9 minutes ago, billsmart said:

The "good old days" are gone forever, not only in Thailand but everywhere.

This is the "new normal"... 

No, I don’t believe that. I think of this moment as a sort of war. It might get very bad, but eventually it will be over .

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

This is the only way governments will open up their borders as opposed to backing down and saying we overreacted, (lose of face here), regardless, in my opinion, voters around the world will vote current governments that are in, out, due to their overreactions and the massive debt that has piled up for the public to pay back due to their gross errors !

 

That isn't going to happen because the majority of voters are completely brain-washed by the endless fear-mongering.  Most believe SARS-Cov-2 is a death sentence.  I have a family member in the US who is now house-bound out of fear.  But - she supports even the most heavy-handed authoritarians degrees because they make her feel - "Safe."  And she reflects the will of the majority. I've seen her social media pages. 

Ever wonder why the German people so easily embraced Nazi doctrine?  They were promised safety among other things.  Economic and physical safety in a turbulent Europe where the citizens of most countries detested each other - violently.
And now the enemy is Covid - the outsider who will violently attack you, put you in the hospital on a ventilator, and then kill you! The public embraces draconian measures that shreds their personally liberties, they embrace the measures, and come the next elections? 
They'll vote the dictators back into office to continue to keep them safe. That's reality.  Read 'em and weep.

55 minutes ago, connda said:

They'll vote the dictators back into office to continue to keep them safe. That's reality.  Read 'em and weep.

History repeating itself, I hope your wrong, that's all I can do is hope ????

22 hours ago, tonray said:

I spoke with a taxi driver in Nonthaburi yesterday. His English was good enough and he had a few questions such as what I thought about the Thai economy under Covid. He expressed a couple of points, for his friends and family in the provinces, he stated that virtually nothing had changed. Whatever their economic prospects were before the pandemic, they are essentially the same now, albeit poor. He also expressed a desire for a new government for the same reasons. It seems that outside of the tourist industry, the rest of Thais are not affected much by the lack of tourists. His feeling was better safe than sorry and that is the thinking of most of the Thai population right now. 

He was right.

If you are a farmer, rice or cows/buffalo nothing has changed, life in the villages doesn't alter much whatever is going on elsewhere.

13 hours ago, connda said:

They'll vote the dictators back into office to continue to keep them safe. That's reality.  Read 'em and weep.

I don't believe you can be a dictator if you're voted into office.

Dictators hold power by force.

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't believe you can be a dictator if you're voted into office.

Dictators hold power by force.

Or by staging fraudulent elections....Kim Jong Un was re-elected last go round

The Thailand economy is in as much trouble as anybody else's. Whether tourism is 10% or 20% of the economy, this much money missing from any economy is distressing. I'm up near Udon Thani and you can see the subtle signs that the economy is stressing. Business closures, greatly increasing number of people trying to sell anything they can get their hands on, on the street sides, larger numbers of young people around, closed used car lots, a lot less new cars being sold (know several folks who sell cars), It's all around here but it's not as in your face as the tourist areas but it's there. An economic collapse is probably not going to happen but people are definitely far less flush than they used to be. Thailand's biggest problem is that their economy was already slowing prior to Covid-19 and the pandemic just accelerated their problems. In the end, how Thailand comes out of this will depend on them replacing the missing tourist dollars from another part of their economy. Their economy is mature enough where it greatly depends on growth to keep going, so if they can't return to sustainable growth, they would be in big trouble.

The good old days to me was when we didnt have to do visa runs and overstay was 200 Baht

22 hours ago, geisha said:

The "good old days" are gone forever, not only in Thailand but everywhere.

This is the "new normal"...

No, I don’t believe that. I think of this moment as a sort of war. It might get very bad, but eventually it will be over .

It is like a war. And any war results in permanent changes in both the victor and the vanquished. I think, for example, things like masks are now going to be "the new normal," at least as a personal choice, but maybe not a mandatory edict.

On 10/12/2020 at 8:17 PM, CanadaSam said:

I think we are fast heading for a total meltdown of the Thai economy (and also perhaps Government) which will equate with a massive inflation of the Baht against all major currencies as early as mid-2021, and I for one, am looking forward to the cheaper beers, food, entertainment and condos next year!

 

Your views?

My view-

Every western economy is in the same box. It's too early to know what will happen when governments can no longer subsidise businesses to stay open and employ people.

IMO the major airlines will be the first to collapse.

We should be super HAPPY.....this will make the world safer in the future

 

Don't worry, Thailand will be great again in the year 2287.

 

Let's not be selfish now......be happy for the kids of the future who will only know happy people!!!  

20 hours ago, billsmart said:

It is like a war. And any war results in permanent changes in both the victor and the vanquished. I think, for example, things like masks are now going to be "the new normal," at least as a personal choice, but maybe not a mandatory edict.

Masks were never mandatory in NZ even during level 4 lockdown, till recently when they were made mandatory on public transport, but that has ended now. I almost never see anyone with masks and social distancing is ignored.

The only corona infections in NZ at the moment are in isolation for people from overseas in quarantine.

23 hours ago, runamok27 said:

The Thailand economy is in as much trouble as anybody else's. Whether tourism is 10% or 20% of the economy, this much money missing from any economy is distressing. I'm up near Udon Thani and you can see the subtle signs that the economy is stressing. Business closures, greatly increasing number of people trying to sell anything they can get their hands on, on the street sides, larger numbers of young people around, closed used car lots, a lot less new cars being sold (know several folks who sell cars), It's all around here but it's not as in your face as the tourist areas but it's there. An economic collapse is probably not going to happen but people are definitely far less flush than they used to be. Thailand's biggest problem is that their economy was already slowing prior to Covid-19 and the pandemic just accelerated their problems. In the end, how Thailand comes out of this will depend on them replacing the missing tourist dollars from another part of their economy. Their economy is mature enough where it greatly depends on growth to keep going, so if they can't return to sustainable growth, they would be in big trouble.

Economists all over the world are trying to discover the magic formula. Given everyone, more or less, has the same problem what will be the solution?

On 10/14/2020 at 12:41 PM, BritManToo said:

I don't believe you can be a dictator if you're voted into office.

Dictators hold power by force.

Hitler was voted into power.

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hitler was voted into power.

He wasn't a dictator, he was following the wishes of the German people, and was extremely popular.

(No matter how much they deny it now)

I've said all along, fear is the problem after Covid. I have hope that the young people of the world will lead the majority of the population out of fear. You could say that is what is happening in Europe now. First the images out of China, then the world governments and other bodies hyped reactions, magnified by social media, then the "success of lockdown", resting on laurels, the hyping of the "second wave", more calls for lockdown instead of what should happen yada. Governments and leaders should go, my judgement is some will some wont, possibly not in any rational way.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

He wasn't a dictator, he was following the wishes of the German people, and was extremely popular.

(No matter how much they deny it now)

You are correct, but .......ah.......well......hmmmmm

 

1.  ok, he got people to work, higher salaries, more money for food

2. sure he did some stuff after WW1 like devalue their currency to help them out of debt, or something along those lines.....this creates a little hatred towards other

3.  the MAIN point...he blamed EVERYTHING on Jews.

 

so i guess the analogy is to purge a minority while the majority is "happy."

 

I guess it's a sad reflection on humans.  even NOW.   Give me money and kill someone else, not my problem.

 

 

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Masks were never mandatory in NZ even during level 4 lockdown, till recently when they were made mandatory on public transport, but that has ended now. I almost never see anyone with masks and social distancing is ignored.

The only corona infections in NZ at the moment are in isolation for people from overseas in quarantine.

Yes, New Zealand is one of the few places that have really handled this crises well. ???? I would also put Thailand into that category. I'm very pleased at the results here. In my home province of Phetchabun, there have only been three reported cased (all one family who came up from somewhere near Bangkok), and no deaths. ????

I wish I could say the same for my home country, the USA. Our handling of this pandemic has been pathetic. Of course, under our current administration, "pathetic" seems to be the "new normal." ☹️

Just now, billsmart said:

Yes, New Zealand is one of the few places that have really handled this crises well. ???? I would also put Thailand into that category. I'm very pleased at the results here. In my home province of Phetchabun, there have only been three reported cased (all one family who came up from somewhere near Bangkok), and no deaths. ????

I wish I could say the same for my home country, the USA. Our handling of this pandemic has been pathetic. Of course, under our current administration, "pathetic" seems to be the "new normal." ☹️

NZ is lucky in that they only had to close the airport to outsiders and lockdown till the last community case recovered.

Unfortunately there are about 5 million ( population of NZ ) people with no immunity at all just waiting to be infected as soon as they decide to let people in without quarantine, or someone that is infected goes walkabout from the quarantine facilities. There was a case of someone absconding just the other day- luckily not infectious.

History will tell just how well it was handled in NZ.

1 hour ago, Ventenio said:

2. sure he did some stuff after WW1 like devalue their currency to help them out of debt, or something along those lines.....this creates a little hatred towards other

You might want to do some reading about that. he wasn't in charge till 1933. Hyperinflation was in 1921 to 1923.

Since Thailand has isolated its population the real danger for Thailand will be a drastic wave two.

 

Thailand has had roughly the same numbers of excess deaths as most other countries that were not greatly affected by the virus. However, the difference is that Thailand has closed itself off so that could make the Thai population more susceptible if a wave two sweeps the globe.

 

Prices will most likely fall anyway, as most people do not have the money to sustain demand. Due to the economic destruction polices of overly fearful and ignorant political decision makers around the world.

 

Economies will of course not be destroyed. The German economy has survived hour zero, when the entire infrastructure was destroyed and has returned to be among the most powerful economies in the world. This little virus is nothing like world war II.

 

It is important though to think what the economic consequences will be. Some of the best loved restaurants will disappear, some of the best hotels, airlines etc.

 

 

3 hours ago, Logosone said:

Since Thailand has isolated its population the real danger for Thailand will be a drastic wave two.

 

Thailand has had roughly the same numbers of excess deaths as most other countries that were not greatly affected by the virus. However, the difference is that Thailand has closed itself off so that could make the Thai population more susceptible if a wave two sweeps the globe.

 

Prices will most likely fall anyway, as most people do not have the money to sustain demand. Due to the economic destruction polices of overly fearful and ignorant political decision makers around the world.

 

Economies will of course not be destroyed. The German economy has survived hour zero, when the entire infrastructure was destroyed and has returned to be among the most powerful economies in the world. This little virus is nothing like world war II.

 

It is important though to think what the economic consequences will be. Some of the best loved restaurants will disappear, some of the best hotels, airlines etc.

 

 

Economies will survive, some humans may not ( not of corona, but because of government actions in response to it ).