Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[Sam Sanuk]

"...I know the station manager in SFO with Eva, I consider them to be one of the top airlines in the world... Although they have lost passenger revenue by 80% they have made a lot of it up by carrying cargo...".

Indeed. I am a big fan of EVA. Started using EVA 20 years ago out of LAX, but in the last 10 years have been flying out of SFO. Great departure, transit, and arrival times. Pre-COVID fares competitive. Excellent service from check in to boarding and throughout my flights. Service and food is very good. Not allowing transit pax in Taipei is going to keep putting a huge hole in their income. I flew China Airlines once. Don't know if I'd fly it again if it was free. 555 Let's face it, we don't fly to get 5* meals on a plane. But I've been going biz class for many years. The food on China Airlines was (charitably) almost inedible. I usually fly into Phnom Penh or BKK. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to EVA when things open up. I might miss the EVA level of travel, but the prices I see for late 2021 and 2022 for EVA are beyond belief!

[LittleBigMan]

Who is keeping EVA Air afloat? They must be going bankrupt soon since we can't even use EVA Air for a stopover to change planes to Thailand.

I know the station manager in SFO with Eva, I consider them to be one of the top airlines in the world they certainly are 360 from China Airlines they are not government-run and have a strong management team. Although they have lost passenger revenue by 80% they have made a lot of it up by carrying cargo which in 2020 range like 50 billion. Many of the planes still operating they have even taken seat out so they can carry cargo and belly load by hand much of the added cargo that doesn't need to be in containers. They also have renegotiated many of their contracts with employees. Vendors especially with Boeing to lessen the financial impact they also have a domestic market, unlike Cathay and certainly no Thai Airways!

I use them exclusively from SFO, although I have flight benefits I usually buy online pre-covid fare from Bangkok I usually could get a round trip for under 30,000 baht fares are now running close to 50,000 baht roundtrip a few months down the road since Cathay has stopped operating out of HK to SFO no competition the fare goes up so hopefully when things get better and Cathay comes back online that might bring prices down a bit prior fares from BKK-HK-SFO ran at 27,000 baht round trip the departure and arrival times to SFO were close and competitive.

[Banana Boi]

but there is one big mess in Taiwan right now.

Who is keeping EVA Air afloat? They must be going bankrupt soon since we can't even use EVA Air for a stopover to change planes to Thailand.

[LittleBigMan]

I don't know how about other places but there is one big mess in Taiwan right now. Looks like the only one plan of government is to keep the country closed and force people to stay at home. Due to a very agressive politics toward China they have a huge problem to get vaccines. Chinese proposed to send sinovac but the answer was: "we don't want, we don't need"; you even could found info on internet that Chinese vaccines will depopulate Taiwan and, in fact, the vaccine is a weapon against "Taiwan democracy".

Let me be very clear! My opinion is just that based on what I read and conclude. What this pandemic has shown is it is all political! When it comes to China once wonders how quickly they came out with the Sino yet the entire country is still in lockdown mode, citizens wearing a mask, social distance, it is only now they are starting to mass vaccination.

When it comes to Taiwan it is an island like Australia it is much easier to close down your borders and they have been successful in doing so but remember it has been over a year and with the vaccine in sight they can't continue down this path (which is what I mean) continue to keep it close and hope for the best while people and the economy suffer. With Taiwan, it is all politics when it comes to them not accepting the Chinese vaccine I agree it is noted heavily in your response but nevertheless, when it comes to Taiwan the solution is getting a vaccine which like Thailand started a bit too late. Their lack of progress is not only local politics but world where those who want to help don't because they owe China.

[Tabasco72]

In the end, I hope the Sino and AZ work well enough that it reduces the infection rate and give the leaders of this country the confidence to allow travel into their country without going through all the hoops of obtaining a COE, Insurance, and quarantine that is the type of Passport ideally what every traveler wants only then will Airlines start to schedule flights regularly into Thailand. This goes the same for places like Singapore, Taiwan, Japan with vaccines in sight lockdowns are no longer a real option.

I don't know how about other places but there is one big mess in Taiwan right now. Looks like the only one plan of government is to keep the country closed and force people to stay at home. Due to a very agressive politics toward China they have a huge problem to get vaccines. Chinese proposed to send sinovac but the answer was: "we don't want, we don't need"; you even could found info on internet that Chinese vaccines will depopulate Taiwan and, in fact, the vaccine is a weapon against "Taiwan democracy".

[Crocodilexp]

Cost is over 10,000 baht per hour for an online date! Have guys gone insane during COVID?

That's solid money by anyone's standards. Time to dust off my wig and heels.

[Member #4753]

Was interesting to see the Klong Toei vaccination site in the Tesco shopping center car park today. Looked to be a few hundred people there lining up and getting jabbed. Apparently they are looking at getting all slum residents jabbed there over the next few weeks. Looked much the same as western countries vaccination sites.

[Berrys66]

Opening all these businesses will take whole of money for a trickle of tourists. And planes for long haul will be mothballed for ages until short haul is firmy established. Crews and planes will need a lot of cash to get going again. And there won't be any business and first class pax for years. So just a trickle of economy pax won't make any money for airlines.

So Thais are going to get a nasty shock at the small numbers of backpackers who turn up with little money to spend.

Most of Europe has no chance of long haul as its all off limits for even short haul for this summer to Spanish beaches.

[PedroMorales]

For the first time since 2015 I was looking into a major escort city I was thinking of visiting soon and I saw something I have never seen before. Even dumber than buying drinks for Soi 6 girls online, escorts are now selling virtual dates online! Here's the kicker. Cost is over 10,000 baht per hour for an online date! Have guys gone insane during COVID?

That sounds fun, do they do long time? Threesomes? How about Connect 4, how is that managed? Dominatrixes in Spain are using some stupid game to get their marks to take out the garbage, clean the virtual house etc. I am doing my garden (in real time). Time to holster pedrito.

[Banana Boi]

For the first time since 2015 I was looking into a major escort city I was thinking of visiting soon and I saw something I have never seen before. Even dumber than buying drinks for Soi 6 girls online, escorts are now selling virtual dates online! Here's the kicker. Cost is over 10,000 baht per hour for an online date! Have guys gone insane during COVID?

[LittleBigMan]

There are articles each morning here in Thailand personally I would take it with a grain of salt! Forget you heard it from a friend and so forth. Each day you get an announcement by someone in government that basically doesn't have any final say whatsoever the next someone else says something different that includes the PM himself. One day they announced they have things in control, enough beds, and equipment, then you got websites are being set up for foreigners and they can start to sign up for the free vaccine then the next it is gone!

Now mass vaccination is being set for June 7th, everyone can sign up for their appointments yet the other day they don't have enough available whatever AZ they have on hand the second shot will be spread out to 14-16 weeks so more can get the first. There are also reports by some farangs confirming appointments for the Moderna when it was stated they are still in negotiation and even if a final price was determined they are months on the waiting list at best stated in October.

Then put on the thinking cap and try to figure Pfizer placed a request 3 months ago for approval by their FDA for approval yet Moderna has been approved so has J&J who put in their request after Pfizer. You got basically one of the best vaccines out there WTF are they studying?

As for Passport Vaccine, there isn't officially such a thing approved by the government it has only been thrown out as a suggestion. They have suggested now that they are rolling out the Sino and whatever AZ is available to the population that once you obtain the two doses they will provide some evidence so you can run around Thailand freely again this is just another suggestion.

Personally, where are we today here in Thailand on a personal note! When you look at the infection rate daily the 2000 plus is the new norm (I don't count the other 2000 in Jail) I've said this day was coming so get ready for it but no Thailand leaders continue to brag built roads all over Thailand particularly in Chon Buri instead of getting their hands on vaccines even the wife and daughter-in-law today driving around and around trying to find a road that wasn't closed due to construction ***** that they have all this money but yet no vaccine. Rarely do I ever hear any praise for the USA Except when I give them baht 555 wish they could visit the USA Now so they can get their FREE vaccine. Even they know you can just walk into Walgreen.

Right now I've stopped worrying about whether I can get the vaccine as far as I'm concerned Thais and anyone who wants it can get jab with the Sino or AZ, I won't stand in their way or ***** about them not giving me any priority I will continue to do what has gotten me this far wear a mask and keep my distance from people I don't know and that is easy living here as a foreigner. The leaders of this country can no longer close off and isolate themselves like in the beginning because there are now vaccines whether proven / problems it is their only solution they are after herd immunity and I agree something is better than nothing without a shot for myself herd immunity for the Thai population, in theory, should get me by until I get a vaccine of my choice.

In the end, I hope the Sino and AZ work well enough that it reduces the infection rate and give the leaders of this country the confidence to allow travel into their country without going through all the hoops of obtaining a COE, Insurance, and quarantine that is the type of Passport ideally what every traveler wants only then will Airlines start to schedule flights regularly into Thailand. This goes the same for places like Singapore, Taiwan, Japan with vaccines in sight lockdowns are no longer a real option.

Here is an announcement or rumor flooding around Thai social media today that the leader of this country is trying to figure out how to keep it under wraps? The current K--g is rumor to be dead?

[Banana Boi]

As of now the Pfizer vaccine has not been approved for use in Thailand:

Moderna isn't on the list and it was approved bu Thailand on May 13. So will the Pfizer vaccine be recognized as someone being fully vaccinated for the Thailand vaccine passport?

Upon arrival in Krabi airport, <snip> I flagged someone and showed them my CDC vaccination card, and they waved me through.

Explorer, was the vaccine card you showed in Krabi for Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, Sinovac, JJ, or something else? One or two doses?

[Sunlover2]

Hong Kong has nearly 2 million Pfizer vaccines that are nearing expiry since HK people refuse to be vaccinated. Why can't Thailand secure those 2 million doses?

Put them in freezers, load them on a plane, and Thailand can have them tomorrow.

As of now the Pfizer vaccine has not been approved for use in Thailand: https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/country/thailand/.

IMO Thailand should contact the United States about the 60+ million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine they are sitting on.

SL.

[Banana Boi]

Hong Kong has nearly 2 million Pfizer vaccines that are nearing expiry since HK people refuse to be vaccinated. Why can't Thailand secure those 2 million doses?

Put them in freezers, load them on a plane, and Thailand can have them tomorrow.

[Berrys66]

Dr Sumaiya Shaikh.

At Neurophysik.

7 h.

New preprint data from the UK reveals efficacy of vaccines against Indian & UK variants.

After 2 doses.

1. Pfizer: 88% effective against be. 1617.2.

93% effective against be. 117.

2. AstraZeneca / Covishield: Only 60% effective against be. 1617.2.

66% effective against be. 117.

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