3 hours ago, wasabi said:

The Covid pandemic has made me realize Thailand is still stuck in third world status with a few nice shopping malls and condo projects thrown in.

In Thailand we have no real pandemic until now and I think it will all be in control because compared to other countries we are quit save from it. Since quarantine and testing it is accounted for and no more deaths for some time. I say chappeau to the healthcare!

2 hours ago, bojo said:

I was under the impression that they closed the country to pretty much the whole world, not only Western. They also did so far quicker than 'the Western world' and in my opinion have done a great job in keeping Covid out of their backyard and I dread to think how the healthcare system would have coped otherwise, (not for sure)  ...............Don't think we'll ever know where it's coming from, not even sure the scientists do either................................

mmmm . . . the "doors were closed" after last year's Chinese New Year and 500,000 Chinese visitors had come and gone. Since which time the government has done no testing at all  (until small localised sampling began a few months ago).

How do you know they "kept Covid out of their backyard" - who told you? The Thai government has been conjuring facts, figures and statistics out of thin air for decades; it's what they do. Why would anyone now think the statistics have suddenly become honest, reliable and accurate?

2 hours ago, Guitarzan said:

Virus doesn’t come from wet markets for Christ’s sake! 

The virus gets carried to markets by people then people share it with other people,usually it's only migrants that do the dirty work of actually infecting the locals who don't usually get infected except in rare cases but it's usually only migrants who infect others because the government don't test the locals because it's a well known fact the Thais are particularly good at not being infected so there's no need to test Thai people.Thai people only have problems with unknown viral pneumonia.You might have come to realise that some people actually believe what this government and it's government control "state" media says being the trusting soles they are.

8 minutes ago, robsamui said:

mmmm . . . the "doors were closed" after last year's Chinese New Year and 500,000 Chinese visitors had come and gone. Since which time the government has done no testing at all  (until small localised sampling began a few months ago).

They're pretty good at test and trace. I saw what they did with a couple of the cases last year and I'd say they were pretty thorough in going through the contacts. IMO one of the reasons it hasn't really got hold here.

you guys don't understand!!!!!!!  

monkey brain soup with bat liver will let you pick one number in the lottery!!!!!

croc skin mixed with goat eye and dog leg will help you find gold!!!!!

live snake heart mixed with gorilla toenails and shark fins will make you live longer!!!

2 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

you guys don't understand!!!!!!!  

monkey brain soup with bat liver will let you pick one number in the lottery!!!!!

croc skin mixed with goat eye and dog leg will help you find gold!!!!!

live snake heart mixed with gorilla toenails and shark fins will make you live longer!!!

I picked up a lottery ticket this morning with the numbers 86 as the last two for the current listed deaths, lets see if I win tomorrow....

43 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Test! The reason that Thailand and most of the other East Asian countries have been so successful at controlling the pandemic is that they actively seek out the asymptomatic carriers. If you ignore it, it will not go away, that is the delusional thinking that landed the UK and US in such a mess.

 

Actually Thailand's official policy is to test symptomatic cases and have on numerous occasions said that mass testing costs too much money so they don't actively seek asymptomatic carriers as you suggest.If you check testing stats you will see that Thailand has rather low testing rates.Here are the current testing rates per million of population, US 1646,UK 1842 and Thailand 385.

For all the people on here insisting fresh food markets be closed, that would never work here. Thailand is totally dependent of fresh, local markets. Bacteria is something we have dealt with for millennium. Closure, shut downs, and massive, widespread quarantines are not the answer. Local control is. In addition to vaccination and testing. If they had shut this market and the immediate region, as well as the Samut market and immediate radius, the same day as the spread, there would not have been much of a spread and there would not have been a 2nd wave. A specific and local shutdown here and there would work. Nationwide shutdowns are moronic. 

 

If they put as much effort into the vaccination programs and contracted for the higher quality vaccines and not the Sinovac junk, this could be resolved. What a concept. 

5 hours ago, harada said:

An interesting series on SBS Australia now about wet markets in Asia, scary stuff, not to be viewed around meal times.

Please give us the name of the series! TIA!

5 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

monkey should get a clue that all such markets should be closed

Disagree .I go to the market 6km from where I live,it's opened 2 half days 1 full day .It's an undercover market 4 open sides and the outside market .  There is one entrance not the market .

Going. Through the outside market one's temperature is taken and sanitizer is applied to one's hand .The wearing of a mask is strictly observed . No problem.

 

Just now, Percy P said:

Disagree .I go to the market 6km from where I live,it's opened 2 half days 1 full day .It's an undercover market 4 open sides and the outside market .  There is one entrance into the market .Going. Through the outside market one's temperature is taken and sanitizer is applied to one's hand .The wearing of a mask is strictly observed . No problem.

 

 

24 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Please give us the name of the series! TIA!

Wet Markets Exposed

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

It would be if he pulled his thumb out of where the sun don't shine and inoculated everyone.

 

Jacks ok, he had his...

2 hours ago, johnarth said:

well I am like the general I do not want a vaccine any vaccine for months I want to wait and see how it goes with the people that have had them, I old school and my Thai wife has said she never wants one, with no prodding from me

Why not? AZ and Pfizer Vaccines have been proven safe and very effective even on 20 million of the most frail here in the UK. 

I have both my jabs booked and am looking forward to having the protection it will give. Even with a lockdown the new strains were spreading out of control. Vaccination has brought our death rate down dramatically. 

Thailand will open up again and vaccinated people can pass on covid so anyone left not vaccinated will be at risk. 

I would not trust Chinese Vaccines but would still take them as a last resort as even they are less risky than covid. 

4 hours ago, shackleton said:

With the number of Corivirus cases increasing will they still proceed with Songkran celebrations?

My thoughts as well, thank you. An extended Songkran holiday with new road speed limits to enable people to travel quicker throughout the LOS to boost domestic tourism, whilst some Provincial infections are on the increase - FORGET!!

6 hours ago, jaiyen said:

And the PM still keeps telling us that the Covid situation is under control !

What does he know living up there on cloud nine.

8 hours ago, Guitarzan said:

Virus doesn’t come from wet markets for Christ’s sake! 

Great, then perhaps you could clue in the rest of the world since you seem to know better... tell us where COVID-19 originated, I'm sure a crowd of people will beat a path to your door. Nobody else seems to know where it originated...

 

<waiting>

7 hours ago, jaiyen said:

And the PM still keeps telling us that the Covid situation is under control !

So how controlled is the virus in your own country with nearly a thousand times as many daily cases as Thailand?

11 minutes ago, gamini said:

So how controlled is the virus in your own country with nearly a thousand times as many daily cases as Thailand?

If they tested here like elsewhere you might see an increase in numbers.  But who is fooling who now.

7 hours ago, wasabi said:

The Covid pandemic has made me realize Thailand is still stuck in third world status with a few nice shopping malls and condo projects thrown in.

You've got to be kidding! Do you seriously believe that you would be safer from Covid-19 in Europe or the U.S.A. than you would be here in Thailand?

23 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

You've got to be kidding! Do you seriously believe that you would be safer from Covid-19 in Europe or the U.S.A. than you would be here in Thailand?

Yes, specifically if I get sick ???? 

15 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

You've got to be kidding! Do you seriously believe that you would be safer from Covid-19 in Europe or the U.S.A. than you would be here in Thailand?

If the Thai numbers are true, Thailand is far safer but that looks like it will not last if they don't start ramping up the vaccination programme. 

Of course having high profile people refusing to vaccinate due to things like the blood clot problem that was not a problem or because the AZ vaccine does not work in the over 60s when it does, doesn't help.

6 hours ago, Darksidedude said:

These markets should be burned down and shut permanently

All corrupt perveyors of scientism and fear mongering mass media should be burned down and shut permanently.

8 hours ago, wasabi said:

The Covid pandemic has made me realize Thailand is still stuck in third world status with a few nice shopping malls and condo projects thrown in.

Correct. For a country that thrives on western culture. its infrastructure is bearly 3 world.

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

My thoughts as well, thank you. An extended Songkran holiday with new road speed limits to enable people to travel quicker throughout the LOS to boost domestic tourism, whilst some Provincial infections are on the increase - FORGET!!

FORGET IT, indeed! Even if govt is crazy enough to allow Songkran, we can hope people will be more sensible & STAY HOME! That's what saved us last year...

14 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

FORGET IT, indeed! Even if govt is crazy enough to allow Songkran, we can hope people will be more sensible & STAY HOME! That's what saved us last year...

But that can not happen.  The PM is returning happiness to the Thai people and Songkran is Sanuk.  Covid be damned, fun comes first, pay later in both finances and health.

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I picked up a lottery ticket this morning with the numbers 86 as the last two for the current listed deaths, lets see if I win tomorrow....

And if not, you might want to go for 87 next time... it's the combined IQs of the tourism and public health ministers. A sure winner!

4 hours ago, harada said:

Wet Markets Exposed

Thank you - just found a whole series of them discussing various countries' markets - attempting to download now.

9 hours ago, miamiman123 said:

What else can he say? The truth? 

Actually......YES! 

Governments who have lied to their people eventually get found out - here I cite Trump.

Governments who have attempted to tell their people the unpalatable truth might have annoyed and worried their people but at least the situation is slowly coming under control, with the aid of vaccines of course. Here I cite Johnson, who, whilst far from perfect hasn't hidden the severity of the pandemic from us in the UK.

Trouble is....the truth hurts!

5 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Actually Thailand's official policy is to test symptomatic cases and have on numerous occasions said that mass testing costs too much money so they don't actively seek asymptomatic carriers as you suggest.If you check testing stats you will see that Thailand has rather low testing rates.Here are the current testing rates per million of population, US 1646,UK 1842 and Thailand 385.

I'm not sure how to interpret the figures you quote.

According to Worldometer today - since the start of the pandemic the testing rates per million are now  UK 1,512,475 (yes that's one and a half million per million) and Thailand is 22,896.

UK has capacity to do more than 800,000 tests per day currently.