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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Mine is the same....without the hike.though I suspect that will come when I renew. In my huge lists of worries concerning my return, that one has been relegated to the bottom, particularly now when it seems that the Thais have been successful in limiting the consequences of the pandemic. At least compared to my benighted government.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brad the Impala
I. I'd recommend the company, LV, but they aren't accepting new customers currently. Perhaps one for the future.
I’m with them. I have a car and a house insured through LV.
I recently made enquiries about travel insurance and got the reply “no new customers”. Wasn’t too impressed.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gerefan2
I’m with them. I have a car and a house insured through LV.
I recently made enquiries about travel insurance and got the reply “no new customers”. Wasn’t too impressed.
The problem is LV sold their home and car insurance division to the German insurer Allianz. Since last year Allianz own 100% of the general insurance division of LV. They have kept the LV brand under licence from Liverpool Victoria but since it became a subsidiary of Allianz the premiums have been rising at an outrageous rate.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
The situation is bleak, unfortunately the last sentence to Frank becomes more of a reality as time passes. Like others, it's now problematic I can not go home for Xmas because my return to my home (Pattaya) is too uncertain.
https://www.pattayamail.com/featured...ng-haul-303409
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Up2U
The situation is bleak, unfortunately the last sentence to Frank becomes more of a reality as time passes. Like others, it's now problematic I can not go home for Xmas because my return to my home (Pattaya) is too uncertain.
https://www.pattayamail.com/featured...ng-haul-303409
Why not give it a few more months before shelving your plans. While it may be a long time yet before the casual tourist from high-Covid-risk countries will be allowed in, I suspect those with long-term visas, for eg retirement, spousal and student visas (for study at legit unis, not fly-by-night language schools) might be allowed in first, subject to health and quarantine requirements upon arrival. Malaysia, for instance, has already allowed foreigners under the Malaysia My Second Home program to return and Singapore is looking to do same with its work permit holders. It will be easier to bring in people who are already in the system back in as most of the background checks have already been done compared to the casual tourist on a two-week holiday. Also, you might not have to wait too long if your country has a green bubble MOU with Thailand once the scheme is implemented.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sglad
Why not give it a few more months before shelving your plans. While it may be a long time yet before the casual tourist from high-Covid-risk countries will be allowed in, I suspect those with long-term visas, for eg retirement, spousal and student visas (for study at legit unis, not fly-by-night language schools) might be allowed in first, subject to health and quarantine requirements upon arrival. Malaysia, for instance, has already allowed foreigners under the Malaysia My Second Home program to return and Singapore is looking to do same with its work permit holders. It will be easier to bring in people who are already in the system back in as most of the background checks have already been done compared to the casual tourist on a two-week holiday. Also, you might not have to wait too long if your country has a green bubble MOU with Thailand once the scheme is implemented.
I plan to purchase my ticket (EVA) in August as always. My home state, California, has an increase of new cases and talk of a second wave, so I am prepared physiologically for the worst case scenario. I have covid-19 health insurance from a Thai company and health insurance for emergencies but if USA is on a restricted list all that is academic.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Up2U
I plan to purchase my ticket (EVA) in August as always. My home state, California, has an increase of new cases and talk of a second wave, so I am prepared physiologically for the worst case scenario. I have covid-19 health insurance from a Thai company and health insurance for emergencies but if USA is on a restricted list all that is academic.
You don’t say when you intend to travel but if it is for the high season, November onwards, why not wait and see how things pan out? You could save yourself the money.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gerefan2
You don’t say when you intend to travel but if it is for the high season, November onwards, why not wait and see how things pan out? You could save yourself the money.
I travel home for the Xmas holiday in mid-December returning just before the New Year. I hope international flights can resume as normal along with typical airline pricing. I know a Kiwi and a few Aussies and they will be the lucky one's I expect, but as an American I don't like my traveling odds.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
As a Kiwi I hope so, can't wait to travel again...first stops will be Nice Boys in Pattaya and Toolbox Bar in Phnom Penh!!..but our big problem will more likely be getting BACK into NZ (at least without a further two weeks in quarantine)...
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Up2U
I plan to purchase my ticket (EVA) in August as always. My home state, California, has an increase of new cases and talk of a second wave, so I am prepared physiologically for the worst case scenario. I have covid-19 health insurance from a Thai company and health insurance for emergencies but if USA is on a restricted list all that is academic.
Good Luck to both you and California. Hope for the best.........
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Yes, indeed. Your success would inspire the rest of us.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Up2U
I travel home for the Xmas holiday in mid-December returning just before the New Year. I hope international flights can resume as normal along with typical airline pricing. I know a Kiwi and a few Aussies and they will be the lucky one's I expect, but as an American I don't like my traveling odds.
It's early days yet, Up2U, and I wouldn't give up hope. I think the odds of those with any form of long-term visa being able to return to Thailand sometime this year are pretty good. In Singapore, we are ready to welcome our international students after the 27th of July. I'm now a mentor for the Thai study abroad program that I was in in 2017 and our students scheduled to start at Thai universities in August 2020, when the Thai academic year traditionally starts, have not been advised otherwise (but it's still wait-and-see for now).
The Thai authorities are not ignorant and they're certainly not without heart. They're well aware that those on marriage and retirement visas have made a huge financial and emotional investment in Thailand. My friend, who's a fellow Singaporean and works here, hasn't seen his Thai wife and one-year-old son in six months and they miss each other terribly. So you're not alone. But this Covid-19 thing is new to everyone and the Thai government, like all other governments, needs to make sure that their citizens and people already in the country are safe and that it will be able to cope with a surge of infections coming from abroad.
So don't despair, Up2U. I understand that Christmas and family reunions are very important to you and a lot of other people. Hopefully you will have better news come September.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sglad
The Thai authorities are not ignorant and they're certainly not without heart. They're well aware that those on marriage and retirement visas have made a huge financial and emotional investment in Thailand.
not just over the last few months but over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to keep convincing oneself of this - though a common response is don't confuse incompetence with intent!
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
You'd think it wouldn't have been beyond the authorities to allow in husbands and home owners etc, even if they'd imposed a mandatory 2 week quarantine etc that would have been acceptable to most i'm sure rather than be split apart from their wife and child for 6 months, feels very heartless for a Country that prides itself on being so gentle and caring ( at least on the face of it)
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
I'm sure I seen something come through my inbox from ThaiVisa saying Thailand is going to allow married foreigners back in starting right away here? Can't seem to find it though.
Yeah, this whole KoVid-19 thing is rough on lots of people. I have an Aussie client who lives in both Australia and China, and has a Chinese wife and daughter. They were heading back to China, decided to spend a week in Bangkok back in March, and are still stuck there now without any way to get into China since he's Aussie, and no way to get into Australia right now since wife and kid are Chinese.
He was just biding his time hoping to get back to China soon, then Beijing went into lockdown again just recently, so out the window any hope of that went.
n
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
There's a huge concern within the Communist Party of a second wave of the virus.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
arsenal
There's a huge concern within the Communist Party of a second wave of the virus.
A second and more deadly wave isn't so much a concern as it is a 100% guaranteed inevitability. All you have to do is listen to some well respected epidemiologists, then look down at what's going on in the southern hemisphere. South America and Africa are getting absolutely hammered by KoVid-19 right now, which tells you with certainty it's coming back up north once the weather cools off again.
It's just this time it'll most likely come back with a vengeance, simply because there will be more of the virus, since it had ~6 months to replicate and grow while it was hanging out down south.
Sucks for me, as I was really hoping to finally get out of here. After 2.5 years of hard work and sacrifice, finally doing good again, ready to head out, and... Kovid. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and be able to sneak into Vientiane end of August before everything goes back into lock down again.
And Trump's holding rallies... what a dip shit.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cdnmatt
South America and Afria are getting absolutely hammered by KovVid-19 right now, which tells you with certainty it's coming back up north once the weather cools off again..
?? Why is it colder than the UK and Europe in Africa right now or something, I doubt it ?
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
I don't know, I'm a software dude, not a doctor. Influenza based viruses are seasonal, which is why the flu season always happens at the same time every year, during the winter. Right now it's winter in the southern hempisphere, hence why they're getting hammered so badly. I guess drones are picking up video of mass graves all over the place in Brazil.
Go Youtube this stuff. It's all over the place with some of the most respected epidemiologists in the world.
If you're in the northern hemisphere, you have until end of Aug or beginning of Sept to enjoy yourself a bit. After that, it's back to strict lockdown for a while. Well, if you want to survive that is. Then hopefully come summer of 2021 we can finally relax, and if we get really lucky maybe KoVid-19 will disappear into the history books.
Just look at what happened with the Spanish Flu. Sping 1918 wasn't too bad, seemed to go away in the summer, then fall 2018 was absolutely devastating. Wouldn't get too comfortable in thinking Kovid-19 is over, because according to epidemilogists, the worst is still yet to come.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
"All you have to do is listen to some well respected epidemiologists,"
Impossible. I don't know any epidemiologists, respected or otherwise. And anyway, I'd rather listen to my primal urges, they're more fun.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cdnmatt
A second and more deadly wave isn't so much a concern as it is a 100% guaranteed inevitability....... I don't know, I'm a software dude, not a doctor. .......Right now it's winter in the southern hempisphere, hence why they're getting hammered so badly..
See to me that's why software dudes shouldn't maybe talk about 100% !!! guaranteed ! inevitability ! as you're right, they're not doctors and it only leads to more fear and negativity worldwide perhaps. Re the Southern Hemisphere being colder - London today is 18c, Cape Town is 24c, Mombasa is 28c and Cairo is 31c.....so, I'm guessing it's not THAT much colder than here so I'm also guessing that's not the reason why they're having their flare up, but I wouldn't know - as I'm not a doctor either ;-)
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Here, in case you've been living under a rock, this guy knows what he's talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cIBIT_I70
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
For anyone from the UK(and there seem to be one or two here) looking for Travel Insurance, Trailfinders have just announced that their travel insurance policy will cover Covid and will be available from 22nd June. "policy will provide Covid-19 cover for cancellation prior to travel, for curtailment of your trip, and medical expenses whilst overseas".
They have both single trip and annual policies available which are not dependent on also booking your travel through them.
https://www.trailfinders.com/insurance#/step1
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nirish guy
You'd think it wouldn't have been beyond the authorities to allow in husbands and home owners etc, even if they'd imposed a mandatory 2 week quarantine etc that would have been acceptable to most i'm sure rather than be split apart from their wife and child for 6 months, feels very heartless for a Country that prides itself on being so gentle and caring ( at least on the face of it)
My friend doesn't find the Thai authorities and the Thai people heartless at all. He understands that this is not only about him and his family but about the bigger issue of public health and safety. Most, if not, all the positive cases in Thailand in the last few weeks have come from overseas and Thailand is not the only country in the region to have secured its borders for this reason.
And no, the two-week quarantine upon arrival wouldn't be acceptable to most working people. My friend, like me, has only 14-days of annual leave and by law we're not entitled to paid compassionate leave. Any compassionate leave entitlement is entirely as the discretion of one's employer as stipulated in the employment contract. Most people will receive two or three days. And don't forget, even if he could leave Singapore and enter Thailand, my friend would still have to stay in quarantine for another two weeks upon his return to Singapore. So that's a month spent in quarantine without factoring in any amount of time he would be able to spend with his family. My friend's work requires him to be on site and working from home is not an option for him. And applying for any kind of unpaid leave is far too great a risk financially and professionally right now.
And I think most Thais can take pride in their caring nature. The self-organised and supported food distribution queues is evidence of this. People have come together (including some foreigners) to help those who have lost their jobs and sources of income as a result of this pandemic. Yes, it's happening even in mercenary Pattaya where some of the longest food distribution queues in the country can be found and many down-and-out farangs can be seen in them. No, the Thais are not turning them away because they are farangs with no money. Quite a few have been given free board by temples and guest houses. There was one story of a broke farang who was given shelter by your lowly, greedy and lazy phone-playing prostitutes (you know the kind some members of this forum love to sneer at). The most touching and inspiring aspect of all this, and yet not so surprising if you understand Thai society, is that the ones coming forward to help and contribute are not the wealthy but the middle and lower-middle classes who don't have much more themselves other than their big hearts.
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Re: Thailand Mulls Over Reopening May Put Hold On Brits
I fear you've misunderstood my point SG - I was referring to other people / husbands / farang perhaps who had a wife and kids there in Thailand and LIVED with them, not so much your friend who still works in SG as of course he wouldn't be able to nip in and out for the very reasons you describe.
was thinking more long term Thailand living farang with a wife and kids who and had for whatever reason left the Country either for a short or a long time ( not that way !) and who now needed and wanted to return HOME to their wife and kids, in which case a 2 week quarantine would I thought been acceptable - but hang on - was there not such cases very recently where the Thai Government DID allow in people home on repatriation flights ( maybe this was just just for Thais ?) in such cases only after quarantining them - although was there not them cases of infection after that also - which maybe proves why it doesn't work / shouldn't be allowed perhaps I guess ?