I am getting frustrated

[Boy69]

Yes it is nuncess to relate the low numbers in Thailand to the hot climate.

The restrictions of the Thai government and the discipline behaviour of the Thai people are the reasons .

[reader]

The US isn't alone among western nations posting high death rates.

                                   Deaths per million pop.

Spain                          704

US                              671

UK                              644

Italy                            598

France                       487

[vinapu]

what should count it's not number of covid deaths but excess deaths over yearly average.

Countries are using different methodology of classifying deaths covid related. Some are under reporting to calm population and for propaganda reasons , other are over reporting because of financial incentives ( treating covid patients may be more lucrative ).

It looks that virus calmed many things down along with economies, no mass shooting in USA I guess is one of benefits. I live by busy highway and and one thing seems  certainly greatly reduced- sound of ambulances and traffic jams related to accidents, at least on my stretch.

[firecat69]

Sorry but don't agree with some things at least in the USA which has the largest number of deaths. A large % of that population is not lucrative unless they have insurance which many do not or if they do it is not sufficient to cover the bills .  I suppose I could find the facts on mass shootings but I doubt there is any difference . The shootings are now smaller but might add up to the same number of deaths. Really the overall number is all that counts. https://247wallst.com/economy/2020/08/11/us-gun-deaths-top-25000/   That number is larger than 2019 ( I decided to google it)

[floridarob]

Maybe Bill Maher is right about something...he thinks one of the main reason for the high death rate, is the overall health condition of Americans. Overweight, diabetes, hypertension....where I live in Mexico, where it's usually 100F daily, all the deaths had an underlying health condition. Mask usage at the beginning wasn't very good, now it is...yet the death rate remains the same .

Bill has been saying for the last 3 years that Trump won't leave  the White House if he loses the election, I think he's right on this too. 

[reader]

There are many Americans on this board and none that I'm aware of are Trump fans. Most of us detest him. But I'd hate to see a discussion become a US-bashing exercise because we have a jackass in the White House. Everyone I know wants him out of there.

The next month--or possibly more--could be the most decisive in the US since the Civil War. Not unlike a some EU countries, America is experiencing a resurgence of right-wing nationalism. This will test the ability of political systems to peacefully resolve these conflicts.

I hope that all of us will continue to bear in mind that our true common interests are our adventures in Thailand and other Asian countries and beyond. In the end, that has nothing to do with our particular nationalities. That's what keeps us coming back here.

[firecat69]

On 10/12/2020 at 9:37 AM, floridarob said:

Maybe Bill Maher is right about something...he thinks one of the main reason for the high death rate, is the overall health condition of Americans. Overweight, diabetes, hypertension....where I live in Mexico, where it's usually 100F daily, all the deaths had an underlying health condition. Mask usage at the beginning wasn't very good, now it is...yet the death rate remains the same .

Bill has been saying for the last 3 years that Trump won't leave  the White House if he loses the election, I think he's right on this too. 

First if you read the statistics that Reader posted, evidently many countries have a poor overall health condition under your thesis . Love Bill Maher but that was a better argument when it looked like the election could be close . Now it is taking shape as a blow out ( I Pray)  If need be the military  will remove him.

Side note voting started in Georgia yesterday and people stood in line up to 12 hours in order to vote. I doubt many of those people were voting for Trump! Just another Red State that may go Blue,

[reader]

Just as a point of clarification, the numbers I posed above pertain only to Covid19 deaths and not deaths from all causes.

[Gaybutton]

8 hours ago, firecat69 said:

 I doubt many of those people were voting for Trump! Just another Red State that may go Blue,

Off topic, I know, but here is the newspaper headline I hope to see after the election:  "Biden Wins in the Biggest Landslide in American History - and the Democrats also take the House and Senate"

Even if that happens, I'm expecting Trump will still try to steal the election and remain in power.  I believe he would murder his mother to become a true dictator if he can.  If Biden wins and Trump still tries to stay in the White House after Biden is sworn in, if nothing else now he could be arrested for trespassing and evicted.

Just in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet - I don't like Trump . . .

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Gaybutton said:

I believe he would murder his mother...

is she still alive ?

[Gaybutton]

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

is she still alive ?

Died: August 7, 2000

https://www.google.com/search?channel=crow2&client=firefox-b-d&q=donald+trump+mother

[AlexThompson]

Today's NY Times...

Thailand welcomes its first foreign tourists in months, and other news from around the world.

Chinese tourists arriving in Bangkok on Tuesday from Shanghai.Credit...Wason Wanichakorn/Associated Press

Thailand welcomed more than 10 million tourists from China last year. This week, tourism officials were pleased to announce the arrival of 39.

It was the first group of foreign tourists to arrive in the kingdom in more than six months.

Thailand took a big hit to its economy after it closed its borders to foreign tourists in April to contain the coronavirus. Officials have been trying for months to bring back tourists through a special visa and quarantine program and, after several false starts, the group of 39 arrived from Shanghai on Tuesday.

The travelers went directly into quarantine at a Bangkok hotel, where they will remain for 14 days at their own expense.

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, said in an interview on Wednesday that he hopes the group’s arrival will open the door to travelers from other low-risk countries, such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The new visa allows stays of up to 270 days.

Thailand was the first country after China to report a case of coronavirus, which was brought by a tourist from Wuhan in January. But the kingdom has been among the most successful in containing the virus, reporting only 3,709 cases and 59 deaths.

The challenge now is to revive the economy.

During the second quarter of this year, Thailand suffered its biggest contraction since the late 1990s as the economy shrank by 12.2 percent, according to the state planning council.

Although tourists were barred, thousands of Thais returned from abroad and went through quarantine. Hundreds have tested positive without any reports of the virus spreading into the community.

“That is why we are confident in bringing tourists in at this time,” Mr. Yuthasak said.

For now, the arrivals may throw a lifeline to a few hotels that have set themselves up as quarantine centers, but it will do little to help the struggling tourist economy. Many hotels are closed, and others are operating at a loss to satisfy demands from their lenders.

In other developments around the world:

• The European Union has reached a deal with Johnson & Johnson that will allow the bloc to buy up to 400 million doses of the pharmaceutical company’s coronavirus vaccine. “As coronavirus spreads rapidly across Europe, we are securing doses of future vaccine to protect citizens,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the bloc’s administrative branch, announced on Wednesday. The European Union has also signed contracts with Sanofi and AstraZeneca for up to 300 million doses of each company’s vaccine.

• About seven million people in the north of England will soon be living under the country’s toughest virus restrictions as large parts of the region are moved to the highest alert level in Britain’s new tiered response system. South Yorkshire will rise to the “very high” alert starting this weekend, a local official announced on Wednesday. Greater Manchester, Britain’s second-largest urban area, will also move to the highest alert level starting Friday after local leaders failed to agree on a deal with the central government in London.

— Richard C. Paddock

[Guest]

Looks like all the "tourists" in the photo are male.      So I presume it's the draw of Thailand's nightlife, or perhaps traveling for business purposes ?

[Travellerdave]

Could be either Business or pleasure or maybe those guys have both in mind. At least it’s a start but the prospects of mass tourism from Europe and North America seems remote. 

[JackR]

I've gone ahead and booked a hotel in Bangkok for the end of March. A mix of desperation to get back, and very attractive prices.

I'm trying to be optimistic that things will be better by that time. But if restrictions or quartantines are still in place, which could be very likely, I don't think I'll go.

Fortunately its free cancellation right up until 2 days before the trip, so I figured what the hell.

Wish me luck.

 

[vinapu]

59 minutes ago, JackR said:

 

Wish me luck.

 

I do

[abidismaili]

What about booking a flight now? How sure is it your plane will actually leave? Not many people are traveling  now and I am sure the plane would not depart if there were only like 10 seats booked. So even while you can go now there is still a lot uncertainty about if on the date you book your plane will actually go  

(I know about the two week quarantine but if WiFi is good I could work from the hotel. I am working from home now anyway because of COVID)
 

 

[vinapu]

18 hours ago, abidismaili said:

What about booking a flight now?

do you have visa and all those multiple certificates arranged already?

It seems that flight t is least of problems of how to get there, even if today's will be cancelled , something will fly tomorrow or day  after 

[abidismaili]

17 hours ago, vinapu said:

do you have visa and all those multiple certificates arranged already?

It seems that flight t is least of problems of how to get there, even if today's will be cancelled , something will fly tomorrow or day  after 

Oh. Didn’t know we needed a visa to be pre-arranged. I admit I haven’t looked into it. I just assumed when you arrive you must go to a hotel and stay inside for two weeks. And that we just get a visa on arrival like always. Guess I was wrong. 

[Guest]

The following explanation is from the Thai embassy in London.   Seems quite feasible for anyone organized & with sufficient time.

 

You need both visa & COE to enter Thailand.

 

Also, prior to your departure, it is necessary for all non-Thai passengers to have the following documents ready to be presented to the immigration upon your arrival. Failure to do so can result in the denial of entering into the Kingdom of Thailand.

 

1. The Certificate of Entry issued by the Royal Thai Embassy (apply via the link above)
2. Declaration form
3. Fit to Fly health certificate, issued within 72 hours before departure 
4. Medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure
5. Copy of your insurance policy which covers COVID and no less than 100,000 USD medical coverage
6. Copy of your Confirmed booking at an ASQ hotel (15 nights)
7. T.8 form

 

Incidentally, anyone flying DIRECTLY back from Thailand to the UK does not need to quarantine upon return.  If you happen to transit through certain European countries, even for just 1 hour, it's necessary to quarantine at home.  

[Jasper]

Do you still need the proof of booked ASQ and flight ticket to get visa&COE? 

[Guest]

Visa:   Flight booking details are supposed to be attached to the visa application, however, apparently It's OK to attach some tentative idea of a flight rather than an actual booking.

COE:  Needs insurance, ASQ and flight bookings

[TMax]

I'm hoping late 2021 if these vaccines are any good but realistically looking at sometime 2022 and will be really hanging out for a fun trip then.

[10tazione]

12 hours ago, z909 said:

T.8 form

Interesting, because it is not mentioned in the "official" process ... it's obviously another health form ... do you get in on the plane and fill it in just before landing?
Do you have a foolproof sample of a fit to fly certificate?

Showing the fit to fly to the officials in BKK after landing is something I dont really get btw ...

[Guest]

Personally, I would print off a copy of every completed document needed and put it in a plastic folder in my carry on rucksack.

Then I would print off a spare copy of everything and put it in a spare folder in the rucksack.  

However, those who like more stress can safely skip these steps.