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| It's wonderful to eat on the beach again. |
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| Delicious Thai food, friendly servers, COVID measures in place, trees for shade, an indoor area in case it rains, and an amazing view. Who could ask for more? |
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| Still lots of rules in this phase of the pandemic. |
Here's what has happened since our last update:
June 12 - Massages are once again a part of our lives. Darrel's back is extremely appreciative.
June 26 - We always get up early in the mornings, while it is still dark. One big advantage to this is that I can check out the sky to make sure that everything is where it should be. The pre-dawn sky is amazing right now - Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus are all clearly visible. And I have been introduced to the 9th-brightest star, Achernar (aka Achenar). It is part of the southern constellation Eridanus (River) which precedes Orion. We miss Orion. It is a winter constellation and we haven't seen him for about a month now. The Star Trek planet Vulcan is somewhere in the Eridanus constellation.
One amazing thing about Achernar is that it is the flattest star. No kidding. It has an unusually rapid rotational velocity, causing it to become oblate in shape (so says Wikipedia). Of the brightest stars, it is also the hottest and bluest in colour. My sympathy to my northern friends - you probably have never seen it. My antipodal friends are probably quite familiar with it, though.
June 29 - Darrel has started painting a pattern on the wall for me. We had bought some gold paint to touch up some "art" we have on the wall, so we thought we could use it to fill a gap.
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| The finished product. |
July 1 - Thailand has moved to the "5th Phase of Easing Restrictions". Here are a couple of implications:
- Pubs and bars are open. However, Thailand's Prime Minister is keeping the Emergency Decree in force at least until the end of this month, because "it has played a key role in bringing the pandemic in the country under control. The decree combines the power of more than 40 laws so it can deliver quick and efficient responses to the pandemic". (News article: Nightlife makes return.) Also, they are talking about 22 rules that might be imposed on nightlife venues, including the prohibition of singing and dancing. We're not worried because we don't go out at night anyway, especially now that there is no singing or dancing.
- First day of school for Thai kids after a few months off. Our grade 2 neighbour popped by to let us know that he wouldn't be able to stop by in the mornings anymore (he often sticks his head into our open front door to let us know what he has planned for the day), but said "Don't worry - I can still come by later in the day!"
- Canada Day. Here in Nai Yang, our National Park is finally open, but they still had the barrier up when we went for our bide ride at 0730.
July 2 - Our first ride through the park in a long time. It was pristine, and so nice to be biking closer to the sea.
July 3 - Darrel was out and about, and while waiting for our very muddy car to be cleaned, he had some time to write down a couple of stories:
"Recently I received a message from friends of ours with a short video attached. It was from a 3-year-old Thai friend. Her parents had wanted to come and visit us on my birthday but due to COVID-19 we decided it was best to wait until some nearby restaurants opened so we could socialize there rather than in our home which is our safe haven. In the video, our young friend sang me Happy Birthday - in English. Her parents are Thai and Chinese so no doubt she could have sung it in Thai or Mandarin so it was a sweet surprise to hear her sing it in English."
"Lately, a 7-year-old half-Thai half-English lad who lives on the same floor as us in our condominium had been stopping by almost every day for a short chat. This was a new occurrence due to the school closures. (Now that he's back to school we see him less). Each day he would skate by on his roller blades and stop by our door - which is usually open. One day, when he was leaning against our door frame while chatting, I asked him if it was okay for me to take his picture. He readily agreed, I snapped the photo, and off he skated. A short time later, he returned and asked with an inquisitive smile, 'Why did you want to take my picture?' I told him that I wanted the photo so we would have something to look back on when he was older and no longer stopping by for daily chats. He seemed satisfied with my explanation and once again skated away. Not thirty seconds later, he returned and announced, 'Don't worry. When I am older, I will still come by now and then to see you!' And off he went again, leaving Loretta and I with huge smiles and warm hearts."
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| He is able to brake, so has not yet crashed through our screen door. |
July 5 - The Thai government posted this timeline that helps us remember how the easing of restrictions unfolded. I give them an A+ on communications.
July 5 - Our bike ride through the park today was amazing - so many people around! We are no longer living in a ghost town. Everything is coming back to life. There is still a long way to go because so many locals are out of work and the tourists won't be coming back for a long time yet. The government is working on programs to encourage local tourism. We'll see how that goes.
July 10 - We got a nice surprise in the mail today. We had collaborated on a GIF (it was a rainy day activity) and on a whim I submitted it on Facebook for a contest sponsored by the Public Relations Department of the Thai Government. We won a nice prize for it. They have no idea how wrong it is to encourage us.
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| The prize. |
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| The collaborative effort that I submitted. We were to capture the "new normal". |
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| Another rainy day activity. We didn't submit this one, but it's surely a prize winner lol. |
Eating Out
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| The Good View offered a 15% discount. |
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| Selfie time on the beach. |
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| Phen's Restaurant had a 20% discount. They built a new kitchen and toilets (left side of photo) and now have more room for "under cover" tables. |
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| There are still lots of tables under the trees too. |
July 13 - We are eating out more, and have been very impressed with the care that everyone is taking concerning COVID. Impressive especially when you consider that there has not been a community outbreak in Thailand in nearly 50 days. All recent cases have been Thais brought home from other countries. Quarantine measures and frequent testing have helped to keep those cases contained. Here in our little community, all servers at restaurants are wearing masks, hand sanitizer is provided, and tables are well-spaced. And a few are giving "welcome back" discounts. Most ask us to check in to the on-line tracking system, but some are so familiar with us that they don't bother, since they can call us if they need to. The risk level these days is next to nil. But everyone knows that this can change in the blink of an eye, so measures are still being taken to reduce risk. Such a contrast to the USA!
July 14 - Alarm bells are ringing (figuratively, but I must admit that the tsunami test alarm actually did go off as usual this Wednesday as is does every week). Over the past few days, foreigners from the USA, Egypt and Sudan were allowed to bypass some quarantine rules. News got out and right away the Thai social media exploded with protest. The Prime Minister has apologized and now rules have been tightened. Sample of news coverage: Apology. The Thais have sacrificed too much to let a few "privileged" visitors ruin it all. That's how it works here. So if you manage to get tickets to Thailand, please be sure to follow the rules.
Best Practices from The Far East
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| The Far East |
When the current pandemic was declared, it was a no-brainer that masks would be worn here.
Not so in The West. Even today, the president of one of the most developed countries in the world (although I'd say that status is in jeopardy) refuses to wear a mask. His followers refuse to wear masks. The situation baffles me.
One thing that stands out for me is that The West is not inclined to follow "best practices" from The Far East. When I was a corporate trainer so many years ago, we encouraged departments to look at best practices of similar businesses. It was part of "continuous improvement". The Far East has no hesitation in following best practices from The West. Living here, we see many western influences in the day-to-day lives of our Thai friends. We also see that the Thais have some practices that The West could learn from - particularly concerning health care, community cohesiveness, and diet. That short list could be a lot longer but I want to concentrate on the first two.
Even before the pandemic was declared, Thais rallied together to fight the war on the corona virus. Thailand was the first country to have an infection outside of China, and the alarm bells rang loud and long. As you can see from my previous updates, there was absolutely no delay in shutting down borders, implementing a curfew, building emergency facilities, working on an immunization, working on a cure, developing a communication strategy, developing a tracking application and ensuring that protective equipment was readily available. No less than one million volunteers helped the government implement its programs in communities large and small.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we thought that we needed to wear N95 masks, but they were in short supply. Also, to buy one meant that you were using up a supply that was needed by health-care and front-line workers. Soon, we were informed that cloth masks or cheap surgical masks were sufficient for day-to-day use. Before we knew it, there were masks galore at every shop and road-side stand that we passed. We now have a number of them, so it is possible to keep them clean and dry and to switch them depending on need. We have some with filters if we go into the mall. We have some basic cloth ones for when we are biking. At many establishments, the staff wear shields - these are also readily available and not expensive.
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| Darrel found these soft cotton masks for me at a mini mart. The package cost less than $1.50. The filter inserts are for added protection. |
If we were to get sick, this is the place for us to be. This might seem a bit absurd, since we pay Canadian taxes and Alberta taxes and therefore are paying for health care coverage in our home country. Also, we do not have travel health insurance, so our health costs are paid for out of our pockets (which, any way you look at - whether you are insured or whether you are covered by a government program that your taxes are paying for - applies to all of us). But we have chosen to avoid Canadian weather and to bask in the wonderfulness of all things Thai, so hopping on a plane to get some medical care is not really an option for us - especially during a global pandemic. We see this as a good thing. At first, we found the medical care here quite affordable. However, since "Medical Tourism" became a thing here, we have seen the prices go up, but it is still affordable for us. Since leaving on our sailing adventure in 2005, we have spent little on health care. We have saved tens of thousands of dollars by "self-insuring", i.e. relying on our own funds rather than buying private insurance. We have quite a surplus built up now, and are comfortable that we can face at least a couple of major health events before going broke.
We had a bit of a worry when Thailand implemented a requirement that foreigners have health insurance in order to get a retirement visa. We were thrilled when we found out that we are "grandfathered" and do not have to meet that requirement.
When we do have to get medical treatment of any sort, we are always impressed with the service here. We have a local clinic where the doctors (one male, one female) and their nurses now know us. We go there for our annual check-ups, stitches, blood tests, minor injuries, general health inquiries, etc. It is just down the road so we can walk. They are not open 24/7 but they do make house calls.
We have a dentist within walking distance - finally! Just opened this year. We like to get our teeth cleaned and checked regularly. There are also some more sophisticated clinics - driving distance - for root canals and crowns and implants and not-so-pleasant things like that.
We have a number of pharmacies in the neighbourhood, but we have one favourite within walking distance. She is our first line of defense. She gives great advice on rashes, bloodshot eyes, ear aches, etc., and has saved us a few trips to the doctor. We were very impressed when we went to get medications "just-in-case" when the pandemic broke out. She recommended paracetamol for fever instead of ibuprofen (which is what we had asked for) because the latter would cause problems if our fever was in fact from dengue and not COVID. It was a bit alarming when just a short while later, two of our friends contracted dengue (you are at greater risk of that here than you are of COVID). They did not take ibuprofen. They did get superb health care from the hospital.
We have a choice of hospitals. There are two international hospitals that we have been to, and both are incredibly clean, quiet, friendly, and professional. We are treated like special guests. We have visited them for eye care, skin care (we have spent a bit too much time in the sun), bone care, and dental work. I got a bone scan the day I asked for it. There is always a friendly nursing aid who leads us to wherever we need to go. We have tried speaking Thai, but always find that the hospital staff speak much better English. There is also a public hospital not too far from us. We have never been (although I did use a public hospital in Malaysia when I broke my leg in 2013), but we did drive a friend there once and we found that the emergency service was top notch and much more affordable than the international hospitals - of course. There was more of a wait and the facility is showing its age, but we would not hesitate to go there if the situation warranted.
During the pandemic, the hospitals quickly implemented systems to keep patients safe: COVID patients are restricted to specific hospitals, and all the other requirements strictly followed - social distancing, masks, etc. Even the elevators have foot prints to show you how to stand appropriately. And the spotlessly clean hospitals are even cleaner, as impossible as that sounds. They literally gleam. The previous blog has the photos to prove it.
Concerning community cohesiveness, I have never seen anything quite like what we experience in Thailand. Prince Edward Island came close. Where this came into play during this pandemic was with the number of volunteers who helped with information sharing, testing, and contact tracing. Here in Thailand we knew exactly who was infected, how many people they had been in contact with, and as a result, areas were quickly isolated. For a while, the borders between districts in our province were closed. Even within districts, neighbourhoods were put into quarantine. This was all done with the help of volunteers. Support - e.g. medical aid or the supply of meals - was ensured through the volunteers. Neighbourhoods have adopted stranded tourists who are waiting for their repatriation flights. Everyone is looking out for everyone else. Their responsibilities outweigh their "rights".
I know that this amazing country is not perfect. There is, for example, corruption, mafias, wealth disparity, the more-than-occasional coup, and disappearing habitat for wildlife. But it is not a country that should be ignored. It is a country that can offer some best practices. The West has a habit of looking down its nose at The Far East, of feeling superior - more educated, more adequate - but if you spend any amount of time here, you will soon realize that there is a lot that The Far East has to offer.
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Snippets From Friends:
Ontario has moved into Stage 2 so we can have a haircut (felt good), I have been to my chiropodist (my feet are thankful), my chiropractor had to work hard to free up certain areas. Stores can be open with many rules to follow. Schools will reopen in September. Masks are recommended if physical distancing will be difficult (I wear one all the time in stores) and of course keeping 2 metres apart and wash hands frequently are always a basic requirement. We can be in a group of 10 in our “social circle” but big groups are not possible. Meeting outside is a blessing as we can meet up with a few friends. Thank goodness for summer as being outside is desirable. We did have a 37 C day last Sunday which was a bit uncomfortable!!! Plus humidity. I was interested to read that friends of your friends are not the same after having COVID. I have also seen interviews of people who talk about memory problems, fatigue and some issues with physical mobility. Not good!
I did not take pictures but your experience at the hospital mirrored mine on a recent visit. Except for staff, there was little evidence of folks coming for tests, etc. Didn't check out ER but I saw ONE other person. (Ontario)
My gut feeling tells me that we have become much too complacent, because of the fact that we never really got nailed the first time. When I go to the grocery store here I will invariably be the only person out of 200 wearing a mask. (Saskatchewan)
We are still blessed here on the island – 131 cases in total. Let’s just hope they find a vaccine then we won’t have to be concerned by a winter wave. (Vancouver Island)
Ottawa has been lucky. As a government town many people continued to get paid so the financial impact hasn’t been as great as in other cities. Still the small businesses such as restaurants, hair salons and daycare have all taken a massive hit. We are starting to open up now and the streets that were once empty are busy again. We expect the third phase of reopening will be this week with restaurants and theatres opening. We seem to follow the rules fairly well in Ottawa. We are only averaging 2 or 3 cases a day now and have had no deaths for several weeks. Masks are mandatory in all public places. One of the things I really take advantage of is the fact that grocery stores are open from 7 to 8 in the morning for seniors only. What a pleasure to shop in a large store with only 5 or 6 other people. Love those empty aisles.
That’s
it for now. Take care, everyone. Loretta & Darrel.
