hardy1943

I'm a Brit and have been away from the UK for 7 years and go back rarely. If you are a soccer crazy, celebrity loving, designer brand wearing property tycoon, then I'm sure it's England as normal for you, but for me it has deteriorated beyond repair. You can keep your car thieves, hoodies and "single-tier" pricing - I will raise my young family in Thailand any day.

Good luck to you sir. I hope they aren't disadvantaged by Thailand's substandard, second rate education system.

You could do what all the Thais with money do and send them abroad to the UK, Australia or the US though.

Could not agree with you more.I have 2 they be going to the US still have 3 professors in my family

and they can sponsor them.

Hi.

Who is beating the dead horse with The Airport Blockade™ again..??

It says it all that i received two "breaking news"alerts today in my inbox.

First one: "Crackdown on back-to-back tourist visas"

Second one: "Tourism at 49-year low"

Any more questions? They are slowly making it illegal to even set foot in this country, let alone stay for longer - and then wonder why nobody comes..??

T. i. T.

Thanh

Even for the Thais. It is a sad reality! We will all pay for someone else's huge mistakes and in my opinion it is time for the Government to sit down and think very seriously about solutions to save the country and its image!

Who is going to teach them how to think?

I would like to know how they came up with the "49-year low" claim. Weird statistical twisting if true. Perhaps based on the %age year-on-year drop.

How did come up with this figure? We all know they love to shuffle papers and make copies of copies.

If they do have records that train load of papers goes all the way from Mae Sai to Hat Yai. lol

This would barely make the news in Oakland, California!

True, but who plans a vacation to visit Oakland ?

Another blow for the tourism industry ,

Right now a lot of Scandinavians start their vacation to Thailand , and most of them goto Phuket.

Maybe not for long.

Australians already are very wary of Phuket, British wary because of the airport extortion case, then Danish just the other day.

It seems Thailand seems to make some kind of negative news on monthly basis where the main story is about either extortion of foreigners or how unsafe the country is.

Keep it up Thailand!

Yup, the Airport closure was chum change to all of this.

8k pound is a massive amount! They should have fought it if they were innocent, why did they pay? did they steal it? giving in to these scams/extotions will make it continue! if you get in trouble you call your embassy and take it from there, REMEMBER INNOCENT UNTILL PROVEN GUILTY. Things need to change in Thailand

UK, US, Germany and other Western civilized countries, Yes . Thailand , this a way of life.

Look at their mind set with the double standard of pricing and park admission and so on.

Now the 'official channels' are giving out warnings maybe someone will do something about this. I doubt it, but we live in hope.

Corruption is how THE BOYS IN BKK line there pockets. It is also a way of life here.

When one buys a TOP POSITION on the police force says it all. CORRUPTION

I AM AN AMERICAN WITH AN O-A VISA, AND HOUSES IN BOTH USA AND BANGKOK. I WANT MY THAI WIFE (UNREGISTERED TEMPLE WEDDING) TO COME FOR A VISIT TO USA. I CANNOT YET GET K-1, AS I HAVE NO CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE. SHE HAS A PASSPORT. HOW CAN THIS BE DONE? I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE- JOHN

So are you still legally married in the USA ?

I think he is!

Is it legal to have 2 wives in the USA?

Alabama maybe?

Well, as it's unregistered he's not "legally" married is he?

RAZZ

He is not legally married to her in the USA. Under the Bush administration it was almost impossible

to get a visa, however under Obama everything changed. Just had my friend take his girlfriend to Chiang Mai USA Consulate, they asked her 3 question and and gave her a visa that will expire in 10 years, however she is a nurse with a masters degree that may have allot to do with it.

Hi.

Stupid question. But what's all this "washing hands" do to a virus that is spread exclusively through the air, i.e. via coughing and sneezing..?? And i highly doubt that those silly masks have any effect on this virus. They can't even hold Diesel soot out, i've tried it.

Best regards.....

Thanh

Those are designed that you do not directly breeze on someone else, but otherwise they are worthless.

Ferwert,

Yes, I absolutely agree with your points. But I especially wanna comment on point #1.

The only way to get some objective information about Thai politics is actually in the foreign media (e.g. The Economist, etc…). The coup of 2006 was actually heavily criticised by the media outside Thailand and it was generally assumed that it was politically motivated. They also accused the Elite of the Thai military to serve its own interests. The King had little choice but to endorse the coup in order to keep the peace.

Now there is a government in power, Thai people have never voted for. Voices of Thaksin’s supporters remain unheard with the current government. Protests are forbidden and Thaksin supporters are being muted. The 2006 coup has done nothing else but thrown the country into unrest and instability. The way the current government came into power had nothing to do with democracy. And again, here it is useful to look at the foreign media to obtain more objective information. The media in Thailand seems to be biased and expresses one-sided views.

Just a note on Thaksin’s corruption charges: I don’t think Thaksin was more corrupt than most other politicians or officials in Thailand – past or present. Mind you! Just look at the UK, whereas some MPs are filling their pockets with money which doesn’t belong to them. Corruption is just everywhere…

I second that motion

I can confirm that Chiang Rai has rain , non-stop so far for the past 12 hours .

Stop about 1:30 PM where I am

another example of the typical Thai way of thinking. Just like prohibiting the sale of alcohol before 11:30 and between 14:00 and 17:00! Or closing petrol stations after 22:00...

I agree but this move will be second to none, even closing the airport last year, not the brightest move.

I know of several people that lost their job in the USA because the could not return to work on time

and swore to never ever come here again. You are right Thai Government thinking however

know many Thai in my immediate family that agree that all those laws are a joke.

Too many people are living in the "me, me, me present." They don't care about the past or the future. Their decision-making and behaviors are all centered on what they can get now.

This is the whole wrong doing of the current generation

Come on, this been here forever and is a part of life and will not change in our life time.

Equality and a decent living wage may change the attitude.

Try to live on a low policeman salary and I would have my hand out too.

Mr Kasit should resign regardless if charges stick and the Dems should try and get former ambassador to the US Tej Bunnag back in the Foreign Minister post. Mr Tej is highly respected with an unblemished record.

After Mr Thaksin's lawyer/Samak Govt Foreign Minister Noppadon's dutiful servant bungling of Preah Vear, Mr Tej reluctantly accepted the role. He resigned immediately after Mr Samak's alleged 'engineered' state of emergency. Bring back Mr Tej (if he's not fed up with it all already).

I agree.

Kasit should fall on his sword similar to the Dem. Bangkok Governor did,

for the good of the country till absolved.

And your alternative is excellent Kuhn Tej would be a very fine choice back in the job,

and a positive across the aisle kind of choice too. One of competence over patronage.

I remember all the whining about PAD never getting charged ;even when they have been,

or not going to court; even is they had , and even as typically the process moves along,

as slowly as Thailand moves it's legal processes. Well one more piece in the puzzle.

Certainly the new PAD party and it's implied threat, could have moved this forward a touch too.

But having Kasit also charged goes towards more even handedness than typically credited.

After he is convicted and in jail and not walking around then I beleive it

hmmm this is really going to bugger the traffic up

July 16 to 23.

I think this is the time for me to do a little tour to Chang Mai & Chang Rai

What's the weather and the traffic like up that way during this period.

It's either that or dig in deeper here at the beach-head and let the rest of the world go by.

That is why I live in Chiang Rai. Never have to put up with any of this and is always qualm and lovely

does not matter what is going on in the rest of the country. Nothing ever changes up here.

in general I am not really impressed with any embassy operating abroad, not with Western Embassies and not with Thai embassies. Their normal point of view is one of "som nam naa" and your own problem. Chapeau therefore that this embassy has reacted in a decent and great manner. Human trafficking should be stopped at all cost.

I am amazed also, they usually do not want to be bothered. Hats off to them

Now why do I have a funny feeling that the evidence against any Government MPs will somehow disappear, whilst that against any opposition MPs will be proven without a doubt?

I second that motion....Thai politics work only one way

Why not just tattoo a number on the arm's of all foreigners to keep track of them .... I can't believe this ....

They probably screw that one up too and give the same number to several people

Tourism is down everywhere. Maybe not by 83% like Thailand but every tourist destination is feeling the global recession/depression. It's also true that people get tired of the 'give us your money and get the hel_l out mentality'. Another drawback is their residence policies. I'm married to a Thai person who wants to retire in Thailand. Speaking as a foreignor that would be a daunting task. Who wants to be subject to the whims of a third world government constantly in flux. When i'm old I want to relax not run around filing paperwork to stay in the country.

Thai government is responsible for much of the fall off in tourism. But Thai businesses can share some blame. Farangs are aware of the increased pricing for goods and services and are showing disapproval by simply staying home. Price gouging may fly in good times but when times are bad it's not a good idea. I do understand the Thai attitude toward property ownership. They don't need westerners, or any group, coming in and buying up land. That would be a big negative for Thai citizens. For me I don't care. Let my wife have majority interest in my Thai residence, just let me retire in peace until I'm dead. Is that so much to ask?

I agree, but I kind of feel like being an ex con on parole or a child molester having report every 90 days to your parole officer

We all know that drugs are not allowed in Thailand. We've to respect that.

Maybe we do but the BKK is the main distribution center to send drugs oversees.

So someone is looking the other way with a greased palm. It is easy to get it

out of BKK airport but well know that custom officers in other countries are waiting.

Again, their math does not stack up, nor is there much that can be done at this late stage.

It will simply improve with the passing of time.

BR>Jack

Just want to add it would also help to treat us that have been living here for several years

and been spending Millions of Baht to support their economy not to treat us as second or 3rd

class citizens. My wife and family are lovely but really THE BOYS in BKK suck

A poor country needs all the jobs it can get, expats, tourists, foreign investment all create jobs. Why discourage ANY of those?

I just spent 5-6 million Baht building a house in Chiang Rai and paying the employees way above

most do, gave them Mayday, laborday off with pay. You know what my thanks is?

Clipping me 150Baht when I use my ATM card from the USA. Well will live of my money in local banks

included the 400,000 I kept. Will go every year from now on to my embassy

spend the $30 and give it to them. Amazing Thailand. Let be honest the Government is a joke here.

For whatever reason it was delayed

...the "reds" will declare the delay as their victory!

Well it is their victory. Actually I don't know what the won (maybe they won the golden banana for bringing Thailand one more step closer to be a banana republic), but they did it.

They are already a fourth rate Banana Republic. HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

Yes beautiful cows.

Spellbinding. Almost magical.

Finally some good news..........congratulations Thailand!

I second that motion..........we Yanks have groundhog day

A friend of mine works for VISA in the U.S. According to him, when a vendor has a VISA terminal in their store, it is a violation of contract to charge more for credit/debit card transactions than for cash. Everyone does it though in Asia, I guess the banks thought they would climb on board that gravy train too...

This is slightly off topic, BUT...

I can confirm (as an ex-retailer) that it is a crucial and seriously taken part of International Visa and MasterCards contracts.. actually ALL Credit Cards have this Crucial clause in ALL Contracts, with ALL dealers that are licensed to accept their cards... which is an obligation on the part of the retailer, hotel, restaurant, etc.

The Acceptance and USE of their (Visa M/C, AmEx, etc) cards are a Crucial part of their business model. IF people are not allowed to use their cards, then the card companies lose the opportunity to realize a part of the Transaction.. If that is allowed how can the Card company make any income.

In actual fact, ALL Contracts say that if the Card is refused, for any amount (including as little as 1 baht) and the fact is reported to them, the offending retailer WILL lose their right to take that card.

Cards charge variable rates to their customers to allow the Cards use. the rates are depended on BOTH Total transaction value, AND the AVERAGE Individual Transaction Value... meaning that if you only accept the card for a minimum purchase the average transaction value will be HIGHER, but a low transaction included in the mix will bring the average daily transactions DOWN and thereby... RAISE the Average Transaction Fee on all Transactions of that Day, ultimately leading to a higher fee charged to the Retailer by the Issuing card bank for that Day's sales. The fee charged by the Card company to the indivdual card holder/user is not effected by this. Therefore it is not in the Retailers interest to take any card for a small sale.... But it is Crucial to the Banks.

I now use only Thai issued Credit Cards and I can ASSURE you, that I use it for Transactions of ALL Sizes, even when under their (retailers) stated minimum... especially if that minimum is not prominantly posted on the cash AND Menu (another Consumer Protection Infraction).. and if they refuse to take it...

FIRST. stop talking to the Waiter/Salesperson and immediately demand a Manager....

Second, Let them know forcefully and with determination in your voice, but still Politely, that you WILL, absolutely, notify the Credit Card company that your card was refused because of a minimum purchase limit placed on it... Let the Manager know that you are 100% familiar with this clause in their Contract.

Third... HOLD FIRM against all their pleading, grovelling, etc... The Managers per standard Thai style under-training are not usually familiar with this contractual obligation, but when they call their Head Office they will be instructed to back off. They, of course, don't want to have to call Head Offfice about this ... and Lose 'Face'.... But You will have your card accepted in the end. (and, NO.. I have never had any subsequent charges tacked on in revenge.. I think they are too worried that I would check.)

Fourth, this is also true for smaller 'Mom & Pop' operations.

Getting ripped off by the people I do business with in this country is part of the Cost of Living here... But this is one place where I/YOU actually are in the right, and Hold the Power.

BTW.. back on Topic... 10 Years ago when I still lived in the USA, Fleet Bank used to tack on a $5.00 International ATM Fee. (only $1.50 for using an ATM from a Non-Fleet Bank in USA).. learned quickly not to use it for small withdrawals. My other bank ATM only charged $1.50 Internationaly.

Enjoy,

CS

I get 6 UDS 1,000 VISA ATM DEBIT transaction for free each month with my Credit Union ,no monthly fee, no International fee,no yearly fee......Cascade Credit Union in the STATE ofWashington