General Reports

[QUOTE=IHeartIpa;2508197]The Thai gov has pre-purchased some vaccines but nowhere near enough for all citizens.

I'm betting mid 2021 it will be vaccine + insurance + maybe a week quarantine or some other restriction.[/QUOTE]There is an article today on TV, that the government has purchased 26 million doses for Baht 6 billion for AstraZeneca? The mass distribution will start in May 2021, it should also be noted previous an article that the government had signed a contract or agreement to produce their vaccine here in Thailand, how that will affect whether they get more is anyone guess? It also has been noted if the vaccine works not all the population needs to have the vaccine for example I read for the USA Something like 60% of the population really needs to have it?

Funny from the article on TV, it seems they have a grasp on who will get the vaccine first until more is on the way. It was noted the purchase was by the government and that distribution will be free referring to Thais? No mention of those who are retired or reside in Thailand did note that a private hospital can purchase on their own.

What happens is any guess but I think it really depends on how well it works by May and I cross my finger we are talking 90 plus % of this working England the first to be given I take a guess in a month depending on the side effects if a nonfactor numbers start to go down by May there will be many more vaccine out the one many people are looking at is the Johnson and Johnson which only requires one shot.

I think it would be pretty tough for Thailand to still required any of the quarantine or insurance they will just go back to their corrupt ways of obtaining their red envelopes? Business as usual?

My hope was to get vacine in summer and go to Thailand but this news may mean that's not going to happen. Thailand residents would need to be vaccinated.

[URL]https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/healthcare/528619-pfizer-chairman-were-not-sure-if-someone-can-transmit-virus-after[/URL]

[QUOTE=Horatio;2508349]My hope was to get vacine in summer and go to Thailand but this news may mean that's not going to happen. Thailand residents would need to be vaccinated.

[URL]https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/healthcare/528619-pfizer-chairman-were-not-sure-if-someone-can-transmit-virus-after[/URL][/QUOTE]Don't book anything but don't give up hope either. Visa rules about covid seem to change day by day so who knows what they will be in 6 months.

[QUOTE=Allover;2508238] But it seems the girls are primarily Romanian or Bulgarian and they don't appeal to me. I loved it when the girls were Polish, Czech, Hungarian, etc. [/QUOTE]Romanians and Bulgarians. Some are ok and pretty but most are like machines. Limited personality. I dated a Moldavian for a few years when I was younger and wasn't too happy that they became the staple of Germany FKK clubs. A far cry in looks, GFE feel from Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Germans, Estonians, and even some of the Russians back in 2012.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2508343]There is an article today on TV, that the government has purchased 26 million doses for Baht 6 billion for AstraZeneca? [/QUOTE]Interesting that's only 230 baht per dose. Seems rather cheap.

I assume everyone knows that if they say the vaccine is 95% effective it doesn't mean that the vaccine cures 95% of the people who have COVID. It only means that it reduces your chance of getting COVID by 95%.

Thailand has increased the pricing of the Thai Elite Visa from 500,000 to 600,000 baht. Reason is that too many people are applying to Thailand which is a COVID haven.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2508403]
Interesting that's only 230 baht per dose. Seems rather cheap.
[/QUOTE]Pfizer BioNtec vac will be priced around $20 per dose, Moderna about twice that and the Oxford version less than $5. J&J version will be around $10 and the one from Novavax will be around $16.

Seems they overpaid.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2508403]I assume everyone knows that if they say the vaccine is 95% effective it doesn't mean that the vaccine cures 95% of the people who have COVID. It only means that it reduces your chance of getting COVID by 95%.[/QUOTE]This is a critical point. It means that virgin countries like LOS with quarantine measures in place are going to be very reluctant to open their borders even to vaccinated travelers until a significant percentage of their own population has been inoculated. This may postpone travel to Thailand for most of 2021. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

On the subject of store front girls in AMS (I used to lay over in AMS on my way to BKK a lot when there were Martin Air nonstop flites to AMS): the best looking AMS girl I ever had was a Russian (she was a solid 8* but the best service was with a Australian girl and a Dutch girl. I repeated twice with both girls. I also had many Romanian girls and one Thai girl in AMS.

I really used to enjoy walking around the AMS RLD's high on Nederhash (55% thc) joints. That made up for the fact that my AMS storefront sessions were usually not nearly as good as what I was going to get in BKK a few days later. I hear the Dutch are no longer so THC friendly as they once were. Oh well. It is a fond memory I have from back in the day (1996 to 2010).

[QUOTE=Horatio;2508349]My hope was to get vacine in summer and go to Thailand but this news may mean that's not going to happen. Thailand residents would need to be vaccinated.

[URL]https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/healthcare/528619-pfizer-chairman-were-not-sure-if-someone-can-transmit-virus-after[/URL][/QUOTE]Better to get the vaccine, than to not.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2508349]My hope was to get vacine in summer and go to Thailand but this news may mean that's not going to happen. Thailand residents would need to be vaccinated.

[URL]https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/healthcare/528619-pfizer-chairman-were-not-sure-if-someone-can-transmit-virus-after[/URL][/QUOTE]Maybe vaccinated people can transmit, maybe not. At this point that is an unknown. That question will be answered after a good portion of a population has been vaccinated. I doubt there is a practical way to answer that question any sooner. Because of this and other unknowns, the Thai government will have reasons to maintain travel restrictions beyond just certification that tourists have been vaccinated.

[QUOTE=Nixonbd;2508510]Better to get the vaccine, than to not.[/QUOTE]This is how it's going to work once the vaccine becomes widely available: no vaccine certification. No flying on any major airline, no room at any 4 & 5 star hotel, and even many restaurants, shopping malls, and office buildings will choose to deny access to people without proper vaccine certification.

THAILAND WILL REMAIN CLOSED TO TOURISTS UNTIL AT LEAST March NEXT YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTRY'S TOURISM MINISTER.

The announcement means tourist visas besides the new Tourist Visa (TR) and Special Tourist Visa (STV) will be on hold for now, thwarting hopes of a turnaround in the 2020-2021 season.

[URL]https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/thailand-to-stay-closed-until-at-least-march-next-year/[/URL]

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2508530]THAILAND WILL REMAIN CLOSED TO TOURISTS UNTIL AT LEAST March NEXT YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTRY'S TOURISM MINISTER.

The announcement means tourist visas besides the new Tourist Visa (TR) and Special Tourist Visa (STV) will be on hold for now, thwarting hopes of a turnaround in the 2020-2021 season.

[URL]https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/thailand-to-stay-closed-until-at-least-march-next-year/[/URL][/QUOTE]You talking 2021?

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2508520]This is how it's going to work once the vaccine becomes widely available: no vaccine certification. No flying on any major airline, no room at any 4 & 5 star hotel, and even many restaurants, shopping malls, and office buildings will choose to deny access to people without proper vaccine certification.[/QUOTE]We learned that lesson in2020, but this glass is a little too half full. Ever hear of money?

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2508520]This is how it's going to work once the vaccine becomes widely available: no vaccine certification. No flying on any major airline, no room at any 4 & 5 star hotel, and even many restaurants, shopping malls, and office buildings will choose to deny access to people without proper vaccine certification.[/QUOTE]I hear China is already working overtime printing vaccination certificates. LOL.

How the vaccines will play into future policy allowing visitors back into Thailand I feel right now nobody knows. I live here so personally I admit to be selfish but also happy with the current zero tolerance policy and if the polling is to be believed so also are most Thais. The recent uproar surrounding the infected working girls sneaking back in from Tachileik presumably to avoid quarantine shows the level of concern of even a handful of infections. That said if they want to get the economy back on tract and the millions suffering hardship back to work they need to change their mindset and use the vaccines as a way to do this. For those missing Thailand hopefully it will happen but if all they do is add vaccination certificates to the already burdensome list of requirements, special visas, quarantine, negative tests, fit to fly certificates, insurance and so on 2021 will sadly look no different than 2020. Just have to wait and see I guess.