pjmorton

If this were somehow about getting to Mars faster, sure, I'd like to see that happen while I am still around. But I don't see how Elon's involvement in politics is anything but a distraction.

Christmas has many non-religious customs associated with it. Among them are gifts, most decorations, a shared meal, etc.

What is the fatality rate for this flu-like disease that primarily affects small children?

In most countries, giving big subsidies to farmers in return for political support would be considered wasteful and counterproductive, but not criminal. U.S. does the same thing for corn.

Yes, I have had problems with both the app and the airline, but fortunately I live pretty close to the airport, so when I need to deal with them I go direct to the ticket window. At least for the time being that's one way to talk to a human. I'm sure they will invent some kind of robot soon to cover that loophole.

I have not flown Thai Airways in a long time, but I flew Thai Smile frequently between Bangkok and Khonkaen. I found them very competent - I never had any problems more serious than the occasional 30 minute delay. I tried to make a reservation yesterday with Thai and had a couple issues which I was unable to resolve on the website and I tried to call them - absolutely nobody home. The local ticket office in Pattaya has been closed so I can't even walk in. That brought me here and after reading these posts I don't know what to do. Does anybody have experience with VietJet?

Thai Smile is no more after Dec 16.

I wonder if SCB will continue to limit its banking app to use with one telephone only.

I have a fully valid Thai driver licence, but I usually carry a laminated copy in my wallet to minimize the likelihood of loss or theft. The originals remain at home in my safe. I have never been stopped, so I don't know if I am committing some kind of violation by not carrying the original. I do the same with vaccination certificates and passport and tabien baan. Does anyone know from experience whether I am asking for trouble?

I sympathize with bank customers who want to avoid fees for ATM services involving debit cards. The underlying problem may be the recent increases in fees for card-based services. At least one major bank has now started charging its own customers for using its own cards in its own machines if they are not not located near the customer's home branch. Prohibiting abusive charges like this might make customers more comfortable about using their ATM cards.

This is very unusual, three typhoons in three weeks. Even the Philippines seldom get hit with such frequency, although theirs tend to be much more destructive.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. If the U.S. government can find the time to stay in touch with this region despite all the other issues to be dealt with in the next couple of months, then so much the better. When somebody tries to pick a fight, sometimes the commonsense response is not to respond. It won't solve anything.

At first glance I was surprised to see that pictured airplane was not Thai, since they obviously need the revenue. But perhaps they don't want it from this source for fear of being sanctioned elsewhere.

I believe that any overstay of any duration would make you permanently ineligible to apply for an elite visa. Of course that would only qualify as a "consequence" if you were thinking seriously about it.

I recently had a culture done for a skin infection and the doctor then prescribed the weakest antibiotic that showed effective against the bacterium. This is probably the safest approach since the strongest ones often have the most side effects. It also preserves the effectiveness of the strong medications for cases where they are really needed.

It's not fair to assume the worst of people, but those who contributed should consider some form of long-term oversight. Trust, but verify.

I have a similar problem with my old phone which I keep as a spare but seldom use. Found a very cheap monthly data plan and don't want anything more, but the company keeps supplementing it with unsolicited special short term deals. I can't read the fine print well enough to know what gives them the right to do this, but I have been to the shop several times to cancel, and try to bar them from doing it in the future.

Casual letters are seldom sent by post anymore - mostly just legal documents for which proof of mailing is required. So maybe the post office is raising rates and red tape for letters - treating them more like packages. I was recently charged 1200 Baht for a single page EMS letter to the U.S., which is the same as they charge for the smallest size package. I checked with DHL and found (no surprise) that they had raised their rates for letters in lockstep with EMS.

The last couple of months has seen the U.S. central bank becoming more alarmed about inflation, and raising interest rates fast to make up for a slow start. The U.S. also has fewer concerns about imported fuel supplies. Both of these factors operate to weaken the Euro against the $. But I would guess that the recovery of tourism in Thailand will see the Baht strengthening against both in the near future.

When requested to update passbooks, Khonkaen branches of both SCB and Bangkok Bank have a policy of only printing the most recent three months of transactions in the book. If you have a passbook that has not been updated for a period longer than that, you will get the net amount of all the earlier transactions collapsed into a single line entry. Of course this makes it impossible to prove that the balance never dipped below the required amount. You can demand a detailed listing printed on bank stationery for an additional 100 baht service charge. I don't know how long this policy has been in effect - but I first noticed it in 2020. So far, immigration has failed to object - but it has the potential to become a sticking point in the future.

For a person who seldom visits the U.S., it's likely not cost-effective to enroll in Medicare.

I do find the e-mail notifications very useful, as well as entertaining.

His problem is broader than the circumstances he faces. The same solutions might apply in other cases too and be of interest to others not on education visas.

Applicants for Elite visas within Thailand are forced into the same quandry because they must cancel any other valid visa they posess at their local immigration office before going to Chaeng Wattana to get the Elite stamp. If something does not go right, (maybe a positive covid test or some objection or delay at the local office), they risk being forced into an overstay situation.

The previous ferry service that ceased a couple of years ago was extremely comfortable and safe but I never saw it anywhere close to full. Maybe the problem is that a boat that is not so impressive would fail to inspire confidence among a clientele base who often can't swim.