Kaoboi Bebobp

Maybe 5 to 10 baht was the intended increase but Marlboro Lights went up by 25 baht from 95 to 120 baht around where I live

Gulp. My cigs are normally 98. So this means 123 baht/$3.50US. Last night at 7-11 still old price.

Ugh! The higher-tax Mild Sevens (already premium priced at 98 baht) arrived at my local 7-11. 125 baht/pack! This disagreeable increase translates into a 27.6% hike. I'm guessing a significant percentage of the premium-brand smoking residents of Thailand is composed of foreigners who buy L&M, Marlboros and Mild Seven. The lucky Thailand treasury.

Didn't believe it but just confirmed. Higher excise tax was activated last night at midnight, two days after the announcement. Supposed to add 5-10 baht a pack. Earlier today I was charged the usual price for my brand. So 7-11 is waiting for new stocks, it seems, to raise the price.

Not surprising since the duty-free cartons have gone up at least three times (630/650/700) since late 2014, now set at 700 baht for my brand, Mild Seven. In Cambodia, my brand is 55 baht/pack. But it won't surprise me if Cambodia raises it taxes as part of the ASEAN cabal.

Seeing as ASEAN started in 1967, don't you think they would have done it by now ?

Seeing as ASEAN Economic Community's harmonized trade and labour relations were activated Jan 1, 2016, there might be more of a chance for, well, harmonized pricing to an extent.

Maybe 5 to 10 baht was the intended increase but Marlboro Lights went up by 25 baht from 95 to 120 baht around where I live

Gulp. My cigs are normally 98. So this means 123 baht/$3.50US. Last night at 7-11 still old price.

Hmmm, the vehemence with which the bar girls attacked the teachers tells me they entertained the Canadians but didn't get a tip or a drink, compounding the issue by claiming they did not have enough money. Bar girls have been known to go crazy in this situation. It's very likely the "teachers" didn't know how things work in Thailand go-go bars or were too cheap.

But the claim the teachers didn't have enough money for 4 drinks each (based on the PattayaOne comment) and even crazier claim that two nearby men threw their bill in with the teachers, make the teachers' story highly implausible.

The bar erred by not calling the police immediately and erred even more by "beating" them up.

Didn't believe it but just confirmed. Higher excise tax was activated last night at midnight, two days after the announcement. Supposed to add 5-10 baht a pack. Earlier today I was charged the usual price for my brand. So 7-11 is waiting for new stocks, it seems, to raise the price.

Not surprising since the duty-free cartons have gone up at least three times (630/650/700) since late 2014, now set at 700 baht for my brand, Mild Seven. In Cambodia, my brand is 55 baht/pack. But it won't surprise me if Cambodia raises it taxes as part of the ASEAN cabal.

Max Valu can be found around Bangkok. I quite like them for in-house prepared meals and sweets that are very quite decent on the fly and cheap.

I think the Harbor Mall is going to give Big C some sleepless nights. Big C Extra Mall really needs a complete overhaul and renovation. Just like Fortune Town IT Mall did when Central Plaza Rama 9 moved in across Ratchada in BKK. FTown is all the better for it.

JT, that's what the OP is saying, that they don't use meters. Yes, never. I imagine tourists who don't know taxis have never used meters are complaining, plus other complaints. But nothing will happen, I suppose.

Canadian passport photo specs are oversized. I got mine at a Kodak shop on Buakhao, south of Lengkee/Diana. About 40 metres south of the corner 7-11, same side. The shop has a big yellow Kodak sign. But you have to tell them white background and no photoshopping. After explaining the situation and showing the specs to the shop, the embassy accepted the product.

Yup. I always pay in cash because once the credit card transaction is processed, I lose lots of money after exchange rates from Thai baht. I had one Bangkok hotel use my CC for full payment before I even arrived. I now put in a note with the booking I will pay in cash, as well as selecting Pay Cash in the Booking.com menu asking how I wish to pay. I've found booking.com to be very good over about 30-40 bookings.

This story is on every SEA forum and FB group page I'm a member of. Reaction ranges from head smacking to head smacking.

Vietnam has made it very hard to stay in the country long-term by restricting visas to 3-month single and multi-entry ones. There are backdoors, which is pretty much how VN operates anyway. Nearly all visas are provided by third parties, otherwise known as agents. Providers have been listed on FB expat sites, such as for Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An/Da Nang. Probably others, too.

I have met a few more beach-siders over here this year, particularly at Murphy's Pub on Khao Noi and Lucky Time on Nern Pub Wan. Overall, Thai and foreign folks are much nicer. And prices are cheaper. I just had a full service on the moto. 190 baht. Even I was taken aback. But I don't recommend coming over here. It takes 4.5 hours roundtrip. The only u-turn is in Samut Prakan.

One of the best tourist/vacation/expat retirement destination threads I've ever encountered. Years ago I too thought I had to visit The Philippines but rejected it for its high risks. I was not wrong then and now convinced I would not be wrong today. As said above, there are many other places to visit yet. Thanks all.

^^^The Bangkok-Pattaya bus uses this road to enter the bus station from the back side.

Moonseeker, the Hooter's bosses should hand you $10,000US to clean the place up. Seriously.

From the video, not a single greeter or staffer near the front. Could see the heads of two staffers rushing to tables but it looks woefully under-staffed, as you say. These stories are legion in Pattaya and Thailand in general, but I know two restaurants that suffered because of lack of staff: one had to close (Darkside fast-food place with long thread on Pattaya subforum) and another had to close down morning operations and open mid-afternoon. Another way around it seems to be to hire only Cambodia/Burmese staff. A friend owns and runs a small but respected Japanese bar/resto on soi 33 Bangkok. All Burmese and all with proper work permits. She has no staffing problems. Ahem . . .

A burger 490 + 7% + 10%. = $16US. Imported beef? I guess patrons are paying for the Russian eye candy. I can't imagine they come cheap, probably paid more than the Thai girls. Still, it looks like a busy place. I think its attraction has to be it's "just like back home."

Selling a car in Pattaya last month both seller and buyer were asked for a residence certificate, I had my yellow house book with me and that was accepted.

Yep. Sold a moto a couple of years ago and BOTH buyer and seller need proof of residence in Banglamung (Pattaya).

I only do salad bar at sizzlers. V good

Are the balloons free?

Supplied with the uniform.

^^^The story is from the Phnom Penh post, nothing to do with Thailand. The paper's info probably came from a Khmer freelancer, whose English might not be ideal. Nevertheless, I'm happy to hear the police nabbed the guy.

Makro is packed. Tesco South Sukhumvit was the busiest I've ever seen. Incredible. Traffic has been bad for several days on Sukhumvit.

I tried to look for parking space for the car inside Big C Xtra today , no chance , had to park outside. It's very crowded here right now. Can't remember last time it was so busy.

Yeah, Big C today was the craziest I have ever seen it. The moto parking area outside the food-court side went right around the dip and into what I think is a private parking area. Only one grocery cart left when I entered the supermarket. Up to November, many times I had a choice of which empty cashier's desk to use.

Tropo wrote:

In some areas (where I'm spending money) I have given up saying "hello" or "thank you" to save the embarrassment of being snubbed.

I've shelved my civilities too recently. Over on the beach side, that is. I don't make any effort anymore, since nothing is ever returned and eyes averted as soon as you've paid and they interrupt "service" by carrying on chatting with the boys. If that's how clerks in Friendship (ha!) and Big C want it, I'll just grab and walk. The Foodland cashiers might as well be automatons as they exhibit zero personality and are reading from a script (as the manager is usually hovering nearby). For contrast, over here on the Darkside, folks are pretty friendly and helpful. Must be a time warp. LOL

For striking contrast, it's when you come back from a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam (somewhat) do you realize how really bad service is here in Bangkok and Pattaya. In fact, I've met many former Thailand expats in these two countries who mention this poor service trend, among many other things. I will be following them next month.

So the taxis in Bangkok are not refusing to take you - they're just refusing to use their meters? Why not just pay the flat-rate and be done with it on the odd occasion you need to get home after drinking? Is that really a time you need to make a stand (on principle) to find honest taxi drivers? How much more money are we looking at to pay the flat-rate over what the metered fee should be?

Nope, in almost all cases they just outright refused to take me anywhere. I don't know what destination they would be OK with, but running up from Sukhumvit to Ratchada soi 3 or On Nut BTS area seems hardly, well, I don't know what they were thinking. But I really think they wanted to capture a tourist who would fall for a 300 baht flat rate to their hotel. But since I spoke in Thai, they thought me too "ordinary". The stupid thing is, taxi drivers must know most farangs almost always tip big so I can only think they were looking for the "whale", in Las Vegas terms. Or so I heard in movies.

And, Tropo, I know the difference between a no-option refusal and the need to get home, flat-rate or meter.

This would be OK if they had a good system of public transport. The lack of metered taxis here is a real pain.

Sure but that still does not excuse drinking and driving.. sure you will get gouged for hiring a baht bus but if you can afford to get drunk you can afford that ride too. You might even take a cheap hotel to sleep it off.

Agreed. But 2 beers in an hour or so puts you over the limit and at risk of going to jail. It's been documented these devices are not 100% accurate here. Impossible to get a baht bus near my house. And very difficult to get them if you are away from Central Pattaya. Try finding any sort of transport near the lake after midnight. Very difficult, and no hotels are right next to many of these establishments.

Again, lack of metered taxis, like in Bangkok, is a real problem.

Sure but then just don't drink if you know you have to drive. It is annoying but that is just how it is. What do you think the prices of taxi's will be in BKK at night during newyear.. metered taxi's will extract sums of money too. So just let your wife drive or someone else that does not drink.

My experience in Bangkok the last few months -- I visit 2-3 times a month -- is that taxi service is getting far worse. I've had more refusals late evening this fall than all 10 or so years combined. I've had 4-5 refusals to go to On Nut or Ratachada before I finally found one to take me home. This at midnight. They are flat-rating almost exclusively now (even if not raining), refusing to go anywhere other than a few blocks and GrabTaxi is useless in my experience (accepted/rejected every time!).

Since last Christmas, when Pattaya roadside checks escalated, I've pretty much stay on the Darkside where I live. And before the anti-drinking nazi's pile on, I don't drink much, a couple bottle of light beers and then home. But I don't trust the police tests, which might incriminate me when I'm not anywhere near the limit.

I find it hard to believe a minor -- she's 15 for crying out loud -- can be sued in any civilized country. So how can this Thai legal charade even get started? Probably for the same reason RTP can open an investigation into the statement by the US Ambassador who has diplomatic immunity. It truly is a medieval kingdom. (I really can't write any more as I felt I had to self-censor. This is when you realize many things are not right.)

Regarding some posters having left or planning to leave Thailand: I've been struggling with this issue for about 6 months now. There are many things here that work for me. But day in and day out, I see more and more negatives, and some scary ones, after five straight years here and 11 years of multiple visits per year. All I can say is I'm sitting on the fence but the last few months, my feet have been dangling on the other side, wherever that may be.

Just sayin', but I'm with the folks who are seeing more western couples around town. I'm seeing more (older) couples, including Russians, in Big C Extra, Friendship and Foodland as well as in the sub-sois and the cinemas, even over here on the Darkside. I think there's definitely been an uptick in numbers.

If you want something close to a real beer from the 7-11 coolers, try the Swedish import Pistonhead Kustom Lager. A black can. You will be surprised at the flavour. Only 44 baht. Some 7-11s in Bangkok sell it at 42 baht. I keep forgetting to buy it in Pattaya. It seems like it's only available through 7-11. If it ever shows up in the bars, it will be a big hit.