superal

Thanks Sheryl because I agree that there are areas of concern , some of below . That is merely an excuse to introduce the insurance (IMHO ) . The Thai government know exactly what the effects / repercussions will be that this event will cause . In the last 2 years I have had to be an inpatient in both Government and Private hospitals . The Gov hospitals require daily payments and that's before the end of the day . I was billed for every minute of nursing attention , plus of course the doctors fee which was never small . My lady had to visit the ATM regularly to settle the daily bill . The Private hospitals , some want payment up front but those who did not will give an estimate of fees and ask how you will pay , with the final bill always over the original estimate . Unpaid hospital bills are a thing of the past in the broader aspect . The hospital will have traceable information on you which would make it almost impossible to dodge hospital fees . Unpaid hospital bills by long term farangs in Thailand must be miniscule and this health insurance is a sledgehammer to crack a nut . Long stay farangs should be exempt and be able to leave the country and return without this new insurance requirement . However I think we all know that this is a way of filtering out the farangs who are not wealthy .

Are all of the Asian countries having a similar entry requirement , similar to the Thai Pass ? To be more specific I was thinking about Cambodia .

Those desperate souls may well be expats trying to return to their families or loved ones and I for one do sympathise with them . How do the guys who are working 2 weeks on and then rest 2 weeks off in Thailand manage this new C.O.E. or Pass ? Also why should a person who is on a re-entry permit have to go through this palava , should be exempt .

The PC statement could just be the thin end of the wedge . I choose my words carefully , why ? Do you think that long stay expats will be exempt from Thailand's renaissance ?

If this coming high season is a flop , as HH is demonstrating , I would imagine that the majority of workers employed in the "leisure " industry will be seeking alternative and more reliable jobs . That will have a huge impact on Thailand's tourism . Even a 50% migration from the tourist industry will have serious implications .

Dogs are a pack animal , hence the groups of soi dogs . They have a means of communicating that is not fully understood . They can be watched when all of them are focusing on a target . Mostly true is " you cannot teach an old dog new tricks " . Older dogs mainly are set in their ways . I have a friend who has 2 rotties , he plays with them , they are well trained and obedient but they frighten me and as we know a dog can smell fear . So for me it does not count if a dog is well trained as the most important factor is the potential power and damage that a dog could do if it so wanted to do . All soi dogs should have as a minimum a muzzle , collared with owners I.D. and be chipped . If not they should be impounded . Rottweilers and similar large dogs should be kept inside the owners property but if not be put in a zoo . Children need protecting and in the case of Rotties , so do adults . Digressing slightly but I read that rabies is on the increase .

Try telling that to the sufferers of burning fields in north Thailand and the residents of Bangkok . . BTW I saw Prayut Chan-o-cha making his speech but there no translation aids . Are there any translation screens or oral apps ? Also what were his comments ?

The link shows only 10 provinces out of 76 and roughly under 20,000,000 people out of a population of 70,000,000 . So are we only being shown the best figures ?

I read your link and it is incredible , more like a deterrent to visit Thailand and trying to get the Thailand Pass would be a nightmare for computer tech dinosaurs . I have not read or seen how much the insurance would cost for the over 60s / 70s . That's if it is gettable .

I did not know that. Can you explain what the problem is please as my son was planning to come here to visit me in the near future .

I reckon you hit the nail on the head and to the Thai authorities , like it or not , it is the nightlife that is the main attraction to Thailand . For some reason there seems to be no consideration for tourists when it comes to the tourists enjoying themselves i.e. have you ever arrived in Thailand for say a 2 week holiday and getting ready to hit the town and then you get told , no alcohol day or days / weekend . ( we are not all Buddhists ) It has been said that Thai aristocracy fear that Thailand is becoming too Westernised and so they want the country to revert back to its customary ways of life some 50 years ago , for the 90% of the suppressed population ( not the well heeled ) . Foreigners are a tolerated invasion , made more believable by the recent sanctioning of inflated hospital fees ( and entrances to other venues etc etc ) to foreigners . The Thai government know exactly what they are doing and the consequences of their actions . If this high season fails it will be because of calculated government actions and probably the end of mass tourism to Thailand cos the government want a wealthier clientele .

No mention of hotel bars . Are they exempt from alcohol restriction sales ?

Reopening ? not quite , as only if you fly in . Anyone seen comments about opening the land crossings ?

Quite possible as the true numbers relying on tourism , directly or indirectly , is difficult to estimate cos most do not pay taxes and not on a payroll

Not too recently I have to say but about 4 or 5 years ago around xmas time the Lek Hotel in Pattaya , a little bit later the Centara hotel in Udon Thani and finally the Pullman in Khon Kaen . However within the last 2 years when staying in Korat and a small hotel in Khon Kaen , my Thai drivers licence was accepted , copied and handed back to me

True , some do some don't , in my experience it's normally the bigger hotels that keep your pp for a day . It seems that they take all the new arrivals pps at the same time to the local police

As a tech dinosaur I find that most transactions are worrying because they either involve the downloading of apps , declaring your card details or showing/ passing over some form of personnel details , such as your passport . The days of cash transactions are getting fewer and fewer but security does not seem to be keeping pace . Pre-booking hotels does not stop the hotel from taking your passport for a day and you hope it does not fall into criminal hands as it is a valuable document .

You sound unbalanced and disturbed with a massive chip on your shoulder . So Thailand has been your home for 20 years , do you think that is unusual ? do you think you are Thai ? The op made a post asking for advice over a serious problem . This forum is about chatting , helping others and giving updates on current affairs . I for one enjoy the ops regular posts and in this case he needs help , cos sometimes you cannot see the forest for the trees . All that you bring is hatred and unjustified criticism . Why bother ? If you get annoyed so easily , why do you view the forums contents ? Are you on something that drives your drivel ? Maybe you should look for other forums to spout your feelings , maybe a Thai forum ?

Your case is a familiar story . What happens . Farang buys a plot of land and builds a nice home on it . The locals are jealous and are seeking a ways to extract money from you . In a similar story the farany house was finished when a local Thai guy turned up and said he owned the land next to the house and was going to set up a new pig farm but before he starts he wants to give the farang the chance to buy the plot . The price was about 10 times the price of the house plot and the same size . Farang resisted the purchase , no pig farm was built and 1 year later the farang bought the plot at market value . Your case has the same motive albeit with a live disturbance . Planning laws are normally dealt with locally and making an arrangement ( financial ) with the right people could resolve the problem along with a little bit of compensation to the trouble maker to relocate . ( Hard to swallow but T.I.T. and money talks ) If it fails , have a soundproof barrier erected adjacent to the noise source . Above all , keep your cool

I have been trying to find insurance for an old car that my lady uses for shopping but it appears to be either too old at 12 years or the make is not covered Daihatsu Mira in good condition . I am not too worried about the car as it is old and not worth much but I do worry about hitting another car and possible injuries . Does anyone know of an insurer who takes on older cars ? ps , have tried all the insurance companies who advertise on this forum but to no avail

Pattaya is tourist spot aimed at adults and has been for many years , it is not an industrialised area as such . The EEC being a concept to bring innovative ideas to Thailand's industries , not tourism . It is a place to relax ,rest and have a holiday not to get involved with industrial matters .

EEC ? do you know where you are ?

Tis true and for many a guy and gal Pattaya night scene is something to be looked forward to , having been working all year . We all know there are many 2 week millionaires who are aware of what they are spending ( mostly ) and they have a great time . When Pattaya is in full flow you can walk the whole stretch of beach road and hear every bars patrons and bar girls laughing , having drinks and making friends . It really is or was an adult venue and should remain so . There are plenty of other places to encourage family holidays . So careful Thailand cos you may lose this lucrative adult tourism to other Asian countries .

Most of the time in Thailand all public , bar and restaurant toilets are a disgrace and not cleaned or maintained as are many major road service stations . Often no soap or drying paper and taps that do not work , broken toilet seats and cisterns . The country seems to not have any control on hygiene standards. The exceptions maybe if you stay in a decent hotel or visit the main airports .