madmitch

Why do I only ever learn about new covid subvariants from the Thailand news? Has the fearmongering stopped in the rest of the world?

If I remember rightly, didn't Prayut himself decribe it as "Thai-style democracy"?

It is not a soaring baht, it's a weakening dollar - no surprise considering the gains the dollar has made this year! All major currencies have made gains against the dollar during this time. In the past month the baht is weaker against the GBP and almost the same against the Euro. It does appear that Thai financiers only seem to think there are only two currencies in the world!

I like your thinking, for as soon as big breweries take over small ones, the product quality usually diminishes. It's happened so many times in the UK, especially with "real ale", but now it's happening with "craft beer" as well. But when you look at the figures involved, then it's no surprise independents sell out. Beavertown, Camden and Meantime have all been taken over by the big boys and now their products are found all over the country and the entrepreneurs have seven or eight figure bank balances. However, there are plenty of small brewers that are small enough not to attract the attention of the corporates and long may that continue. I hope Thailand wakes up to this soon, though it'll probably be under the next Government. But it is difficult to stop

The list of tourist spots visited is ridiculous. More tourists visit Chachoengsao than Phuket?

This should have been sorted many months ago. If they do manage to raise the cash from the private sector, expect pop up ads every minute or so as they won't give money for nothing. And probably Thai only commentary from the comfort of a studio in Bangkok.

No joke. This happens. Not regularly, and it's at random. The officers even open bottles and sniff them to make sure you're selling the right stuff, though I'm not quite sure how they know! Of course word gets round when they're on the way so people are prepared! GF was once fined when they found a bottle of wine underneath our small guesthouse bar counter which belonged to a Swedish guest.

Prices everywhere will be significantly higher than they've been for the previous two years where prices were reduced just to get a few customers through the doors. I have looked and I reckon most hotels are still below the 2019 price.

$8 isn't much if you're booking a five star hotel but it is if you're booking a smaller hotel. Let him put 300 baht on his prices and let other hotels decide whether or not to follow suit.

I was talking about regular bars, even restaurants and guesthouses. The venues you are talking about open whatever hours they want anyway. They pay their taxes as well......just not necessarily to the Customs and Excise Department!????

Customs and Excise officers do the rounds checking licences as well as checking tax has been paid on the liquor. Any bars found selling booze without the appropriate tax stickers are fined.

The competition starts in just over a week yet Thailand still hasn't worked out whether or not it'll be on TV! Then there's the task of getting advertisers and sponsors, not to forget the TV scheduling. Totally amateur.

Thailand desperately needs younger blood at the top. Hopefully these two fighting with each other might allow an outsider to slip in (not Anutin!). But if the US gets Trump v Biden again these guys are mere youngsters!

I take but what I said the other day that I'm happy to see some sort of compromise as the "small print" seems to have scuppered any chance for new entrepreneurs to set up. As always, big business gets its way.

Is there anything this guy doesn't complain about?

She then criticised Move Forward Party Leader Pita Limjaroenrat, saying that he should give priority to the public interest, rather than the interests of the party. That sounds just a little hypocritical to me! But, at least there's a compromise, rather than rejecting the proposal altogether, however it does seem as though the Government is taking all the credit. Without Move Forward this would never have happened.

Unfortunately it's those final eight words that Prayut and co are more concerned about. They've done nothing at all to help small businesses in the past eight years and the big guns have got bigger and stronger.

Totally out of touch with the rest of the world. Their issue is nothing to with concerns about uncontrolled product, it's to protect the interests of their supporters at Boon Rawd and ThaiBev.

But where are the masks? How can tourists be protected without masks?

........which will involve setting up tents at the side of the road in the same spots they've been doing for years and with the same inept staff manning them!

My Mrs has been saying the same. Our house and business are also off Patak Road (both different parts). Fortunately the Chinese tour buses are still mothballed but the minibuses and taxis may be out in higher number soon. Doesn't augur well for anyone on these routes, or the coast road to the airport.

The masks make the picture look even more ridiculous.

No doubt another three years of traffic chaos!

They borrowed the TAT calculator????

Of course not. They were only for carving the chicken.