Tomtomtom69

Why are all these Thais leaving Thailand to work in Korea? They are getting replaced in their own country by Burmese and Cambodians. Funny world this is, thanks to "globalization". If Thais love Thailand so much, why not just work here? In a few years robots will be doing all the work in Korea anyway, then it's going to be bye bye to all the Thai workers anyway.

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I know people who have 30 unpaid speeding tickets. They are issuing tickets for going 2 KM per hour over the limit. The national highways have speed limits of 90 kph. That is silly, inane, unenforceable, and impractical. These fines need to be ignored, as the speed limits are unreasonable. I doubt they will create a centralized system. Hope not.  

 

What the RTP, and especially the lame, incompetent, lazy and useless highway patrol need to be doing, is pulling people over for reckless driving, not issuing tickets for going 92 KPH!

What? I have only ever been issued tickets for going at least 20 or 30 km/h over the limit. Never heard of anyone getting pulled over for doing 92, I believe it's either 110 or above or more often than not, 120 and above. Indeed whenever there is a police traffic stop using mobile cameras, they only pull you over if you're doing 120 or more in a 90 zone. Otherwise they'd literally have to pull over 4 in every 5 motorists!

As you say, issuing a ticket for going 2km/h over the limit (if this does indeed happen) is going way too far and is even more insane than what happens in nanny state Australia, where they at least give you a leeway of about 5-9km/h (on a highway).

40 minutes ago, Delight said:

 I would expect to pay Thai prices if I was on Thai wages

I am not

Nor is any Farang !

Many are. Don't make ridiculous assumptions. Quite a large number of Thais are much wealthier than many of the farang who live here. I can't remember the last time I saw a farang driving a Ferrari in Thailand. As far as I'm aware, virtually all the well to do people driving such vehicles here are Thais.

On 5/8/2019 at 9:10 PM, OneEyedPie said:

Life's far too short particularly when you can drive / ride down the road and visit somewhere else.  Or bite the bullet and enjoy your day out.  

 

I've experienced dual pricing on many occasions and have just paid up.  It wasn't much money to be honest and invariably enjoyed my visit.  I've even been to the Grand Palace on more than one occasion and it's a nice afternoon out.  

It's not a nice afternoon out anymore with 90% of visitors now being pushy Chinese tour groups.

Although you can always enter through the first gate and take a few pictures for free then get out, which my Chinese visitors decided to do when they found out there would be a 500 Baht per person charge to get in. There's not much more you're going to get for your money after paying the 500 Baht, just more hordes of tourists.

On 5/9/2019 at 1:48 PM, losworld said:

Yeah in a country that basically doesn't allow anoyone to become a citizen except for a few with connections.

You can become a citizen in 3 other ways 1) go through the official procedures although it's a bit tedious but can be done 2) if you're a farang woman marry a Thai and become an instant citizen or 3) bribe your way to citizenship (although I have heard this is being cracked down upon).

On 5/9/2019 at 2:02 PM, khunPer said:

I would never get upset paying 100 baht being a "farang" instead of 50 baht Thai-price for historical parks, museum and like – I would be happy to contribute to keep these sites going, and it's not the number on the money, but the principle, wherefore I also gladly pay my 500 baht (I think it was last time) at Grand Palace, whilst my daughter and my Thai girlfriend walks in for free – and yes, I've been several times to Phanum Rung, and enjoyed it every time. 

 

We farangs are aliens, and will – because of the way we look – always be aliens; just something we have to accept as fact, even we try to mingle in with yellow house books and pink plastic cards (I also have them). Furthermore I would never let 50 baht spoil what could be an excellent day...????

I wouldn't call being discriminated against on the basis of my skin color something to look forward to. It would destroy my day, if anything. Imagine if Thais were asked to pay more to visit the Grand Canyon than Americans. Maybe they should be...to make things even.

Curious question.

On another thread about Chinese tourists taking over condos, one poster said that Chinese are treated as "superior" to farang and get away with things they shouldn't because Thais don't dare question them because they "might have connections" but then in the same breath he insinuated that farang don't, which is why we can't get away with the same things. In other words, he was implying that farang are relatively poorer and less well connected than Chinese; even though the average Chinese is about as well known as the average farang.

That's ironic, because for some bizarre reason many Thais think of farang as rich (or at least richer) than Chinese, as this post where the OP was asked to pay a higher price for entry shows.

Anyway, why is a white skinned foreigner, who may have no more than $500 to his name for a month of backpacking through Thailand and an ability to afford his cheap ticket to the country considered "rich" and deserving of being charged more than a Thai, when there are millions of middle class Thais - owning 16 million cars (out of a total population of 69 million), and an ability to afford overseas holidays, who own smartphones and may earn a good US$1500 or more per month, and many much, much more?

1 hour ago, Stevemercer said:

 

It's probably more the context. There are many Chinese-Thai families resident in Thailand and they often help out their Chinese compatriots for a share of the profit. Many Thai businesses and the elite have a Chinese background.

 

Sure, what is happening is not legal, but most Thais would hesitate to dobb in a Chinese because they may have high connections. No so, farangs.  

 

You might say that Chinese have 'most favoured' status.

 

Sorry to be patronising, but it is Thai culture 101. 

Who says some farang don't have high up connections? And all Chinese do? Most Chinese are just like the rest of us...middle class and doing alright in life, but they don't have amazing wealth. What they have are sheer numbers.

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

If there was a question there, you already answered it.

 

Asians prefer Asians and money talks. That's life.

What a bunch of racists. LoL. However, I suspect it's also (if not even more) a cultural/linguistic thing. Chinese like foreigners who can speak their lingo, but they are far and few...

On 5/13/2019 at 8:18 AM, rskdev said:

Forget about it. I have lived in MM for 9 years. This country now has rolling black outs that add up to a total of around 8 to 9 hours a day at any given time all over the country. They have not upgraded there Electrical Grid at all. Given all the new buildings that are going up whom ever is in charge has no forward thinking about the future demand on Electricity. It was better 10 years ago. Now it is below 3rd world infrastructure. And lets not get started with there Banking. Many other countries have black listed or have sanctioned Myanmar. Just try getting a bank wire transfer from a different country to Myanmar. Its a no go. I went to one Bank. CB Bank, I asked the Manager about Bank Transfers. She looked at me as if I was from a different planet. She had no clue as to what I was talking about. 

 

Hopeless this country is!!!

Tell me about it. First time I transferred AUD to Myanmar they rejected it. Apparently converting it to Kyat is something they're incapable of. Second time to a different bank and for a different purpose, sent SGD, the only currency I could send. USD and EUR can't be transferred, at least not from a western country.

Still waiting for that money to be returned back to me, because apparently the receiving bank said it can't be credited to the recipients account because the purpose of transfer is not clearly stated (not true, i wrote a note stating the purpose) and it's not in USD but who says it needs to be in USD? Secondly, USD is illegal to transfer to Myanmar! Only SGD works. I have no idea if Thai banks can send USD to Myanmar, but Australian banks certainly can't.

On 5/2/2019 at 3:15 PM, yellowboat said:

Having lived there for a year,  I liked it.   When you felt like having fun, you could.  Food was so so, but the bar was always well stocked.  Siagon is better, but Siem ReaP was good fun.  The worst I can say about it was, it was okay.

I think the food in Siem Reap is excellent; lots of choices all within walking distance of each other. Blue Pumpkin is a favorite of mine. Saigon is more of a real, international city, but Siem Reap is always good fun for a bit, with it's rough edges and all.

1 hour ago, garet said:

No, they didn't say it is okay. They are trying to take action against it.

That is an unsubstantiated myth that Chinese get preferential treatment. 

In reality, Thais complain more about Chinese tourists than they do about Westerners.

I fully agree with you. Granted, it may appear that Chinese have advantages over westerners at least in Asia but in reality it's not really that way. The main difference is Chinese are more likely to engage in dishonest, unethical or illegal acts such as bribery than westerners do. And of course the other standout are their sheer numbers. Just consider that in terms of tourists to Thailand, just PR China passport holders come here in larger numbers than all westerners of all nationalities combined.

And no Thai in their right mind prefers Chinese over westerners. Whether as tourists nor as investors, unless the former is able to pay them more for whatever they're offering.

Case in point: I have a Thai business partner/friend who is choosing between us, a western company and a Chinese or Japanese company as to who he wants to sell his business to. He already got burned with the Chinese once and he should know that if he chooses to sell to them it's a case of "bye bye" to this industry in Thailand as it will then be fully Chinese controlled. However, money talks and the only reason he may do this is because the Chinese have the cash to buy him out tomorrow, whereas we need more time. However, in the longer term our investment will create more value for him than the Chinese ever will. But will he see the light? I dunno.

On 3/31/2019 at 8:44 PM, KhunHeineken said:

That's interesting.  I will Google that.  Never knew about it. 

 

There would be no beach there, as Laos is land locked.  SHV has beaches.  China wouldn't even need cooperation from Cambodia to shut SHV down.  They could just stop the flights from China, and it's all over.

 

The Chinese government wouldn't care about their citizens traveling, but it's all the money leaving China that may concern them, and gambling is big money.

Chinese going to SHV for gambling couldn't care less about beaches...they might as well close them or build walls I don't think anyone would notice.

On 3/31/2019 at 8:53 PM, KhunHeineken said:

You do know a lot of foreigners "own" land in Thailand using Thai nominees, right?  

 

As said, the Chinese are buying hotels, restaurants, gem shops, fruit shops, latex, buses and everything else the Chinese will use, or need, on their package holiday. 

 

What they can't buy, or build, like elephant shows for example, they beat the owners down to rock bottom price, or they don't bring a coach bus load every day.

 

Chinese are now the majority tourism market in Thailand, and they are using that big market share to their advantage, which is what the Chinese are good at.

 

Raiding the odd business here and there is not going to stop the Chinese foray into the Thailand tourism industry, and frankly speaking, if the Chinese stopped holidaying in Thailand tomorrow, Thailand's tourism industry would be in big big trouble. 

Chinese aren't the only ones doing this. If they're caught, they get in trouble. Thailand may be corrupt, but it's got nothing on Cambodia. You obviously haven't been paying attention to all the news stories of nominees getting in trouble and being prosecuted in the past couple of years. Been all over the news, but mostly in Thai.

Chinese make up about 25% of tourists to Thailand. If they were gone tomorrow (and already their numbers are down slightly from a year or two ago) then Thailand would still be OK but would take a hit mainly because there are too many tourism operators who have all their eggs in one basket and decided to rely too much on just one market: China. If they diversified from the beginning they wouldn't feel the same shock.

The Chinese certainly do run certain businesses, mainly tourism related, in Thailand but since the expat/tourist market is quite a bit more diversified than other nearby countries, as well as Thai laws being stricter than those in Cambodia you can't quite compare the situation that is occurring in Sihanoukville with anywhere in Thailand. Despite there being quite a few Chinese signs/businesses in Pattaya and Phuket, there are just as many Russian ones. Whereas in SHV, it's Chinese ONLY these days. Russians are all but gone...

On 3/13/2019 at 8:58 AM, Mahseer said:

That's disappointing. I'm a frequent visitor to Burma and when I saw the UP logo everywhere I applied for a card.

 

Off to Vietnam next month hopefully it will work there. 

It works in Cambodia and Laos so should be fine in Vietnam too. Just not Myanmar. However, VISA and MasterCard debit cards issued by Thai banks work just fine in Myanmar.

On 5/11/2019 at 4:02 AM, impulse said:

 

That advice may seem valid today, and perhaps it's always been valid.   But before 2014, guys lived in Thailand for decades on monthly border runs and visa exempt and back to back to back tourist visas.

 

Not that recent...even in 2013 there was a 4-consecutive border entry limitation without a visa before you had to come back with a visa (at least at land borders). This seemed to apply even if you (theoretically) spent 1 day in Thailand, left, came back the next day and did this a total of 4 times. They counted the number of entries not the amount of time you spent in Thailand.

As far as doing back to back tourist visas and visa exempts, that was cracked down upon starting around 2006. So I don't think these "guys" could get away with it until 2014. More like until 2006.

On 4/28/2019 at 9:19 PM, donim said:

Not sure if it is coincidental where your 'nickname' is based on, but there's a road with that callname and around a city which abbreviation also is in your name.

 

In reply to your post:

The same bands as that is used ( on the A10 east ) with flashers, but I have noticed that those speed flashers are abandoned.

 

Many cameras are not in the boxes anymore, instead they are doing ( the same as on the A10 west ) two cameras on a distance from each other tracks your carplate and calculate the time between those two points.

 

Flashers with the camera does still exist and mostly around highway police stations, I was mugged two years ago with overspeeding 7 km (97 instead of bravely 90, gravity was the blame)

 

Rgds

 

I thought the leeway was about 30km/h (or at least 20km/h on some highways). If the speed limit is 90, you normally don't get a fine until you do 1km/h above 120. Or on some stretches it's 110. I don't see them fining everyone going above 90 because that would mean 90% of all vehicles would be fined. Also, you're supposed to get 10% leeway in case of differences in speedometer readings etc. even in the west (except in Australia and Switzerland) is this the case.

On 5/9/2019 at 1:12 AM, wilcopops said:

The laos currency is the Kip.

In places especially near the border and some hotels they will give you an exchange rate for baht....this is not always that good. 

It's also technically illegal.

There is no problem changing at banks and using your Thai card in an ATM.

The thing is in any country, taking another currency in a small business is only really, worth it if you can use it without having to change it back at a bank. 

Baht is accepted throughout the country and in tourist cities like Luang Prabang (located smack bang in the middle of the country, more or less equidistant from the Thai and Vietnamese borders) Thai Baht is regularly quoted by businesses dealing with tourists including restaurants and hotels. USD and sometimes EUR prices are also quoted by many businesses too. Chinese Yuan is becoming accepted in more and more places too (not just near the Chinese border) while Vietnamese Dong is common in the east of the country. It's still worthwhile changing Thai Baht (or other foreign currencies) for Kip as that will give you the best exchange rate. Also, change usually only arrives in Kip irrespective of which currency you pay in.

Baht or USD come in handy for large purchases like houses and cars, but that's not relevant to your average traveler. Either way, all prices are supposed to be quoted in Kip.

On 5/7/2019 at 10:12 PM, billd766 said:

When buying fuel, food and drinks etc and paying for the hotel can I pay in Thai baht?

Yes. You can pay for everything you want in Baht, but usually it's cheaper to pay in Kip.

Hotels and restaurants in tourist centers like Vientiane and Luang Prabang usually also accept USD (and sometimes EUR) but this is mainly for lazy tourists. I would stick to Kip or Baht when you're first entering the country and exchange money to Kip at the first opportunity.

On 5/9/2019 at 1:18 AM, wilcopops said:

Laos is developing a unified international style road signage system which has signs placed at unified intervals and scientifically designed placings. For instance, in villages, schools temples, there are posted speed limits and derestriction signs.......

It's still a far cry from the excellent road signage you see all over Thailand. Signage in laos is a joke...it's 40 years behind Thailand's, as are the roads in general. You'd be hard pressed to find more than a few km of dual carriageway in the whole country. Let's not compare apples to oranges here...

Up to 3 months. That's the longest time a JPJ issued ICP can be issued for. Not sure if extensions beyond this are possible.

For Singapore, it's 14 days.

On 5/1/2019 at 1:05 PM, wilcopops said:

It is VERY EASY - I've done it about 20 times so far.

 

You need to arrive at the Thai/Laos border with a "purple book" (as illustrated above) and all your car documents.

You must be the owner of the car - a car on finance will not qualify without a note from the owner/lender - probably not an option.

 

First time...

Take all your documents - insurance BLUE BOOK etc. and you'll need to fill in the car details Inc. chassis number etc. from the Blue book onto a temp export form. Don't forget driving license

 

Details of driver and any passengers are required.

 

Park your car near the offices and take all your docs and purple book - Staff are usually very helpful and will tell you which window or booth you need to go to. They will also stamp your purple car passport book.

 

Once you have "exported" the car from Thailand, you can proceed to the Laos side. Again, park up near their offices......

 

Here you'll need to get your own passport stamped and clear the car - they usually fill in everything for you - show them your Thai docs.

 

You may at some crossings be able to do your own passport at the same window as the car docs - this actually make it quicker in getting trough than an foot passenger.

 

From the immigration booth hey will point you to which officials need to see your docs - once stamped, go and get your car and drive on through.

 

Once cleared of the Laos immigration you will see an office selling insurance. You may need to park again and get insurance - this cost just a few hundred baht and they will give you a yellow sticker for the windscreen (or have they stopped the stickers?) This insurance does little in the event of an accident, but it makes your car legal for 1,2,3, 4 weeks depending of cost.

Some tips

 

The Purple Book (car passport) is incredibly easy to get - take all your car docs to your local Dept Land Transport. They normally take less than an hour to process and the cost is about 250 baht.

NB - you may be asked for an immigration letter as proof of address - this is the most expensive item. 

 

DON"T need Western Number plates for Laos.

 

They may provide you with a couple of T for Thailand stickers - which you are required to use

 

 

There are MANY crossing points into Laos where you can bring in a car - the most popular and therefore crowded and lowest, is Nong Khao Vientiane, but look at a map - I've crossed (North to South).

 

1.    Chiang Kong(nr Chiang Rai) – New-ish Bridge

 

2.    Huai Kon(Nan) – very quiet, no bridge – was a dirt road 6 years ago.

 

3.    Ban Na Kra Seng/ Kenthao – (Loei) – my favorite! Small bridge over Mekong tributary

 

4.    Nong Khai– Vietiane (Nong Khai) – busy – 1^stFriendship bridge

 

5.    Nakhomn Phanom/ Thakhek – 3^rdThai–Lao Friendship Bridge.

  

6.    Mukdahan / Savannakhet– 2^ndFriendship Bridge – nice reasonably quiet and Thai consulate in                 Savannakhet – may be getting a bit crowded as Vientiane is less user friendly for visa applicants these days.

 

 

 

I haven’t been to any further South than this but I would assume that the procedures are as simple and easy as elsewhere – apparently if you are crossing on a motorbike you can’t cross over on a bridge crossing.

Tit’s a year since I crossed the border and there were some fees and sometimes an “overtime” surcharge, but nothing outrageously expensive - 

Once you have done this once it becomes very easy indeed – Make sure you keep all your documents safe – you’ll need you Thai customs docs to get back in again – I was warned that failure to do this can cost up to 80,000 baht!

 

Of course Laos drives on the right – I have never experienced any problems crossing over – takes me about 20 minutes to adjust – The most dangerous time is after you’ve been there a couple of days and start to drive feeling too relaxed – ten you might set off on the wrong side of the road. 

 

Road signage is French/International based – and more comprehensive than in Thailand

 

Fuel is now easy to get hold of – Even PTT have stations over there.

 

Allow extra time for journeys based on mileage – the road conditions can be extremely variable as well as hilly and twisty.

 

The first time you do it, it may seem a bit confusing; I’ve found officials on both sides to be pretty helpful.

The thing that takes most time usually is getting my VoA for Laos for myself – if you are unfortunate enough to arrive at a busy time e.g. with a couple of holiday coaches or a lot of private cars, then it might take a bit of time but.......

 

As an example of time – it used to take me 35 minutes to get from my house in Savannakhet to Big C in Mukdahan – this includes clearing both sides of the Thai/Laos border in my Thai vehicle. 

I’d recommend Savannakhet as a good crossing for a first timer. 

There are far more road signs in Thailand than in Laos so I don't see how road signage in Laos can be more "comprehensive". Only in the past 1-2 years has Laos made any efforts to increase road signage, and most of this has been done solely for the purposes of AEC.

The rest of your post is spot on - it is faster returning to Thailand in a Thai vehicle than leaving because all you have to do is hand in your documents and get your passports (car and person) stamped.

1 hour ago, 4evermaat said:

In this case they will give you their equivalent of a Visa Exempt:  Essentially a stamp in, and a stamp out of the country.

 

If you have maxed out your land border Visa Exempt entries (2 per calendar year), they may require an onwards plane ticket for the 3rd or subsequent one.   My friend went with Kiwi Orchard Tour, and was able to get it arrange quickly.  He was going to Laos next month anyway, so it wasn't a total loss and I think the ticket price was pretty good since the departure date was several weeks out. 

 

I think in your case, this is your first land border Visa Exempt entry?  Nothing to worry about.

 

BTW, what kind of Thai Visa do you have now?  SETV, METV, SE/ME Non-immigrant?

don't think they'll let him back in if he has exhausted his 2 per calendar year visa exempt land based entries. If he wants to return for subsequent visa exempt entries, he would have to fly in.

Mong Hsat. That's a town you can only reach from the Thai side through local border crossings that don't officially allow even Thais to go far from the border. However, since Thais look like local Shan people if there are any checkpoints on the way they probably don't check their documents and assume they are locals.

I know there are Thais living and working in Myanmar, just didn't think there would be 81 Thais in one given place, especially not as possible illegal workers. I've always been puzzled by the presence of relatively large numbers of Thais in some parts of Myanmar, but the almost complete lack in other parts (even though they are also near the border). For example, for some reason, Thais don't visit Myawaddy, with the exception of truck drivers. Why is that? It's a perfectly legal border crossing point and in fact, the busiest of all the country's land border checkpoints. However, as a regular visitor to Myawaddy I have never seen more than 2-3 Thai cars driving inside the city at one time and the only place one does see tons of Thais is at the casinos along the river which are reached by boat from the Thai side. One also sees Thais (as tourists) at the Golden Rock and in Yangon and Mandalay, as well as Dawei and Myeik. Tachilek also for the market, but rarely beyond that.

On 2/16/2019 at 5:31 PM, cooked said:

WHAT <deleted> genocide? You mean the one Western powers after the oil, or Islamic states, after the oil, tell you about, or the stated aim of ARSA in 2017, to kill all non-Muslims? Islamic state in Myanmar, later to become a part of Bangladesh... ? Or maybe you mean the genocide in 1942 when the Ros killed 30 000 non-Muslims and drove another 50 000 to the South, leaving the coast clear for these guys to just walk over an unguarded frontier for the last 70 years? Myanmar is giving up on the West and turning more and more towards China, they don't care, great move by the West and the EU.  

Absolutely 100% spot on.

I find the hypocrisy of some people nauseating. I mean, if we really wanted to boycott countries based on their human rights records and such things as invasions of other countries, then the USA would be right at the top of the list. But alas I don't recall ever seeing a "boycott the USA because of it's foreign policy" campaign.

I also think it's dangerous for Myanmar to engage China too much but for different reasons, mainly based on sovereignty and debt (although in many ways, they engaged China more than now during the long years of sanctions because back then they had very few allies).

If Myanmar doesn't play its cards right they could become another economic colony of China like Cambodia is increasingly becoming. For now, Myanmar is more or less wary of China and not allowing them too much leverage, which is why you don't see whole cities being taken over like is happening down in Sihanoukville, which is currently undergoing a metamorphosis from a sleepy Cambodian seaside resort to a booming Chinese casino town. The locals and few remaining non-Chinese expats are fleeing. Myanmar has always had ethnic Chinese enclaves up along it's frontier with China, so that's a different thing.

However, I'm worried about projects like the Yatai group one, which plans an "international city" full of high-rise buildings, casinos, villas (actually more likely just 30-40 storey apartment complexes, like in China) and an international airport to be built just north of Myawaddy, Kayin State wedged right up against the Thai border. I can tell that this group actually wanted to build this project in Thailand but the Thai government is obviously not keen on allowing a Chinese enclave to be built within it's territory so the next best thing is to build as close as possible to Thailand without actually being inside the country. Apparently there are plans to move 400,000 Chinese to the area once the project is complete. I find this insane and don't understand the rationale - is this the SE Asian version of multiculturalism? Whereby in this case, Chinese are used to "diversify" it's neighbors? Can't think of any other rational explanation - it's not as if there isn't enough space for Chinese in China. Xinjiang is mostly empty, they only have a population of 10 million. Also never heard of a large group of people from a country NOT at war being moved to another country for no good reason - imagine if 400,000 Americans or Frenchmen or Germans etc. were moved to a newly built city like this in Myanmar, or Thailand or China?! Ha! Should this project come to fruition, it will signal the beginning of the end of Burmese sovereignty.

However, it's unclear if all of this is due to the west playing politics with Myanmar or not. China is investing everywhere (including in some absolutely far fetched and ridiculous mega projects that make no sense whatsoever) and despite the EU/US sanctions on Cambodia, westerners are still visiting there in large numbers (especially Siem Reap) BUT they are being chased out of Sihanoukville, because let's face it, westerners aren't keen on visiting Cambodia and ending up in China.