jshorts

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life..... His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

And, if the taxi driver has no money, then who is going to pay for this "free treatment"?

So you find it acceptable to relieve vulnerable pensioners of their life savings?

How do you know they were targeting pensioners?

More "barstool" wisdom there. You've been reading too much Stickman....

Does it matter if they're pensioners. Victims were relieved off $10,000,000. That's hard at any age.

At my age I'd be happy if it were hard.

This is a perennial in Thailand, like the jewellery scam, so don't expect anything to change despite papa Chalerm's "crackdowns". More than twenty years ago I remember being at a loose end job wise and answering an ad in the BP. I fetched up at an office on Silom where a very repulsive tatted and pumped forty-something-ish American with bad manners and worse breath gave me the speil.about how much I could earn. Needless to say at the beginning the job was presented to prospective employees as legitimate, though it was clear immediately to anyone with half a brain what the scam was - they were looking for people with the ability to suspend first their belief, and later their morals.

And, in which country is this not perennial?

My experience with Transport Co. buses has generally been very good. Like Nakhon Chai Air they operate modern VIP buses, with the 24 seaters being the best of the best I believe. While it is too early to be sure, it is possible that it was just bad luck, something on the road, or perhaps a faulty tire.

Either way, let's hope that pending the results of an investigation, Transport Co. as a professional outfit, will implement whatever changes are necessary to reduce the chances of this happening again.

Or maybe the driver fell asleep.

Or, maybe the driver had a heart attack.

Or, maybe the driver was drunk.

Or, maybe the driver was high.

Or, maybe the driver blacked out.

Honestly I don't "know" the law (can not cite), but from other readings I am quite sure, that a foreigner is obliged to carry his passport.

BUT: I would not do so, except where it is absolutely required (for official purposes at immi, amphoe etc.),

AND: I always carry a COPY of the relevant pages with me and a copy of the last residence certificate from immi.

SURE: the BIB at roadside never asked me for a passport, always happy to see my Thai drivers license.

BUT: when I check in at hotels in Bangkok/Pattaya I am always asked for my passport.

Never tried it wih a copy or with the drivers license.

They look for/note down details about visa/permisson to stay from the passport.

Can anyone comment on that?

I have an ongoing argument with a fellow who says: "checkin at hotel with drivers license", "no problem".

Subtle difference: he has a yellow tabien baan and so has a Thai person ID (or how to call that) in his drivers license, which at least makes sure he is properly identified.

"Quality" of drivers license

First attempt last year: missing family name, only first names. Second attempt: first name spelled wrong. Giving up.

Now on my five year license: completely wrong address (and that after handing over certificate from immi). Giving up.

I often check into hotels with a Thai driver's license. No problem.

Thank you so much for sharing.

I've actually emailed them via their "feedback- contact us" link and was highly critical of this decision.

Any advantage they had over Thai Airways is now lost. Most tourist flying in on their national carrier and then flying domestic with AirAsia to their holiday destination, will now just fly with Thai Airaways. I find it a very strange business decision and can only see a decline in their profits.

Even if they pass on their lower operating costs to the consumer, in the form of cheaper flights, you have the cost of transport and the time in traffic to go from one airport to the other which would negate any savings to fly with AirAsia. Many people may now also have to stay a night in a Bangkok hotel in order to get their connecting flight.

I would encourage others to also email their disapproval to them.

And, if enough people email their disapproval to them, do you feel that they will return to Swampy?

would be great if air asia allowed baggage transfers at don muang on its flights from places like singapore to upcountry destinations like chiangmai. it's always been a drawback when connecting with air asia that you have to clear customs and immigration in bangkok just to check in again for an onward domestic flight.

Imagine the costs involved if customs allowed baggage transfers from Don Mueang's international flights to upcountry destinations. New customs facilities would have to be built and staffed at all of those locations.

Yet more sterling reporting by the local news media...

No mention at all of transit connections between the two airports...

And no mention of the fact that DM was totally flooded for weeks, and possibly will be again later this year.

Why would an announcement of an airlines' change of location require mention of a transit connection or of historical environmental conditions?

That would not be on-topic.

How about connection flights? Have to travel a few hours from 1 side of town to the other.

Great question...has this been addresses?

Yes..great question indeed...you make one decision like this and it opens the floodgates to a deluge of other problems that will result from this decision

What other problems do you anticipate?

I hope they will refund tickets in case the airport is closed again due to the floods. Anyone knows what their policy says in cases like this?

Why don't you call the airline and ask them?

Please let us know what you find out.

The champagne most be flowing at Thai Airways headquarters today they just got back a lot of business they lost to AA.

I usually fly AA because it saves me a few hours at BKK connecting to my domestic flight, from here on out I am only flying Thai when you count all the fees and all Thai is not that more expensive and adding transport cost and time between DMK and BKK and I am guessing I am not the only one not wanting to go cross town.

Perhaps the connecting traveler is not Air Asia's target consumer.

How about connection flights? Have to travel a few hours from 1 side of town to the other.

No more Air Asia for me.

I rather pay a bit more and travel from Suvarnabhumi (assuming flights are cheaper from Don Muang since they are going to pay much less for airport usage now).

Air Asia is a point to point cheapo carrier.

They also used to be very convenient. Not so anymore. Being cheap doesn't help much if one has to spend a lot more time and money going to the airport. There must be more to this than hits the news. Air Asia is one of the few budget airlines that have been willing to pay the cost of flying to the main airports. The rosy painted press releases are there for a reason, but I'm afraid the long term effect will be very negative for them.

You say that they used to be very convenient. I am sure that for every person who feels that the move is inconvenient there is another who feels it is convenient.

Probably all comes out in the wash.

Very bad news indeed. I don't see any other options than changing to an airline that flies from Swampy. Spending extra time and money getting to Don Mueang isn't an option. Thai Airways will obviously earn a lot from this.

Please explain why you see this as bad news.

It might be great if this helps Air Asia maintain its low prices. And, if you don't want to spend the extra time and money getting to Don Mueang, of course you are free to use another airline.

What about Thai Air? This is gonna cause problems for those returning from home and going onwards to Chaingmai and Phuket etc.... Could well mean a night in BKK in some cases! Around one hour plus to get from one airport to the other at least!!!

Don't quite understand your question about Thai Air.

If Air Asia is not convenient for you then you are free to patronize another airline.

That is the beautify of a competitive marketplace.

How about connection flights? Have to travel a few hours from 1 side of town to the other.

No more Air Asia for me.

I rather pay a bit more and travel from Suvarnabhumi (assuming flights are cheaper from Don Muang since they are going to pay much less for airport usage now).

Where else in the major cities of the world are there connecting flights using two different airports?

I don't believe there are any.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

And no public transport betwen the 2 airports - yet again another ill thought out, stupid scheme

Taxis are cheap enough that the lack of public transportation should present no problem. I am sure that the cab drivers will appreciate the newly-found business.

If that is so, then I will be changing airlines. So long Air Asia. I am not going to Don Muang. Period.

Thank you for sharing.

The us doesnt care if you relinquish your citizenship (sorry to burst your bubble you aint that important to them) and is not going to punish you for it. Many people have been doing it the last few years but guess what they were all very wealthy and could afford to do it and not look back. Personally I think you are just young and foolish enough to believe that all the worlds ills are to blame on the usa, well guess what all 5 permanent members of the un security council are guilty along with every other country in the world, the usa is just the youngest player at the table of corruption and happens to have been top dog for quite some time so they take all the blame. People always seem to forget who always gets asked first to do something when there is a problem in the world and then when it goes bad we take the blame and everyone else runs for cover. Personally i am glad to see china becoming a world power as maybe we can take a break from taking it up the ass every time something bad happens in the world. But dont come crying when you find out they are just as corrupt and self serving as america. There are many countries I know of that will give you citizenship if you invest the required amount of money there just pick your country and google citizenship, you dont have to come on a forum and use taxes as an excuse to air your dislike of your home country. One more thing is thailand would be the last country I would want citizenship in as it is the only country in the world still 95% indigenous, got it falang ?

"Taking it up the ass"? How quaint!

I, too, am confused when many people speak about interest rates of 1%. I am getting more than 6% (albeit before taxes) on my investments. Are people talking about "investing" in a savings account?

Yes I think they are talking about savings accounts interest rates. Show me a bank that will give you more than 6% on your savings?? And I'm not talking about time deposits for a year or on money above 100k gbp....which most people do not have. How are you getting 6% or more on your savings?!!

I never said that my money was in a bank. Sorry if I confused you. I don't consider a bank savings account as an "Investment." For the last seven years I have belonged to a very small group of private investors in Nevada. We lend money only to medical professionals as "bridge loans" to cover outstanding receivables (mostly outstanding government receivables). In all of the years I have invested money with this group not once has there been a default.

If travelling in the USA you might want to note that:

TSA screens every passenger's baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While our technology allows us to electronically screen bags, there are times when we need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA.

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I, too, am confused when many people speak about interest rates of 1%. I am getting more than 6% (albeit before taxes) on my investments. Are people talking about "investing" in a savings account?

Rouge cops are a big problem in Pattaya.

Indeed.

I never could abide policemen wearing make-up.

Snip from Monty Python.

A guy enters a police station just as the head honcho is leaving. He smiles at the top cop and says "Good morning, Super."

The top cop replies with a lisp "Good morning, Wonderful."

How can one lisp if there is no "s"?

So she(it) went down.

Bless.

Callous comment. It?