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33 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Your thinking is flawed. What any country really needs is a robust GDP and tourism is not a robust industry, as many countries around the globe have come to realise.

Thailand and other countries that have a certain dependence on tourism need to look to other sources of revenue to support the GDP.

Yes, but the main focus of the article was tourism. And a healthy tourism sector can add to a countries well being. Very few can survive on just tourism. Not sure your age, but today's youth have more opportunities to travel than any previous generation. 

Like many countries around th world, Thailand, and others,  are feeling nervous. With ever changing rules, anti-vaxers, confrontations on airplanes, etc, they are just unsure what the future will be like.

However my prediction will be places like Thailand, Mexico, Jamaica, sun destinations  that rely on that lower/middle class tourist on their two week holidays will roar back late next year.

I look at advertising , and brochures, from tour operators, airlines etc, to see what is happening. Most of these companies have to plan trips 6 to 12 months in advance. Seeing plenty of promotions for the 18-30 yr old travel group. Admittedly these are just ones out of Canada, but places like Southeast  Asia are prominently advertised.

Also the new rail link from southern China to Vientiane could prove to be a huge boost to this region's tourism sector. Projections are that there could be up to three passenger trains and one, possibly two cargo  trains, per day. A recent  news article  showed there  Will be upwards of a million Chinese visitors using the rail service (up to the Laos border) for the Chinese new year in February. 

Just shows...........

People are people and they want to travel. They are begging governments to open up. How? 

Get people vaccinated. Follow some simple hygiene related rules. Simple. 

Nobody. Absolutely nobody, has the right to Travel! One can not demand  to be let on an airplane, train etc.

Thailand, and others, have  an obligation,  Like it or not, to protect  its citizens to the best of its ability. We may not all agree on how, but nobody should think governments are wanting their citizens  to get  sick, and or, possibly die.

11 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I suppose I’m an old timer I will be 71 in 2 months , live on my own in a villa that is to big for me but I employ a cleaning lady and gardeners to take care of the jobs that take up a lot of my energy . I have the same masseur once per week who does a home visit I don’t smoke or do drugs and am an occasional drinker . I support the local Thai businesses as much as I can I only go to the big stores    when I can’t get it elsewhere . I’m financially sound with no debts I would of thought that I’m the type of Foreigner that would be made welcome in the country but since moving here 16 years ago as each year goes by I get the feeling that is no longer the case . At least those who come and do chores for me appreciate my generosity!

Maybe I am missing something? Reading your post I think the exact opposite. In the grand scheme of things you contribute very little to the economy.

Tourists spend money in bars, restaurants, soapy massages, tourist attractions, bar girls, golf courses, getting medical procedures done, car rentals, hotels, jet skis, festivals, and more.

How much do you pay these people? 300 baht a day perhaps? 5 or 6 people? Two or three days a week?

A 20 year old university student on a two week break probably spends the same, if not more, in a day than you do in a week. 

That's what Thailand needs.

A family of four on three week holiday hitting up Bangkok, Koh  Chang (beach spot), and Chiang mai will spend a small fortune. 

They are who Thailand needs.

The married father of three children, who comes to Thailand on  a buddies week long golfing  holiday. Spends money on golf, bar  girls, more bar girls, some more bar girls, a quick visit to the local medical clinic, drinks,  food, hotel, car rental. Will also spend a small fortune.

This is what Thailand wants.

Your contribution,  which I am sure is appreciated, is not what Thailand really wants to focus on.

I have lived here, off and on, for the past 15 years. I always fail to understand why people say they feel unwelcome. Try and get a tourist visa for your Thai wife to go on a holiday with their spouse and  child (Canadian & Thai citizen) and you may not complain about feeling unwelcome as much.

I personally have only ever had one bad experience with immigration in 15 years. Which was in part my own fault.

Now with the new 90 day reporting website thingy making it a breeze to do that, things  are getting easier.

Last year, 2020, my then  7 yr old needed the test and again this year, now 8 yr old, needed again.

Both for return trips to Canada. Both countries required. Japan Airlines via Tokyo between Bangkok and Vancouver. 

Just to add to this topic. 

I registered yesterday for the first time, and received my notification this morning. 

All in all it took me 15 minutes yesterday and a 24 hour wait time! Brilliant in my opinion.

Nong  Khai  office.

Just as an aside due to circumstances I had previously done via a local agent for 300baht. 

Easy breezy, lemon squeezy.

I do have a printer so that helps, but I am sure easy to do a screen shot on phone. Or any given print shop will help. I printed some stuff from a gmail account and it cost 10 baht. Most seem to have a computer with all the icons for email, chrome, etc already set up. 

Tin Foil needed, aisle 13!

On 12/1/2021 at 12:57 AM, bluehippie said:

If you don't know, say so, BUT STOP LYING to the people. It has seriously eroded confidence levels and people cannot trust anyone or anything now. Big problem now, just stop all the BS.

Most, if not all, scientists who report via main stream media do state that there is more study that needs to be done. This is not CSI where answers are found in an hour. They have been researching these types of viruses for years and can provide very accurate "predictions". 

Then you have Mike The Pillow Guy, whom some people believe knows more than most others.

Sad really.

For work

Canada

USA

Jamaica

Portugal 

Ireland

UK

Dominican Republic

Mexico

Thailand

For Fun

Morocco 

Italy

Spain

Belize

France

Greece

Smattering of other places. 

6 months or longer in the above 

Funny. I live near Nong Khai and at present....at least four of the nearby young ladies (distant family of the wife), all under 18 are pregnant. Most, if not all, our neighbors are dark skinned, wife included. Many have returned home from the resort areas after working in the entertainment industry. Want cheap sex....come to Nong Khai, loaded with sex workers. 

My wife talks about how some far any stink. Told her all I can smell is fish sauce eminating from most of her relatives pores.

If the daily talk is not about food, it is lottery. Most in our village never made it past M3.

Sorry, if an ugly dog walks into a bar just calling it a beautiful swan does not make it so. 

I have lived here for 15 plus years. SOME of what they talk about is spot on. Mean? Racist? 

Just look at the division's in other countries...US, parts of Europe, South America. Ethnic divisions are alive and getting more extreme. Tis the New World Order as I see it.

I am no doomsdayer but believe the world will probably implode by 2065.

Keep looking at my daughter 8 years old thinking the world will probably be a pretty sh*tty place by then 

Truly hope i am wrong. Perhaos compassion will win out! Unlikely though.

24 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

All the above seems to suggest that 2 years conscription means that you go and do things like being in the south getting shot at. 
 

Conscripted service can be very different BIL who won/lost the conscription lottery spent the majority of his time being trained in farming, I don’t know if he ever fired a weapon outside the firing range. AFIK this did not involve any payment.

My wifes family is from Isan so strike number one. Dark skinned, strike number 2, poor! 

Two brothers got picked. Both got injured in some border skirmishes.

Keep praying this luck continues to the next generation with my son.

9 hours ago, bbko said:

I don't know if this is an official policy, but I've heard someone is luk khrueng, they aren't pulled into military service here.

Part of what I have heard about this, though, it is usually a language barrier issue. Not sure.

I have two, one I have begged the local "council" (wink, wink, bribe) to take the sh*t stain of a son. My other one wants to go at eight years of age!

On 9/22/2021 at 9:21 AM, seajae said:

but is it only going to be sold to the rich or can those of us with thai wives/partners own the land we live on as well, just allowing "rich" non thias to own land is absolute BS as it will be bought purely to make a profit on, those of us living on the land we already own with our partners are committed to the long term and to Thailand, profits dont come into it, it is owning our own homes/land for our future and that of our thai families

 

Allowing those that would prefer to live off the land would make more sense. Whether or not married to a Thai. Versus wealthy persons buying up huge swaths of land for personal profit.

I can understand why some Thai people are against it. Land could be scooped up all over Thailand by rich foreigners thus excluding many Thai people from being able to buy. Could drive up prices as well. Look at places like Vancouver in Canada. Supposedly 25% of real estate is owned by Chinese or others who do not live in the country. Price for land or housing is unaffordable by most locals. Rent is sky high. So everybody wants to go to a restaurant, or go shopping at a local mall, but the employees who work in them can not afford to own or rent a property. 

I think the money will win out in Thailand. There is not much long term planning that goes into this stuff.

A bit off topic, but curious. I have had a reply in regards to extensions, that it is needed to be done by October 1st as there is a shake up happening within immigration. 

Anybody with any knowledge to what Might be happening?

Thanks.

7 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Give up on people who are caught up in the use and abuse of drugs ?

Of course NEVER help them.

Fine and/or incarcerate 'Johns' - who perform private acts between consenting adults.

Are you in the Taliban ?

What next - bring back the Auto-Da-Fe ? Thought Police ?

I have spent considerable time around drug users. Here, North America, Europe. Seems you may have also. As such you know that the last thing your going to get a drug user to do is quit voluntarily. Only ever seen it happen a dozen or so times. So yah, at some point one gives up. Similar to anti-vac people. Their body, their choice. Except it seems when it comes to womens reproductive rights and choices.

As for hookers. As i mentioned with another poster there is probably 1 or 2 percent who are consenting to physical act of sex. Many are forced either by economics, or threats. That is hardly as you put it "between consenting adults".

If you paid a hooker $1,000usd a day to stay home and bake cookies. Or. Sleep with 5-10 people a day taking risks of disease, violence, or death, of which they get to keep less than half what they earn, are you implying they would continue working in the sex trade?

What do you call it when one party is forced to commit an act, and the other party  wantingly commits one?

Consenting is not a word that first pops into my head.

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

We live in different universes. I know one ex-sex worker who saved up 4 million baht, built herself a beautiful home on family land, that her and her folks live in. She also bought some land, planted 15 rai of fruit orchards, bought a mini mart, and is doing well. Stiffer penalties for Johns? Drive the industry further underground, so it is less safe for the women involved? That is a solution, or is that Nancy Reagan speaking? 

 

I know another who started a travel agency, bought a few motorbikes, and eventually built it up to 30 bikes for rentals. She now owns a nice house too. I know a number who have been successful.

 

And I know countless people who enjoy an occasional smoke. Does this make them a drug user? Many are multi millionaire businessmen. 

Like I said everybody knows one or two sex workers who have done well. People also win the lottery. Some estimate that there could be upwards of a million people involved in the trade. Most are never going to live past 40 let alone be a "millionaire".

Many functioning drug users. Again sure there are a couple "millionaire" or why not "billionaire" businessmen (no women?). 

How many strung out junkies do you think there are versus your rich friends? I would say 100 of thousands. 

Don't consider the pot smoker any different than your average drunk at the bar. Pretty harmless. But in the end they give up something in enjoying their habit. Same as obese people who eat KFC and complain they cant lose weight. At some point we all pay a price for our indulgences. 

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Fairly harsh stuff. So, every gal who looks for a man to support her, and her family, in an attempt to raise herself up from a life of poverty, is a hooker to you? And anyone who relaxes with a blunt of ganga, or partakes at a party is a druggie? How about medical cannabis? Same judgment level? 

Harsh? No, not really. I have no problems with someone being a hooker or druggie. That does not mean I have to like what they do.

There have been very few that have lifted themselves out of poverty. Yah, sure "everybody" knows so and so who is now a bar owner etc. There are/were over 100,000 suspected hookers and most are as poor, or worse off, than when they started. 

Better education, job training, counseling, free housing, free child care and support, stiffer penalties for Johns. Many ways to tackle the issues that drive people into this area. Just society deems most of them as unimportant, throw aways. And that is not right.

Same goes for druggies. The 1 out of 100,000 using medicinal purposes. Fine. I have worked with many, many drug users in my time. At some point I gave up on most of them. Just in our little spot in NE Thailand there are probably 30 or 40 users out of the 100 or so that make up the local village. Many are related to my wife and her brothers. In the past 15 years or so just gotten tired of going to one funeral after another. Not sure if you have been around one at the end of their life....not much positive is happening for them. 

Harsh? No. 

4 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

The war on drugs is the greatest ideological failure of the 21st century.  The countries with the lowest drug abuse have the laxest laws.  Legalize drugs and providing counseling and education will reduce crime, reduce incentives to push drugs illegally and reduce drug deaths.  Mad. 

I am not a big fan of drugs, drug dealers, or druggies.

As such I do believe in the idea of legalizing it. But even go one step farther. 

Governments should contract it out to one supplier. Make the product safe, cheap, and plentiful. In less than a year you would do away with the issue. 

Take the profits and invest in rehab and counseling programs. 

I Don't pretend to know a lot about this issue, but...

Immigration Office A: perhaps they were trying to help you by stating you could get a new B visa, but if you went back to their office. 

Immigration Office B: mu understanding is you are required to leave the country to obtain a new B visa so they offered what they could.

There is a visa company that advertises on this site that may be able to help.

Good luck, but perhaps with the re-opening of certain provinces happening with lockdowns being somewhat lifted, there may be chance in the next month or two.

Perhaps not helpful right now. 

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

And will that be for free? 

She is a University student by the reads of things, so she is probably on some sort of grant, or other social assistance program. As such she will be able to afford to stay in Thailand for quite some time. As most are not paid out in one lump sum, this could explain why she does not have the money immediately.

Ah, to be a young, dumb, and full of c*m travelling student.