Rants, Stupid Shit and Coronavirus in Thailand

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2583667]Just finished a video chat with a farm girl in Buriram. Her village has much COVID, but new sick people are neither seeking medical attention nor being tested. A common villager opinion is that the doctors and hospitals have no way of helping COVID patients but might force them to live their final days away from family.

I don't know how widespread these views are held, but it makes me think that the recent new COVID case counts of about 13,000 per day is much less than reality.[/QUOTE]I totally agree with you. Cases are probably 3 to 5 times higher?

Really difficult to even get tested now, let alone find a hospital bed if you need it.

This is happening not only in Villages, but around greater Bangkok.

Everyone I know either has a family member that is infected or close friends that are infected. Many just ride it out at home and don't seek medical treatment.

It looks like they will have 60% of Bangkok vaccinated with 1 shot over the next 8 weeks. Probably about the same time as this crisis / wave will last.

I am in China now and the only vaccine I am able to get at the moment is sinopharm. Does anyone know if that is accepted for Thai visas?

On a related note, are other vaccines available there that are not made in China? I would like to get one of the mRNA vaccines, if possible. I was going to do a wellness check in Bangkok after quarantine, so I figured I would get a second type of vaccine at that time, if possible. The China Vaccines are not very effective.

[QUOTE=CIMguy;2584013]I am in China now and the only vaccine I am able to get at the moment is sinopharm. Does anyone know if that is accepted for Thai visas?

On a related note, are other vaccines available there that are not made in China? I would like to get one of the mRNA vaccines, if possible. I was going to do a wellness check in Bangkok after quarantine, so I figured I would get a second type of vaccine at that time, if possible. The China Vaccines are not very effective.[/QUOTE]Sinopharm is recognised by Thailand, in fact it is one of 3 currently administered by the Government. The other 2 being Sinovac and Astrazeneca.

MRNA vaccines are not currently available in Thailand to the general public. They are recognised for the purposes of vaccinations and have been imported in very limited supplies but only administered to health workers and well connected government / military types.

There have been mRNA vaccines ordered by the Thai government in larger numbers but these are probably 3 months away as a best case scenario. Think 3 to 6 months as a guide for better availability but even then don't hold you breath.

[QUOTE=MaxBkk;2584107]Sinopharm is recognised by Thailand, in fact it is one of 3 currently administered by the Government. The other 2 being Sinovac and Astrazeneca.

MRNA vaccines are not currently available in Thailand to the general public. They are recognised for the purposes of vaccinations and have been imported in very limited supplies but only administered to health workers and well connected government / military types.

There have been mRNA vaccines ordered by the Thai government in larger numbers but these are probably 3 months away as a best case scenario. Think 3 to 6 months as a guide for better availability but even then don't hold you breath.[/QUOTE]Thanks, I figured that was the case but wanted to check. I read conflicting reports. I might consider getting astrazeneca because I have read having a combo of vaccines is really good. In Europe, some places are using a mix of Pfizer and astrazeneca with good results. I just don't trust the Chinese vaccine at all.

I'm coming for work in Bangkok and I'm trying to figure out if I should go to Phuket first with domestic travel suspended. It would be nice to not be locked in a hotel (I already did 2 weeks in Seoul and 2 weeks in China), but a 15 hour bus ride to Bangkok also doesn't sound fun. Tough call.

[QUOTE=CIMguy;2584387]Thanks, I figured that was the case but wanted to check. I read conflicting reports. I might consider getting astrazeneca because I have read having a combo of vaccines is really good. In Europe, some places are using a mix of Pfizer and astrazeneca with good results. I just don't trust the Chinese vaccine at all.

I'm coming for work in Bangkok and I'm trying to figure out if I should go to Phuket first with domestic travel suspended. It would be nice to not be locked in a hotel (I already did 2 weeks in Seoul and 2 weeks in China), but a 15 hour bus ride to Bangkok also doesn't sound fun. Tough call.[/QUOTE]Nok Air are operating limited domestic flights between Phuket and Pattaya.

Pattaya is an hour in a taxi from bkk.

[QUOTE=JJanni;2584535]Nok Air are operating limited domestic flights between Phuket and Pattaya.

Pattaya is an hour in a taxi from bkk.[/QUOTE]Thanks, and to others who responded, as well.

It will be another 3 weeks or so before I can get there, so I hope things are still running at that time. If not, I'll just stay in Phuket at the cheapest place I can find that's clean and try to cultivate contacts on TF. I'm sure I'll post a question or two about which services to use once it gets closer to time. I have read through pages of posts and I see references to Thai Friendly and Line (never heard of it), but there seem to be s few others that are used.

[QUOTE=CIMguy;2585291]Line (never heard of it)[/QUOTE]LINE is an instant messenger app. Like WhatsApp or Signal or Telegram. And LINE is by far the most popular in Thailand.

So the idea is when you're chatting to the girls (either face to face or online via Thai Friendly etc) you get their LINE details so you can stay in contact that way.

You can even have the girls display a QR code in the app and you scan it from yours (or vice versa) to simplify adding their details, instead of trying to convey email addresses or phone numbers through a language barrier.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2582218]$500 for a vasectomy, but sex change operations in the USA are free now if you have obamacare? Doesn't seem fair.[/QUOTE]For all of you non Americans out there, this is a hateful right wing lie. You have to pay for Affordable Care Act coverage.

If anyone is interested in an article. [URL]https://www.verywellhealth.com/transgender-healthcare-and-health-insurance-4065151[/URL].

[QUOTE=AmPervert;2587692]For all of you non Americans out there, this is a hateful right wing lie. You have to pay for Affordable Care Act coverage.

If anyone is interested in an article. [URL]https://www.verywellhealth.com/transgender-healthcare-and-health-insurance-4065151[/URL].[/QUOTE]Or, an innocent mistake on behalf of the poster? I dunno, neither do you. But you could probably do with some chill.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay $500 for a vasectomy then get a free sex change. .

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2582218]$500 for a vasectomy, but sex change operations in the USA are free now if you have obamacare? Doesn't seem fair.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CoaxK;2587724]Or, an innocent mistake on behalf of the poster? I dunno, neither do you. But you could probably do with some chill.[/QUOTE]Yes, Smoothy probably simply misread the requirement of payment details when he was researching a sex change operation.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2587807]I don't know about you, but I'd rather pay $500 for a vasectomy then get a free sex change..[/QUOTE]The point is that neither should be free for anyone. Just goes to show you how insane the Democrat party is in the USA.

[QUOTE=AmPervert;2587692]For all of you non Americans out there, this is a hateful right wing lie. You have to pay for Affordable Care Act coverage.[/QUOTE][URL]https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/transgender-surgery-is-now-free-for-military-thanks-to-biden-executive-order/ar-BB1erGXN[/URL]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2589458][URL]https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/transgender-surgery-is-now-free-for-military-thanks-to-biden-executive-order/ar-BB1erGXN[/URL][/QUOTE][B]Is Transgender Surgery Now Free for the Military Thanks to Biden Order?
March 2021 internet outrage over a Jan. 25 executive order was more spectacle than substance.[/B]
March 18, 2021.
[URL]https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-executive-order-transgender/[/URL]
[QUOTE]In sum, Bidens executive order of Jan. 25, 2021, overturned a Trump policy severely restricting the options of transgender people serving in the military, which itself overturned policies established under the Obama administration. However, we have found no evidence to confirm or deny the claim that Bidens policy changes will provide free transgender surgery to military members.[/QUOTE]Just goes to show you how desperately deceptive and obsessively focused on sucker social issues the Repub Party is in the USA.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2589565]Just goes to show you how desperately deceptive and obsessively focused on sucker social issues the Repub Party is in the USA.[/QUOTE]Now now ET, Smoothy is simply a god fearing man who reads his bible, watches Fox news and recognizes the treat to the future of the human race from LGBT"s, immigrants, liberals and the main stream media. There is only one man, our savior who was put on earth by god some even say by immaculate conception who is capable of stopping this from happening. Let us pray for him together brothers.