Simon1287

You are now officially my new hero. Sometimes Aseannow throws up something that makes putting up with all the bickering that goes on more than worth it :) Thank you!

I do hope you are right! but isn't TG910 a 777? Are they making an exception? "Thai Airways flight TG910 is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft"

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/thai-airways-business-class-premium-economy "But things are set to get tighter down the back of the Boeing 777s, which will move from rows of nine-abreast 3-3-3 to a more common 3-4-3 layout during the refit;"

https://www.travelweekly-asia.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/A-fresh-start-for-Thai-Airways-post-bankruptcy I read somewhere else a while back that from this month the 777's were changing to 3-4-3 and just found the above link saying the same. Not sure if that means they all are now or are being done as soon as they can or what. Anyone know?

I believe the Thai Airways flight BKK-LHR (Boeing 777) has now changed from 3-3-3 to 3-4-3 seating. Anyone flown that yet? 3-4-3 sounds pretty cramped on a 777. Better options? Don't do a premium economy do they? Simon

As someone who has, obviously been aware of the situation since the beginning, as we all are, but never looked at it very carefully it would be interesting to hear from the chaps that actually do know far more about what’s going on out there. My view (the view of someone who knows nothing more than what casual readings on the internet have shown him): Ukraine is never, ever and ever going to get the Russians out of what the Russians now consider to be theirs. I see that as a fact which obv Trump does too so whatever happens next has to have that fact taken into account. Anything that does not take that into account may as well not even start. Any other way of thinking is condemning untold more 1000’s upon 1000’s to misery and death for nothing more than the profits of the munitions and medical supplies manufacturers and the multi nationals just waiting in the wings for the huge contracts that will be available for the eventual rebuilding. If there is a way to end it now with any certainty so millions of people can get back to something less horrific then it has to be considered. Putin will never give up what he's taken so far. He would sooner die. To do so would be to admit defeat and that the whole god awful thing was a total waste of everything. He will simply continue fighting until all he has left to use are weapons that must never be used. The Ukrainians have been astounding in their bravery and tenacity but it’s everyone else that is paying to continue the war so everyone else has just as much right to decide what happens next as they do. Probably more so. As with everything else in life, you pay, you choose. No need to jump down my throat over this I am just saying what casual observations lead me to think and I am very curious see what people who have taken far more interest in this subject than I have say is the actual situation so I can be enlightened. I wait with true and genuine interest. Simon

Turn up at an airport and pay the fine you are deemed to have “surrendered yourself to the authorities” and as long as the overstay isn’t silly you pay the fine and away you go home. (I am not up to speed on the exact lengths of times that cause problems these days as I am not stupid enough to overstay) On the other hand, get checked by the authorities anywhere else in Thailand on overstay and you had better be prepared for a world of crap. I cringe when I see people advising people to “not worry about a few days overstay just pay at the airport”. The many farangs I have met over the years who have been whisked off to the IDC in Bangkok for quite minor overstays would most likely cringe too. One was on just 48 hours overstay when he was in an accident in Pattaya in a taxi and the police checked his passport. IDC was his next hotel. Simon

One day, many years ago when I had my then Thai wife with me on a visit back to the UK I was reversing my car out of somewhere with her in the passenger seat. “Can you watch your side and make sure I don’t hit anything” says I. Not a word in reply so I stopped. “Did you hear me?” Says I. “Yes, I hear you” says she so I carried on turning and reversing. BANG! “I thought you said you heard me!” says I. “I did” says she “but I not understand what you say”. The longer you are around them the more you realise they are not just a different coloured version of us their thought processes and views of the world are totally at odds to those of us westerners (and I mean absolutely no disrespect there whatever. Different does not mean any better or worse, just different, which is what makes them fun and interesting) Things stopped surprising me in Thailand 30 years ago. Simon

Yet, I think I may have read somewhere that UK pensioners living in Spain etc still get it, due to some Brexit clause or other?

Big time..

Just watched the video. Puts stuff in a different light doesn't it. You may as well punch a Thai as push them. The result will be much the same usually.

The 5 years ago was when that particular bouncer made that statement. It's always been like that and still is. The bouncers aren't in it just for the money. Last attack I saw was a few months ago. If anything, they are getting more frequent as the perpetrators know they can pretty much get away with it. Though, frankly, more than a small proportion of it is deserved.

Nothings changed. Bar owner by any chance?

Probably 5 years ago. I have witnessed (not only in Pattaya I am including Bangkok) around 7 or 8 pretty much unnecessary attacks by "bouncers" on farangs who's real "crime" was to be a bit drunk (not even behaving particularly badly) or had good reason to dispute a padded bar bill, to know perfectly well that great enjoyment was taken by the "bouncers". I have also witnessed a few attacks that have been thoroughly deserved and would have happily bought the bouncers a drink if they weren't so worked up I would have been flattened too. I have been around Pattaya (and Thailand generally) a lot since about 1994. Long before there were even bars in Soi 7 (a dark quiet soi it was to walk down then) The boy friend of my then girl friend had the very first bar in soi 7 I seem to remember (1995??) so witnessing that number of attacks is still really quite a small number over all those years. I stand by what I said though and if anyone who actually knows the situation there first hand says he disagrees then he is probably a bar owner in soi 6 or somewhere who employs thugs, sorry, bouncers.

Good point. Silly me :)