Gsxrnz

Re the passport photos. When you do get them done, get about 30 copies. I've been using the same picture for at least 6 years for everything from annual visa renewal to D/L renewal, police report, you name it. They never look at the pic. You could probably attach a photo of your dog and it would pass muster.

Tea Money. I once had to get a set of fingerprints certified by the local BIB for a police report to be issued by the BKK office. After having the prints done, I asked how much for the service. The friendly BIB (I think he was a sergeant but I suspect the medals and insignias were those of a rear-admiral) said "No charge, maybe you make donation for coffee for my officers, up to you". As I was extracting 300B from my wallet (figuring 5 guys in the office at 60B each for a coffee), I said to them "I thought you guys drank tea". They got the joke instantly. I have never to this day seen 5 Thai guys laugh so much, so hard, and for so long, including slapping of the knees and banging of the feet.

Possibly, but he didn't look Italian to me.

Ironically, when I clicked the link to the full news website, it has an advertisement for a steak restaurant right alongside the article - complete with pics of raw steak.

I could be mistaken, but the first guy climbing on to the police truck appears to be still clutching his can of beer. Probably an Aussie - they know how to prioritize.

I'll see your total codswallop, and raise you a tosh gibberish and nonsense, plus two poppeycocks.

Anybody who assumes Sars-cov-2 wasn't rampant in Thailand in 2020 is dreaming. Do the math - 40 million annual visitors of which 80% are Chinese. Between say Nov 2019 and March 2020 there were an estimated 11 MILLION Chinese visitors to Thailand. And we're to assume that nearly none of them had Sars-cov-2? In Jan 2020 there were 43 flights into Thailand directly from Wuhan itself! The Thai government believed the initial world shutdown wouldn't last too long and if Thailand had next to no covid reported cases, it would be first off the block to receive tourists. So they reported (and probably correctly) only the REAL covid deaths, as opposed to including all the 87 year old's that died from old-age, but with covid. The situation didn't eventuate as they hoped so in early 2021 had to conform to the new world orthodoxy of false-flagging the situation, mainly to have an excuse for a collapsing internal economy.

Try wearing a mask, yellow safety helmet, sunglasses, a dirty but recognizable hi-viz jerkin, scruffy over length jeans, and a pair of flip flops. Carry a small spade and a tape measure and stop occasionally to dig a small hole in the sand and measure it. The BIB will think you're a local government official and leave you alone. The dog might confuse them, but act as though you're chasing away a stray Soi dog and you should pass muster. And before anybody has a go at me, I saw a Thai dude doing exactly this way up past Soi 19 at low tide last week. Sans dog, obviously. Don't know what the hell he was doing.

Expectations and reality are a world apart in Thailand. It won't be fixed until long after it totally collapses and a local taxi rider with a social conscience sticks a tree branch or a purloined road cone into it. For emphasis, the road cone may be inserted into the hole upside down. This delay will only be avoided if the poor (probably overweight) soul responsible for the collapse suffers a serious injury and is fortunate enough to have the abovementioned taxi rider (with the social conscience) witness the carnage and call the local media as well as the emergency services. But I wouldn't get your hopes up too soon.

Have they managed to stop the local entrepreneurs from nicking the redundant copper wire from under the sky train yet?

I can't see too many crash test dummies lining up for this experiment.

In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. Orwell, 1984.

I got my Pfizer jab from Expatvac/BPH at Pattaya Central Festival yesterday. Very smooth experience other than I couldn't get the nurse's phone number. While queuing, there was an elderly "walk-in" with no pre-registration and a vocal friend who assisted him in politely cajoling the girl in charge to enter him into the database, and progress to get his shot.

Did anybody wonder why "Big Joke" changed the rules regarding the 800/400K requirements a few years ago, which you can never use because you would default your visa? Ask yourself how many expats die in Thailand without a Thai will and their overseas families cannot touch it, then multiply that number by say 600K Baht average, then consider the relationship that banks managers have with the BIB, and then ask yourself where all that money goes to. They would prefer you die with a substantial amount in your account as opposed to the nominal 2 pounds three and fourpence as it was previously.

Here's my two-bob's worth to supplement their data. On a scooter ride of approximately 3klm from Pattaya Central Festival Mall to Jomtien at 1:30pm today. I counted 78 moving vehicles, including scooters. And 48 of those were the ones I overtook (or undertook) going in my direction. The record low for the same trip was last week (Wednesday I think), when the total count was 42. There ain't nobody here and there ain't nobody coming any time soon.

I've just popped over from the thread discussing the pro's, con's, desirability, durability, and practicality of handbags - the conclusion was that Vuitton was the most desirable, Klein was more classical, but Gucci won the day for desirability and cost. So how are we looking on the great vaccine debate? I'm off to the thread discussing carrot cake shortly - there is a serious issue as to whether granulated or brown sugar should be used. Personally I think the debate regarding 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract is the real issue. (irony or satire - up to you)

The big mistake was not licensing Heinz to manufacture the vaccines.

The intersection mods were under construction for at least a couple of months and "finished" at least two months ago. It was opened about three weeks ago with much fanfare by the BIB, and during the interim was barricaded off and unusable with orange flashing lights and road cones. Turning south from 2nd Road, or west from Suk (by southbound traffic) was not permitted. No doubt it will catch a few irregular motorists by surprise, but it was always evident for the last 5 years that eventually this intersection would be opened up for a south turn from 2nd Road and a right turn from Suk. With luck it will take pressure of Thepprasit, Watboonkanjana, and Chayapruek. It will also ease traffic on Suk between Chayapruek and Tai. There will no doubt be additional traffic through Jomtien proper, but overall I'd expect this new intersection to be an improvement.

Pattaya or Jomtien as at Feb 2019 (pre Sars-cov-2) was vastly different to 2008. Think of your nice shiny brand new 2008 model car compared to eleven years later. It's still a car, but rather dated, worn out, lots of miles on the clock, and somewhat lacking in desirability - but it's yours and you love it. Well that was Pattaya/Jomtien in 2019 - mere shadows of themselves compared to 2008. Still great places to live and have a life, but the halcyon days of 2008 disappeared gradually each year and were long gone by 2019. Now think of your somewhat dilapidated (but much loved) 2008 model car as being stolen from you in March 2019. The thieves thrashed it, trashed it, rolled it, excreted in the glovebox, put sugar in the gas tank, dented every panel, drove it through a canal, and threw it off the top of Central Festival on to Beach Road. That's where Pattaya/Jomtien are right now. The car survived the fall (broken and bent, but still breathing) and all that remains is to see if she can be re-started and resurrected sometime in early 2022 or thereabouts. Pundits are about equally divided on whether she can be restarted and restored to her comparatively reasonable 2019 condition over time, or whether she is so far beyond repair that she will be consigned to the crusher, and we're all on Shanks' Pony. I'd choose Jomtien to live if you come. When things come back to (some sort of) life I suspect Jomtien will look a little more occupied than Pattaya. I swear that driving down 2nd Road in Patts last week, I saw a tumbleweed roll out of Soi13/2.