crumpled

Now people are getting heavy with the currency talk and jargon

What I and others like me are looking at is how much more we get week on week for our £'s.

52.5 (2nd Dec) Mastercard rate (I use mastercard because I pay no transaction fees) and rising agian today. That is still way way better than the sub 45 not so many months ago.

It also means more beer per £. Penioners on a fixed income are smiling and flashing their false teeth in the bars and shops - what a 'wonderful' sight.

Just don't tell the g/f wife you are now better off

Definitely don't tell the b/g's. They might push your rates up even further

RIP to all

...and shame on those responsible

...shame on those, treating this like the Olympics of Idiocy: You shot first! No, you shot first!

Have to agree with that sentiment.

Very sad too IMHO that so many foreigners on here have to bitch and fight amongst each other each time one of these events happens.

So many new names crop up on here each time in what seems like attempts to inflame the situation here.Is there not enough of that going on in Bangkok already without these know alls doing so here too?

Hopefully the country will see some peace for the Kings birthday and that sense might be allowed to rise from that and sensible talks begin between all parties.

Fly. Better than a derailment as the link posted ^^^.

I decided to fly this time. Last time I took the train it arrived 4 hours late. A fun way to travel though, chat to other people and stuff.

Update.....

I fly on the 4th. Got my visa and passport back today.

Yes, they are inundated with applications apparently and processing them as fast as they can and issuing the visas near to the fly dates.

Maybe ease the worries of one or two people.

Make sure you are applying in good time

All's well that ends well.

Ludicrous in the extreme. You had just one further Postal delivery day prior to departure. I assume Taylor at the Consulate would have met the cost of another flight and ancillary costs should the Passport not have turned up.

Moral of the story is simply avoid Hull....

It was cutting it fine, but they did say on the phone on Friday I'd have it today.

Seems they are very busy

I'd be interested to hear about Birmingham, Liverpool and Cardiff. Any reports from them along the way to see how they have been coping lately.

Very funny. Like something out of Laurel n Hardy.

Update.....

I fly on the 4th. Got my visa and passport back today.

Yes, they are inundated with applications apparently and processing them as fast as they can and issuing the visas near to the fly dates.

Maybe ease the worries of one or two people.

Make sure you are applying in good time

All's well that ends well.

"We will not be satisfied with house dissolution or new elections," Suthep said.

Sounds to me like this guy really wants a dictatorship.

Just think how much excitement you are getting in your life being driver around by the brother. You could be sat at home bored, twiddling your thumbs and watching the FX rates on the computer

Maybe these louts need a good caning too!! Preferably in public

A few good whacks with the cane can do wonders IMHO. Yes, I was caned too at school, usually fingertips of the left hand so you could still write with your right hand. That has not turned me into a thug, a murderer or a bully. It did make me take more notice in the future though and behave better. My parents would have given me a second bout of discipline too if they found out. That does not make them bullies either because that is the way life was in those days.

Nicking apples, pears, strawberries in season was much a part of life as playing conkers. If we got caught, we knew what to expect, but nobody really classed it as stealing.

It seems to me also that discipline has broken down in very many schools and classrooms since all these goddy 2 shoes liberals have taken over. Send the kids home, give them detention etc. That does not seem to work at all, unlike a couple of quick whacks with a cane.

I remember reading 'The Bash Street Kids' in the ? Dandy / ?Beano comics. Where the kids had books stuffed down the back of their pants when off to see the teacher to be disciplined. It was part of life unlike now where they would not dare have a children's comic showing that sort of thing in these undisciplined days.

...and Bangkok Bank closes at a healthy [for me] 51.76 to 1 GBP.

And you are being robbed!! (not meant nastily, of course, as I know you are a lot happier with the FX rate, as am I).

I check the mastercard FX rates online (I use Mastercard for my money in Thailand) and see they are over 52 Baht to the £ for Thurs & Fri. Comparing that to the low rates in the summer, that is very good news for the likes of us. An extra 6000 Baht p.m. on each £1000. For some, that is the rent paid for on a condo or a house on the 'dark side - in Pattaya'.

Some friends in Thailand on their UK pension are breathing a huge sigh of relief at the extra amount of beers they can afford

Looking at all the serious banter here between some members I feel they forget that some of us are not really into the nuts and bolts and sometimes bickering of how it all comes about. We are happy at the current FX rates.

I'll raise an extra beer or two next month with my extra Baht - £ rates

A a general rule how many people really look at these sites to see if warnings are in place?

More damaging are the news reports on the likes of Yahoo, BBC and other internet sites. People then begin to realise there are problems in Thailand. Now they maybe go to look at their government sites and see the warnings and make a decision on travel.

The last 3 days on Yahoo there have been stories of problems in Thailand. That might make a bigger difference long term.

Yeah. He should get himself on here and face the public. Bet he would not last 5 minutes.

edit to add....

George, invite him on here

Come on chaps - you armchair economists - why are we made to feel guilty for an improved FX rate? You sound like petulant kids. 'You'll pay one way or another'. Wow wee. I paid last February on our last visit. I get the impression you despise us tourists enjoying the high. What goes up must come down. But, I suspect your investments aren't quite going to plan if you feel so sore. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I'm more than happy too. Not long before I left last time it was around 45 to the £. The current FX rate cheers me up no end. If it makes some sad, then tough. The phrase 'swings and roundabouts' springs to mind.

I phoned the Thai Consulate in Hull today (Wednesday) regards my visa and passport. I got through on the 3rd call (last number re-dial is wonderful).

They tell me that they had very many requests for visas in November that they are working through the backlog as fast as they possibly can and expect people to have their visas before they are due to fly out.

Yes, it is disconcerting waiting for your passport and visa (as am I) and wondering if it will arrive in time to fly. All I can do is sit and wait for the documents to arrive.

The g/f's sister is insisting she goes to the salon to make herself beautiful for my arrival in December, so I am informed this morning on the phone. Now I am worried in case I am like the Op in another topic and destined to have 2 sisters on the go.

Relief though, the sister is married!!

2nd laugh of the day has to be the idea of someone using the 'pull out method' so as not to get some bird pregnant.

I smiled at the thought of 7 more Baht to the £.

A box of Quality Street (for the MiL) at only £5 in Tesco this afternoon.

Things are getting better and better. Fun all the way

Laughable in this day and age.

Someone ought to tell the OP he does not have to ejaculate inside her to get her prgnant 'Pull out method, indeed!!'

'Try the not put it IN without contraception method'

Abortions are avilable and many of us realise that. Yet she may not really want (or need) one.

For those sying the OP should pay.

In many cases 2000 Baht is not really a big problem BUT why should we (he) pay the money when he has done nothing more than park his rental bike outside his own property. Some careless driver comes along and prangs the bike, admits to causing the offence and that makes the driver responsible.

Agreement has been reached over the repairs that did not involve the OP paying anything. That agreement should be adhered to.

I still think the OP and his wife should agree on their strategy and then the OP should let his wife do the talking while he stays in the background - presuming the wife is competent enough to do this.

Best of luck with it, OP.

I'm still coming!!

What is he doing at his age walking home at 4 ish in the morning he needs to get on a taxi bike. Silly old bugga.

With his alleged 10,000 Baht, he could certainly afford it.

Walking about at that time of the morning after a night out does seem foolish.

Surely this has to depend on the contract for the hire of the bike? If the contract says you are liable for any damage to the bike, then they have you if you have failed to insure it.

In the same way if you rent a car from some company (Avis or whoever) and refuse / fail to pay the insurance.

Another point here is the truck driver did offer to pay for the repair as long as his friend did the repairs. That in itself is an agreement. The fact he did not turn up suggests he broke the agreement and considering he agreed it was his fault, he should pay.

In all honesty, I'd try to be reasonable with the hirer but do so via the g/f. I'd let her handle the matter, they do seem able to sort these things out Thai on Thai to everyone's satisfaction.

Facebook?

Wassat? Is that like the Smiles books we used to sell in the 60's? (faces of African kids to raise money for charity).

He also urged the people to root out corruption and get rid of all those who profited from it. He said, Thailand required true decentralisation of power, with elected not appointed governors in each province; a reformed police force; and civil servants who had some morals.

And I want a pony

Your wish is granted. In time for Christmas too.

If you could get a decent drop of Newcastle Brown Ale in Thailand, more Geordies would go.

10+ lbs of fruit a day? You need a horse and cart for delivery.

Almost all markets sell fresh fruit. Many outside 7/11 do too.