Are American Foreign Residents Totally Powerless?

[bwpage3]

5 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

Now you are comparing Florida with Thailand. Okay, Florida has half the population of Thailand, but double the infections. 

Wait till Thailand counts them all!

[DogNo1]

Gee, I don't know how I could have had the temerity to demand that the US government divert a couple of hundred thousand of the ten of millions of doses that it is sending to India to vaccinate American citizens in Thailand instead.  Especially when they do not have priority but will be be vaccinated after Thais.

 

Actually, something seems to have caused the Thai Government to recalculate.  An article in a local paper today declared that Thais and foreigners would be granted the same priority.  I called Bumrungrad today to confirm the news and received a callback from the cardiology department assuring me that they would contact me as soon as a shot was available and that my place on the list remains the same.  So I won't have to register with that government organization.

 

I don't know what to make of posters accusing me of wanting to go the the front of the queue.  I just want a place appropriate to my age in a mixed group of vaccination candidates which is not segregated by nationality.  Also, as an American citizen it is appropriate for me to appeal to America for help, not to other countries or entities.  Actually it is up to Thailand to distribute the vaccines fairly without making it necessary for me to spend a lot of time and money to leave the country to protect my health.  That is now apparently what it is prepared to do.  I breathe a sigh of relief as it appears that I will be vaccinated at an appropriate time in my age group.
 

Incidentally, my friends and former colleagues in Japan are NOT being vaccinated as a segregated group but are being mixed in normally with Japanese of their age group.  Fair is fair!

[Leaver]

Seems like the OP has finally realised that despite all the bright neon lights of Thailand, it's basically a 3rd World Country, with 3rd World governance.  

 

[mlkik]

7 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

Gee, I don't know how I could have had the temerity to demand that the US government divert a couple of hundred thousand of the ten of millions of doses that it is sending to India to vaccinate American citizens in Thailand instead.  Especially when they do not have priority but will be be vaccinated after Thais.

 

Actually, something seems to have caused the Thai Government to recalculate.  An article in a local paper today declared that Thais and foreigners would be granted the same priority.  I called Bumrungrad today to confirm the news and received a callback from the cardiology department assuring me that they would contact me as soon as a shot was available and that my place on the list remains the same.  So I won't have to register with that government organization.

 

I don't know what to make of posters accusing me of wanting to go the the front of the queue.  I just want a place appropriate to my age in a mixed group of vaccination candidates which is not segregated by nationality.  Also, as an American citizen it is appropriate for me to appeal to America for help, not to other countries or entities.  Actually it is up to Thailand to distribute the vaccines fairly without making it necessary for me to spend a lot of time and money to leave the country to protect my health.  That is now apparently what it is prepared to do.  I breathe a sigh of relief as it appears that I will be vaccinated at an appropriate time in my age group.
 

Incidentally, my friends and former colleagues in Japan are NOT being vaccinated as a segregated group but are being mixed in normally with Japanese of their age group.  Fair is fair!

Why do you not just get a flight back to America and get your vaccine?

 

I am flying back to the UK tomorrow and will get my vaccine and later in the year I will come back.

It would be nice to get a vaccine here but it is not going to happen anytime soon.

 

[canthai55]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:18 AM, DogNo1 said:

 Americans can't rescue citizens of other countries.  That is up to those countries' embassies or militaries. 

Yep - like when the Canadians rescued the American embassy staff in Tehran

 

Without ANY Quid Pro Quo

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by canthai55

[tifino]

the old tried and true way of the Embassy coming to the rescue...  

 

[canthai55]

26 minutes ago, tifino said:

the old tried and true way of the Embassy coming to the rescue...  

 

I thought the word from On High was 'These Colors Don't Run' ? 555

[DogNo1]

That picture is not of the embassy, by the way.  The helicopter landed on a neighboring house.

The help volunteered by the Canadians is acknowledged.  My point is that it would not be appropriate for me to appeal to the Canadian Embassy here for help in getting vaccinated.  It they were to volunteer to help other nationalities, I would certainly not turn them down.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 5/7/2021 at 4:39 AM, Brierley said:

So....the Thai's want to vaccinate only the Thai's and the Americans want o vaccinate only the Americans, doesn't anyone have a better plan!

 

The Thai govt has publicly committed multiples times to including all foreign nationals residing in Thailand in their upcoming government vaccination campaign. Your ordinary Thai thus far hasn't had any access to a vaccine either, unless they're in one of various special target groups.

 

The failing isn't one of Thai vs foreigners. The failing is that the Thai govt has been slow to get vaccines here to everyone.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 5/7/2021 at 8:25 AM, bwpage3 said:

In Florida, USA, all covid restrictions lifted. No masks required. Life has been back to normal for quite a long time now.

 

Not quite, as regards your Florida example... Yes, the governor there has removed the restrictions, and his residents are paying the price for it. High capita deaths, hospitalizations and one of the highest current per capita rates of infections among U.S. states --- all data below from the U.S. CDC in the past week.

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

18 hours ago, Leaver said:

Seems like the OP has finally realised that despite all the bright neon lights of Thailand, it's basically a 3rd World Country, with 3rd World governance.  

 

 

Well, he could be back in the U.S. in a first world, world-class state like California that's had 62,000+ cumulative CV deaths since early last year... with just a bit more than half the total population of Thailand.

 

 

There are choices, and then there are choices...

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[onthedarkside]

A pair of posts with vaccine misinformation has been removed, along with a reply.

 

[Airalee]

On 5/7/2021 at 9:17 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

That is a fair comment. Thanks

 

I agree that not all Americans are the same - like any other nationality.

But it seems there are more Americans than others who have this "we are special" attitude.

The OP actually makes me a bit embarrassed to be American.  However, seeing what a pathetic job many Americans back in the US did with taking care of their own health, in order to mitigate the risk of contracting and dying from Covid, it doesn’t really surprise me.

 

“Forty-two percent of U.S. adults said they gained more weight than they intended, and of those, the amount they reported gaining averaged 29 pounds. Ten percent said they gained more than 50 pounds. Weight gain that leads to obesity can put people at higher risk for serious illness from coronavirus.”

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-weight-gain-30-pounds-pandemic/
 

 

 

[Leaver]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Well, he could be back in the U.S. in a first world, world-class state like California that's had 62,000+ cumulative CV deaths since early last year... with just a bit more than half the total population of Thailand.

 

 

There are choices, and then there are choices...

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps you would like to comment on Thailand's testing regime, or lack of it?  ????

[Banana7]

On 5/7/2021 at 5:22 AM, Skallywag said:

Can't get a vaccine when the country hasn't made any yet. 

97% of Thais still waiting

Siam bioscience says roll out of AZ vaccine next month likely

Hang in there, you made it 13 months, you can make it another month or so

 

 

Is Siam Bioscience a certified manufacturer of Astra Zeneca? Do you really want an experimental emergency vaccine from a laboratory that has never produced it?

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by onthedarkside
trolling comment removed

[DogNo1]

I'm proud to be an American and not ashamed to demand that I be treated fairly.  I literally can't count the number of pages on this forum in which people complain about being treated badly.  In fact, mistreatment of foreigners is a common theme.  The Thai government has recently switched from prioritizing Thai citizens for vaccinations to prioritizing Thais and non-Thais equally.  That's as it should be.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

52 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

Perhaps you would like to comment on Thailand's testing regime, or lack of it?  ????

 

Understood... But no matter what you wanna say about Thailand's relative lack of testing, there's no way under heaven Thailand's situation could be anywhere near California's with 62,000+ CV deaths since Jan 2020... (I'm just using Calif as an example, it could just as well be virtually any other state in the U.S.)

 

Asymptomatic and minor symptom cases here can pass untested and unnoticed. But that magnitude of added/extra CV deaths even in Thailand (with just 300+ official now) could not pass unnoticed, even if they were testing no one. That's the tale of the tape for me.

 

For the past year and a half right up until today, it's unarguably been safer from a CV perspective to be in Thailand vs. in the U.S. and many other first world countries -- current lack of CV vaccine in Thailand notwithstanding.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Leaver]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Understood... But no matter what you wanna say about Thailand's relative lack of testing, there's no way under heaven Thailand's situation could be anywhere near California's with 62,000+ CV deaths since Jan 2020...

 

Asymptomatic and minor symptom cases can pass untested and unnoticed. But that magnitude of added deaths even in Thailand could not pass unnoticed, even if they were testing no one.

 

For the past year and a half right up until today, it's unarguably been safer from a CV perspective to be in Thailand vs. in the U.S. -- current lack of CV vaccine in Thailand notwithstanding.

 

 

 

Without proper mass testing here, we will never truly know the infection rates.

 

Have you considered Thailand may very well be just starting to enter into their covid battle? 

 

Perhaps it's too early to claim a victory for Thailand, over other nations.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

Without proper mass testing here, we will never truly know the infection rates.

 

Have you considered Thailand may very well be just starting to enter into their covid battle? 

 

Perhaps it's too early to claim a victory for Thailand, over other nations.  

 

You're missing the point.. I'm not projecting or predicting what may happen with Thailand from here on out... though I certainly hope vaccine availability will come soon.

 

I'm talking about the past right up until today. There hasn't been a single day since Jan. 2020 when I wished I was back home in the U.S. instead of being home here in relation to the coronavirus. I saw what happened in the U.S. from afar, and wanted no part of it.

 

I've counted my blessings every day for that entire time that I've been where I am.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[vinci]

lots of wealthy Thai are flying to the US to get vaccinated

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, vinci said:

lots of wealthy Thai are flying to the US to get vaccinated

 

The thought of spending 16 hours on a crowded jet zooming thru the sky in close contact with all kinds of people from who knows where --  especially from the U.S. -- is not appealing to me right now. I'm safer at home.

 

Not to mention the IMHO correctly enforced 2 week expense of hotel quarantine upon my return to Thailand if I were to go back to the U.S.  And all the other documentation and testing bureaucracy that's involved in travel back into Thailand right now.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Leaver]

5 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You're missing the point..

 

I think you are missing the point.

 

It appears Thailand is just entering into the battle that other countries are now emerging from.  

 

There's a reason why Thailand is in lockdown, and other countries who were in lockdown, are now opening up.  

 

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm talking about the past right up until today.

 

What is the past really worth?  What about the next 3 months, and beyond?

 

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

There hasn't been a single day since Jan. 2020 when I wished I was back home in the U.S. instead of being home here in relation to the coronavirus.

 

For Thailand, maybe their Jan 2020 is just starting now.

 

Good luck getting a ventilator here.

 

11 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I've counted my blessings every day for that entire time that I've been where I am.

 

Reset the the counter.  Start it from now.  

[DogNo1]

If i were the Thai PM, I would be looking for ways to start mass vaccinations immediately at any price.  If the number of infections and deaths spins out of control, the long-term psychological costs to the country will outstrip the financial costs of the vaccines and their deployment.  The loss of confidence of tourists in being able to travel to Thailand safely could be very long lasting.

[starky]

Jesus wept.

[kynikoi]

After you truly settle in, the first thing you really learn living overseas as an American is that the government doesn't care about you.

 

Funny post although I doubt it was meant to be.

Edited May 9, 2021 by onthedarkside
personal comment removed

[kynikoi]

2 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

If i were the Thai PM, I would be looking for ways to start mass vaccinations immediately at any price.

 

You obviously understand nothing about developing countries, especially this one.

 

The plan is no plan.

[kynikoi]

4 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

'Im proud to be an American and not ashamed to demand that I be treated fairly.  

 

There might be some humanitarian consideration for all nationalities but a common theme running through all your posts is that you are extremely naive.

 

Moreover, Thailand more likely to consider needs of communist China over Americans specifically.

 

Countries owe non foreign nationals nothing.

 

In the peculiar case of infectious public health issues it's only the self interest of the host nation and it's population that drives the push to care for (vaccinate) foreigners.

 

Guess you've been sleeping last few years with Thailand benefitting from tens of millions of tourists, 15+% GDP then moaning about a few stuck in hospitals that bolted home bills unpaid.

 

What has Thailand ever done or provided it's foreign tourists or resident population out of the goodness of it's heart? Even people on covid extensions went begging.

 

Expats are treated horribly by immigration both as a matter of law and practice.

 

Thailand is anything but a compassionate nation regarding it's treatment of foreigners and its foreign policy in general.

 

I'll send the clue truck around see you pick up a few.

Edited May 8, 2021 by kynikoi

[canthai55]

6 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

I'm proud to be an American and not ashamed to demand that I be treated fairly. 

There is that lack of Quid Pro Quo again ...

 

[Brierley]

2 hours ago, kynikoi said:

 

There might be some humanitarian consideration for all nationalities but a common theme running through all your posts is that you are extremely naive.

 

Moreover, Thailand more likely to consider needs of communist China over Americans specifically.

 

Countries owe non foreign nationals nothing.

 

In the peculiar case of infectious public health issues it's only the self interest of the host nation and it's population that drives the push to care for (vaccinate) foreigners.

 

Guess you've been sleeping last few years with Thailand benefitting from tens of millions of tourists, 15+% GDP then moaning about a few stuck in hospitals that bolted home bills unpaid.

 

What has Thailand ever done or provided it's foreign tourists or resident population out of the goodness of it's heart? Even people on covid extensions went begging.

 

Expats are treated horribly by immigration both as a matter of law and practice.

 

Thailand is anything but a compassionate nation regarding it's treatment of foreigners and its foreign policy in general.

 

I'll send the clue truck around see you pick up a few.

It all depends on whether you're in the camp that says the government does these things on purpose, because they are out to get us and they hate all foreigners. Or whether you're in the camp that thinks they are merely very uncoordinated/unsophisticated, don't communicate well and because they are a developing nation, haven't yet learned how to manage their public face properly. I tend to go with the latter but I understand that's not a popular view amongst expats. I can well imagine that some government types are less than thrilled at being labelled a currency manipulator by the US government when all they've tried to do is protect their home grown industry and refused to buy more goods from the US. Maybe that has tainted their views, it would mine. And of course Thailand will consider the views of China first, they are only a few hundred miles away, their second biggest trading partner and they don't get all manner of grief from their politicians, what would you expect.

[1FinickyOne]

Yo - Dog#1 

 

More than a bit over dramatic eh? 

 

If you are that frightened, just follow the precautions.. Same as last year, we mostly stay home but for one supermarket trip per week and we are fine.. I like going out and the world being open, but hanging at home ain't so bad...