Songkran Festival and potential Covid surge

[Coss]

Unsettling stories:

Covid surge continues, possible changes to 90 day reporting

of the 980 local infections announced today, most were in the northern city of Chiang Mai with 246, Bangkok with 137, Chonburi which includes Pattaya with 92, Samut Prakan just south east of Bangkok with 83 and Prachuap Khiri Khan, which includes Hua Hin, with 52. 10 new Covid infections announced in Phuket today. A total of 74 new infections since last Monday when the first case was announced involving the 3 big parties on the previous weekend.

The Department of Disease Control says the policy limits the number of patients who go on to transmit the virus to friends or family, thereby controlling the spread more effectively. They insist there are no plans to allow patients to self-isolate at home, despite reports that many hospitals have run out of beds

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-news-today-covid-surge-continues-possible-changes-to-90-day-reporting-april-12-2021

 

It’s official: bars, parlours, nightspots in 41 provinces closed for 2 weeks

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday ordered the closure of entertainment venues, massage parlours and other nightspots in 41 provinces, for at least 14 days from Saturday.

The move is aimed to tackle a recent outbreak that has spread from pubs and clubs in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area.

The closure order covers Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Sa Kaew, Chanthaburi, Prachinburi, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Ranong, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Udon Thani, Buri Ram, Tak, Loei, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Phetchabun.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30404716

 

985 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Thailand on Monday

...the third wave of infections differs from the first two waves because, this time, the disease is more widespread among young working people and college students and that, in Green zones, the carriers of the virus are mostly from a different province while, in the Yellow zones, the infections are mostly within families.

In the Orange zones, Dr. Opas said that the infections are cluster-related and fewer than 50 whereas, in the Red zones, cluster-related infections involve more than 100 people. ...

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/985-new-covid-19-cases-recorded-in-thailand-on-monday-as-surge-slows-slightly/

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[Mekong]

The HiSo and pseudo HiSo Thais think that COVID 19 is a working class disease and effects the like of immigrant workers in the fishing industry. 
They thought they were safe Socialising in Thong Lor.  ,,, err not 

New cases include a high proportion of Actors, Models and “Influencers”  (whom were called whores back in my day) 

[Mekong]

I  missed  Z List Celebrities from my list.  Shows how unimportant they really are.

[paul101]

'Possibility of a review' to 90 day reporting and some other immigration and investment changes in Thailand. Not very likely then.

[Mekong]

21 minutes ago, paul101 said:

'Possibility of a review' to 90 day reporting and some other immigration and investment changes in Thailand. Not very likely then.

Oh you Cynic 555 a man after my own heart.

A Review would have unlikely led to changes, but a possibility of a review, no chance.

[Coss]

16 hours ago, Mekong said:

A Review would have unlikely led to changes, but a possibility of a review, no chance.

On reading a bit about this, I note the following:

Foreign investors could benefit from corporate income-tax cuts, relaxed property-holding rules - I thought those were only for HiSo Thais?

An adviser to Thailand’s Deputy PM, says he aims to bring in 1 million retirees or pensioners over the next few years. - so he's facing a looming trickle, of the former flood, of retirees...

He says expats could collectively contribute as much as 1.2 trillion baht to the economy each year. - yeah but it's gone now

Thailand’s gross domestic product growth won’t return to pre-Covid levels until the 3rd quarter of 2022 - or at all

[Mekong]

How many retirees pay Thai Corporate Income Tax?

How many retirees can afford the cost of property?

Not read it myself but Mrs Kong says a minimum of 10,000,000 THB to purchase a house and land is being banded about.

One thing that pisses me off, and makes Mrs Kong use Thai swear words unfamiliar to me is the fact that you can own a property / yellow Tabian Baan but still have to apply for annual visa, show 400,000 THB and report every 90 days. Given that uncertainty who in their right mind is going to drop 10 Millo THB on a property they have no guarantee of living in for life.

[Stickman]

5 hours ago, Mekong said:

Not read it myself but Mrs Kong says a minimum of 10,000,000 THB to purchase a house and land is being banded about.

 

The possibility of a 10 million baht minimum for house and land is crazy. Even in Bangkok 10 million baht buys you a lot of house (although not downtown, obviously). Out in the suburbs you can get a nice, new property in a good development for between 6 and 10 million baht. Yes, you can spend much less than this, of course - but once you get north of say 7 or 8 million baht the developments start to feel a little bit more exclusive (although anything genuinely flash will cost multiples of this amount). And in other parts of the country obviously you can get a lot more house for a lot less money.

 

[Stickman]

5 hours ago, Mekong said:

How many retirees can afford the cost of property?

 

Out of curiosity, what percentage of Western retirees in Thailand do you reckon own their own home, be it a condo or a house (which would obviously be either in someone else's name or under a company's control? I guess those who are married or in a long-term relationship would have a higher ownership rate. It would be interested to know what the numbers are amongst retirees who have lived in Thailand say 5+ years.

I said to a good friend a few years ago that he should buy a condo in Bangkok. He loves Bangkok and would never consider leaving - and he particularly liked living downtown. He had never considered buying but rents were going up and he didn't want to be forced out in to the suburbs so he looked in to buying and found a great place for a decent price. He got lucky with a 60 odd square metre apartment a short walk from the Rama 9 underground station for 2.7 million baht. It was a steal.

[Mekong]

Similar, I got my place for a steal 8 years ago, the asking price was below market for a quick sale and I offered 20% less for cash sale within 48 hours, and true to my word within 48 hours I had the Chanote (Title Deeds) and a Tabian Baan (Housebook, my Yellow one and Mrs Kong’s Blue one)

If I had rented for those 8 years I would have paid over 25% more in rent than I actually paid for the place. When I purchased the property we were 5Km from the nearest BTS station, next year there will be one 250 meters from my front door so the value has skyrocketed.

I think I am retired now, during lockdown I couldn’t travel for work and to be honest I have got used to being at home and can’t be arsed dusting down my boots and helmet and going overseas again.

Condo paid for, I don’t smoke or drink anymore, don’t do nightlife anymore occasionally eat out locally and visit a resort for a long weekend once a month, life is cheap.

Best investment I ever made