bradiston

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

The full story almost explains how.

The full story in Pattaya News? Doesn't explain it.

Opposite are 3 places I've frequented. The coffee shop usually has a number of foreigners enjoying a roadside cappuccino. The 2 restaurants are good Thai and Russian food places though I've not tried the Russian food. However this appears to have happened at night, so maybe the places were closed. Thai style attack. 6 onto 1. But the person filming seems unperturbed. Maybe he/she was directing it.

So how did he get from Vietnam to Sa Kaeo? It's not like they're adjacent.

20 minutes ago, MartinL said:

Since when has Phrae province been in Isaan, or has there been a wholesale redefinition of Thailand's regions while I was asleep? A few weeks ago it was 'crocodiles in Nakhon Sawan' now this.

Where does the article mention Issan? I can't find it. Oh, I see, it was in Issan News.

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The supreme irony is, we have trapped ourselves already.

I remember the fuss when the Australian government wanted to have a national ID card.

Said card is unnecessary now, we carry around something that can identify and locate us any time the government pleases. It's called a mobile phone.

It's why Islamic extremists don't use them.

 

Along with a lot of old faxrts on this forum.

It's like when you do your own accounts, you figure out how much you want to show to adjust your tax bill. Same crap here. Invent some loony spending figures, tourist figures to include migrants workers, day trippers, transit passengers etc etc. And then holler about how tourism is back on track, Pork Pie Party has saved Thailand. Tourism figures are just a nonsense. Anyone can make them up. No evidence. No checks. No audit.

6 minutes ago, Stocky said:

No you'll hear the sound of hoards of Malaysians complaining about standing in line for two hours.

 

With the Hari Raya Idul Fitri holiday coinciding with Songkran this year it's also a long holiday in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia too - so Hat Yai is full.

Of devout Moslems looking for a jump I guess?

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

You used the term bag in your former post.

 

 My car and scooter have my driving licenses in them. My ID is on my phone. Cash, keys and phone are all I carry. Plus a bit of coin change at the end of shopping.

 

Why would I need a biro when I can take a note on my phone? Why on earth would I be carrying a handkerchief, lube and condom? Are you a sex maniac? Seems odd to combine that with hypochondria.

 

At the shops I go to in Chiang Rai, I would say someone paying with their phone faster than me with cash, is as rare as a newly-landed Brit in Australia without sunburn.

 

 

There's a certain amount of tongue in cheek in there. But you're obviously a literalist. But, just out of curiosity, where do you keep the lube and condom? In the glove compartment?

52 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"When you need cash, how many times has your ATM been out of order?"

So infrequently it is inconsequential.

 

"And there's always a charge if out of province, 15 or 20 THB".

So what, B20 is also inconsequential.

 

"...who wants to sit in a bank waiting behind people with a clutch of blue books, chanotes, id cards, opening accounts, withdrawing or making deposits?"

No one, but who has to do that every time?

Well, they're just counter arguments to the extremely feeble anti phone brigade's arguments. When have I not been able to connect? Maybe 2 times a year. Charges? There aren't any. ATMs can and do charge. Going to a bank, is it open? Probably not. Is it a holiday, what time is it, is it a weekend, oh they're open in the mall, travelling there, parking, queuing etc etc. You enjoy? I don't. And banks very rarely employ guys as tellers. Why is that? Can't have a "You alright mate? How's it going then?" sort of chat while he's counting your dough.

This topic comes up maybe every 3 months or so. I'm pro phone. Got your pension rise yet? That's another regular.

19 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Not guilty, Your Honor. I only carry notes, the coins go into the piggy bank every day.

Men do not usually have handbags, they use their pockets.

Who said handbags? And not only men shop, if you hadn't noticed. So you, and everybody behind you, has to wait while the cashier works out, if it's not done for them, and counts out your dirty, greasy, infectious disease ridden change, which you then put in your pocket for your offspring. Ok. I don't have pockets. I have a bum bag. Got all my stuff in there. Pockets too easy to pick. Not waterproof. Holes. Stuff falls out. Handkerchief wrapped around your notes. Condom goes where? Back pocket I guess. Lube? Cards? ID? DL? Biro that leaks?

Ok, you could argue keeping everything in one bag is a big risk, but I've not lost one in 10 years, though I've had one picked. And a pocket or two. You learn to guard against it. Become mindful. Woke, even! 🤣🤣🤣

6 hours ago, bokningar said:

If you are close to war, you might want to make sure there is a analog way of paying.

But you still have to get the cash from the bank. What happens if your nearest ATMs are smashed up? The only analogue is if you enter a bank, if you can find one that's  open, fill in a withdrawal slip, wait in a probably endless queue, and wait at the counter. You got your passport? Some other ID then? They'll pay you in the highest denomination notes probably, so you'll need to ask for smaller ones which they won't have in any quantity. I know this because on my monthly visits to an ATM I get all my 1000 THB notes changed into 500s. Nobody ever has change. Haven't you noticed? Oh, no have! Cannot! Drive around looking for a 7. Buy some gum to break the 1000 THB note. Omg get me outta here. Pay by phone!

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I can't lose a wallet because I don't have one. I carry 2-3K baht in cash instead.

I also carry a debit card in a Faraday cage. For emergencies only. Much of the time it stays in the condo.

I simply have no trust in phones. To me, they are a useful tool for various functions, but certainly not to be entrusted with vital financial information.

Telstra and Optus are the two biggest telecoms in Australia. They have both been hacked. That's enough evidence for me.

I've seen multiple examples of payment terminals being down. I just sail through with cash, provided there is not some idiot faffing around with their phone in front of me.

Or somebody digging around in a bag looking for the missing 2 THB he/she needs to pay with.

3 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

I use QR electronic payments for all transactions at the 700 rai Sattahip market. 100 baht remains 100 baht with QR payments too

I usually use cash in the market but most stalls in Rattanakorn have a QR code you can use if short of cash. And they don't need to handle dirty notes and coins. Great way to pass on infectious diseases.

54 minutes ago, JGV said:

What about the millions of older Thais who rely on going to branches to get their money - I don't think that they are going to switch to passwords and Internet banking as most don't have Internet

No passwords involved. Just thumb print. Or pin if you prefer. And internet Sims are available anywhere in Thailand. Can talk to your family anywhere, anytime. The big ISPs have coverage all over Thailand.

43 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

Electronic payments are fantastic, as long as ...

 

1 - Electricity is available 24/7, without a nanosecond of outage (too bad if there is a natural disaster, flood, earthquake, cyclone, etc.).

 

2 - All necessary components of the Internet function 24/7 - a month or so ago a major provider in Australia went down for a few hours, no Internet, no electronic payments for users, some business had to shut.   Walked into Tesco a few months ago - sign at the checkouts, cash only as system down.

 

3 - Of course, your mobile banking and "do everything" system, ie Android or iPhone, never ever stops working, right?, and finally,

 

4 - Of course the banks love electronic payments - they can charge new fees and make more profit.

When you need cash, how many times has your ATM been out of order? If there's an internet outage, they'll probably go down. And there's always a charge if out of province, 15 or 20 THB. And who wants to sit in a bank waiting behind people with a clutch of blue books, chanotes, id cards, opening accounts, withdrawing or making deposits? I take out 20k THB at a time. Usually lasts 6-8 weeks or so. But I only use it in markets, massage and a few other places.

1 hour ago, Zack61 said:

It’s now becoming more common that to pay using your phone incurs an extra fee. Someone is making money from this convenience and I think you’ll find it’s the banks. Don’t kid yourself, it’s just another way of the banks milking you to increase their profits. 
A few years ago very few businesses charged the surcharge in Australia but now almost all do. At least with cash if something costs a hundred bucks that’s all you pay. Not $101.60 using the phone. It adds up over a year and it all goes to the banks. No wonder they are pushing for it’s uptake 

I never pay a fee using prompt pay or scan. What are you talking about?

26 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Not best option 

I set up transfer in WISE. 

Aud to Thai baht. Wise does the exchange rate using mid market.

I then transfer aud from.my Oz bank to WISE

It lands not long afterwards

Well, you didn't say from where to where.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you transferred AUD from your Ozzie bank into your AUD account with Wise. You then transferred the equivalent of 1.9 million THB AUD into your THB account in a Thai bank, using Wise's exchange rate and their fees.

Wise doesn't handle THB. Only Thai banks do.

I hear the faint rustle of tumbleweed as it blows through the empty turnstiles. Oh dear, nobody showed. Exactly 0 tourists made the trip to Toyland for a non event of water chucking. Sorry TAT. This is not a world ranking event.

Did they take down the website? Track down it's owners? Who it's registered to? Where do they get 600 million THB from? Monthly circulation? Flow chart please. Money in/out. Names of twins. Sons of which local person of influence? Gangsters? Mafia? Chinese connections? Pathetic. Nab 3 fall guys and they seem to think it's job done. Released the next day. Carry on lads.

No mention of Tony and his daughter's love affair with the Cambodian gangsters running that poor country. Nor of any contact with the Chinese and Cambodian embassies. No comment? Disgusting!

22,387 individuals? Didn't they just release 10s of 1000s of petty drug users from prison? Half the point of the decriminalisation of weed. Now they've rounded up a refill it seems. 5 meth pills ok guv? Hey Cholnan, waddya say?

22 hours ago, BritScot said:

One thing I have realised over the past few years is how stupid people are. Accepting lockdowns and in the uk publicly telling people they were using Phyops against their own people a fact that still disgusts me (being ex army). Then watch people sleep walking into digital currency  with the power banks and governments already welding. I tokenly carry an oz silver coin in my pocket to remind myself its real value and not made up. Everyone should read about the Bradbury pound (it scared the hell out of the Bank of England because it had real value).

Phyops? Tokenly? Oz silver coin? String of garlic? Wooden stake? Holy water?

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

April 4,   I transferred 1.9 million Baht and it arrived same day using wise.

Was asked zero questions apart from tick that it was being transferred into Thai bank in my name.

Always have to tick that.

From where, to where? I didn't think you could transfer THB using Wise. Have to use Dee. You mean 1.9 m in exchange value? THB to THB is simple. Just use your bank(s).