sandrew33

This is both accurate and idiotic. If the tax is definitely being charged then not including it in the price is an idiotic approach/system. I do however agree that this is quite common and it’s unhelpful that the US does it, as others tend to follow suit. The approach in countries such as Australia where the price quoted is the actual price payable is by any measure the vastly superior one.

So nothing has changed, they’ve added some LTR visas that are easy to get but require higher income or assets? I mean this is one of the more poorly written articles I’ve ever read.

These are the package Chinese tourist that nobody wants. All Chinese owned and paid and little money to local economy. That Cambodia would allow itself to bent over some more by the Chinese for the inevitable sole benefit of the ruling family is no surprise and should be of zero interest or concern to Thailand. Cambodia has vastly less tourism infrastructure and they are targeting the budget tourists, maybe they can take some of the similar group of Indian tourists too? 🙂

This is largely just BS though. I’m Aussie and not anti vaccine but the Covid vaccination program has materially negatively impacted views of vaccines all around the world including the UK. See attached You are likely quite old and so even relatively mild respiratory illness is potentially an issue for you but let’s not say increasing lack of trust of vaccines and public health officials more broadly hasn’t been widespread - it’s far from only Americans - maybe at your age you are just out of touch with reality 🙂

I’d respectfully suggest that either (a) you have some serious health issues or (b you need to learn to use a condom and stop confusing some industrial level STD with Covid 🤷🏻‍♂️😁

It is compared to actual flu. People calling common colds flu is part of the problem. I’ve had Covid twice, the second time was barely a cold. The first time is was 4 days that felt exactly like last time I had a proper flu. Both flu and Covid primarily kill the elderly and infirm for most others it’s a few days of relative misery with “flu like symptoms”

They can be for many. At worst they are like a bad flu these days as you’d expect of a virus that is endemic. Unless you are very old or infirm it’s not likely to do much to you beyond 3-6 days of feeling crap. In that sense it’s exactly like proper flu. Worth noting that we rarely get stories about flu. It should increasingly be the same for Covid. But for reasons that aren’t clear there seems this need to whip out these stories every 6 months or so.

Let me guess cloth masks (entirely pointless but the main used ones in Thailand) or surgical masks (mildly helpful if you have Covid in reducing particle spread if worn properly and changed every couple of hours, entirely pointless otherwise or if wet). The only ones with any real benefit for those healthy are properly fitted (no beard, no gaps) N95 masks which are uncomfortable when worn properly, even moreso in hot weather). So which ones they wearing at Makro because 99% of mask usage in Thailand is entirely or largely pointless?

And what would that have achieved? There was an election required, they didn't win, he was deeply unpopular. If by outside forces you mean the Thai population then sure

You saying it doesn’t happen?

To be fair there’s new hotels built every second week and there remains myriad brilliant ones. Perhaps avoid crap old hotels and fat bar girls and you’ll have a better time.

A few years ago this was the dream but when we observe them replaced by bulk Russians, package tour Indians and those objectionable man bag wearing Benidorm types it’s basically a nil all draw at best 🙂

To be fair this isn’t a new issue either. I rented a condo in Suk Soi 23/1 for 2 years back in 2012-2014 and there were a couple of condo owners doing short term tourist rentals against the rules. My condo was directly above the pool and once a month or so you’d get young tourists (90% Brits) who would be at the pool with “friends” (mostly rentals) as late at 2-3am music on etc. it is frustrating but it is on the owners breaching the condo rental rules and they are the starting point for action. In our condo they were all Thai owners.

Plenty of Thai beaches are paradise. Just not where the manbag wearing Benidorm refugees head

Yeah, one suspects that there are a few important details of his story missing TBH

🙄

And yet in 15+ years in Thailand I’ve never needed to piss/<deleted> in the streets but I see certain demographics do this quite regularly. Why is that you reckon?

The guy is clearly an idiot but I’m unsure why every case of people being an idiot = problem with visa policy? How exactly would things be different if the Visa rules were stricter?

Nowadays they just stand around in groups and always introduce themselves and kindly ask if I'd like to buy some illegal medicinal substances, further up they road I am accosted by a lot of "sisters" who seem to be offering to comfort and tend to me for a fee 🙂

I’m not sure they need a 15 point plan to spot the African crime gangs and their employees. Just walk down Soi 4, cross Suk Road and walk down to Soi 13 with some Police detouring down Soi 11 and you’d identify about 300+ crims on any given evening. And if they need a 15 point plan to identify the criminals in Pattaya well they really aren’t fit to be Police 🤷🏻‍♂️:)

One mans perfectly comfortable is another mans <deleted>hole and many have plenty enough money that skimping on the hotel room is an unnecessary "hardship"

We are really describing the Vogue as “swanky”? Does the author live under a bridge?

Nope. The electronic boarding pass was scanned at the initial gate before the escalator up to the scanners. Was never looked at by a person at any stage.

16 years of at least monthly arrivals and this has never been an issue. But sure …

This seems an entirely insurmountable problem and I’d suggest all airport immigration processes should be cleared with your company going forward to ensure their asinine system isn’t impacted 😁