Ruthrieston

I looked in the mirror

Frankly I wouldn't touch "Facebook" with a bargepole. In my last job as Chief Executive (silly, grandiose title for a basic management job) of a small Hospice charity in the UK I employed a young man as adviser on communications and publicity on a campaign to increase our fundraising income by over 30% in one year (we achieved over 50% increase) and he advised me to set up an account on Facebook. I had no idea what he was talking about. The next day I went down to lunch in the staff dining area and the cook said she was really upset with me. I asked her what I had done to upset her and she told me she had asked to be my friend on Facebook and I had ignored her. I immediately told my staff to delete this stupid account and never looked at Facebook again.

I always book directly with the hotel and get better rates than any of these dodgy sites.

There is still no real indication as to when the bars will reopen in Pattaya. I am hoping for early in November, but it is anyone's guess. I shan't be fully vaccinated until 30th October, and then need two weeks until my immune system builds it's defence so I shan't be going to a bar until mid November at the earliest anyway. Just walking around the shopping centres is depressing as every time I go something else has closed down. In Central Festival the latest closure has been Duc De Preslin, just empty floor space now. In Terminal 21 the Tom Toms cafe on the ground floor has shut down too. So sad. The worst is Royal Garden where almost 80% of the shop units are shut down. Wine Connection is the only draw for me there now.

I must say that Bolt in Pattaya has transformed my travelling around and means that I no longer need to rent a car once a month to do my big shopping. Also I no longer need to risk my life clinging to the back of a motorbike taxi. I pay less to travel in an airconditioned car than I used to pay for the motorbike taxi. Wonderful!

Very sad for the people of Myanmar, but a clear sign to the maniacs in the fake military junta that their insanity and arrogance will not pay off. Given their arrogance and disdain for the country and its people, sadly there is no easy way out of the situation they have created. There is no way I would travel to Myanmar while the army is still in control.

This is Thailand - can't arrest the Red Bull heir, but this innocent victim is quickly seized..........so sad.

The excellent work by the SWING charity in Pattaya reaching out to the boys working in the bars has achieved a great deal and deserves all our support. Handing out condoms and talking to the boys, and I remember my ex going on a weekend trip where they played games and had sessions learning about safer sex and condom use.

I agree with you entirely flguy. I have been so fortunate to live in Thailand through this pandemic - I have lived here for almost ten years now. Up to April this year we had less than 100 deaths here, but since then it is over ten thousand deaths. Infections and deaths appear to be slowing down now, but I too have been keeping to myself for the last five months as I am diabetic with other underlying conditions which place me at high risk. The absolute disaster around the vaccination programme in Thailand is outrageous, with barely ten percent of the population vaccinated so far. I was very fortunate to get my first dose of AstraZeneca on 7th August but of course I must wait twelve weeks for the second dose, so 30th October. Restrictions are starting to be lifted from tomorrow but I think I shall give it a couple of weeks yet to see how the figures move before I think about possible meeting with friends again. As you say it is about protecting ourselves and others from infection. The "long covid" damage has yet to be clarified but I think that may become significant for many people who have been infected.

No surprise here, the requirement for people to prove full vaccination status before being allowed to enter a restaurant did not appear in the Royal Gazette, so there will be no such crazy restriction. TiT.

With the planned lifting of some restrictions on Wednesday this week in Thailand the shopping centres and restaurants will open, but you can only go into the restaurant if you have been double vaccinated and have proof. Given that barely 10% of the population are fully vaccinated the restaurants are going to be rather empty. My second dose is booked for 30th October so two more months before I can eat in a restaurant again.

Italic Keyboard shortcut Ctrl+IThank you spoon. Two weeks now since my first dose and ten weeks more to wait for the second one, so three months till freedom!

You are all so lucky while here in Pattaya I continue to self isolate in my condo as the infections and deaths continue to be high. Even though I have had my first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine I am still not taking any risks. The lockdown has been in place since the end of March and cinemas will be gathering dust for at least another month or more yet here. Make the most of your freedom gentlemen.

The UK headed by BoJo the Bumbling Buffoon has made a far bigger mess of handing the pandemic with a death rate far higher than Thailand, and infections still 50% higher and deaths still 100 a day. Thankfully the excellent National Health Service has enabled a vaccine programme far greater than Thailand, but even double vaccinated people can still get really ill.

BoJo the Bumbling Buffoon would love to be able to do that!

All went very well at MedPark Hospital on Saturday. A lovely hospital, very efficient and great staff working hard. My four hour round trip from Pattaya using my favourite taxi firm was good. At the hospital it all took one and a half hours, including the half hour observation time after getting vaccinated. I am so grateful to have had the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. I was given an appointment for 30th October to receive the second dose. I shall give it two to three weeks and then decide whether I feel safe enough to finally meet with friends again having kept to myself since the start of April.

You could sleep on my sofa for a very modest 25,000 Baht per night, as long as you wear a full PPE suit at all times inside my condo. TeeHee.

They are probably a little short on Cambodian and Burmese workers to blame this one on, and they definitely won't want it to be another tourist who is guilty of this heinous crime. But the "police" force in Thailand are probably short of people to get tea money out of these days so maybe they are bored and might pretend to do some actual investigation. Duh.

Now with the reported rape and murder of a female tourist on Phuket, I wonder how many people will be rushing to the Sandbox now? RIP poor lady.

Thank you very much aussie_. I emailed the hospital three days ago but never received a reply, so I really appreciate you giving me this useful information. I am looking forward very much to getting my first vaccine dose tomorrow.

I have an appointment at MedPark Hospital on Saturday 7th August. Any tips on where to enter the Hospital for the vaccination would be appreciated.

You are so right sydneyboy1, while my NHS pension is not fantastic, I don't have to worry about how to pay my bills or find money for food while that money arrives in my bank account every month. What the people in Thailand are going through - apart from the 2% who own everything of course - is devastating to watch. As we face another extension to lockdown in Pattaya and the number of infections and deaths continue to escalate daily I can only imagine the appalling financial effects on the people in Thailand. This lockdown will last at least three months I think and I dread to think how many more will be homeless and destitute by then.

After feeling so safe and glad to be in Thailand during the first year and a half of the pandemic I am now increasingly terrified as the number of infections and deaths have soared since the beginning of April and worsen daily. I am isolating in my condo. The only ray of hope for me is that I at least have an appointment at a hospital in Bangkok to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in just over a week's time. We can but hope that things will improve over the next six to nine months in Thailand, but at the rate they are struggling to vaccinate people here I am seriously concerned.

You are not as green as you are cabbage looking.

And of course no arrest warrant was issued by Interpol ever. I wonder why? And as you say, just another "investigation" and still no Interpol arrest warrant.