sambum

"Why do people that detest Pattaya so much choose to read about it?" Probably because it's headline news almost every day on AseaNow, which is supposed to cover all of Thailand? P.S. Sorry for the late reply - just seen your post now - I don't seem to be getting notified of replies to my posts!

".....people on higher incomes with proper health cover." So the Government only look after the wealthy? Ooops - sorry I asked! And the thousands of ex pats that live here year upon year are a "risk"? I would think less of a risk than the Chinese "businessmen" that are here making money rather than spending it!!! I have been living here for many years (as have many others) and I and my acquaintances always pay our way - I have only recently had to pay out almost 100,000 baht for an operation, and I spend a small fortune on monthly medication. Why? Because I (and once again, many others) am too old to get "proper health cover" as you call it! And what do you mean by "poor cost"? Do you mean Immigration don't make a lot of money out of the annual 1900 baht extensions? I didn't realise it was supposed to be a money making exercise? And what do do you mean by "poor benefit"? The same as above? Sounds like because we are not prepared to fork out for Elite visas etc you would class us as "undesirables"?

Sorry Charlie - late night! P.S. Moved to which Forum - can't see it!

I've been saying that for years! The man is only interested in promoting his own agenda (Cannabis Farms?) and getting his "picture in the papers"

"PRIME MINISTER Srettha Thavisin is moving to draw A-list performers to Thailand to boost tourism" I remember prior to Covid when tourist figures were at an all time high, the Government were saying that tourism didn't account for much in the way of GDP. (From memory they were quoting round about 5%) Then Covid hit, and the bottom dropped out of the tourist market and they suddenly realised just how important tourism was - not just for hotel bookings, but all the other businesses that depend on tourism - from 5 Star hotels to mama and papa shops on the corner, and just as suddenly the GDP jumped into double figures! (Well done TAT!) Some people even said that we ex pats were helping to keep the country going by our continual presence in the country, and even the new Chief of Immigration said that he was going to make it easier for ex pats to obtain visas to stay in the country. He probably realised that on average an ex pat will spend at least 500,000 baht a year, and is here all year round rather than a few weeks tourist who will spend a fraction of that amount. (I know that ex pats number only in their thousands while pre Covid visitors numbered in the millions, but I am talking about the money spent per capita) So why instead of making things easier, they seem to be making it more difficult for ex pats to get their visa extensions? Why do we need to provide the same information year after year although our circumstances have not changed in any way? My last application for an extension by way of marriage entailed me having to provide almost 150 photocopies of everything from pages of a bank book to copies of my wifes housebook from a house where she has not lived for 15 years???!!! And this year, for the first time, in order to acquire his extension based on retirement, my next door neighbour has to provide photos of himself standing outside his house with the house number clearly visible? (With a little pot of black paint he could paint his house number on any wall of any house and it would look like he lived there!) The reason for this post is to try to show that in this country, in many cases the prorities are all wrong - Immigration and the RTP having a widely publicised ongoing battle trying to nab a few people who are on overstay (but presumably still spending money!) while the carnage continues on the roads due to poor driving skills, and the apparent reluctance of the RTP to apprehend offenders (except farangs riding motor bikes without a helmet!) And in the meantime, the Prime Minister tries to persuade a few pop stars to perform in the country "to boost tourism", where they may end up in "hot water" for incorporating the Thai flag into their act, when in actual fact this may well be to try to demonstrate "unity" with their audience!

I lived just the other side of the English/Scottish Border, where the closing time every night was 10.30 pm. Every weekend there was a crowd of hardened drinkers used to make the trip over the border for an extra half hour's drinking - desperate!!!

Oh, give over! You know nowt about it, sunshine!

I remember when they extended the opening times in Scotland, and the doom and gloom merchants all expected the level of drunkenness to go through the roof, but the opposite happened. People, for the most part, had only have a certain amount of money to spend on drink, and by extending the drinkng hours that money had to go further, so they drank slower, hence less drunkenness! However, I don't fully agree with "People got drunk in the afternoon". I think, contrary to opinion, a lot of people have to work in Scotland in the afternoon, but they hit the pubs as soon as they "clock off". at shall we say 5pm? (Shift workers excluded from the following scenario!) They then had 5 hrs drinking when the pubs closed at 10 pm, so they consumed their "allowance" in that time period, which led to binge drinking and a high level of drunkenness. However, extend the drinking hours, and they stretch out that allowance so they can drink for longer. Once that allowance has gone, they go home relatively sober, but as you say with no additional benefit to business!

" a meeting must be held to explore the possibility of lifting the restrictions." Oh, no! Not another MEETING!!! "The meeting to discuss the topic was held today, February 15, but there was no clear conclusion or direction launched from the authorities." No surprise there then! "......the ministry had only health data but did not have business and economic data, so they were unable to consider the matter thoroughly." So why have the meeting in the first place?!!!! Ridiculous waste of time and money! Still, I suppose, some people will be getting paid paid lots of money for attending, and probably lots of travelling expenses. Oh, and what happened to the proposed dropping of import duties and taxes on imported wine and spirits? Things seem to have gone very quiet on that front! No surprise there then (either)!

".........and a revolving door of underqualified staff." Love the terminology!

"..........but cannot leave the country........." Why would he want to now that there is no possibility of him going to jail, or made to pay for his "crimes" in any way?

Has the one in the middle seen the light?

"....initial investigations revealed that crucial CCTV footage from the scene mysteriously vanished,......" Oh, WHAT a surprise - NOT! The bar owners should be charged with destroying evidence - this happens too often, like taxis where meter "Not work". But possibly the police are involved in the ownership of the bar, or brown envelopes aheve changed hands, or.......... Dammit, I'm becoming a conspiracy theorist, I'm going back to bed!

Yawn! Foregone conclusion!

I wonder what his "plan of action" was in Thailand with all that paraphernalia?

Mr. Daniel, a 24-year-old British citizen, reported being robbed by a female acquaintance. Let me guess - an acquaintance of hours rather than years?

Sounds like the following go hand in hand more and more these days:- "Pattaya - tourist - balcony - fall - death"

And Wong colour hair and trousers - Wong picture - different man?

"Another naughty Brit makes the headlines" Yes - the boys are back! I expect (Sorry, TAT'ism) that the next few posts re Brits will be about them causing trouble in Pattaya by arguing about the size of the bar bills or arguing with taxi drivers about fares?

What a flipping surprise - not!

DELETED

"...........and has written to the attorney general asking for fair treatment, according to Prayuth." The request possibly being in a sealed brown envelope?

I thought the injured party was from Bristol, and the attacker was an Israeli. Where do the Germans come into it? Apart from the fact they started WW2 (John Cleese 😀)

Why?

Was the article written by someone from TAT?