Ruthrieston

All bars and clubs and go go bars have been closed since the start of April. And this wave of infections in Thailand, along with the absence of vaccines means they will remain closed for some time to come.

same same me, Mr traveller123. I haven't been back to the UK since I moved to live in Thailand ten years ago and now I really want to go back for a long visit, but maybe not until late 2022 or the following year.

Sadly there is no vaccine available to farang in Pattaya. The ThailandIntervac site that was supposed to be for farang to register for the vaccine has been closed down, after leaking people's personal information. I have registered with three hospitals who all tell me that they don't expect to have any vaccine until October at best. If we won't even get the first dose until October then there should be no opening of borders as far as I am concerned.

I was at the International Hospital in Pattaya this morning for my three monthly check on my diabetes only to find that the hospital will no longer accept bookings for the Moderna vaccine. Sigh. We were told to register with the hospital which holds our records. So by the look of things I shall struggle to even access the vaccine in October.

Actually in any decent democracy priority would be given to those at high risk, over 60 with underlying conditions like diabetes. Clearly not in Thailand......

I was so grateful and full of praise for Thailand in it's handling of the pandemic for over a year, so few deaths and infections. Now? The arrogance and incompetence of the junta has now come to bite us. If I could afford it I would be on a plane, any plane, back to the UK to access the vaccine. Instead I face isolating myself, not meeting with my friends, until we eventually get access to the vaccine in Thailand, which will be October/November at best for the first dose, at no doubt a hugely inflated cost for farang. I don't care that I will have to pay for it. I do care, very much, that I will be isolated for the next four to five months if I want to stay alive.

Anyone seen a vaccination programme in Pattaya that actually accepts farang? Over 60's with underlying conditions are still being denied access the the very small supply of vaccines in Thailand. Utterly disgraceful. But then the "Health Minister" will be delighted to see the bodies of dead "smelly farang" piling high.

Absolutely correct. For now, at least.

Well done to the people of Vietnam. Maybe they could send a couple of people with functioning brain cells to Thailand and teach the General how to run a vaccine programme. I should be terribly grateful.

Allow "smelly farang" to access the vaccine? Not on your life! Thais first!

Vaccine available in Pattaya?? Really??

When I got to Heathrow ready for my flight to Thailand I would always treat myself to a seat at the Champagne bar to indulge in some smoked salmon and a few glasses of Champagne, a great start to my holiday!

Having retired (not voluntary - another story) in 2011, forced to sell my flat in London because I could no longer pay the mortgage, I made the decision to move to Thailand. The day after the UK voted to leave the European Union the exchange rate dropped from 56 Baht to the pound to 36 Baht!!! Currently it has crawled back up to 44, but that drop in value really hurt me, and is still bad. In addition the UK delayed the age when you can receive the State Pension and I must wait until I am 66. As to the issue of Health Insurance, I was fortunate to get that but the cost increases sharply as I age, and last year I chose to reduce the level of cover as I could not afford the increase. Threats by Immigration to demand outpatient cover as part of the required package would cripple me, but so far doesn't apply to my Non-Imm O visa, but who knows what they will hit us with next. Now I would fly back to the UK just to get access to the vaccine against Covid if I could afford to.

The absolute chaos and confusion around the distribution of the vaccine in Thailand will undoubtedly delay the reopening. As an over 60 with diabetes I am really concerned about how the virus is spreading here now.

Thank you PeterRS for your kind and generous comment. But for me there was a real heroine in the UK who transformed how people regarded people with HIV, Princess Diana. The very well publicised visits which the Princess made to HIV/AIDS wards in London Hospitals changed things amazingly. In the early days of working at St Stephen's I remember on the long ten hour night shifts we would telephone other specialist wards. Calling the HIV ward at St Mary's, Paddington regularly I heard that a certain young lady had again sneaked up the back stairs in the early hours, and was sitting with one of her friends as he was dying. The Princess did this many times and the press never caught her. When Princess Diana came to open our new Outpatient HIV Clinic she met all the important people and spent about ten minutes with them in full view of the photographers and cameras, then walked through to where the patients who were fit enough to be there and closed the doors and then spent the next hour or more with them in private. It was the many pictures of the Princess holding hands and embracing patients that showed people that they should not be afraid.

I qualified as a Registered Nurse in Aberdeen in Scotland in 1986 but there were no jobs to be had and I was forced to move to London where I went to work in the HIV ward in St Stephen's Hospital in Fulham. We had eighteen beds in small rooms and we had at least nine deaths every day, mostly young gay men. We had to receive and transport patients ourselves as the porters wouldn't transport them, also the bodies had to be prepared by us and taken to the mortuary by the nurses too. Those were the hardest years of my life and I too lost many friends and colleagues.

I think it is great to see the big increase in Tomboys in Thailand. I love watching them walking around large department stores holding hands with their girlfriends looking relaxed and happy.

One of the best things to happen in Pattaya in recent times is the arrival of Bolt taxi. The app on the phone is great and the prices are amazing. I used to pay 100 Baht to get from my place in Pratumnak up to Central Festival, now I go in an airconditioned car for sixty baht! I feel guilty not using my regular motorbike taxi guys, but in the hot and humid May weather Bolt is just wonderful.

August in Thai time means October if we are lucky! Form a queue "smelly farang".....

Thank you biguyby. Large numbers of the Thai workers fled Pattaya a long time ago, heading home to their families in the north east of Thailand mostly. Those who remain are really struggling, especially as it is now over a month since the bars closed down and now over two weeks since the restaurants and cafes were all forced to close as well. All we can do is be careful, stay at home and stay safe. The chaos and confusion over when the vaccine, whichever vaccine, might be available in the numbers needed continues.

It is sad living here in Pattaya now, when even before this latest serious flare up of the virus I was quite scared to walk around second road in the evenings, with so many businesses shut down and for rent/sale signs on so many buildings. Now I am staying home apart from shopping trips once or twice a week. Yesterday I went to Central Festival and while sitting on a bench sipping an iced lemon tea and reading my book, well away from anyone else, I had my facemask just hanging off one ear. Suddenly there was a handbell ringing in my face, and two young women in smart uniforms were challenging me, holding a handbell and showing a large sign explaining how to wear a mask properly. They walked around the building challenging anyone not wearing their mask properly, including those with it under their noses. Good for them! I had seen so many times farang especially, walking into the building through the checkpoints wearing a mask and as soon as they were inside they took the mask off completely. Won't be getting away with that now! With the extremely chaotic and slow roll out of the vaccine in Thailand it will be a long time before the borders can open again. With a death rate that held below 70 for over a year which is now over 500 people are scared more than ever.

As to when expats will actually gain access to any vaccine, who knows? At the extremely slow rate that the "government" of Thailand is crawling, I think it sounds like October at the earliest. The stated goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by the end of the year seems unlikely.

I for one would be very pleased to see the cancellation of the 90 day address reporting requirement. It simply makes no sense to me whatsoever. But I am not holding my breath. Believe it when I see it.

You are so lucky to have access to decent wine at sensible prices. In Thailand the wine is heavily taxed so very expensive, and often transported and stored in high temperatures so it is ruined anyway. As for the champagne........my favourite Veuve Cliquot goes for over 5,000 Baht a bottle! Just a bit too much for me on my little pension.

An old story from my past as a campaigner for gay rights. I joined the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence back in the early 1990's, when our Australian founder moved to London, Mother Ethel Dreads a Flashback, and started recruiting. I became Sister Immaculata Worksurface (Scrubber for short). Those were the days! Often at protests the police looked at us with utter confusion and almost never touched us! Sorry if this is too far off topic.