sandyf

Indeed, but it is not really the "tourist spend" that is the issue, it is the GDP. The government wouldn't be too concerned if there was reduced revenue from foreign tourists if that income could be generated from alternative sources. During covid many countries learned a hard lesson in respect of tourism dependency and will now be desperately looking to generate alternative GDP revenue, Thailand being no exception. If Thailand does manage to raise the GDP by other means then we should expect concessions on tourism to be curtailed. Many are very quick to poo poo the proposals that are being regularly tabled but they are all part of a fishing expedition to see what may be viable as GDP revenue and what wouldn't.

Guy has no idea what he is talking about, apart from the fact that the WEF has a vested interest is suppressing anything that goes against their way of thinking. Anyone who says "correct me if I am wrong" hasn't done the homework. The UK has been giving out "handouts" in the form of WFA for years, apart from the more recent cost of living handouts. Why didn't they take the UK to task, or is cost of living problems only recognised in the major economies..

In the last financial initiative, the bank and modern technology illiterates were given a card to show the vendor.

A lot more than you seem to think, % of population registered as employed in Thailand is greater than that in the UK, 40 million out of 72 million as opposed to 33 million out of 67 million. For individuals PIN and TIN will probably be the same.

Thank you, I don't want to hear any more rubbish.

I went in 2019 and yes they prefer payment by QR code. It is difficult for a foreigner, unless things have changed, you need a local bank account. I got bye with cash but there can be a problem with change, if it wasn't much I just ignored it.

I noticed that and I suspect the update affected the different Microsoft systems in use to a different degree. In the UK it was not only airlines but rail travel, hospitals and the like of the stock exchange were all affected. I read that in hospitals some operations were being done manually rather than electronically.

You mean another incorrect fact. The real fact is that only tax residents MAY have to pay tax. A "retirement visa", whatever you mean by that, or any other type of visa does not equate to tax residency. What on earth makes you think that those on DTV would be excluded from becoming tax residents?

Road signs generally are an alien concept for Thai drivers. They have huge directional signs across the motorway and my wife says "Which way?"

In Oct last year I came back on a new visa and a new passport. I moved my TM30 that I have had since 2015 to the new passport and when I did the extension in Dec nothing was said. Yet to do a 90 day report since that entry, see what happens then.

Rubbish. Business only back up their own data, they cannot back operating systems held on external servers, they are maintained and backed up by a third party, such as Cyberstrike. Business can only work within the paameters available. Cyberstrike were doing an update which went wrong, the timing of that could be questioned but difficult in an international situation. They would have resolved the issue initially from a backup until the update issue gets fixed. Updates are carried out regularly without users ever being aware but I suspect there will be a lot of head scratching over updates following this incident.

Windows was one of the more minor casualties, the real problem was higher up the ladder with Microsoft's more sophisticated products for large scale enterprises.

Indeed, it would appear that online check in systems were affected. I think it was Ryanair that said that under the circumstances they would allow people to check in at the airport for free!!

Thanks for the update. The last border bounce I needed to do in 2020 I had to go on my own so took the train from Chonburi to Padang Besar, arrived on the morning Hat Yai shuttle and came back on the afternoon one. All very easy. If it ever comes up again, think I'll give Cambodia a miss.

Depends on the office. I came back last Oct on a new visa with a new passport. I had moved my TM30 from 2015 to the new passport and when I did the extension in Dec nothing was said. I have yet to do a 90 day report since that arrival, see what happens then.

A few years back I was out with a friend and he ordered chicken wings, what he got was the cartilage from the wing joint deep fried in batter, quite disgusting. Another time, a mate got a bowl of stewed chicken feet. Like you my wife will scoop up any fat I discard.

Each to their own.

Which immigration officers? In 6 years of going to Ban Laem I never encountered a Cambodian IO. The Thai IOs were quite friendly, one time one asked my wife to help her load some carpets into the back of her pickup.

Only according to national reporting, nobody knows what the level was years ago, rural hospitals were the norm. The data presented by the MOPH is derived from hospitals that participate in the national reporting system. However, many rural hospitals and certain private healthcare facilities do not contribute to this daily reporting, suggesting that the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher.

Indeed, deep frying is almost in the DNA. Yes many years ago there wa a higher percentage slim but mainly the young. I think modern day affluence has a lot to do with it. We go to the food court in the local market regularly and see the children tucking into the sweet junk they have on offer, many almost obese before they get to their teens, that then tends to determine their lifestyle. The other problem is like my niece, growing up anything left on the table was given to her to finish off. Now she has grown up it goes to the dogs. She was obese at school but went to uni in China and lost the excess weight from financial restraint and stress.

The Thais generally have always had an unhealthy diet, given pork knuckle they would rather eat the fat and skin than the meat. Sugar in almost everything they eat. Nothing has changed, other than more detailed reporting.

There is a 14th every 21 years, got one a couple of years ago, not see another.

It is not a "missing" passport.

Who do you mean by "they"? Unless things have changed after you pass through Thai immigration you will encounter "agents" that will get you stamped in and out of Cambodia without you having to do anything. The other option is you ignore them and make your way to Cambodia immigration and get the visa yourself. Cambodian immigration are legally obliged to accept the visa fee in USD, but they don't have to be nice about it. I don't know what you mean by "corruption fee", never heard of it. I always used one of the agents and was out and back into Thailand in about half an hour, wife would have a stop at the market and then off to see friends in Chantaburi. Coming from Chonburi we joined the No 3 other side of Rayong.

Only ever went to Cha Am once, same with Ampawa, both were about 20 years ago so don't remember a lot. Not very impressed with HH either. I live on the outskirts of Chonburi city so have quite a lot within striking distance. My neice did an internship at the hospital just along from Iconsiam and hadn't been to Bangkok since she finished a few years back so just had a couple of days. Stayed at the Ibiss Riverside, left the car and just went along the river. That is the cheapest way to travel. Went from Sathorn to pier 22(MRT?), 30 baht on the electric boat with aircon.