bradiston

Ah, those are just Thai style spas. You should visit Yunomori Onsen on Thepprasit to see the difference. No comparison, really.

Didn't know there were two Onsen. Where's the one apart from Thepprasit? Maybe it is just the name for bath house, but they do it in style. And the spas on Soi 6? I've only had a quick look. I go to Train Resort on Sukhumvit, near Makro. Cheap and cheerful. 150 THB all day. Good sauna, good steam room, swimming pool and "hot" and cold pools. Restaurant, bar and plenty of seating. Regular European clientele, and often quite a few Thais. Really not busy now though.

Not sure if you're in Thailand, as you say "going to" and "travelled to", but I live in a condo in Pratamnak which is far from "packed". Most Russians have gone home as far as I can see. On my floor there have only been 2 other inhabited apartments in the last 6 months. Last visit to Jomtien immigration I was in and out in 20 minutes, the day before the last public holiday. "Tons of people"? Is that an accurate summation? Your buddies from high school? Hardly indicates a million fold resurgence. If you live in hope, you'll die in hope. We'll never know until the bars are booming and the shutters are up on all the many, many closed businesses here in Pattaya. I'd say they are the only reliable indicators, at least for this town. Whatever TAT dreams up.

Yes. There's a good one in Pattaya, maybe the only one, on Thepprasit. Basic 300 THB for all day for seniors, 500 for under 50s. Not heard of a private spa. A bit of a hike from Bangkok, but even so, a lot cheaper than 3000 THB ph, so would easily be worth it. Large sauna, hot steam room, one large very cold pool, 3 large jacuzzi/hot pools, stone beds, and stone jars. Go naked if you want. Rest room, restaurant, garden, pamper room, parking. Opposite wine shop. Massage extra at 1000 ph I believe. Not your Buakhao H/E. That's the best I can offer I'm afraid.

I am.

I meant, what method do you use to get your extension?

How?

With no cameras, what the heck's going to get recorded?

Relational databases, or whatever data storage/software setup they use, don't work like that. You query them using the specific syntax of the programming language, and search criteria. So looking for a passport number, nationality, gender etc is easy.

No country for old men

Set up like bowling pins

Do you work for the NHS? What a strange prognosis.

Final post in this thread from me. I took my own advice and went down to Jomtien IO to see if I could find out just how a person could find out if they were still persona non grata. Well, the truth is, they wouldn't even give me a queue ticket after I told them what I was enquiring about. And without that, no IO would talk to me. Seems a totally taboo subject. I had a photo of the bloke's original passport but they simply ignored it and flicked a ticket at me. Hmmm. Not really a very edifying experience.

Except that the government is reporting on 2021 figures. AN is quoting this month's figures. I can't see where the 2021 figures are on the GCI website.

I agree, but the problem is finding out if you are still blacklisted. In other words, how not to risk breaking the law by attempting to enter Thailand illegally. And who do you trust? An IO down at your local office who says "No problem", or "Cannot"? A print out of the person's rap sheet? Who's going to give you a copy of that?

Do you really think they're going to give out that information via email? Or even if you went to the IO. You could be anyone. I was given the phone number of the IO office in Jomtien by one helpful agent. Yeah, ring them up from Germany (not me, BTW) and ask them if you can come back? Err, maybe not. But, I might try going down there and asking how would somebody find out if he/she could return. Probably wouldn't talk to me.

The problem lies in the fact that it seems problematic to say the least actually finding out if you are blacklisted, or still blacklisted. I don't know if you're told upon release - there must be release papers - or more likely, at the airport, but surely somewhere along the line they would tell you. My mate didn't seem to have any idea. But there must be a formal notification. I think a trip to immigration by a mate to ask them what your friend can do to find out wouldn't go amiss.

I don't know. I mean, there are data privacy laws in Thailand. Imagine a situation where somebody was making malicious enquiries about a third party. Maybe somebody stirring it, or simply out to "get" someone he had an issue with. If immigration gave out that kind of information to anyone asking for it, it would make a mockery of any privacy laws. And who really would support that kind of laxity? Could be you on the end of it. But as has been said on many occasions, TIT. Even were a lawyer to request that information from immigration, and you can easily imagine a scenario where that might be a quite legitimate request, eg access to children, assets, whatever, according to the lawyer I went to, it's an absolute minefield. But, once again YMMV!

If they stamp you in, I don't see how you can be busted for illegal entry. The whole point being, there doesn't appear to be a way of finding out from immigration if a person is blacklisted without actually trying at the border. I mean, you can't go to your local IO and ask, can you? And from what I could gather, a mate rocking up at his local IO and asking on behalf of his chum won't cut much ice either.

I recently posted a similar question here, put on behalf of a mate who got blacklisted. The most sensible idea, and I followed up on most of them, was, minimal risk trial and error. If your friend flies to say Phnom Penh, then tries a land border crossing, he will 1 find out soon enough if he's allowed back in, with minimal aggravation and 2 not have far to go if he's not. I tried lawyers and agents, and although everybody was quite helpful, that's what seemed the bottom line most sensible idea. As someone above has pointed out, there are endless possible answers, but they're mostly speculation and guesses. The lawyer I went to here in Pattaya, a very sympathetic German guy, English speaker, said the same. There are no guarantees here in Thailand. What works for one person, once, won't necessarily work twice, or for another person at all, so don't risk a possible really awful few nights in IDC, a forced flight home and probable further blacklisting. As the old saying goes, don't gamble more than you can afford, or are prepared, to lose. YMMV

From a Chinese friend in China, I heard it's not difficult leaving China, but hard work getting back in. Similar to how it was here not that long ago, I guess. Beijing seems to have got right out of step with the rest of the world with their zero covid policy.

Yeah, I'd like to know what he intends to do when he gets to the border too. Sure, I'd love to jump on the high speed train to Kunming, but heard right now it's freight only.

What constitutes a search? Simply typing in the name of the place? Or hotel name, or hotel viewing? And presumably, only searching via Agoda. And how can a search be used as a metric for actual bookings? People could be doing their own market research and not booking at all. All very dubious to draw any conclusions from these data, especially to claim the most searched are the most popular final destinations.

Coming in late on this. Been on Xarelto for over a year, plus Lanoxin and Bisoprolol. I get all these via an online Indian pharmacy, though the last two are cheap here. Laugh if you like, but my take is, the pills are totally kosher. All batch nos check out, box to strip. No funny spelling, boxes sealed. $32.50 for a 28 20mg pill box. So about 40 THB per pill. Exc postage. I have a very reliable contact over there. Sail through customs, no hassle. Just my $32.50 worth. YMMV!

That was Joe's advice. I'll make enquiries. Thanks.