A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

To all foreigners (including myself of course) we can suck thumb now

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/vaccines-reserved-to-thais-not-expats-public-health-ministry

Vaccines reserved for Thais, not expats – Public Health Ministry
Tim Newton, Published 4 hours ago on Wednesday, May 5, 2021
By Tim Newton

Sorry, you’ll just have to wait. The Ministry of Public Health has muddied the waters further about foreigners or expats being able to access Covid vaccines in Thailand.

Ministry spokesperson Rungrueng Kitphati has rolled back some of the comments that have already been made about the matter and the real world situation where some expats already registering for the next round of vaccinations in June. Speaking to Bangkok Post…

“The vaccines right now are only reserved for Thai people who are now at a high-risk level or living in the severe outbreak areas. Expats should wait for a clear policy from the government.”

He flatly denied reports of expats living in Thailand being allowed to register for free vaccines. But did offer a glimmer of hope…

“In the future, the country will provide more alternatives for vaccines so they could have a chance of getting it.”

The messaging from the government about vaccines for foreigners and expats has been confusing. And yesterday’s comments from the public health ministry will probably be further ‘clarified’ although it appears that foreigners will simply have to wait and see.

Even foreign embassies have largely told expats that they are on their own and their own governments won’t be assisting them. Yesterday The Australian Embassy gave a flat ‘no’ in an official response about The Australian Government helping expats and Australian travellers in Thailand access vaccines. This, despite donating 68 million baht to Thailand to hasten the country’s vaccine efforts.

The Government confirmed that foreigners who had registered via the Mor Prom app or the LINE app would not be offered vaccination in the June or July roll out.

The issue of foreigners being able to access Covid vaccines in Thailand is further complicated by the government’s not allowing private companies or hospitals to independently import vaccine doses after changing their mind several times on the matter.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

 

[yinyang]

‘One Night In Bangkok’, an unlikely hit about a bygone era in Thailand

“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free”

When ‘One Night In Bangkok’ was released in 1984 it was an unlikely hit. It was the opening song from a (at the time) little-known stage pop-opera called ‘Chess’. The song made Number 1 in South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia, and Number 3 in Canada and the US. It has remained a staple of Classic 80s Hit radio ever since. Have a listen (below).
The musical was the first outing for the two ‘Bs’ in ABBA – Benny Andersson and Bjoern Ulvaeus. Their pop grooves had made ABBA one of the most famous music groups in the world between 1973 and 1982 with a string of hits including 20 singles in the Billboard Top 100 from 8 albums, etc, etc. The lyrics of the song were penned by Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and his amazing technicolour dreamcoat, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast).

In the opening song of ‘Chess’, the American chess champion Freddie Trumper gets ready for a chess game with his Russian counterpart. He ridicules Bangkok’s ‘pleasures’ and tourist attractions – the Chao Phraya River (“muddy old river”), Wat Pho (“reclining Buddha”), and the red-light distractions. The choruses are more complimentary about Bangkok’s well-documented excesses.
Thailand’s ladyboys feature too… “You’ll find a god in every golden cloister, And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she“. And the famous Oriental Hotel (these days a little less ‘oriental’) is mentioned where girls are “set up in the Somerset Maugham suite“. But the singer says he isn’t interested… “I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine.”

At the time the sarcasm of the song didn’t go down well with the Thai Mass Communications Organisation (now the NBTC) issuing a ban on the song in 1985, saying its lyrics “cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism”, a line still trotted out when Instagrammers and vloggers shoot in front of Thai temples dressed in a flimsy singlets and short shorts.
37 years later the song still paints a picture of a contrasting ‘oriental’ city alive with lights (including red lights), colour, pungent smells, culture and a vivid history.

We’re not sure if the ban was ever lifted but I hear the song played on Thai stations from time to time. At the time, when Bangkok was less on the tourist map than now, the song was a lone reference point for westerners.
How does it stand up 37 years after becoming a world-wide hit? Leave your comments below..

One Night In Bangkok
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don’t know that the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brynner (referring to the actor’s starring role as the King of Siam in ‘The King and I’)
Time flies, doesn’t seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change don’t you know that when you
Play at this level there’s no ordinary venue
It’s Iceland or the Philippines or Hastings or,
Or this place!
One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One town’s very like another
When your head’s down over your pieces, brother
It’s a drag, it’s a bore, it’s really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city
Whaddya mean?
Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town
Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite
Get thai’d, you’re talking to a tourist
Whose every move’s among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me
Siam’s gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha
And thank God I’m only watching the game… controlling it
I don’t see you guys rating
The kind of mate I’m contemplating
I’d let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you
So you better go back to your bars, your temples
Your massage parlours
One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me
Songwriters: Tim Rice / Benny Goran Bror Andersson / Bjoern K. Ulvaeus

 

[Froggy]

Just out - new cases 1,911 (-201) ; deaths 18 (+3)

 

[Froggy]

Woke up early and made myself a nice meal

Cooking it

Ready to eat

Full breakfast (going to last me till dinner)

 

[Froggy]

This is actually an important message for me but FYI to all of you

 

[waitifcuk]

 

[waitifcuk]

K L N

Seven nights in LOS :

 

[waitifcuk]

 

[yinyang]

Foreigners to get 'equal access'
Jab booking systems to get upgrade to include everyone
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 7 MAY 2021 AT 04:00

A truck sprays disinfectant on to the streets in Ratchaburi's Muang district on Thursday after a spike in Covid-19 cases. Several of those infected were found to have taken part in social activities. (Photo: Saichon Srinuanjan)

Three million foreigners living in Thailand have as much right to Covid-19 vaccinations as Thais because the goal is to achieve herd immunity, the government declared on Thursday.

The policy is to vaccinate everyone in Thailand no matter whether they are Thais or foreigners. This would be carried out with people's consent and without discrimination, said Rungruang Kitpati, spokesman for the Public Health Ministry.

Some expats have vented their frustrations on social media about a lack of public information, problems registering for vaccinations and the lack of private vaccines.

"Anyone living in Thailand, be they Thai or foreign, will be able to get the vaccine if they want it," Opas Kankawinpong, head of the disease control department, said on Thursday. "No one is safe until everyone is safe."

Thailand's population is estimated at 70 million, of whom about three million are foreigners living here long-term, said Dr Opas.
"To protect this country against the novel coronavirus, we need to immunise at least 70% of the total people living here," he added.

He said the Public Health Ministry had vaccinated a vast number of legally registered immigrants in Samut Sakhon.
"Foreigners who want vaccinations can also contact their own embassy to get one," he said.

Dr Opas said the process for foreigners to register their interest would be the same as for Thais -- those in vulnerable and risky groups, such as healthcare staff, those living in at-risk areas, the elderly and those with underlying diseases, would be vaccinated first.
The government's mass immunisation programme has not started yet, since only frontline workers are getting their shots from a small stock of 2.5 million Sinovac doses.
The government's main stock is expected to come from a local manufacturer, who is set to reproduce AstraZeneca's vaccines from supplied ingredients from next month.

Pensom Lertsithichai, news division director at the Foreign Ministry, acknowledged that it was not yet possible for foreigners to apply for vaccines via the Mor Prom medical app or Line account but the Public Health Ministry was working on the issue and hoped it would be updated by next month.
"The ministry is trying their best to help foreigners, so they can either use the mobile app or contact hospitals directly and register to be vaccinated," she said.

For the second phase, she said that would start in June and run until the end of this year. The public and foreigners would be included in this phase, depending on their membership of at-risk groups.
Regarding Mor Prom, the medical application, and Line Official account platforms, she said the system did not allow foreigners to register for a jab at present, though the Public Health Ministry was working on it and aimed to have the change made by June.

"Foreigners might also be able to contact hospitals directly as soon as possible," she said.
The state sector had also insisted the only way the private sector could gain access to the vaccines was through jabs purchased by them.
"This is because vaccine producer usually does not sell vaccines to the private sector but rather goes through the government. Therefore, public entities such as the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation can act on behalf of the private sector in securing supplies," she added.

 

[yinyang]

Justice for all? Left top is 1 controversial deputy minister.

 

[yinyang]

Speaks volumes of his escape from OZ jail, and political post back home

 

[Froggy]

Just out - new cases 2,044 (+133) ; deaths 27 (+9)

 

[waitifcuk]

 

[Froggy]

Just out - new cases 2,419 (+375) ; deaths 19 (-8)

 

[yinyang]

 

[Froggy]

So in Thailand eating out had been banned since 1st May. This is what we do these days

The noodle shop

Tabao

Eat in office

 

[Froggy]

Just in today’s numbers

New cases = 2,101 ( -318 )
Deaths = 17 ( -2 )

 

[waitifcuk]

To all foreigners (including myself of course) we can suck thumb now

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/vaccines-reserved-to-thais-not-expats-public-health-ministry

Vaccines reserved for Thais, not expats – Public Health Ministry

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

K L N

Limpeh jin jialat liao.
Exempted from Vaccination due multiple and complex health medical probelms.

Lidat how to go LOS liao?

 

[blackmondy]

Just in today’s numbers

New cases = 2,101 ( -318 )
Deaths = 17 ( -2 )

Bro where you stay in BKK ? I used to stay at Cheangwattana when working for a MNC years ago, just opposite Central Plaza.....Missed the place but not the fucking traffic jams during peak hours.

 

[waitifcuk]

K L N

Limpeh jin jialat liao.
Exempted from Vaccination due multiple and complex health medical proble
ms.

Lidat how to go LOS liao?

K L N....



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