelmed. 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

7 minutes ago, ericthai said:

We all know the Thai govt and numbers dont work, and god forbid if they look bad, so how can we believe any numbers being touted by the govt? 

The government figures might well be understated, but if the numbers were huge then social media would be screaming about it. The problem with this virus is the speed that it travels and the apparent ease with which it can be caught, but its fatality rate, which after all is the bottom line, is still quite modest when compared to the big picture. As you say, it's coming at us with the speed of an express train, and that is the problem.

[Visarghhhh]

I think a deep recession will hit the world, with SE Asia suffering from reduced trade and tourism.  Dollar will rise is value vs the THB.  Expats will need to wear masks and be careful not to be a source of spreading the disease or life will get bad for farangs. Also expats should try to spread some money around to help the local Thais who will suffer greatly.  The US is in a mess with its deficit and we need to watch that since it will blow up big time some day.

[DrTuner]

5 minutes ago, Visarghhhh said:

Also expats should try to spread some money around to help the local Thais who will suffer greatly.  

I'm a nasty man and I won't be spending any extra if Thailand doesn't veer off it's course of sailing into China's awaiting arms. They made their bed. A regime change and change of direction back towards democratic countries and then we'll see.

[mrfill]

10 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Look forward to hyperinflation.....governments are spending massive amounts of borrowed money giving it to businesses and to prop up stock markets. This situation is unsustainable....the US is simply printing money and calling it something else. The structural deficit is over 1 trillion a year and they owe 23.6 trillion.....Trump is adding over $1 trillion a year so after another 5 years of Trip we will owe $30 billion. Most people already know the debt cannot ever be paid for, especially as idiots like Trump keep cutting income taxes to inflate the stock market. Government revenues are falling fast and corona will push it over the edge.....soon we will see the first 2 billion dollar deficit what with wars against Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea to fight.....all off budget. 

Faith in the dollar is already falling and it is alright the FED saying 0% interest rates, but the folks buying the Treasuries will sooner or later demand something better than a real negative interest rate for investing in US inc. When this happens that 30 trillion or so debt is not sustainable at all with an interest rates of 5% on long term bonds....ergo default looming in the next decade.

Who has got all these trillions to lend out?

Surely, it is no-one - the extra money is just created from thin air and if it is never repaid, who will sue who for what?

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, DrTuner said:

I'm a nasty man and I won't be spending any extra if Thailand doesn't veer off it's course of sailing into China's awaiting arms. They made their bed. A regime change and change of direction back towards democratic countries and then we'll see.

And stop treating foreigners as criminals on probation, with their 90 day reports or exits nonsense.

[Letseng]

On 3/31/2020 at 12:54 PM, Rod the Sod said:

I had a physio appointment at 1.30pm today at a very very good Hospital in BKK. I used 70% alcohol before I left the unit to wash my hands and at the same time took my temp. I got to the car park and had my hands rewashed and temp taken again before I could even get to my Vespa. I thought I would buy a bottle of Gin in case there is a lock-down and so the Supermarket kindly washed my hands and lasered my forehead once again. 10 minutes later I arrived at the Hospital and they gave me a thorough cleaning and temp check before I was allowed in. The lift had a hand gel machine and I couldn't resist it. I checked in where they nodded at the hand gel and then I was led to get my BP, temp & heart rate checked. Upon my return to the Condo I had another temp check and got doused in gel once again. In the lift was another hand wash gel and I thought "In for a penny, in for a pound" and had another splash around. So all in all, in the space of 2 hours I had 9 hand washes and 6 temp checks. Am I alone thinking the world has gone crazy?

Better 9 times than not at all like in Europe. Hardly hand gel in sight apart from pharmacy entrance/GP surgery (in Austria). A notice next to the bottle says "CCTV".

Otherwise ppl may take the whole bottle home "by mistake". Not sure about hospitals. Don't go near it.