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Helpful practical guidance from Germany:

This one is for Vinapu The "Quarantini"

Here! Germans may generally perceived as dry, but still have a sense of humor. In fact, the chatrooms are buzzing with corona-related memes in German. Here is a selection: The Police advises: Do not leave valuables in your car that are visible from the outside Some visitors are coming, I'd better be on the safe side March.... and I have all Christmas presents already! 2 weeks ago you'd cough to cover a fart - not it is the other way around Couldn't wash its hands - went extinct (Interview at desk of HR office) In 2020 there is a gap in your resume, where were you then? Washing my hands

thank you and CHEERS !!! to you Divine Madman, I'll have one shot before going to the bed

Short answer = no. The key difference is "Ongoing Transmission" vs. "Disease Infected Zone." U.S./UK are ongoing transmission countries, which currently does not require self-quarantine. Disease Infected Zone are the worst. Example right now - Italy. (China etc.). They are (1) you need a doctor's note to get on the plane and of course simple T8 form and (2) mandatory self-quarantine. AND you're self-reporting on the special app. (NOT the AOT T8 app). Highest level of supervision in-country other than people in hospitals. DON'T COME TO THAILAND. Ongoing Transmission Country means you do not need a doctor's note, you do need to fill out the very simple t8 on your smartphone. So far you do not have to self-quarantine but you do will have to download a special app to self-report - I think it is at least daily, but not sure - that you are still not showing any symptoms. So far I haven't come across any word on the travel restrictions they may be imposing. They might, for example, ask people to practice social distancing. This new app - which I haven't seen and hope not to ever see - is meant to replace the health department officials having to call people on the phone to update status. It may also record your locations. I don't know. Of course this can change in a minute.

It is important to note that the concept of coyote dancers at Thai disco/clubs is different than go-go bars in Silom etc. The dancers are there to entertain on stage (and most will allow guests a quick grope for a drink/tip) and circle/mingle around and drink with guests at their tables afterwards. Often they will be offered drinks (and tips) at a table and they will drink, talk and be friendly (socialize) with the guests (and encourage them to drink more). If the chemistry is right and with a generous offer I certainly think some coyote dancers will go with you, but more diplomacy /a more discreet approach will be required. First establish a friendly connection/vibe and make the guy interested in you and then discreetly let him know your intentions and offer. I'm sure some dancers will decline (politely) as many are presumably straight or not up for paid sex, but some may be up for some add. easy money. Give it a try! One additional note/a word of caution: as Fake and other similar venues are primarily for Thai guests the dancers may have very limited English language skills and there is a high chance that you will find yourself unable to communicate with them (unless you speak/understand thai).

Well, I have been to the Philippines and fortunately was able to fly back to the USA. I spent 3 weeks in Cebu City and 1 week in Manila. In Cebu most people were not wearing face masks. And the Malls were as full as ever. But in Manila many people were wearing masks and still going to the Malls. With my age, 79, and lung problems I decided to stay away from the crowds. Enjoyed meeting some great guys at my Condo and going to small restaurants to eat. I had wonderful experiences with two guys I have know before. A great experience meeting a new young man. And one terrible experience with a new guy from Cagayan de Oro. I had bought him a Ticket to fly to Cebu, and at the last minute he messaged me that his Sister would not let him come. Met some other guys for the day or evening with mixed results... But Pinoy Guys are still the GREATEST!! I must say by March 11 I was ready and just hoping to get my fight back to the USA. I certainly did not want to get banned from flying or having to spend 14 days quarantined at some US Military Base. My flight back on EVA through Taiwan was uneventful. But flying out of LAX on February 10 was a disaster. I flew from ABQ to LAX, went to the EVA Counter and was told the govt of the Philippines had banned flights from China, Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, AND Taiwan... After some tense minutes with the EVA Supervisor he took me to the Philippine Air Line Counter and got me on their flight to Manila and down to Cebu. EVA covered the expense. At least most of it. I had bought Premium Economy on EVA and PAL does not have that Seating Class on their B-777-300ER. So I got Coach for the price of Premium Economy. But I had three seats all to myself. Still considering asking EVA to pay me back the difference!!! Now just here in Santa Fe hoping there is food to buy at the Supermarket tomorrow. Life goes on...

Last information on Rio de Janeiro In Pointe now. Even though there is a party tonite, the number of customers and garotos is extremely low. With the coronavirus looking like balloons in the ceiling of the bar, some waiters wearing masks, the limited number of boys, the atmosphere is not inviting you to take a boy to a cabin. My regular was busy with a customer and just left. As reported elsewhere, many venues have already been closed this week end : The Week, the Buraco da Lacraia in Lapa, National Teatro, in fact all places where more than 500 persons gather. The small commercial center close to Siqueira Campos station is also closed. I was in front of Cable Car to Sugarloaf this morning and did not have impression that it was in operation. It is clear that all places where people gather are going to be closed sooner or later. In Pointe, they already receives phone call mentioning that they should be ready to close when it will be decided. Restaurants and bars might close also. Without boys, booze and fun, time in Rio will not be fun! If you have a trip planned to Rio in the short term, it is certainly better to cancel it except if you like cities without boys, without booze and without restaurants and bars

From Vietnam News HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's foreign ministry announced today the country will suspend entries for tourists from countries in the Schengen area or the UK starting March 15, in light of the spike of coronavirus cases and deaths in European nations, sparking concern they might be the next epicentre of the outbreak. In a notice posted on its website, the ministry noted that "COVID-19 has been spreading swiftly in a complex manner on a large scale across the world", prompting Việt Nam's decision to temporarily suspend entry for tourist who come from the Schengen countries and/or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or have visited or transited through these areas within 14 days preceding their expected entry into Việt Nam. Visa upon arrival for all foreign nationals will also be suspended. "This decision will be effective from 12:00 (noon), 15 March 2020 for 30 days, and not be applicable to entrants for diplomatic or official purposes," the notice on the website said. https://vietnamnews.vn/society/653607/viet-nam-denies-entry-from-uk-and-schengen-countries-over-covid-19-starting-march-15.html

From Bangkok Post Local forex firm disinfecting banknotes A local foreign-exchange firm is disinfecting the banknotes it collects from its branches as a safety precaution for its workers and customers because of the coronavirus outbreak. Super Rich Currency Exchange Co has 15 branches at popular tourist areas in Bangkok. “We have to ensure the safety for the staff, too. We have solutions to clean and protect our staff,” said chief executive Piya Tantivachyanon told Reuters. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1878775/local-forex-firm-disinfecting-banknotes#cxrecs_s =================================================================== Apple closing all stores outside China Apple Inc is closing all of its stores outside China until March 27 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, CEO Tim Cook says. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1878765/apple-closing-all-stores-outside-china =================================================================== Isetan to exit Thailand after 28 years The Japanese retailer Isetan will pull out of Thailand after 28 years after the rental contract for its Bangkok department store ends in August. Isetan Thailand issued a statement saying it would end the operation of the store at CentralWorld in Bangkok on Aug 31, when its contract for the space with Central Pattana Plc ends. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1878800/isetan-to-exit-thailand-after-28-years

"Buy when others are fearful" Warren Buffett

Yes, it is. I’m old and I enjoy socializing with young men.

https://g1.globo.com/bemestar/coronavirus/noticia/2020/03/13/ministerio-da-saude-divulga-orientacoes-para-estados-sobre-coronavirus.ghtml Ministry of Health recommended that any Brazilian or foreigner arriving in Brazil should stay in isolation for at least 7 days. I wonder if it is already been enforced. Looks very likely that I'll be cancelling this year's trip.

Mack, can't you read? Of course romantic

Strange atmosphere in 117 yesterday Friday night. Not so many customers. Many boys. Some of them worried of what can happen with virus and if Sauna will be kept open and if it closes for how long ... G. 2nd biggest dick in 117 is here but since I am already with garotos, he ignores me. I had another sexy and romantic session with A. He is so sweet. When V. , my yesterday' s date, arrives and sees me, a wonderful friendly smile shines on his face and he waves me hello. He is really good looking !

Given the ever-changing travel bans, we who are stuck have to live vicariously though others' trip reports for the time being, so please tell us more... Did you meet these guys through the apps -- if so, which app works best? -- through bars or through mall cruising? Were they more romantic engagements or transactional ones? If the latter, what's the going rate and what services are provided for that rate? (forgive me if I sound rather too blunt). Mack.

Excerpted from Bangkok Post Doctors issue Stage-3 warning An association of chest physicians is calling on the government to prepare for Covid-19 to become a "Stage 3", full-blown epidemic in Thailand while slamming the authorities' slow response to the spread of the disease. On its Facebook page, the Thoracic Society of Thailand issued an emotionally charged statement warning that the country might not be equipped to deal with a drastic escalation in the number of cases. This week's rise in the number of cases, particularly those attributed to local transmission, indicates that the country is beginning to enter Stage 3, according to the statement. The society said it has been trying to alert agencies involved of the need for preparations. "And though there is a degree of response, this is still not enough to deal with this major health crisis," according to the official statement. In Stage 3 -- the highest of an outbreak, all state and private hospitals must identify all patients with severe Covid-19 infections and isolate them in hospitals for treatment to cut the rate of transmission, the society said. The society also took aim at government agencies responsible for combating the virus: "The virus outbreak has shown that state mechanisms designed to respond to national crises are always one step behind. "But this does not dampen the spirit of medical professionals who will not surrender to these tiny enemies. We will not bow to those in high places who lack expertise and do not understand how we work. Now is the time for us to prepare for war even if there are no efficient weapons or decisive commanders," the statement said. According to the Isara News Agency, the emergency operation centre under the Disease Control Department has compiled a report which suggests that Thailand remains unlikely to enter Stage 3 as the existing measures can still theoretically control the spread of the virus. However, the agency quoted the report urging that social distancing, particularly a ban on mass gatherings, must be implemented in eight high-risk provinces, including Bangkok, this month. If no proactive measures are put in place, the report warned that infections may reach a point where they could no longer be controlled and the number of infected patients would rise quickly and could reach 2,250 by May, according to projections included in the report. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1878380/doctors-issue-stage-3-warning

Until today, people in saunas in Rio seemed to ignore the virus, only a small number of persons being tested positive. Now the virus is officially in almost all the states and the number of identified cases increases (200 confirmed - 1500 suspected). People around Bolsonaro who went with him to meet Trump in the US have been diagnosed positive (a Senator, the responsible of communication and the lawyer of Bolsonaro). At present Bolsonaro has been tested negative but will have to perform a second test soon. In SP where most of the identified cases occured, schools are going to be closed progressively next week. Mass gatherings of more than 500 persons are forbiden. Many flights to and from Brazil are cancelled : I was with a garoto in 117 tonite and he told me that a customer who was to arrive from Dallas today had his flight cancelled and cancelled therefore the whole trip. ABC Bailao in SP (place where older gentlemen and youger men meet) is open but informed that this may change following to requests from Administration. They ask their visitors to avoid kissing, hand shaking, ... In 117, the manager passed today among boys and customers to spread an alcoholic gel on everyone's hands. There were less customers today in 117 and a rumor among boys says that the club might be closed soon (only a rumor, nothing certain but likely).

best time to catch most prized guys

I like more meaty guys than those on display in that clip

It does seem that the consensus advice of governments and health care types is avoid unnecessary travel. Maybe worth listening to that. Even if you think the risk is the same in Thailand as it is at home, I wouldn't want to test the health care system here in Thailand when it is Stage 3. Health care systems in much more developed countries are overwhelmed.

I don't normally go grocery shopping, unless I'm in the mood to check things out. Much like doing laundry, I leave the menial tasks to someone who enjoys doing them and is good at it, and I never object to paying them for their services. My housekeeper is a sale and a coupon hound. I admire her for her tenacity and her desire to save money. We are fortunate, I have a large pantry space near my large kitchen. In an emergency, we could feed the residents of my building for a week or two. Lots of storage space. Lots of beverage and tasty goodies with lengthy shelf time. Today was a shopping exception. I was looking for something particular. I almost forgot about COVID-19, until I got in my elevator and saw new signs posted on how to keep things inside the elevator sterile. That was another first. I visited two grocery stores, and I've never seen such mayhem. Some New Yorkers are in a panic. Lots of people wearing masks and plastic gloves. Some shoppers are downright crazy. One would think there was an electrical grid blackout, and someone on the corner was yelling, "LOOT HERE!" I went to speak to the manager, and his facial expression said, "Don't talk to me, I've been bitten by a zombie invasion." Then I passed a popular East Village bar with young folk. On this unusually warm, sunny day, the doors were open and merry drinkers were slipping onto the street. It reminded me, when people want to part-ay, they let nothing stand in their way. But 4 PM on a Friday afternoon? I suppose work let out early for some, and others simply lost their jobs. Seems like there was plenty of reason to visit this particular watering hole.

But the report cited above is dated October of last year, well before the outbreak of the current Corona Virus. If anything, the actual US response has proven to be woefully inadequate when put to the test this year. So if the US was ranked number one in overall preparedness, what should be concluded about the actual--not theoretical--preparedness of Thailand that ranked number 6? One of the most controversial Thai responses was to advise its own citizens in Italy to remain there. Trying to manage the response chiefly by continually tweaking a list of restrictions on in-bound visitors (or its own citizens) is proving to be a design-by-committee approach. It's difficult to even buy a new surgical face mask in Bangkok.

A smile about Coronavirus (and about fake news about vaccines)

This merits verbatim transcript. Merkel Gives Germans a Hard Truth About the Coronavirus The famously no-nonsense chancellor, keeping to form, braced Germany for an epidemic that may reach extraordinary scale. “We have to understand that many people will be infected,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.Credit...Omer Messinger/EPA, via Shutterstock By Katrin Bennhold and Melissa Eddy March 11, 2020Updated 7:46 p.m. ET BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel is on her way out and her power is waning, but in her typically low-key, no-nonsense manner, the German leader on Wednesday laid out some cold, hard facts on the coronavirus in a way that few other leaders have. Two in three Germans may become infected, Ms. Merkel said at a news conference that reverberated far beyond her country. There is no immunity now against the virus and no vaccine yet. It spreads exponentially, and the world now faces a pandemic. The most important thing, the chancellor said, is to slow down the spread of the coronavirus to win time for people to develop immunity, and to prevent the health care system from becoming overwhelmed. “We have to understand that many people will be infected,” Ms. Merkel said. “The consensus among experts is that 60 to 70 percent of the population will be infected as long as this remains the situation.” ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Ms. Merkel’s estimates were probably a worst-case scenario, though not wildly out of line with those of experts outside Germany. But her warning provided a stark contrast to the crimped pronouncements of many other world leaders, among them President Trump, who has mostly played down the contagion. “The risk to the American people remains very low,” he said recently. Unlock more free articles. Create an account or log in Mr. Trump has staged photo-ops with scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but with this crisis, as with others, he has seemed to pride himself on following his own advice. “I like this stuff, I really get it,” Mr. Trump said at the C.D.C. “People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.” Ms. Merkel, by contrast, did in fact spend time studying science before becoming a politician: she is a trained physicist. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story On Wednesday, when she addressed her fellow Germans, flanked by the health minister and the head of the public health institute, she took pains to say that the information she was sharing had come from the experts. And that information, she said, informed the public health decisions being made by the authorities. Image A drive-in for testing for coronavirus in Nuertingen, Germany.Credit...Ronald Wittek/EPA, via Shutterstock Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for public health, said that while health experts currently believe that two-thirds of the population may become infected with the coronavirus, “we don’t know how fast that will happen.” “But every one of us can figure out that the longer this takes, the better it is,” Dr. Weiler said. “On the one hand, because then the chance that a vaccine will become available increases, and on the other hand, because there is a chance that treatments will be available.” Get an informed guide to the global outbreak with our daily coronavirus newsletter. One of the country’s top virologists recently said that it could take a year or two, or even longer, for that many people to become infected. At the news conference on Wednesday, Ms. Merkel did not make big promises. Her announcement, sober in tone, was more a call to arms. The chancellor urged Germans to observe restrictions and stand in solidarity with one another, for the common good. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Soccer games will play to empty stadiums. Big events will be canceled. If need be, Germany will even suspend its cherished balanced budget and borrow more. “We must take all necessary measures,” Ms. Merkel. “That is true for the government and everyone in a position of political responsibility. But it is also true for all citizens, the 83 million people who live in our country. It is about protecting older people, those with previous illnesses and vulnerable groups.” “This is putting our solidarity, our common sense and our openheartedness for one another to the test,” she said. “I hope that we will pass it.” The chancellor has been in regular consultation with her health minister and with German scientists who have been tracking the virus since it first appeared in Bavaria in January. As the number of infections rose in recent days — they hit 1,600, with three fatalities, on Wednesday — the chancellor came under criticism in the media and from the opposition for not addressing the public about the health crisis. Image Neustadt , Germany, where people quarantined themselves after the coronavirus was found at an elementary school.Credit...Sean Gallup/Getty Images When Ms. Merkel did so on Wednesday, it was a reminder of the woman who for much of the past 14 years has been the rock in European politics. She is the leader who reassured savings account holders during the financial crisis; who held the euro area together in the sovereign debt crisis; and who was celebrated, at least in many quarters, as the defender of liberal values after her decision to welcome over a million migrants in 2015. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story “It was vintage Merkel,” said Andrea Roemmele, a professor of political science at the Hertie School in Berlin. “She showed leadership in a crisis. She reassured people. And she talked facts. Many, including Ms. Merkel herself, drew parallels to 2008, when markets plummeted following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and a run on banks became a distinctive possibility. At the time, Ms. Merkel stepped before her country and sought to calm frayed nerves. “We are telling savers that your savings are safe,” she had said at the time. People believed her. There was no run on the banks. “What she managed to do is reassure people, avoid a panic, without playing down the crisis,” Ms. Roemmele said. That appeared to be her aim again on Wednesday. Ms. Merkel told reporters that she wanted to help people understand the breadth of the challenge posed by the rapidly spreading, still largely unknown virus. And she wanted to make clear that “we are not yet able to offer solutions in all areas.” The message, she said, was: “We will do what is necessary, together and in a European context.” Experts on disease modeling said on Wednesday that predicting overall infection rates across a country was an uncertain business, but that estimates in the 60 to 70 percent range were realistic, if perhaps on the high end, for some areas of the world. “People in my field have been saying for well over a month that 30 to 60 percent of the world’s population will get infected,” said Dr. Elizabeth Halloran, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story But she and other experts said that Ms. Merkel’s estimates were most likely at the high end of the range. The real infection rate will depend on whether measures like social distancing and quarantines reduce the spread of the virus, they said. Image Empty shelves at a store in Berlin.Credit...Sean Gallup/Getty Images Alessandro Vespignani, a professor of computer and health sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, has been modeling the social dynamics of infectious disease spread for years and is currently consulting with health official around the world. He believes the two-thirds number is a worst-case scenario. “I would say it could be closer to 30 to 50 percent attack rate, meaning the fraction of the population infected,” he said. “This is the number you get from looking at when the disease has infected enough people to burn out spontaneously.” Dr. Vespignani did not, however, rule out a two-thirds rate in some parts of the world, depending on how much time the virus circulates before being somewhat contained. “Long story short, these are numbers that are part of the possible scenarios,” he said. Benedict Carey contributed reporting from New York. As Merkel Eyes Exit, Nervous E.U. Wonders Who’ll Take the Stage Oct. 30, 2018 For Trump, Coronavirus Proves to Be an Enemy He Can’t Tweet Away March 8, 2020 Katrin Bennhold is The New York Times's Berlin bureau chief. Previously she reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. @kbennhold • Facebook https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/world/europe/coronavirus-merkel-germany.html

"Isn't Coachella for the young? " Yes, but...so many older folks prefer to think that they are younger than their age!

Previously posted a pic of one in the "What to know..." thread. Here is a better copy.

Placing countries on a restriction list has both public health and political considerations. We’ve seen this play out where a few countries were initially included in the Thai list only to be abruptly removed the same day. Trade, security and diplomatic history need to be weighed. It’s not a perfect, objective world.

My preference is for reception to hold ID cards of visitors having first checked age and validity. That doesn't mean that joiners are "bothered"; in my experience they expect this process.. I also appreciate the phone call from reception when he leaves, checking that all is OK.

Snagged tix and zipped in to town a few days ago, but it was cancelled. I am sad, very very upset. I miss my Mom now too. Terribly. She loved classical song. I wanted to go for her. I came out to my mother and my good father right after Philadelphia (La Mamma Morta). Woodward and Castle made it happen, though I did not have to add other bad tidings.

Then maybe the virus has affected Oz's software. On my screen, your sentence reads: They ive a hour from a store. Unless you speak East End Cockney, on my board these look like typos. I apologize if I am wrong.

I did not improve your writing, and nor would I have that intent. I fixed your typos in the sentence I quoted for the benefit of fellow readers. It's a kind and thoughtful thing to do for readers. The correction has nothing to do with you.