trevoromgh

Having returned to Thailand after a 6 month sabbatical I noticed there is a clear sign of the economic health of a city or province when you arrive. When you visit shopping malls once filled with bustling independent retail chains like Amorn, Bata, Mr DIY you suddenly find they have been replaced by space filled by market stalls or automatic massage chairs. Those stores still open have reduced staff levels and moved remaining stock lines around to make gaps less obvious. Thailand is not alone with grappling with the ongoing impact of the Covid epidemic or the Ukraine war which has left no country unaffected and the growth of internet shopping and the ease of home delivery all have caused a radical change to our shopping habits. In the UK our high streets have been blighted by all of the above coupled with the banks closing branches at an incredible rate leading to shops being boarded up or changed to charity shops or tattoo parlours which leads to town centre degradation. I'd hate to see Thailand go the same way so am interested to hear how people think local business confidence can be regenerated and how the expat community can help in this respect.

Thanks guys for confirming Option 2 is best, kind of believed it was. Cheers

My 5 year DL expires in November 2026 and I usually arrive after the expiry date (due to better price for flights etc). Will be going back to UK in May 2026 so was wondering the best way to get my new licence. Is it best for me to :- Try to submit application for a new licence 6 months early (before I return to UK) if they'll let me Wait till I return Nov next year and apply then and use UK Driving Licence/International DL in the interim for just a short time Buy earlier air tickets and hang the expense Get the wife to do all the driving till it's renewed (she won't be very amused) Any other realistic suggestions please?

There are a number of shops/shacks which open as impromptu bars 200 meters away from us but the noise they chuck out is oppressive in the evening and to think some politician living in his gated mansion miles from anyone thinks letting them carry on until 04:00 in the morning is a good idea needs a re-think, to put it very politely.

For pensions to work you first need people to realise they have to PAY into it in the first place and I don't think Thais have grasped that concept yet.

If Trump thinks this example is bad he should also investigate what happened to a retired British policeman after he Tweeted about anti-semitism. In the Daily Mail the headline was :- "A retired policeman was arrested and handcuffed in his own home by six police officer armed with batons and pepper spray after issuing a warning about the threat of anti-Semitism in Britain. Read about the story here here Our country has got steadily less democratic and more authoritarian in recent years and Starmer and Labour just love that. I've renamed the thought police the Starzi as that's who they remind me of i.e. The East German secret police.

Sounds like another 'pipeline' plan to join the scores of others. We just need a Thai equivalent of Dyno-Rod to unbung the pipeline and bring the best ideas into fruition. 😉

Outside of China they know they won't be shot if found responsible maybe?

So why were Brits singled out by this story if, as stated at the end, "the majority of the estimated 500,000 criminal cases dealt with annually by Thai police do not involve foreigners. Of those that do, Brits represent a small fraction, with arrests often attributed to naivety, especially in drug trafficking cases." other nationalities are more inclined to offend ? Seems like we're being victimised by having to lose face again. Charming.

You can bogoff Buy one get one for free

Thanks OC for a very interesting and mouth watering article. I certainly like well baked bread and concur with your comment about the toast bread used at the Sausage King Garden being so good and wish they'd offer it for delivery through Grab, LineMan, or FoodPanda too. Will try the UN Irish Crusty Bread Bakery next time I'm in the area though there again a delivery service would be preferable.

The days of good manners and politeness are considered by some to be a relic of the past but educated people realise this is the basis of moulding a civilized society. Such attitudes used to be instilled by parents as their children grew and did not rely solely on having to obey strict rules such as in religious moral codes. Nowadays with the breakdown of families and the rise of media power (in all its forms) people tend to mirror their behaviour on what they see and read online and from their friends. Until such sources of influence adjust their ethos to promote 'good' behaviour the anarchic situation represented in this story will surely continue.

Didn't the duty get reduced months ago? Looks like it may at last be being passed on to customers but it will have to fall a lot more than 15% before I'll start buying wine again.

See my original post it gives the details about where in Chiang Mai, 😉

Went back to Makro yesterday and the offer is still going but only 2 days left now. My freezer is now groaning with cheese but they had stocked up again so should be plenty left for those interested in purchasing some. Enjoy.