kimbathewhitelion

If I had a pie craving & was stuck in Bangkok, 1) The Pizza Company & 2) Pizza Hut, but whatever I didn't finish after that sitting I would walk it out then & there to the trash bin. So far best pizza in Thailand have been at non-franchise restaurants/bars in the more outskirts areas, like Issan & Krabi (mainland).

The Dominos Thai version as in quality is...much, much different than I've tasted/seen in the USA.

In America, "pre-prepared" or fast food chains gave destroyed real pizza everywhere except in those struggling hard to find mom & pop shops. Such as "Big Mamas" (small chain, but closer to fresh), "Joe Peeps" "Barones"...etc., even in New York, the "New York Style" is just about gone, surrendered to "reheated", process-everything cheaper varieties.

Had Dominos twice in BK over the past 6-7 months. There's one straightforward test you can always do with a pizza to check "topping" quality, and this Dominos was interesting. Just put it on a plate (1 slice), into the frig & wait for morning. If it still looks like cheese and soft (given most refrigerated Mozzy), it's cheese, but if it has solidified than it's processed.

Finally if the cheese looks like a translucent, congealed glue-like substance. That is, if you can only lightly see the white cheese color, but mostly see clear through to the sauce underneath. It's obviously fake cheese of unknown ingredients. In addition if the toppings are not only few & largely spaced in identical grouping, of exactly the same amount (counted) for every pizza. At that point you can be sure you have the (omitted) version.

(Understanding the rules, will not say anything directly negative about Thai or any Thai business in Thailand)

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Sorry but you are not making any sense to me.

Had Dominos twice in BK over the past 6-7 months. There's one straightforward test you can always do with a pizza to check "topping" quality, and this Dominos was interesting. Just put it on a plate (1 slice), into the frig & wait for morning. If it still looks like cheese and soft (given most refrigerated Mozzy), it's cheese, but if it has solidified than it's processed.

If you like it eat it. If you don't like it don't eat it.

If you like it why do you want to test the cheese. Makes no difference. You are not going to eat enough of it to harm you in any way unless you are allergic to cheese.

Excuse me sir I really like your Pizza but I don't like what you make it with.

DUH.

What doesn't make sense, I can try 'simple English' if that helps. You need to be an American to understand, excluding those born in the 50s. Seems only a few tend to have that nonlinear mind set. Like cattle, always thinking, "I'm a cow....so I'm a cow". A creative mind is bliss. Another way to look at it, say someone spit in your burger & you knew it, would you just eat it if it still looked good, well maybe. Shorter, would you blindly eat anything any vendor gives you, esp with food which is most likely much worse for your body than any western nation fast food franchise (no detailed ingredients, no quality control, no safety control, no liability).

However...however how I read your words, I know it will never make sense. Go back to your donuts.

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Efficiency that is. Not that the Hospitals use coupons or pay cards.

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Christ! This is one of the dumbest questions I've seen here ever! Why would there be more of a problem? Whether a card or coupons, the central database keeps track of all monies exchanged, seems much more efficient than many Western Nations & the same goes with at least all the International Hospitals but also a lot of University Hospitals as well.

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You should feel very lucky that he paid any medical costs. Your experience is very golden & a bit surprising that the man didn't have you charged with jay walking or causing his accident.

I was clipped by a car & thrown from the bike in a very crowded tourist area, the police impounded my bike, then sometime between them impounding it & me (falling in & out of consciousness) being carried by a stretcher into the ambulance (small pickup with a shell), my expensive phone, US strapped Riding goggles were stolen. My wallet which was tightly fitted in my front pocket was also cleaned out (about 10k). And so happens, days after, the police had no record of the accident. Did find the bike in police impound. Though it was insured thru the rental place, I was still given the lie that it wasn't & thus had to pay a marked up price to fix it, despite showing up with half my face in bandages. Found out later after paying for the repairs, the bike was insured. My hired daily taxi driver offered to help. She got a copy of the insurance policy from the owner so I could take advantage of Gov med reimbursement portion covered under the policy.

You are VERY lucky, to get someone with a good heart, it could easily of gone a completely different direction.

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Actually it is plain good marketing for Asia, i.e. catering to Thai tastes, specific to each region, just like Shrimp flavored Lays potato chips. Fish, Squid, Shrimp or Seafood in general on a Pizza is a better option for countries which thru the generations have/had a consistent intake of such. Take whatever specialities & put it on a pizza. Forgot where, but I had a India style spicy Tandoori Chicken with a yellow curry replacing the tomato sauce...fantastic! Can you imagine a Penang Pork Curry pizza....hmmmmm.

Thailand has cows, has all the means. The country is very capable of making proper bread & cheese, they're just stuck in that Third-World forever theme. As long as we get our import tax money, progress means nothing. Even with the heat, they do have access to the huge climate controlled environments (just have to build them) & facilities for quality control (lol).

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If I had a pie craving & was stuck in Bangkok, 1) The Pizza Company & 2) Pizza Hut, but whatever I didn't finish after that sitting I would walk it out then & there to the trash bin. So far best pizza in Thailand have been at non-franchise restaurants/bars in the more outskirts areas, like Issan & Krabi (mainland).

The Dominos Thai version as in quality is...much, much different than I've tasted/seen in the USA.

In America, "pre-prepared" or fast food chains gave destroyed real pizza everywhere except in those struggling hard to find mom & pop shops. Such as "Big Mamas" (small chain, but closer to fresh), "Joe Peeps" "Barones"...etc., even in New York, the "New York Style" is just about gone, surrendered to "reheated", process-everything cheaper varieties.

Had Dominos twice in BK over the past 6-7 months. There's one straightforward test you can always do with a pizza to check "topping" quality, and this Dominos was interesting. Just put it on a plate (1 slice), into the frig & wait for morning. If it still looks like cheese and soft (given most refrigerated Mozzy), it's cheese, but if it has solidified than it's processed.

Finally if the cheese looks like a translucent, congealed glue-like substance. That is, if you can only lightly see the white cheese color, but mostly see clear through to the sauce underneath. It's obviously fake cheese of unknown ingredients. In addition if the toppings are not only few & largely spaced in identical grouping, of exactly the same amount (counted) for every pizza. At that point you can be sure you have the (omitted) version.

(Understanding the rules, will not say anything directly negative about Thai or any Thai business in Thailand)

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Nick Nolte

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Isn't it great that a certain nation has a very low passport per population ratio.

The op and his abusive replies does nothing but show a bad reflection on him.

And not the first time may I add"..........

It's only abusive if you're really that sensitive or your stuck in stubborn set of values. Otherwise it's appropriate when you or me are being insulting, To reply as it was dealt. Have to guess you probably only see my replies but too lazy to go back through all the previous threads to see why it came to that point in exchange. It's just really annoying when so many people here, twist or spin off your words or discussions into something completely different. Adding or making stuff up & then attacking you for it.

I'm guessing I seriously hurt your feelings at some point, well, I assume you're an adult, reply in kind.

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Actually OZ, your post wasn't too bad in a sea of tin foil hat brigaders who never let a good crisis, real or imagined, go to waste.

Never the less, be on the lookout for a full staff of IRS agents assigned to Bangkok. They are watching. And waiting.

Another, excuse me (omitted), person who didn't read the OP! Never even mentioned the US Gov (only the US). Used the "US" in reference to the FATCA Law or VISA as in debit/credit cards. Never even broached anything in regards to the IRS. I did quote another member off the Banking Forum & did credit his member name.

So another reason justifiable to not give a blanket apology. NO ONE EVER READS thoroughly through the OP! They (many of you) just pick out a few words & then just make up the rest.

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Oh my goodness! I'm going to ignore that amazingly petty attack from oz893 and simply answer his question.

Obviously he doesn't read my posts very well. I'm very obviously an American, with a U.S. credit card from a U.S. credit union. They don't have "credit unions" in the U.K. I have a U.K. based health insurance company -- the coverage is good everywhere in the world except the U.S. I know at least twenty other Americans in Chiang Mai who are covered by the same company. In case you hadn't heard, Medicare doesn't provide coverage outside the U.S.

The depth of oz893's ignorance about the U.S. gov't, its programs and how U.S. citizens living overseas should prepare themselves is amazing. He's the last one who should be "sounding a warning" for US travelers and tourists. Apparently he thinks that Medicare is going to pay for health care for U.S. citizens overseas!

You just stated many things which I never even mentioned, how can there be ignorance when there was no discussion. Two things really only discussed. FATCA which does exist & what is happening to me & the big no explanation of why, are true as with all real life experiences. Everything else was a result of and/or for discussion. Not ignorance, so left-wing liberal of you. What's the point to having freedom of speech if your discussions & opinions have to be limited to other people set values or fall under the microscope of censorship. Little extra drama, I admit, but was seriously worried. After all, only Thailand was being singled out.

"Also didn't bother reading your posts because, why would I? Saw you use the term "conspiracy" at some point & also go into off topic issues, like "transfers" or ATM usage, just ignored you. But I didn't put a spin on those of which you threw lies at me. Quit your bashing & reply in the "yes I'm not senile yet" normal attitude or leave & go back to counting your medicine.

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What kind of world do you come from where it is appropriate when you make an error to attack others with words like, "those little white spittle clumps forming at the corners of your mouth."

You make me ashamed to be an American.

Your shame is yours alone, where I come from, it's called polite sarcasm.

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(stupid interconnect App with the terrible "reply" button location)

(Continuing question to "NancyL")

.....bank, thus UK based credit cards. If so you're speaking off topic & your opinions don't apply.

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Just to clarify, "NancyL" as you mentioned you have UK based Health Insurance, so are you a UK Citizen with a UK Based

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Well, oz893 it was good of you to come back and let us know that it was a problem just between you and your bank and not a vast conspiracy on the part of the U.S. gov't to deny you the use of your money and freedom of movement around the globe. It would have been easy just to slink away.

But your original post was the height of paranoia, wasn't it? Somehow you managed to work FBAR and FATCA into the fact that you had communication problems with your bank.

What is amazing, too, is the number of people who were eager to jump on the same train with you!

Wouldn't it have been more responsible to title the thread "Anyone having problems with their US-issued credit card?" and using it to gather information about why you might be having a problem, rather than sounding the alarm? Most of us who are living overseas have experienced the same problem you're having at least once.

My most recent case was when our U.K.-based health insurance company tried to charge our annual premium this year. It was denied because the credit card company "thinks" we're in Thailand, not the U.K. A simple phone call took care of the problem and the charge went thru. No need to think the U.S. gov't was behind the denial of the charge!

Actually, I still do, just letting it go right now. Doing the w/d & paying at 7/11 is no big deal. Per my follow up post, there was no explanation WHY all credit transactions are blocked before leaving Thailand, i.e. stopping at the authorization process at the cash register or blocked at the "verifying payment" point after submitting payment via a Thai company website. I can still use the credit (VISA) transactions with the (tested) neighboring countries. Nothing has changed, but just have doubts now & with such have to withdrawal my claims.

A little clarification, I wasn't blaming the US Gov, based on the law, was blaming the confusion created here in Thailand over understanding the new law which directly affects US citizens & overseas banks. Though a bit disappointed, most US laws & bills are very long & overly complicated with little explanation.

Hope you got your anger out now, can almost see those little white spittle clumps forming at the corners of your mouth.

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Correction & Apologizes to Tourists for the hasty post. Members, well, too many Trolls to sort thru.

I 'higher up' representative called me last night from the East Coast HQ. Apparently previous information provided by the lower-end representatives were incomplete. This was just happening to me, at some point (probably just before April) my overseas status was removed from my account. Though the ATM was working all Credit Transactions were blocked. Still wasn't explained why they were blocked before leaving Thailand thus no records with the US Bank & also doesn't explain why it was only happening in Thailand. But the Rep said he reapplied the overseas status & everything should be fine now. Haven't tried yet. But letting it go just the same.

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Sorry, retract "Trolls" and replace with "only those Idiots members who don't read the OP & just post irrelevant information"

If there is an Admin around, please close the post.

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You should not call members idiots because they did not ready through the entire thread before making a comment. Allot of us work during the day so only read posts later and post a comment before reading through 3-4 pages. calling someone like me an "idiot" because I posted before I read the complete post is wrong. I dont always have time to read all the pages which most of the time is dribble bickering between members. I think another apology is due.

No apology for someone implying I said something that I didn't or that I don't know how to travel outside my own country. But if I did travel so far without informing my bank, ATM access would also be blocked. I would get a message at the ATM display advising me to contact my bank. But to be polite, I will agree to retract that term, "Idiots" and replace it with "mis-informed, slow, forgetful or just lazy".

Otherwise, apology to the tourists, but as far as most members, they're already well informed enough to read & then shrug it off. What's left is as you say, many bickering members (irrelevant) or people talking about something that is a non-discussion point to the OP (like you, no offense).

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I suspect the issue is something to do with your bank.

I think so as well The OP must not have advised his card companies of his trip itinerary and it is an automatic reject when a card is used outside of the users norm.

See, another idiot who didn't read my post which right there next to yours. The "overseas status was removed" by the bank just this month probably by accident & most likely by some low end functionary.

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Correction & Apologizes to Tourists for the hasty post. Members, well, too many Trolls to sort thru.

I 'higher up' representative called me last night from the East Coast HQ. Apparently previous information provided by the lower-end representatives were incomplete. This was just happening to me, at some point (probably just before April) my overseas status was removed from my account. Though the ATM was working all Credit Transactions were blocked. Still wasn't explained why they were blocked before leaving Thailand thus no records with the US Bank & also doesn't explain why it was only happening in Thailand. But the Rep said he reapplied the overseas status & everything should be fine now. Haven't tried yet. But letting it go just the same.

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Sorry, retract "Trolls" and replace with "only those Idiots members who don't read the OP & just post irrelevant information"

If there is an Admin around, please close the post.

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Also all who didn't read the OP, it was just Credit/Debit Transaction via VISA.

ATM & Wire Transfer were WITHOUT ISSUES.

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Correction & Apologizes to Tourists for the hasty post. Members, well, too many Trolls to sort thru.

I 'higher up' representative called me last night from the East Coast HQ. Apparently previous information provided by the lower-end representatives were incomplete. This was just happening to me, at some point (probably just before April) my overseas status was removed from my account. Though the ATM was working all Credit Transactions were blocked. Still wasn't explained why they were blocked before leaving Thailand thus no records with the US Bank & also doesn't explain why it was only happening in Thailand. But the Rep said he reapplied the overseas status & everything should be fine now. Haven't tried yet. But letting it go just the same.

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The post was regarding REAL visits, mainly of the the beauty of the Thailand landscape, why to come...not what a friend referred you to.

The real Thailand, preferably Krabi or South...the islands or inland - Issan. If all anyone just wants a beautiful woman, go to Spain, Mexico or Brazil or anywhere!

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To be fair to the U.S. banks, they want to continue business with U.S. customers as they have for some time.

But as I was told by a banker, the new regulations are 900 pages of legal language.

And some parts of that 900 pages seem even to the lawyers who deal with such law to often be contradictory with other sections of the same act.

Therefore, some banks in the U.S. have just stopped their services outside of the U.S. even for long time customers, at least until their lawyers can clarify what they recommend what the Bank can do.

Right now the large banks and credit card issuers are trying to get a take on that 900 pages of contradictory legal babble that the U.S. Congress passed and trying to understand what they can and cannot do legally to provide service to their customers.

Even the lawyers are confused, and this new laws almost certainly will need to be resolved in court cases to determine exactly what can be done legally.

My small bank in New England, for example, will do longer do wire transfers outside the U.S unless they have written authorization from that foreign bank for each wire transfer request.

In my case, as I was just told last week by my small U.S. bank EACH wire transfer of f funds from my U.S. account to my Bangkok Bank account will now require a written request for that wire transfer from the Bangkok Bank before it will ne approved by my U.S, bank.

It appears to ne that if you establish a U.,S. Citibank account you can still do funds transfers to Citibank Thailand.

Bank of America also still says that you can do transfers from your U.S. Bank of America account to a foreign Bank of America account with no problems.

Even my small regional New England bank that will no longer fo wire transfers out of the U.S. told me that I could use the ATM/debit card overseas for ATM funds transfers but ONLY if I get my ATM/debit card first authorized to "allow overseas use" before they will allow foreign ATM or foreign on-line use of that ATM/debit card (MasterCard based ATM/debit card).

Bottom line ..... U.S banks are not really sure what is legal and not legal to so under these new banking "standards" so what's true today may not be true tomorrow.

P.S. I am currently back in U.S. and talking to U.S. banks about transferring money (U.S. pension) to Thailand.

P.P.S As the saying goes, everything has it Pros and Cons.

Progress moves things forward and makes things better

But then (in the U.S.) we also have the U.S. Congress.

Have BofA as well as a secondary account, but with "other fees" the $45 wire transfer went to $60 in the past year. Appreciate if you have any other Bank locale advice.

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Can't hurt for US travelers to know there is an real crack down on the Gov "wanting to know where the money is or going", to be prepared, thus have enough ATM access to cash rather than just relying on Credit Cards.

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You are starting rumors. Shi* stirring. No one else is having any problems. It is a very chicken littleish thing to do.

What real crack down are you talking about specifically? Has anyone else experienced it? Did you ask your US bank why they were declining (if they were declining) charges in Thailand?

Come back and tell us why your US bank is not honoring charges in Thailand.

Read the OP, no charges were reported to the US Bank(s), all transactions stopped at the initial processing point -Thai Banks.

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Can't hurt for US travelers to know there is an real crack down on the Gov "wanting to know where the money is or going", to be prepared, thus have enough ATM access to cash rather than just relying on Credit Cards.

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Just a heads up to be aware. More of a note to Tourists traveling...the need too be aware. And it's not my US bank or Banks. Maybe different with US Banks that have branch locations in Thailand.

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Think this maybe a repercussion from the new US FATCA law/enforcement.

Have to quote "Jingthing" for this one:

"Nobody has said that all Thai banks are now refusing all new American accounts.

It's just that based on international news of major changes in enforcement from the U.S. forcing all foreign banks to do extra stuff for American accounts and that sometimes meaning refusal of American business, that we are now on ALERT now for DETAILS about how that is going to manifest itself in Thailand.

This topic is as legitimate as they come. This thread and others are going to be very relevant to Americans in Thailand for as long as it takes for us to better understand what's going to happen here in regard to this new enforcement."

Throughout this April of 2014, not one of my VISA or VISA Debit charges using my US account has been approved. Even if they were to bypass the stripe on the back & punch in the numbers...authentication NOT approved. The ATM withdrawals are all fine. Also no problems with Wire transfer or opening accounts as I just walked into Bangkok Bank today & easily opened a new account. Seems only Credit transactions using a US bank regardless if it's a Debit card are blocked.

1st off checked with my US Bank(s) & there's no holds/pending/insufficient funds/blocks or any problems on the US side. Actually, with all declined charges (many times buying from the Thai International Markets or Tesco/Lotus or any of the large shopping centers), including tests I did for just 500-1000 baht charges, the US Bank(s) reported there was NO history of such transactions.

Luckily "Agoda" & "Booking.com" aren't Thai companies, I was able to book my accommodations for an upcoming trip, but my "Nok Air" (Thai Airline) booking was refused due to "Credit Card Error". Had to do it the old fashion way & book the trip using "Counter Service"....withdrawal from the ATM & pay at 7/11. "Air Asia" also still works as it's not a Thai airline.

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