Photovoltaic System

 

Photovoltaic System Installed at 1403

 

September 25, 2020:  Today Loretta and I are sitting at home in our comfy Laz-y-boys without power from our utility company's grid. We received a notice from our project manager yesterday stating that our area would be without power from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm. The Provincial Electrical Authority will be upgrading the power system in our area. We were pleased to hear this because in the past month we have experienced more than 10 power outages due to falling trees and transformers failing. Some of the outages were short, i.e., less than an hour, but some were more than four hours. Luckily we are heading into our coolest time of year so the daily temperatures were less than 30 degrees Celsius. In the past, with a seven-and-a-half-hour planned power outage, we ourselves would go on a planned outage, i.e., to a restaurant, mall or theater. Our condo is usually quite comfortable with the two doors open but unless there is a good sea breeze feeding through our condo, we always have our ceiling fan on. But today there is no breeze and no ceiling fan. So why are we at home?

 

About a month ago, Loretta and I decided to install a back-up power supply to allow us to operate one or two portable fans during a power outage. After having a few power outages during some stormy weather I decided to act on that decision.  We are fortunate to have a rooftop terrace with a sala already in place to install the photovoltaic panel(s) and having installed a similar system on CanKata, I knew what was involved with such an installation. 

 

The first step was to calculate the size of the various components necessary for our PV system. I knew the sala was structurally sound and could easily accommodate a number of PV panels. When I started researching and calculating the components I considered amending our original plan so the system would be capable of running a number of electrical appliances such as the TV, fridge, kettle, and lamps in addition to the portable fans. The more research I did the larger the system evolved. It got to the point where I was considering installing a hybrid (on grid/off grid) system that would also run our air conditioners. This became a problem, since to do this I would be tying into the condominium's electrical system which is not allowed without the approval of the majority of the other 62 owners. I would also have to involve our Provincial Electrical Authority. Also, when I ran the option to run the fridge full time and provide back-up power for fans during power outages, the pay back (cost savings versus capital costs) did not make sense.

 

After continuing my research and not doing anything constructive, and having a power failure, or two, I explained to Loretta all the options I was considering. We could see the advantages of the larger system but decided to keep it simple. Part of the reason for this decision was to get this job done quickly before the next power outage.

 

I immediately ordered all the components, i.e., 50Ah deep cycle battery, 100 watt photovoltaic panel, 10 amp charge controller, all the necessary fuses/breakers and a 1000 watt modified sine wave inverter.  I ordered them all through Lazada (similar to Amazon) and they all arrived within a few days. While we were waiting for these components to be delivered, we went shopping at Thaiwatsidu (similar to Canadian Tire - but not quite as good) to purchase a cabinet to protect the electrical components, electrical wiring, outlets/plugs, and some wood to construct a small deck on which the cabinet would sit. We needed the deck to span a drainage trough and to hide the battery which I placed below the deck on its side. The total cost for all components was slightly less than 10,000 Baht ($400 CAD)

 

Between showers (it is the rainy season here) I was able to build the deck, install the components and make all the connections to complete the installation. The only thing left to do was to run the electrical cable down and into our condominium. The reason for not getting the cable ran was I somehow hurt my back while doing the electrical connections. It was strange what happened. I was sitting on a stool while working on the wiring connections located in the cabinet. I was in this position for approximately two hours when Loretta came up with two cups of hot chocolate. I immediately stood up to join her at the patio table when I felt a sharp excruciating pain in my lower back. This pain continued and I knew I had better stop to allow my back to rest. That evening and throughout the night I was in more pain than I have ever experienced before. The next day I had a skin check-up appointment at the Phuket International Hospital so I thought if the pain was still bad I would see a doctor the same day. 

 

The next day I was still in a lot of pain so when I arrived at the hospital I asked if I could also make an appointment to see a doctor about my back.  Reception quickly made the arrangements and then an assistant ushered me to the Dermatology department. I was immediately led in to see the doctor who examined me and gave me three liquid nitrogen shots as he felt needed (remember this is my skin check, not my back. Although with the pain I was suffering I may not have refused it in my lower back). Then another assistant took me to the Orthopedic department where I had to wait for two minutes before being led in to see the doctor. I told him what happened and he said I have two options to choose from. He could prescribe medication to relieve the pain and inflammation, or I could have an Xray or MRI done to see if I have a spinal issue. After discussing the options I chose the meds with the proviso that if the pain did not go away within a week’s time I would return to have either the Xray or MRI.

 

The next day (yesterday) I was feeling much better but took the day off work. Later that same day we heard about the planned power outage. And that brings me to today. I was feeling better today so I went up to the rooftop and ran a temporary cable down into our unit and connected it to one if our portable oscillating fans. So now you know why Loretta and I are sitting in our comfortable chairs while reading, or typing this note, during the power outage.

 

Some months later:  By the way, another inconvenience we have during a power outage is not having water to wash, do dishes, or flush the toilet. Loretta came up with another brainstorm to install a rain collection system on our sala roof. We have recently installed a rain collection system consisting of a gutter and barrel which we use to do laundry and water the plants as well as water backup during power outages.

 

On a related note we have also purchased two 50,000 mAh battery banks that charge directly off the PV charge controller, bypassing the inverter. We use the battery bank to charge all our devices such as: wireless headphones, cell phones, tablet, Kindles, PS4 remotes, speakers, etc. 

 

Whoever said, "Living on land is less work than living on a sailboat", may not be entirely correct.

COVID-19 - Thirteenth Update - Uncertainty

Hello from Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Currently COVID-free. But watch your step.

Here's what has happened since the last update:

So much! Joe Biden has selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, Russia says they have developed a vaccine, there was a horrible explosion in Beirut, children are heading back to school, tourism is still virtually non-existent in Thailand, the Canada-US border closure has been extended to September 21, and the global pandemic is still a serious matter.

In our neck of the woods, life hasn't changed much. Thailand has done well with controlling the virus, but most of the rest of the world hasn't, so tourists are still blocked from entry. 

This continues to create severe financial hardship on our island of Phuket. There is talk of using Phuket as a test case, which means that tourists would be allowed here first before opening up the rest of the country (link). It would be easier to control an outbreak on an island that can be isolated. This could have quite an impact on our neighbourhood - both positive and negative, so we are anxiously awaiting more news on this. 

As two of the few tourists that are still hanging around in Thailand, we have an obligation to check in with immigration every 90 days. We were very happy when Darrel figured out that we are, in fact, able to do this on-line. He hadn't had much success that past number of times (which meant we had to drive into Phuket Town to do it in person) but, through some serendipity, discovered that the problem is with the condominium server and not with our devices nor with the Immigration system. So he used our "mobile data" on our phone and it was as easy as a-b-c. 

Here are a few specific events over the past weeks:

July 15 - We took a drive to the end of the bay to look at some new construction going on and to see how the demolition of an old project (a grand hotel that was never completely built) was progressing. It was awful to the see environmental destruction taking place, but yet wonderful to see how the environment was taking over the ruins of the old project.

The new

The old

July 19 - We just heard from a neighbour that an Italian restaurant in our "Walking Street" is thinking of closing its doors permanently. The owner predicts another 18 months of slow-to-nil business. We expect that there will be more permanent closures in our village. In the meantime, the "Walking Street" is mostly shut down right now, but a couple of restaurants on the beach are trying to make a come-back. 

No walkers on Walking Street

July 23 - The Government of Thailand has extended the Emergency Decree until August 31. Reminder:  "The decree combines the power of more than 40 laws so it can deliver quick and efficient responses to the pandemic".

July 24 - We went for lunch with an Australian friend who is stuck here on his boat. His wife went back to Australia a number of months ago, leaving him to tie up some loose ends and with plans to follow her after a short while. Then the lockdown occurred. Travel become difficult so our friend decided to bide his time until the situation improved. With no end in sight and with Australia experiencing some spikes in the number of infections, our friend figured it was now or never, and he booked a ticket home. He left at the end of July. Cost of his one-way ticket: $12,000 AUD, cost of 14-day quarantine in designated hotel: $3,000 AUD.  The flights into Australia are very limited, and only first- or business-class tickets can be purchased. Our friend got a discount on his ticket; the regular price was $16,000 AUD!

July 28 - We had lunch at the Dewa Bread and Butter. The server, who also is the bar tender, cheered upon pouring our beers for us (July is a birthday month so we can have beer with our lunch). The reason for the cheer - it had been four months since the last beer was poured!

Also noteworthy about this lunch: I sat down at an outdoor table while Darrel checked us in (part of the COVID requirements). They also took Darrel's temperature. He asked "What about Lori?" (Lori is their nickname for me). They laughed and said, "Oh, we know Khun Lori is healthy!"

August 8 - the Dewa Resort had a number of "local" tourists (mostly from Phuket, so the parking lot was pretty full) staying over for the weekend. It was nice to see the facilities put to good use again. 

August 9 - We needed to visit our bank to do some face-to-face business - highly unusual because they have a terrific on-line system. I hardly need to be reminded, but I was reminded why I love this place so much: I was greeted at the door by a smiling woman who wanted to know what I needed, then she led me to a chair where I was met by another smiling woman, and then my business was taken care of immediately. All the COVID precautions were in place, too. 

Some photos from the past 30 days:

A sunset from our balcony.

Phuket takes social distancing very seriously.

Checking out the beach one evening.

Nice to see some others enjoying lunch on the beach.

Following the rules - sanitizer, mask, social distancing.

Our full moon dinner at the Dewa (thank you to Nitty for the photo).

The full moon over the Dewa.

We had some bad winds, and a few trees were toppled.

Unfriendly sky and sea.

Lunch at a seafood restaurant in Chalong Bay.

Not too many people at the seafood restaurant in Chalong Bay.

Not too many people on the beach in Nai Yang either.

August 13 - The children are now back to school full-time in Thailand. They are still social distancing and still wearing masks. As our little grade-two neighbour said to us, "COVID is still out there!" Ten days later, his mother was able to tell us that not one child has been sick. That is not surprising since there are zero community infections.

August 17 - Although travel by foreigners into Thailand is still mostly blocked, travel within the country by locals is highly encouraged (possible because there are zero community infections). In fact, the government even provided some stimulus money to promote it. Hotels, restaurants and other tour operations are offering decent discounts. Even though we didn't qualify for any aid, we decided to go on a road trip with a Thai friend that we have known since we moved here. We met up with her parents in Nakhon Si Thammarat (the capital city of a province of the same name, about 282 km to the east of us), and then with her daughter on Koh Samui. On the map below, the island to the north of Nakhon Si Thammarat is Samui.

We posted a lot of photos on Facebook, and here is a link to our Google photos in case you don't have Facebook:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QCx3Z5fEAqjam6bc6

And here is an album dedicated to our visit to the Jungle Elephant Sanctuary. Most of the photos were taken by their professional photographer, Mr. Handsome:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ULz1XPfhiashUqPg9

August 20 - The Thailand Emergency Decree has been extended to September 30.

Should We Wear Gloves?  Straight from the mouth of the CDC:

[Wearing gloves] ... will not necessarily protect you from getting COVID-19 and may still lead to the spread of germs.

The best way to protect yourself from germs when running errands and after going out is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 20- seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

 

We don't ever wear protective gloves, except for the ones we have for cycling (we like the cushion in them). Oh, and we have gardening gloves. Oh, and I have rubber gloves for when I use strong household cleaners. We used to have skiing gloves, ball gloves, winter gloves, sailing gloves, diving gloves, and racquetball gloves. Come to think of it, we've used a whole lot of gloves over our lifetime. But not for COVID-19.

Here's a good article on the subject of gloves:  link.

Uncertainty

Have you ever lived with more uncertainty that what we are living though now? So many questions: when will a vaccine be available; can we even become immune to COVID; will our kids be safe when they go back to school in September; will there be more waves of COVID;  how many people are going to go out-of-business; what will happen to our economy; will air travel become too expensive for most of us; etc.

I can't imagine the stress that this uncertainly is creating for most of us. There are stresses that some of have dealt with before - job loss; the loss of a loved one; financial loss; floods; fires; etc., and then there are the new stresses - trying to remember to social distance; wearing a mask; deciding whether or not to book a vacation away; trying to figure out what "new normal" means; coping with "home learning"; etc.

In her article, "Why Can Uncertainty Cause Stress?" (Link), Dr. Liji Thomas states:

"Some of the ways in which uncertainty produces stress and anxiety are:

• Uncertainty generates a dilemma as to the intensity of action one should take to prepare for the future. On the one hand, it is possible to make a plan to handle the situation at the most efficient level, but at the cost of it being found inadequate if the situation exceeds one’s expectation. On the other hand, one may over-prepare, with abundant precautions and coping mechanisms, only to find that they were not required and were not cost-effective.
• Uncertainty is also a hindrance to being able to feel in control of a possible situation, because the exact nature and level of threat is unknown, making adequate preparation impossible."

The International Committee of the Red Cross is worried about the stress that the pandemic is causing (link), including for health workers. "Health care workers are facing unique hardships during this pandemic, working in extraordinary circumstances, likely to feel under pressure and stress, and in many cases worried about transmitting the disease to their families".  The American Psychological Association is also worried (link).  "The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of life, from health and work to education and exercise. Over the long term, warns the American Psychological Association, the negative mental health effects of the coronavirus will be serious and long-lasting."

The Government of Canada has some advice (link), including:

• Think about how to use any unexpected flexibility in your daily routine.
• Focus on the positive aspects of your life and things you can control.
• Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others.

 

The advice that I am grabbing on to: Focus on controlling those things that are under your control.

Wishful Thinking: 

(Nobody said that we were to avoid wishful thinking.)

I wish they had a bench like this on the Dewa beach.

I wish we could light this and have a wiener roast.

Snippets from Friends:

From B.C.: We are in Phase 3 so are still physically distancing but shops, restaurants etc. are open with rules in place and masks are the new norm. We are not suffering too badly although we have not been able to see our friends in the US.  We do our usual chores such as clearing brush, tree trimming, painting etc. The eagles, killer and humpback whales and deer keep us entertained.   We get oysters and dig clams on the beach in front of our cabin and of course catch prawns, ling cod and sometimes (with luck and skill) salmon. We haven’t been to a restaurant since early March.   We miss travelling but for now we are just relaxing and looking forward to the days when this virus is history.

From Ottawa: Restaurants open for inside dining today, but we'll stick to patios. I watched an EPA webinar yesterday and the modeling of air flow inside, showing various droplets size deposition away from an infected person does not give confidence with interior spaces yet. The same goes with gyms. I wonder how we'll keep fit this winter when we put our bicycles away. Yesterday, we cycled our 798th km so far this summer! That is about what we used to do in an entire summer on a good year and it is just July 17th. Hopefully our borders with the US will remain closed until they come to their senses. 

From Illinois: We have been following the Covid 19 rules and remain fine. We know people of different ages that have come down with the illness. All have recovered and no sign of after effects, so far.  But so much learned and so much not known. I stay close to the farm. Volunteer twice a week at food pantry mostly senior volunteers who take responsible care. We are wondering if we'll be able or want to go to Florida this Fall/Winter Season. Getting in easy, getting back to Illinois the question - 2 week quarantine from certain states. We have a daughter in Palm Springs, Ca. but they are having spikes in the virus and might be closing down again. Might be a snowy  Illinois winter for us "snowbirds." 

From South Africa:  Our numbers of positive infections are going through the roof (and realistically, those are only a fraction of the numbers actually infected but not tested) but the good news is that our death rate is so low. Our nation is despondent - of course due to fears about the virus but also due to the restrictions put in place by the government which have totally destroyed the economy (millions of businesses lost now on top of the fact that the economy was already in dire straits pre-Covid), impoverished millions and brought about food hardships (aka starvation), and imposed ridiculous rules which have no basis in logic. But we do what we can and try to remain upbeat and follow all news avidly (which adds to misery sometimes!).  

And, finally ...

Some inspiration from a little fellow who, although known as a hermit, is not afraid to go out and explore: 

 

That’s it for now. Take care, everyone. Loretta & Darrel.

COVID-19 - Twelfth Update - Best Practices

It's wonderful to eat on the beach again.

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?

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. 

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."

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.

The prize.

The collaborative effort that I submitted.
We were to capture the "new normal".

Another rainy day activity.
We didn't submit this one, but it's surely a prize winner lol.

Eating Out

The Good View offered a 15% discount.

Selfie time on the beach.

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.

There are still lots of tables under the trees too.

Typical monsoon-season beach - lots of driftwood.

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

The Far East

The West has finally realized that masks are helpful in the fight against the current pandemic. This is something The Far East has known for some time. For years, in fact. Darrel and I have become quite accustomed to seeing masks on people who wear them for a number of reasons - because they have a cold, because they are in a fragile state and don't want to catch anything, because the air is bad, or because they have allergies and the trees are in bloom, etc.

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.

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

P.S. Darrel proofreads all my blogs, but if you happen to find an error or inaccuracy, please let me know. I can easily edit these blogs. L xx

COVID-19 - Eleventh Update - They're tracking us

Our neighbourhood - so awesome.

So very Thai.

Here's what has happened since our last update:

June 10 - We enjoyed another bike ride, and we thought the park had been opened so we cycled through. It's actually still closed but we weren't apprehended. We did notice that all the fishing boats have been pulled out of the water. That makes it very official - the monsoon season has arrived. Fishing will now take place on the east side of the island.

June 11 - Our friend from Peony's opened this week, and this is the third day this week that we have ordered take-out from her. Such tasty Thai curries! And they deliver.

June 12 - A Thai friend from the north delivered our lunch today - laab moo. It's a spicy ground pork salad and ours even had chopped liver and entrails. We said "what the heck" and gave it a try and were pleasantly surprised. Our friend served it with "sticky rice" which added to the uniqueness of the meal for us.

June 15 - Thailand has entered Phase 4 of re-opening!  No more curfew. Restaurants can now serve alcohol. Bars are still closed. There is still a ban on most international travel, but there are some repatriation flights. The Thais are bringing a lot of their workers home from abroad, but they have to go directly into quarantine, and a number of expats are still leaving Thailand when they can find a flight - but not from Phuket airport. We ourselves are enjoying much more freedom. Today we went to a restaurant with friends. Yes, we wore masks, didn't hug, washed our hands often, and noticed how carefully the restaurant followed the new guidelines. The following photos are by Linda.

Bang Pae seafood restaurant view of Phang Nga Bay.

Otto, Darrel and Loretta, with Linda taking the photo.

June 16 - I posted the blog "When Terry Went Missing". The thoughtful comments on Facebook and through email have been very comforting. 

June 16 - The WHO has recognized the important work of the million-strong group of volunteers in Thailand who have helped keep the COVID situation in Thailand under control. We ourselves have experienced the helpfulness of the local volunteers. Amazing effort.

June 19 - We had a trip into Phuket Town to see a specialist at the International Hospital for some dental work for Darrel. The traffic was much quieter than normal which made the drive much more pleasant than usual. The subways that they have completed since we've been here do much to improve the traffic flow, but they were underutilized today. The scene at the hospital was very impressive - clean, quiet, COVID free (they treat COVID patients elsewhere). As always, the service was superb and the price very competitive. We understand why so many foreigners come here to be treated for a multitude of things.

It was a lovely day for a drive.

Not many people in the waiting room.
The chairs are "distanced".

First step - temperature taken and hands sanitized.

How to stand in the elevator. Unless you're a rebel.

June 20 - While we were enjoying our end-of-day moment on the roof-top last night, we heard an airplane! We haven't heard that sound for months. 

June 21 - A CBC article talks about "excess deaths" in Canada during COVID. Here's the article: click here. At least two provinces reported an unusually high number of deaths in the early weeks of the pandemic but they were not reported as COVID deaths. But were they actually COVID related? The most alarming fact coming out of this article is that most of our reporting of deaths in Canada is paper-based. A professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto describes our data collection process as "archaic and decentralized". We are a rich country. Why can't we operate like one, especially in matters of life and death? The provinces have really dropped the ball on this one.

We saw an airplane taking off from the airport today. Such a change from "a-plane-every-six-minutes" days.

June 22 - We returned to the Dewa Bread and Butter Cafe to meet with a Thai friend. We used the new tracking system "Thai Chana" (Darrel just had to scan the QR code) to check in and out. They asked for our phone number which we happily provided so that we can be contacted if there is a COVID case near us. When we checked out, the tracking-system asked us four questions: Did the staff wear masks? (Yes, and face shields). Was there social distancing? (Yes, they have removed many tables and there are shields between each place along the bar). Was it clean? (Yes, spotless). Did they have hand sanitizer? (Yes, at the entrance. Plus they took our temperature). In the attached photo, we are not wearing masks. It is impossible to eat and drink when wearing masks. So we are careful about who we dine with. 

"Selfie" by Khun Kay.

The manager and our friend,
Khun Nitty.

The park is closed but they let me walk to the beach to get some photos.

Over the month: We're not travelling (said everyone in the world), so we reallocated a chunk of our travel budget to our household budget.  Besides our recliners and our very smart TV, we also bought a new microwave/convection oven (the last one hadn't been working right since the lightning strike) and some new headphones (the last ones were not compatible with our new TV - not smart enough I guess). Speaking of not smart enough, it took us two days to figure out how to get both our new headphones to work at the same time with the TV. Bluetooth is a one-to-one technology, so we had to get a transceiver to split the Bluetooth signal. What we didn't realize was that the transceiver assumed our TV was not Bluetooth. And our not-so-smart TV assumed that the transceiver wanted to Bluetooth with it. It didn't, of course. Once we figured out this little complexity, we found out that if we turned the transceiver and headphones on before we turned the TV on, then they would talk together. When we turned the TV on, the three devices just ignored the TV's Bluetooth. Through a cable, the TV then sent its sound through the transceiver/splitter to our headphones via Bluetooth. Simple as that. (Groan). Our headphones are more comfortable than the last ones and we can walk anywhere within 120 feet - like to the new microwave to make popcorn - and can still pick up the signal without static. The things we need to do to entertain ourselves when we can't travel. 

Can We Speak Thai?

We get this question from time to time.  Before I tell you how we are doing, please let me first put forth our excuses:

1. Neither one of us is married to a Thai person.
2. Neither one of us works for a Thai company.
3. We do not have any Thai people in our employ, although part of our "aging in place" plan definitely includes the hiring of Thais to help us in many ways.
4. One of us has a hearing problem.
5. One of us has an attention span problem.
6. All our Thai friends like to practice their English when they are with us.

The good news is that every single day we see some progress. Our vocabulary continues to increase and our pronunciation is improving. We spend about a half-hour every morning learning from an internet-based Thai language program on our Smart TV, while drinking a cup of coffee, sitting in our comfortable recliners. Each lesson has a review portion so it is possible to gauge how we are doing. It is slow progress on a very long and difficult road, but we continue to move forward. 

Darrel gets the most practice because he goes out more. I don't like to join him on the motorbike. But even when we get out, it isn't always possible to practice what we have learned. Reasons: 

1. Many of the workers in our neighbourhood are not Thais - most are Burmese. 
2. There are different dialects in Thailand. We are learning Bangkok Thai, but we live in the south, which has a different dialect. To further complicate things, many of the Thais who live here are actually from the north, which again has a different dialect. While we can (painfully) make ourselves understood to the southerners and northerners, we have no hope in understanding them when they talk together.
3. Same as 6 above - Thais like to practice their English with us.
4. If we are making a major purchase or buying something from the drug store or having a medical or dental procedure, we don't want any communication problems. Most professionals here speak very good English, so why complicate things?

So can we speak Thai? The answer to the question is "yes - a little bit", and probably it will always be just a little bit. 

Or as we say to our Thai friends: ได้นิดหน่อย
  

Snippets from Friends:

We celebrated our 50th Anniversary on Saturday, June 13, exactly 50 years after our wedding on June 13, 1970.  Due to coronavirus, it was a small affair with only seven people.  However, we took photos and videos and shared with friends and family via Zoom. (Colorado)

 

 

I know 4 people who are recovering from COVID. None of them are physically or mentally the same as pre-COVID. One has crippling insomnia and PTSD, another has been in rehab for a month and has short term memory problems and persistent muscle weakness. COVID is NOT just a flu. (Arizona)

 

 

Here in Cape Town we are still in a worsening  corona situation. The curve is still going up steeply .Corona started late here and we are still quite far away from it flattening and going down. However the government is slackening the restrictions and slowly opening businesses as unemployment has become very high and poverty and hunger are increasing, especially in the townships where the risk of infections is very high, due to people living on top of each other, fully packed trains and overloaded minibus taxis. We are still under lock down and are not allowed to leave the house unless for essential shopping and, since recently, going to work and short walks in nature, always with mouth cap and distancing. We have been meeting our children and grandchildren every Sunday digitally via "ZOOM" where we can talk and see each other having breakfast on the computer screen. Substitute fun!

I have started to accept the fact that life will never quite be the same. We are still hoping to make it back to our Thai home, so fingers crossed. Hope to see you soon.  

 

 

That’s it for now. Take care, everyone. Loretta & Darrel.