In the UK there is a new push of the Mpox vaccine by STI clinics as there is a new strain of it. Total cases in Thailand 2022 to mid 2024: 827; in UK total cases 2022 to Oct 2025: 4,358. So less risk in Thailand than UK. 

In Australia as of October 22 2025, there have been just 203 confirmed infections across the country, with Victoria and NSW recording the bulk of cases. Apparently  in 2024 there was 1409 cases. 

10 minutes ago, TMax said:

In Australia as of October 22 2025, there have been just 203 confirmed infections across the country, with Victoria and NSW recording the bulk of cases. Apparently  in 2024 there was 1409 cases. 

I never knew 

Regardless I'm not getting anymore vaccines 

That covid one was ridiculous and I have had heart ❤️ pain ever since 

What is the mpox situation like in Bangkok at the moment?

1 hour ago, a-447 said:

What is the mpox situation like in Bangkok at the moment?

A handful of cases in Thailand as a whole currently so fairly safe in Bangkok but there is no widely available approved mpox vaccine distributed in the country. The Australian experience showed cases jump from about 26 in 2023 to about 1400 in 2024 so it can move fast once it gets going.

Most recent number in the US is 118 cases, but no idea how accurate that is as the CDC has stopped updating counts under the current administration.  I doubt we will have any accurate numbers for anything between now and 2028.  Every single agency within the US government has become so politicized.  You cannot believe anything said, posted, or remotely implied.  

5 hours ago, zoomomancs said:

In the UK there is a new push of the Mpox vaccine by STI clinics as there is a new strain of it. Total cases in Thailand 2022 to mid 2024: 827; in UK total cases 2022 to Oct 2025: 4,358. So less risk in Thailand than UK. 

Hunh? Risk in Thailand is low but cumulative regional incidence over a few years does not automatically correlate with current infection prevalence. The latter is the risk indicator for current infection susceptibility. In fact, considering the two population denominators there may be greater natural immunity in UK to date, that itself may reduce new transmission. Also greater combined natural and artificial immunity in UK if it is true that vaccination is inaccessible in Thailand. Perhaps you did not intend to couple cumulative incidence with current risk but were extrapolating from Thailand’s low rate and UK’s current alert.

Here are the most recent new incidence data for Thailand … pink bars. Not terribly concerning at this point.

 

 

AFAIK the vaccine, MVA-BN, can be legitimately obtained through sexual health clinics in Thailand for high-risk groups such as MSM and sex workers. They are not delineated as high-risk priority but there exists vaccine stock and the general practice of following WHO immunization guidelines likely supports access in spite of lack of explicit categorical eligibility. I also suspect that a clinic in the know will allocate the vaccine if a candidate simply expresses worry about very recent exposure and requests it for post-exposure prophylaxis indication. 

3 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

Every single agency within the US government has become so politicized.  You cannot believe anything said, posted, or remotely implied.  

at least that should end sanctimonious pontifications about how bad people had in communist run countries,  now when you guys have taste of the same  - : " our glorious leader ' and  similar

3 hours ago, vinapu said:

at least that should end sanctimonious pontifications

Agreed.  I never have been one to buy into this us vs. them mentality that many Americans have.  Everything is definitely not better here...never has been.  Just a fantasy world some people like to believe exists.  

1 hour ago, jimmie50 said:

Agreed.  I never have been one to buy into this us vs. them mentality that many Americans have.  Everything is definitely not better here...never has been.  Just a fantasy world some people like to believe exists.  

I just read that there is a new proposal that every visitor to the USA, when applying for an ESTA, will have to disclose their last five years' social media history! How could a questionnaire be drafted that could deal with five years of social media? This beggars belief.  How could this be reviewed,  checked, etc. 30 mins per pax at immigration? Or longer.  Madness. Perhaps I shouldn't  be surprised. 

43 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

I just read that there is a new proposal that every visitor to the USA, when applying for an ESTA, will have to disclose their last five years' social media history! How could a questionnaire be drafted that could deal with five years of social media? This beggars belief.  How could this be reviewed,  checked, etc. 30 mins per pax at immigration? Or longer.  Madness. Perhaps I shouldn't  be surprised. 

Not just the social media. I don't have a record of all my phone numbers so I can't go to USA. 'In a notice published on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said it would also require any telephone numbers used by visitors over the same period, and any email addresses used in the last decade, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics. It would also ask for the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.'

3 hours ago, zoomomancs said:

Not just the social media. I don't have a record of all my phone numbers so I can't go to USA. 'In a notice published on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said it would also require any telephone numbers used by visitors over the same period, and any email addresses used in the last decade, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics. It would also ask for the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.'

Total madness! Where are the MAGA crowd going to find the staff to go through what will be 99.9999% junk when they have already fired a lot of them?

And what will they be looking for? After 32 or 33 visits, no more USA trips for me.

4 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

I just read that there is a new proposal that every visitor to the USA, when applying for an ESTA, will have to disclose their last five years' social media history! How could a questionnaire be drafted that could deal with five years of social media? This beggars belief.  How could this be reviewed,  checked, etc. 30 mins per pax at immigration? Or longer.  Madness. Perhaps I shouldn't  be surprised. 

 

3 hours ago, zoomomancs said:

Not just the social media. I don't have a record of all my phone numbers so I can't go to USA. 'In a notice published on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said it would also require any telephone numbers used by visitors over the same period, and any email addresses used in the last decade, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics. It would also ask for the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.'

are you guys for real or just pulling our legs here?

4 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

I just read that there is a new proposal that every visitor to the USA, when applying for an ESTA, will have to disclose their last five years' social media history! How could a questionnaire be drafted that could deal with five years of social media? This beggars belief.  How could this be reviewed,  checked, etc. 30 mins per pax at immigration? Or longer.  Madness. Perhaps I shouldn't  be surprised. 

Before leaving home people from some countries have to notify the USA of their plans.  The idea is to have people disclose their SM at that time.  This is for countries that do not require a VISA.  At least from what I have read.

35 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Total madness! Where are the MAGA crowd going to find the staff to go through what will be 99.9999% junk when they have already fired a lot of them?

And what will they be looking for? After 32 or 33 visits, no more USA trips for me.

I believe the plan is to use AI to screen for what they feel are risk factors.

20 minutes ago, kram987 said:

I believe the plan is to use AI to screen for what they feel are risk factors.

Orwell was right after all, just missed by several years

21 minutes ago, kram987 said:

I believe the plan is to use AI to screen for what they feel are risk factors.

and that is the problem as criteria  may be made very foggy to suit any purpose. I can envision not being admitted to Italy because I don't hide my dislike of Italian food and somebody there may consider that offense to national pride . In Turkey one may land in jail for offending Turkishness , whatever it is

45 minutes ago, vinapu said:

and that is the problem as criteria  may be made very foggy to suit any purpose. I can envision not being admitted to Italy because I don't hide my dislike of Italian food and somebody there may consider that offense to national pride . In Turkey one may land in jail for offending Turkishness , whatever it is

True and in a maga USA you might be barred for being on this sight as they might not like that it is gay, or may decide it is for sex tourism.

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

 

are you guys for real or just pulling our legs here?

I didn't fully quote their 'high value data fields' in section 4 of the link below:

The high value data fields include:

a. Telephone numbers used in the last five years;

b. Email addresses used in the last ten years;

c. IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos;

d. Family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children);

e. Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;

f. Family member dates of birth;

g. Family member places of birth;

h. Family member residencies;

i. Biometrics—face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris;

j. Business telephone numbers used in the last five years;

k. Business email addresses used in the last ten years.

They are asking for comments: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22461/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-arrival-and-departure-record-form-i-94-and

 

 

1 hour ago, zoomomancs said:

I didn't fully quote their 'high value data fields' in section 4 of the link below:

The high value data fields include:

a. Telephone numbers used in the last five years;

b. Email addresses used in the last ten years;

c. IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos;

d. Family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children);

e. Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;

f. Family member dates of birth;

g. Family member places of birth;

h. Family member residencies;

i. Biometrics—face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris;

j. Business telephone numbers used in the last five years;

k. Business email addresses used in the last ten years.

They are asking for comments: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22461/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-arrival-and-departure-record-form-i-94-and

 

 

Thanks for quoting the full list, just emphasises the the complete absurdity, and impossibility, of the required details. 

1 hour ago, zoomomancs said:

I didn't fully quote their 'high value data fields' in section 4 of the link below:

The high value data fields include:............

They are asking for comments: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22461/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-arrival-and-departure-record-form-i-94-and

 

 

My comment would be two words, I just can't decide if the second word would be "off" or "you"......

1 hour ago, zoomomancs said:

I didn't fully quote their 'high value data fields' in section 4 of the link below:

The high value data fields include:

a. Telephone numbers used in the last five years;

b. Email addresses used in the last ten years;

c. IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos;

d. Family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children);

e. Family number telephone numbers used in the last five years;

f. Family member dates of birth;

g. Family member places of birth;

h. Family member residencies;

i. Biometrics—face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris;

j. Business telephone numbers used in the last five years;

k. Business email addresses used in the last ten years.

They are asking for comments: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22461/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-arrival-and-departure-record-form-i-94-and

 

 

DNA, iris recognition!!! For God's sake....

How will fellows here (Canadians exempt) requiring ESTA authorization manage all the proposed data if they cannot simply differentiate among Gay Bangkok, MPox news, and USA tourism? All that complex travel prep and the work of similarly vetting companion minders for ESTA approval in the interests of safeguarding against demented wandering aimlessly about the continental USA or other relevant American jurisdictions. 

9 hours ago, kram987 said:

True and in a maga USA you might be barred for being on this sight as they might not like that it is gay, or may decide it is for sex tourism.

Or for making any negative posts about our 'dear leader'.