anddy

Technically, that is untrue, as Transferwise does not make a profit on the FX. Of course all money transfer services make a profit somehow (= cost to the user), and comparing them can be a nightmare. Like others here, I've been using Transferwise for some time now and I like their transparency. They give you a superb rate that is not obtainable in the market even in theory, i.e. the mid market rate, and charge a clearly stated fee in %, which I happen to find reasonable. Giving up to compare will just cost you money, though I can understand the frustrations, and the value of convenience of the familiar transfer channels.

Even if US deaths were to climb to 600k, that would still be far less than from the Spanish Flu in %age terms, so Covid continues to be more benign both relative to the black death (extremely more benign) and the Spanish Flu. And a big (at least hoped for) difference is, that for Spanish Flu they were not able to develop a vaccine, let alone at the lightning speed they're doing it now. But part of the success (in some countries) in suppressing Covid is of course also it's curse, as discussed here, the humongous economic effects and hardships inflicted on gazillions of people. Anyway, I have long adopted a total wait and see approach. I don't expect anything, even less plan anything (in terms of international travel), so I won't be disappointed.

I've not seen the excessie paypal fees @z909 mentions, however their exchange rate is very poor, amounting to several percent cost. So I avoid it too for cross border transfers (unless the amounts are negligible). Line has Rabbit LINE pay with a "wallet" so it might be possible. I have never looked at it, so other than that it exists I have no idea who it works, how to top up and if and how you can transfer from one wallet to another. Another option might be the SuperRich Cash Card: https://www.superrich1965.com/visitThailand.html Your Thai friend can apply for it, and even though in the FAQ in the link above it says "top up in SuperRich branches (useless for the intended purpose) apparently it is also possible to top it up using the accompanying smart phone app: http://ztidev.com/VisitThailandCard/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/VisitThailand_MobileAppliaction.pdf Obviously this card would only make sense for longer term and regular support, not one off "donations"

that's true, I heard those too, maybe have even mentioned them myself here. However, I know it's open now, so those rumors obviously didn't become reality as yet. I know PULSE Clinic is planning to host a pool party there at the end of this month which I'm planning to attend, so I will try to inquire (hope I don't forget).

Yes Babylon is still a thing. Advantage: all Thais (or other Asians) going there are by definition into westerners, which is not the case at the more local saunas. Disadvantage: no orgy parties as such, but shouldn't be a big deal. Still fun. Just get in touch (PM), I'll be happy to show you around

best bet is saunas, especially on their naked nights, and even more so at the orgy parties held at some saunas, notably R3 and Mania (others too though). That is, were used to be held there pre-covid. While saunas have reopened, and now also have the naked nights again (speaking of R3 and Mania), I don't know about the orgy parties yet. Will come eventually I guess.

Forgive me for maybe splitting hairs here, but I have a rather factual question: why would a Dengue epidemic require tracing? As in contact tracing? Wouldn't make sense as Dengue is not contagious but mosquito-borne and transmitted. Or is it tracing as in trying to find the mosquito breeding hotspots? Of course it is clear to me that that same army (dengue "tracing" or not) can be used for highly relevant Covid-tracing. Just trying to understand the Dengue relevance.

Agreed, preparation is the only really bad part. Takes time and is not pleasant, but at least can be done at home. Now that you mentioned it, yes Propofol it was. Like I said in my previous post, it worked ultra fast, like switched off rather than doze off. And pleasant feelings upon waking up. That's what gave the whole experience the label "pleasant", thus encouraging us to recommend it to others, just as my doctor has said it would and should, so as to potentially save other's life, as you point out.

thanks @Michael for this rather unusual review. What surprised me the most was the price: pretty exactly double the price I paid last year in Germany. That's surprising isn't it? Mine was done at a private doctors practice rather than a hospital, which might explain it a bit, but still... For comparison: I did mine in the afternoon, which was actually rather easy to do. Started the cleansing process at home at about 7 am, appointment at 4pm. Very easy (as far as drinking all that cleansing agent in the morning can be) and for me as an extreme non-morning-person much preferable than to get up in the middle of the night for an early morning appointment. So depending on personal preference either can be done. Initially I had said i didn't want the sedation but watch things on the monitor. But the Doc said it can be rather uncomfortable. Think extreme gas in your bowels causing what he said is pain from stretching the colon walls. Oh well so I went for the sleep version, which was actually kinda pleasant. The lights went out in a split second, rather than slowly getting drowsy and passing out. But waking up was the pleasant part, kind of a woolly feeling.

Probably a multitude of reasons. Some I can come up with include (my personal theories): - formerly much respect for the high institution, now maybe morphed more into fear under this government because any political oppositions can and will easily be construed as opposition to said institution. Nice tool for suppression. - a culture of avoiding conflict, personal or on a larger scale. Only when things really get intolerable do things boil over and result in the shooting of the wife's/husband's extramarital affair (just an example) or in political protests - a culture of obedience to all sorts of "senior" folk. Begins in schools at very young ages. See a critical article about the practice or prostrating before head teachers here: https://thisrupt.co/society/prostration-101/ I just recently discovered that website https://thisrupt.co/. It was founded by a Thammasat professor who still writes editorials there and has all kinds of critical and non-mainstream views. Recommended.

well you don't feel or see those protests in other parts of the city of course, where it is (quiet) business as usual. These are the students with lofty (if worthy) political aims. However, there is another source of trouble: as the global pandemic progresses, restrictions on travel to Thailand remain and the economic situation for so many here keeps deteriorating with joblessness and poverty intensifying, some expect much more and broader based unrest to come later this year. Understandable, I suppose. I just read an article about jobless men and women in Pattaya, who have no money at all, not even enough for a bus back to their home provinces and sleep in the closed bars, where owners tolerate them, bars being shut for business anyway. They go look for free food distributions or the odd day job to survive. Not sustainable obviously and probably just the tip of the iceberg.

what about customers?

Sorry for this lengthy back and forth. Please don't take it as yet another mask discussion, but to me it was rather educational about some things that I am grateful to @PeterRS for correcting. I am aware this was too long and detailed (hair splitting? lol) for a forum thread and would be better discussed in person or maybe PM. Sorry for the boredom and rolling eyes P.S. For some real and grotesque mask disputes don't look in this thread but here LOL: https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-maskers-are-posting-selfies-wearing-bogus-netted-masks-2020-7

Is this related to protection from Covid or in general? In pre-Covid times I'm not sure exactly what the mask is supposed to protect the surgeons & nurses from. Again I guess I wasn't entirely clear in my wording about the purpose of the surgical mask - it was ORIGINALLY invented to protect the wound, not the surgeon/nurses. Is that correct or not? I'm very sure I did read exactly that somewhere a while ago. Now, in Covid times they might very well have acquired the second purpose of protecting the operating staff. Thanks for this quote, that's exactly what I thought when they kept saying (in Jan/Feb.March) that masks are useless because "there is no evidence". There may well be no evidence simply because no one studied this particular question because there was no need. Not there is a need, and evidence is produced. Meanwhile, while there was "no evidence" I's also fully agree with: Exactly, there is ZERO downside, but potential upside (evidence or not), so the choice seems clear.

Yes, I said surgical masks offer little protection, because that's what I read over and over again from all kinds of sources, including the WHO. As for their use in operating theatres, their use their is to protect the operating wound from the surgeon's and nurses' respiratory aerosols and droplets to prevent infection of the wound, not the other way around; hence the name surgical mask. However, as you also point out, a great deal has changed, especially when it comes to mask research. So I have to revise my stance entirely, and can back it up with research I found just today: https://www.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/news/your-mask-cuts-own-risk-65-percent/ I guess we are in full agreement now

Back to the thread topic of gay nightlife: I was at Soi 2 / DJ Station last night. Not wall-to-wall packed as it would be on a pre-Covid Saturday, but still very busy. Only the second floor was pretty empty, but ground floor very busy. Inside DJ Station from time to time they made an announcement over the PA asking people to put on their masks and to observe social distancing. The latter wasn't happening at all (impossible anyway), masks were up and down frequently, but on most people down most of the time (everyone had their drinks to take care of). Might as well leave the masks off entirely.

you are of course right, especially pointing out the type of mask. I was implicitly only referring to the surgical masks that have been popular in Asia for years. Those offer very little protection to the wearer, which makes sense because that's not what they were designed for. Talking about an N95 respirator is a different matter, yes agreed. But hardly anyone wears those, and is is very uncomfortable to wear for long. The majority I suppose (just my guess) worn or to be worn by the general public are fabric masks, which also offer rather limited protection for the wearer, as (a) they are not tightly sealed on the face, especially around the nose, and (b) the virus can still enter through the eyes. They do however prevent aerosols containing the virus from being ejected into the surrounding air, as the image series posted by floridarob illustrates very well. That's where their epidemilogical value comes from. That's my understanding from everything I read over the months about masks. This is discussed in great detail and with supporting evidence including videos showing that aerosol-stopping effect here: https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-basic-dance-steps-everybody-can-follow-b3d216daa343

these two highlight one reason why I believe mask wearing doesn't catch up in the West: masks do NOT protect the wearer, but protect FROM the wearer (should he/she be infected). So since most people think (most rightly so, but many wrongly so) they don't have the virus, they don't see the need. Same in the pee example, the guy who does the peeing doesn't really have to care (other than out of courtesy to others); he wouldn't get wet not wearing pants, so why wear one? Asians, on the other hand, have a a long history of wearing masks, yes, but only to protect themselves, not others, which gives an immediate (perceived) benefit and incentive to do so. That's where the WHO's initial opposition to masks came from, that they actually do not protect (much) from this virus, so may give a false sense of security and thus facilitate rather than obstruct its spread. It's about doing one's fair share in protecting everyone else, just as everyone with a drivers license does without question for in road safety: you have to obey traffic rules to protect everyone else, and can reasonably expect everyone to do the same to protect you., This is the comparison Tom Hanks recently made, which I found fitting: source: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53318653 It seems reckless drivers drivers still dominate the Corona race track....

easy: dedicated shuttle vans. But it doesn't matter anyway, as that plan, as so many, will not come to be realized. No travel bubbles (has been shelved already) means no tourists, means no "safety zones"

didn't know there was such a thing as "max out extensions". For retirement, extensions are unlimited. Should be even more so the case for someone married to a Thai? Seems logical and sensible, but as we all know that is of little importance here.

really HAS to leave? Ever tried to do an extension at Chaengwattana?

seems the bubbles burst: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1171742-thailand-travel-bubble-in-chaos-plans-for-international-flights-between-participating-countries-put-off-indefinitely/

the key to the incredible stock market performance (which I agree makes no economic sense at all) is twofold: 1. governments throwing unprecedented amounts of money at the economy via stimulus and rescue packages (though that doesn't make the situation less serious for many companies in my opinion) 2. Central banks throwing unlimited amounts of money at the markets. Thus, you even get a perverted stock market logic: bad virus news = bad economic news (in principle bad for stocks) => will lead to more stimulus => stocks go up. It may have to come to it's senses at some point, but then it doesn't have to. With the Fed buying corporate bonds even in the high yield sector, that market has the best cushion ever. That spills over to the stock market.

I meant for returning to Thailand if I were to travel abroad, i.e. Europe as I do every summer

I know now that for Germany it is not, or rather for most countries (incl. Thailand) on Germany's list it is not, but for some (didn't memorize which) it is. They make it all so extremely complicated..... But the bottom line remains, doesn't help me as for now I can't re-enter Thailand. I could charter a private jet, but seems slightly excessive to me