johnhender

Great, I am so sick of the smell and pot venders every 10 meters - everyone got what they wanted yet they couldn't behave themselves 

Everyone loves capitalism till they are the victim - Maybe some of these hotel should up their standards and act like they actually care about the guests- instead of seeing everyone as a walking Baht there for them to extract everything they can get out of them How about some actual service, Upkeep of the hotel, and decent buffets - They want the money but don't want to put in the work- and yes I know about Hotels one of my. clients runs the largest chain in the world and they do that by being great at their job and putting the guest satisfaction first and the money follows . Anytime I go to a hotel in Bangkok. it is a crapshoot because there is no consistency, they never learn anything nor do they want to learn unless it is from another thai - Us dumb Americans know nothing 

I am so tired of billionaire crying they are poor-that extra charge will go right into his greedy pockets. Trickle down economics is BS - Don't <deleted> on me and tell it is raining 

How does a Thai policeman afford a Ducati Monster in the first place ?

Why risk buying into a unstable country ? Chances are is that if you can afford a house in Thailand you can afford a house somewhere else. How can you make a decision when everything changes from day to day. You can bet the land will be the worst plots, I looked at buying a house a couple times - the hoops to jump through just aren't worth the effort 

You would think the police would have some real criminals to go after, In Thailand Call girls are the least of the problems, how about doing some real law enforcement , 

Yet they are worried about tourists,  will the labor have to use " ThaiPass " and go to the hotels for a night and use the the tracking App - there is no logic to the way Thailand operates 

This made my decision for me, I am not spending the money and time to fly to a dry covent, I love BKK but not enough to fly 24 hours to watch tv in a hotel room I have seen enough, wats, temple and beaches. I like going out at night,  call me anything you want I don't even care. If I cant go out at night and have some fun why even bother going I just as well go to Disney land ( buy the way they are open and serving alcohol)  I was hoping for some logic from the government, but now at least I don't have to deal with the ThaiPass headache anymore and I will spend the money to go down to CR where they are open and have lots left over for myself and save 4 calendar days of travel I can leave my house at 8AM and be in CR by 2pm in the Hilton, I have no idea what TAT is thinking or are they even thinking 

Exactly - nothing open, no booze (I don't even drink but my friends do) early closing times - tests, Insurance and house arrest  Only someone who is desperate is returning now. I want to visit in December, the only open date I have until late next year but with all the hoops to jump through I am not sure I want the headache The hotel sites aren't even working properly ThaiPass is a mess and my agent can't even figure out <deleted> is  going on,  Who needs this headache at this time of the year I could spend the money on myself . I visit Thailand to go out and have fun - I have see too many Wats, Statue's and Temples. when you shut down the fun what other reason is there to go to thailand ? Everything is open in Washington DC 20 minute from my place  I am 3 hours from the beach, the Thai temple is 15 minutes from my house and I can be in Las Vegas in 4 hours  LA in 6 hours Costa Rica in 5 hours and Mexico City in 6 hours Orlando Florida in 1 hour and 52 minutes.  Maybe TAT needs to think long and Hard about why I should visit BKK if it is going to be a dry convent. 

49 minutes ago, garyk said:

Like I said clueless, Travel is my main hobby. Photography and birding a a verrrry small part of my travel. Just clueless is the only way I know how to put it.

39 minutes ago, garyk said:

Thailand for retirement? are you kidding me?  Care to expand on that!

I think people of the US are smart and savvy, just not on travel IMO. I love the US and will always keep a home there. But, travel is not a strong suit for Americans.

I think Gary is right on this - the Thai-er than thai's just don't see this in Thailand There is no imperfections they won't explain away  Why would any American put themselves through all the BS for a country that doesn't even want them there besides the weather- what else it there ? Say what you want about the USA but we do function, Most everything works and we learn from our mistakes. When I retire I will visit maybe once a year, but Gary is right there are so many better places to go ( Costa Rica for example and they aren't trashing their country and everything is open ) without the BS, I see it for what the country really is, a bunch of smoke and mirrors, a face of modernity hiding a mess, I have been to BKK 58 times all across the country. I know where my position in Thai society ( a unwanted visitor who is tolerated as long as I spend money ) is unlike these expats who are dumb enough to think they are wannabe Thai's. I remember what a government official told me on my first visit- " We tolerate the Farang but when we are tired of them we will kick them all out and take whatever we please " Of all my visits that is what stuck with me, For all these Thai-er than Thai expats who couldn't make it in their home country ( yes that is really what your country men think of you they just don't say it ) you will get you Thai wake up call and it won't be pretty 

Thai Pass is why I am not going - it is already a costly pain to get to Thailand an then have to jump through these nonsense hoops, No thanks . I would like to visit my friends in BKK, but not that bad,  I can spend my money in a place with no hoops to jump through , Nightlife and alcohol if I want it. Thailand's cost to actual value is diminishing - Cue the Thai-er than Thais spouting their nonsense 

Is this the Thai version of the Onion? These are some pretty far fetched figures, with the start they got today. What happens when you run out of the desperate expats and Thais coming back NO one in their right mind will jump through these hoops for something you can easily get somewhere else Newsflash no nightlife no alcohol who want to visit a Dry convent ThaiPass doesn't even work and is far too slow for the 72 hour window - They could screw up a free lunch 

How can you make plans with the rules keep on changing ? I wanted to come over at the end of November - But this is just to many hoops and add ons that cost too much money With all these requirements The cost benefit of going to BKK is not looking too good  Thaipass isn't working,  nothing is open- no night life, Forced to pay for a room I don't want to suffer for a night after a 24 hour plane ride - overpriced tests which you have to take before you take off coming into and going  I figured out last night it was going to add up to about $500.00 in additional costs  so I am out over $2000.00 and I haven't even landed in the country yet or paid for the Hotel  I budget $4.5K for a 10 day trip I don't think I am cheap Charlie  but some of the two week millionaires may think I am   - most of the hotels sites are down can't even reliably book a room.  I was going to sit back and watch the dumpster fire for the first 3 weeks but I am not So sure it is worth going with the restrictions. I have come to the conclusion I will just mail my friends their Christmas gifts and start looking at Costa Rica again  everything is open, 4 hour flight, and half the price at a 4 star hotel Hilton garden inn Huge room great food and no rules  and everything works with no hassles let hope thing change for the better quickly 

How can anyone plan a trip when no one know exactly what the requirements are for visit are ? The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing in Thailand - My Thai travel agent said don't even bother booking till a month after they open because it is going to be an expensive mess, The hotels aren't even returning booking emails and they don't even know what is going on- I want to come but there need to be some  competency on the part of the government and a clear set of rules if there are too many hoops I am done I will go somewhere else  

When they get rid of all the Hoops like the COE I will book Maybe if I am lucky I can go at the end Nov the beginning of dec - Not looking forward to 24 hour plane ride in a mask I love going to Bangkok but I am not going to jump through hoops, getting there is already bad enough. I am wondering how high they are going to jack up prices - will they try to make up for 2 years in a single trip 

I wanted to come to BKK this November for 2 weeks but they cannot seem to get their act together So I have written BKK off for the near future. I am not going to spend 22 hours on a plane to be stuck in a hotel room that isn't even as nice as my home. It is expensive enough to travel to Thailand, much less got there to get ripped off on Covid tests that we get at home for free- who needs this headache, I don't even want to think about how the taxi's will try to make up 18 months of fares in one trip or how I am going to get gouged every time I turn around - I have been to thailand 58 times Maybe our relationship has ran it course - Costa Rica is 4 hour flight leaves from the airport near my place 3 times a day Has most of what Thailand has, no silly rules, Clean beaches where you can get peace, They care about the environment, Clean , the streets don't flood, Plenty of Hot Tico women and tons of bars and they are always happy to see you