Flying back to the USA

[Heng]

An alternative to getting to BKK is to rent a car where you are and simply drop it off with the airport branch of the same company, obviously let them know that this is your plan ahead of time with your pick up/drop off reservation.  That way you don't have to sit in the same vehicle with the some stranger (who might already have Covid) for 3 to 10 hours depending on where you live.    All presuming you're a strong driver of course.

[GammaGlobulin]

8 minutes ago, Heng said:

An alternative to getting to BKK is to rent a car where you are and simply drop it off with the airport branch of the same company, obviously let them know that this is your plan ahead of time with your pick up/drop off reservation.  That way you don't have to sit in the same vehicle with the some stranger (who might already have Covid) for 3 to 10 hours depending on where you live.    All presuming you're a strong driver of course.

Just a minor but important question, please:

 

Why would you wish to return to the US at this time?

 

a.  Travel at this time, I would imagine, might be more risky than just staying in place, due to the risks of travel at this time, and the possibility of being exposed to the virus during travel.

 

b.  Do you not think that the best policy, and the safest decision, would be to just remain where you are, and avoid travel during this period of time???

 

c.  Travel, even in non-Covid times, for example, driving down to BKK, also has risks, which might be even greater than remaining in place.

 

d.  Of course, if anyone might need to return to the US for emergency personal reasons, or for pressing business reasons, then one might need to bear these risks.

 

e.  However, for the average bloke, who is already in Thailand, would not the safest policy be to just remain where one is, and just practice social distancing, as much as possible?  Would this not be better than galavanting around the world, for, seemingly, not good reason?

 

f.  I believe, someday soon, we will get this vaccination supply problem sorted out.  We will.  And so, why embark in some extreme journey, which might just waste time and expense?

 

Sometimes, we become overly stressed about the news.  And watching the news might lead us to engage in behavior that is not entirely logical.

 

So...If there is some valid and important reason to begin a journey around the world, then maybe this must be done.

 

However, as for the virus, would you not say that the best policy is just to stay in place, and try to calm down, and also to enjoy your existence during the minimal lockdown, and just ride it out, and be happy?

 

It seems to me, though I might be wrong, that spending so much money to leave Thailand at this particular time, and crowding the airports, and the hotels, might be riskier than cooling it, and just going with the flow...

 

What do you think?

[GammaGlobulin]

Many years ago, I did read somewhere that international travel, especially by airliners, was one of the best ways to spread a virus, and its variants, around the world, most quickly.

 

And so, I just wonder why people would travel during this pandemic which seems to be becoming even more adaptive to infecting humans, as months continue.

 

How much of travel is absolutely crucial?

And, how much of travel is basically discretionary?

 

The virus will continue to adapt, and we still do not know the ways in which it will adapt.

 

There seems to be nothing which is predictive about whether or not the virus will adapt to become more virulent.

 

However, the more that we interact face to face, and the more we travel, then the easier it will be for the virus to infect more people, whether or not they have been vaccinated, and also the virus will find it easier to come up with new variants, perhaps.  And, even perhaps, to adapt to circumvent the present vaccines.

 

It is not fair to say that the virus has no intelligence.  The virus is intelligent, just due to the information that is encoded in its genome underneath its protein coat.  

 

What are the chances that the next variant could become far more virulent?  And what are the chances that the next variant could become even more transmissible than the Delta variant? 

 

All we know is that travelling around the world, and congregating in airports, and going back and forth to Guam, might not be helpful, I imagine.

 

Probably, it would be far better to have the vaccine sent from Guam to you, rather than to have you go to Guam.

 

Even if you have your own G650, I imagine, travel these days is only helping the virus spread and adapt.  I mean, this is just the whole idea behind Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and natural selection.  The world is now witnessing proof of the Theory of Evolution, as we speak.

 

By the way, in case you might have been wondering, for the guys at the top of the evolutionary tree, here is the beautiful G650.  If you have one of these planes, then please feel free to travel anywhere you like...and more power to you...  Just keep your masks on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

So, anyway...

 

This is why I would say to Nancy that, flying Business Class, as you do, I would have no part of it.

 

If you cannot go by Gulfstream, then, really...what is the point of going anywhere?

 

Am I right?

[LomSak27]

6 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Am I right?

No

[clokwise]

9 hours ago, watthong said:

There used to be a blue bar at the top of the old Thaivisa page that let you "click here if you have mental problems..." Wonder where it has gone, don't see it around anymore. Somebody might need it...

 

I'm pretty sure he is the same guy, with a new account, who several months ago would wander around town and take photos of shuttered shops and endlessly moan on and on about about how CM was a ghost town, and would argue with everyone who disagreed, and generally <deleted> everyone off.

 

[fusion58]

My wife and I departed BKK for the U.S. on 6/29. We flew United/ANA (code share flight.)

Suvarnabhumi was practically a ghost town. We had the entire rear section of the business class cabin all to ourselves on the flight from BKK to Narita. Oddly enough, the only place where we were asked for PCR test results was Narita. Flight from Narita to Chicago (ORD) was about half full. Clearing immigration and customs only took about two minutes as we were the only two people in line when we arrived. We were originally planning to return on 8/4, however, in light of the <deleted> show that is Thailand, we've decided to postpone our return indefinitely.

[NancyL]

I've found plenty to do in Guam, but it's not really that much different from what I was doing in Chiang Mai, ie. mostly hanging around the Hyatt and binge-watching streaming services, much like I've been cooped up in my condo since March 2020.  

 

I didn't feel like leaving my room for the first 14 days, waiting for the vaccine to kick in.  Then I realized I've developed some serious mental problem trying to avoid infection and I needed to get myself out and using the great network of pools at the hotel.  They're interconnected, 4 ft, 1.2 meters deep.  Amazingly, the swimsuit I'd bought just before the pandemic but never used actually fit, although my goggles and nose clip had dry rotted.  Just walking in the network of pools every day, doing laps backwards and forwards has kept me busy and built up muscles that had gone dormant.

 

There isn't a Walmart on Guam, but rather the world largest Kmart.  That took up a day.  Also, a Payless grocery store that the local military wives call Pay-more when comparing prices to the stores on the bases, but apparently Payless has better selection. 

 

According to my taxi driver, arranged by the hotel, the local tourist attractions are closed due to lack of customers.  I'm not a beach person; salt water gives me a rash.  But I did have a fun day with the taxi driver visiting professional beauty supply stores buying high end nail polish, which can't be shipped by air, so I can't order from the U.S. in Thailand.

 

Fortunately, I'm the treasurer for my Chiang Mai International Rotary club and their financial year ends on June 30, so I've had much internet/computer work to do in closing out the year, developing reports, creating graphs and charts that people will probably glance at momentarily, etc.

 

Oh and there is a stupid amount of paperwork involved in the re-entry process to Thailand.  It makes no difference if you've been vaccinated or not.  The re-entry process is the same.  And unlike the wonderful Hyatt here in Guam, the Hyatt I selected in Bangkok has staff that seems incapable of answering more than one question per email query.  So, I've been emailing them regularly carefully asking just one question per email, like "why did you send me the credit card authorization form instead of details about your Thai bank account when you advertised that as an accepted form of payment and I wrote that's the way I'd like to pay."  Then I realized that was too many words to put in an email.

 

Oh, and I discovered that the movies that are suppose to be free on Amazon Prime, but aren't in Thailand are free here in Guam, so I've been happily binge watching some Amazon series.  "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is especially good.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, fusion58 said:

My wife and I departed BKK for the U.S. on 6/29. We flew United/ANA (code share flight.)

Suvarnabhumi was practically a ghost town. We had the entire rear section of the business class cabin all to ourselves on the flight from BKK to Narita. Oddly enough, the only place where we were asked for PCR test results was Narita. Flight from Narita to Chicago (ORD) was about half full. Clearing immigration and customs only took about two minutes as we were the only two people in line when we arrived. We were originally planning to return on 8/4, however, in light of the <deleted> show that is Thailand, we've decided to postpone our return indefinitely.

Your trip to Chicago, with so few passengers, recalls my flight from Guam back to Taiwan, during the time that China was firing missiles into the Taiwan Strait around 1995, or 6: I forget the exact date.  Sometimes, when there is a major crisis, it is so much more comfortable to fly.  No one in Guam, at that time, wanted to head for Taipei, and we had the plane to ourselves.  Free champagne, as well.  Sometimes, you just gotta wing it.

 

How long is indefinitely?

 

In my opinion, not that it might be worth anything, Thailand is a pretty good place to weather the Covid storm. Maybe too much hype about risk, maybe.  I really have no doubt that things will improve now, rapidly.  I believe it.  Other countries are in a much more precarious position than we are here, for sure.

 

Come back.

[Heng]

10 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Just a minor but important question, please:

 

Why would you wish to return to the US at this time?

 

a.  Travel at this time, I would imagine, might be more risky than just staying in place, due to the risks of travel at this time, and the possibility of being exposed to the virus during travel.

 

b.  Do you not think that the best policy, and the safest decision, would be to just remain where you are, and avoid travel during this period of time???

 

c.  Travel, even in non-Covid times, for example, driving down to BKK, also has risks, which might be even greater than remaining in place.

 

d.  Of course, if anyone might need to return to the US for emergency personal reasons, or for pressing business reasons, then one might need to bear these risks.

 

e.  However, for the average bloke, who is already in Thailand, would not the safest policy be to just remain where one is, and just practice social distancing, as much as possible?  Would this not be better than galavanting around the world, for, seemingly, not good reason?

 

f.  I believe, someday soon, we will get this vaccination supply problem sorted out.  We will.  And so, why embark in some extreme journey, which might just waste time and expense?

 

Sometimes, we become overly stressed about the news.  And watching the news might lead us to engage in behavior that is not entirely logical.

 

So...If there is some valid and important reason to begin a journey around the world, then maybe this must be done.

 

However, as for the virus, would you not say that the best policy is just to stay in place, and try to calm down, and also to enjoy your existence during the minimal lockdown, and just ride it out, and be happy?

 

It seems to me, though I might be wrong, that spending so much money to leave Thailand at this particular time, and crowding the airports, and the hotels, might be riskier than cooling it, and just going with the flow...

 

What do you think?

 

Haven't had a vacation in over a year, would like to get the kids vaccinated, vaccine boosters for my wife and self, and want to get some Luby's baked whitefish, a chicken fried steak on the side ;-), and some jalapeño Mac and cheese.   

 

a.  Travel at this time, I would imagine, might be more risky than just staying in place, due to the risks of travel at this time, and the possibility of being exposed to the virus during travel.

 

> True.  But having already travelled a bit during the beginning of Covid and from what people are showing on their various Youtube and TikTok 'reports' airports aren't crowded and most people are stuck where they are either because of restrictions or financial reasons.

 

b.  Do you not think that the best policy, and the safest decision, would be to just remain where you are, and avoid travel during this period of time???

 

> I agree.  But we're in a relatively low risk group for travel, children in their teens and parents under 50 and partially AZ vaccinated.   

 

c.  Travel, even in non-Covid times, for example, driving down to BKK, also has risks, which might be even greater than remaining in place.

 

> I agree.  For us it'll be a day time drive that I do regularly anyway from Chonburi.  

 

d.  Of course, if anyone might need to return to the US for emergency personal reasons, or for pressing business reasons, then one might need to bear these risks.

 

> Yep.

 

e.  However, for the average bloke, who is already in Thailand, would not the safest policy be to just remain where one is, and just practice social distancing, as much as possible?  Would this not be better than galavanting around the world, for, seemingly, not good reason?

 

> Absolutely.   If held back by finances or safety reasons, sheltering in place is best.  Reminds me of a plane crash problem back in college... which gave various survival options (hiking to the nearest town, splitting up in groups in different directions, etc.)... staying with the crash site though was the clear statistical winner.  

 

f.  I believe, someday soon, we will get this vaccination supply problem sorted out.  We will.  And so, why embark in some extreme journey, which might just waste time and expense?

 

> For us, we don't think school will be starting up anytime soon (especially before they start to vaccinate under 18s), and that was the only thing holding us back.   Also, there's no telling how much 'fun' these upcoming Covid variants are going to be.  Also, we only get about 90 years on this planet at best, and of those, maybe only 60 years where we have the freedom to travel and enjoy the planet.   Every year wasted is a waste.  

 

[GammaGlobulin]

11 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I've found plenty to do in Guam, but it's not really that much different from what I was doing in Chiang Mai, ie. mostly hanging around the Hyatt and binge-watching streaming services, much like I've been cooped up in my condo since March 2020.  

 

I didn't feel like leaving my room for the first 14 days, waiting for the vaccine to kick in.  Then I realized I've developed some serious mental problem trying to avoid infection and I needed to get myself out and using the great network of pools at the hotel.  They're interconnected, 4 ft, 1.2 meters deep.  Amazingly, the swimsuit I'd bought just before the pandemic but never used actually fit, although my goggles and nose clip had dry rotted.  Just walking in the network of pools every day, doing laps backwards and forwards has kept me busy and built up muscles that had gone dormant.

 

There isn't a Walmart on Guam, but rather the world largest Kmart.  That took up a day.  Also, a Payless grocery store that the local military wives call Pay-more when comparing prices to the stores on the bases, but apparently Payless has better selection. 

 

According to my taxi driver, arranged by the hotel, the local tourist attractions are closed due to lack of customers.  I'm not a beach person; salt water gives me a rash.  But I did have a fun day with the taxi driver visiting professional beauty supply stores buying high end nail polish, which can't be shipped by air, so I can't order from the U.S. in Thailand.

 

Fortunately, I'm the treasurer for my Chiang Mai International Rotary club and their financial year ends on June 30, so I've had much internet/computer work to do in closing out the year, developing reports, creating graphs and charts that people will probably glance at momentarily, etc.

 

Oh and there is a stupid amount of paperwork involved in the re-entry process to Thailand.  It makes no difference if you've been vaccinated or not.  The re-entry process is the same.  And unlike the wonderful Hyatt here in Guam, the Hyatt I selected in Bangkok has staff that seems incapable of answering more than one question per email query.  So, I've been emailing them regularly carefully asking just one question per email, like "why did you send me the credit card authorization form instead of details about your Thai bank account when you advertised that as an accepted form of payment and I wrote that's the way I'd like to pay."  Then I realized that was too many words to put in an email.

 

Oh, and I discovered that the movies that are suppose to be free on Amazon Prime, but aren't in Thailand are free here in Guam, so I've been happily binge watching some Amazon series.  "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is especially good.

 

 

Good to know.  Thank you for your reply.  I am very interested, as I mentioned.  What about reading the novel, NEMESIS, by Roth.  Have you started it yet?  Or, have you already read it?  (Sorry. I forgot.  Not Walmart.  Only one Kmart.  But, if you go in there, you will not find a decent pizza.  This I am sure about.)  Take care and get fit, and take your Vitamin D, or just soak up the rays while walking around.)  I know a lot about nail polish, and nail polish packaging. The high end stuff.  Good for you!

[Jeffr2]

21 hours ago, madmen said:

Don't do it! 

Try not reading TV for a month and you will see the sky is not really falling 

TV has nothing to do with our current global problems. The world is in a mess. Mainly due to lack of vaccines and anti vaxxer nuts.  Rates are rising here in the US because of this. Sucks.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 7/23/2021 at 9:38 PM, Jeffr2 said:

The plane was 80% empty. Got an entire row to myself!

 

I don't believe you can transit Taiwan now??

 

 

That's the kind of US flight I dream of!!!   If only it were on EVA...  ????

 

But ya, last time I checked, intl transit via Taiwan and EVA was still off the books.

[Kelsall]

On 7/19/2021 at 10:42 AM, NancyL said:

I'm in Guam right now.  Came in on July 5 from BKK through Narita via ANA booked through a code share with United Airlines, the big player in Micronesia.  I booked business class, which was a real waste for the Narita-Guam portion since they're using a 737 now.  ANA Business class from BKK to Narita was great, however.  

 

Was able to get to BKK from CNX on July 4 on Bangkok Air.  That's a thing of the past, now, isn't it?  Don't know how I'm going to return to CNX when I get back to BKK and serve out my quarantine, however.  

 

So how did you return to CNX from BKK?

[Farang123]

I ended up paying 9,000 baht for a private van from Chiang Mai to  Bangkok. Got to Bangkok and upgraded my flight to business class. Made it to JFK 25 hours later, back home and the next day I got my first jab of Moderna for free at a local pharmacy. Couldn't have been easier. It's not too late to jump ship on Thailand if your at all thinking about it. I feel much better.