ColdSingha

It is now an every night thing again. For awhile it was occasional. Now, every night past about 9pm, one can hear their music blaring incessantly, until 2am. They are an unbelievable blight on the face of Samui. A boil on the skin of the island. A pestilence tearing at the very fabric of the island. And nobody does anything. Mayor Ramnate, are you sleeping at the wheel, once again? What important business are you attending to, anyway? Five star hotels are suffering, and you are doing what, exactly?

jeez mate, lighten up. you should go down there and have a few beers its a great night out, best bar on samui

That comment is so inane and so lacking in substance and relevance, that it does not count as anything but fluff. Lighten up? I have been subjected to the noise for seven years. Try that one mate. Every night.

7 years of subjection? and you didn't move on? you just took it? night after night?

words fail me

how can this be? Chinese tourists spend more than any other tourist demographic.

i know, TAT told us so

Ark bar was there well before the 5 star hotels, they knew where they were building. Honestly reminds me of the people moving into flats constructed in vibrant nightlife areas in the UK and then complaining about the music from the long running bars and clubs in the area.

Many would genuinely believe that the blight on the island is the mass construction, gentrification and 'normalisation', not the noise from a long running well known party bar.

yeah, why anyone would move to Samui (or Pha Ngan for that matter) with an aversion to loud music is beyond me

It is now an every night thing again. For awhile it was occasional. Now, every night past about 9pm, one can hear their music blaring incessantly, until 2am. They are an unbelievable blight on the face of Samui. A boil on the skin of the island. A pestilence tearing at the very fabric of the island. And nobody does anything. Mayor Ramnate, are you sleeping at the wheel, once again? What important business are you attending to, anyway? Five star hotels are suffering, and you are doing what, exactly?

jeez mate, lighten up. you should go down there and have a few beers its a great night out, best bar on samui

A Digital Nomad is a trashpacker with a smartphone. If they really had the credentials, they would be making 120K USD per year+, and not on here complaining about the wi-fi in their 4000 THB per month apartment. My brother-in-law just got a new job in computers with a DOW component. He has the credentials and experience, but he would be the first to say he was very lucky, at his mid-50s age....they like them younger. But he has a BSEE and an MBA....the Nomads couldn't pass freshmen Physics.

Thanks for proving how completely clueless you are. Just an old guy shouting about the youth of today.

I've been around the computer business since the day I was born. My father worked for Univac. But, as someone else stated, these people ("Digital Nomads") are basically "bloggers" and not real computer professionals. Not disputing one's ability to work remotely, but I am doubting the large majority's ability to make "real" money engaging in what they promote; travel blogs, internet stores, website building (unless they are tops), multi-level marketing, video game testing......mostly a big pile of shiite, and out the other side of their mouth, they might mention that they are working for 25K THB per month as a teacher (without proper paperwork, of course). Three homes ago, I sold to an engineer from Jabil. Jabil is a large supplier to INTC and AAPL. I even carried the guy's mortgage while they sold their other house. Those companies move to places like Phoenix and New Mexico, and Vietnam because they can get away with paying less, not more. For every high salary at those companies, you got quite a few subcontractors being paid less than US minimum wage, and then there are the suicide nets at, at least, one of the AAPL factories. But, it's the greatest company ever, and the CEO is out of the closet, so let's celebrate "perversity" and forget about the slave labor.

i think what he is getting at is that you are still stuck in a time warp of assuming everybody needs a job and has to work for a company. young bucks these days don't have jobs they build companies and assets and sell/rent them to the companies you are describing. true freedom, earn what you want, when you want at what ever level you set your goals at. just pick a skill, create value and choose how to monetize, all else, salary, location is irrelevant. that old system you describe, thats the past

Perhaps you could explain the 1 trillion USD in student loan debt that may be the next "black swan" in the global economy. Perhaps you could explain the lack of new household formation (30 yo living in their parent's basement). Why is coming up with 10% down to buy a house such a tragedy, and 20% unthinkable? How can the US have the best University system in the world and half the graduates aren't finding a job in their field. There are lots of stats out their saying this Milineal generation is in very bad shape. For the first time ever, their life expectancy has decreased.

I am well aware of telecommuters...been going on for three decades +, before that people just worked at home, and before that home was the family farm. I've met people from India, Mexico, and Pakistan, who are highly educated and very well paid, but they are clearly exceptions, and in all three cases, for each one there are a million living on less than 2 USD per day, like half of the world's population.

I realize the days of working for a single company for one's career are long over, unless your an educrat or bureaucrat, but what that means is frequent job changes, self employment, and hustling your tail off.

There are more technology jobs in the county I grew up in, than there are in the Silicon Valley....median household income is about 110K, for a county of a million. It is about right where it was 10 years ago. Those people are paying the price, too, as traffic is horrible, and COL is high. 370K a year puts you in the top 1% (household), so it just isn't accurate to portray it as routine to make a million + per year. Might sound good for a MLM Webinar..but it just isn't true.

and your point is?

A Digital Nomad is a trashpacker with a smartphone. If they really had the credentials, they would be making 120K USD per year+, and not on here complaining about the wi-fi in their 4000 THB per month apartment. My brother-in-law just got a new job in computers with a DOW component. He has the credentials and experience, but he would be the first to say he was very lucky, at his mid-50s age....they like them younger. But he has a BSEE and an MBA....the Nomads couldn't pass freshmen Physics.

Thanks for proving how completely clueless you are. Just an old guy shouting about the youth of today.

I've been around the computer business since the day I was born. My father worked for Univac. But, as someone else stated, these people ("Digital Nomads") are basically "bloggers" and not real computer professionals. Not disputing one's ability to work remotely, but I am doubting the large majority's ability to make "real" money engaging in what they promote; travel blogs, internet stores, website building (unless they are tops), multi-level marketing, video game testing......mostly a big pile of shiite, and out the other side of their mouth, they might mention that they are working for 25K THB per month as a teacher (without proper paperwork, of course). Three homes ago, I sold to an engineer from Jabil. Jabil is a large supplier to INTC and AAPL. I even carried the guy's mortgage while they sold their other house. Those companies move to places like Phoenix and New Mexico, and Vietnam because they can get away with paying less, not more. For every high salary at those companies, you got quite a few subcontractors being paid less than US minimum wage, and then there are the suicide nets at, at least, one of the AAPL factories. But, it's the greatest company ever, and the CEO is out of the closet, so let's celebrate "perversity" and forget about the slave labor.

i think what he is getting at is that you are still stuck in a time warp of assuming everybody needs a job and has to work for a company. young bucks these days don't have jobs they build companies and assets and sell/rent them to the companies you are describing. true freedom, earn what you want, when you want at what ever level you set your goals at. just pick a skill, create value and choose how to monetize, all else, salary, location is irrelevant. that old system you describe, thats the past

A Digital Nomad is a trashpacker with a smartphone. If they really had the credentials, they would be making 120K USD per year+, and not on here complaining about the wi-fi in their 4000 THB per month apartment. My brother-in-law just got a new job in computers with a DOW component. He has the credentials and experience, but he would be the first to say he was very lucky, at his mid-50s age....they like them younger. But he has a BSEE and an MBA....the Nomads couldn't pass freshmen Physics.

120K per year is peanuts for a skilled online entrepreneur/nomad. try per month, in your pants, from the beach

i dont get it, if it truely is an accident why would she pay anything?

has she been charged with a crime?

I don't think she has been charged with anything.

She is only currently concerned with averting a civil case which the family could pursue if a deal can't be negotiated.

wow and i thought thats what insurance was for, to settle 3rd party claims

good to know if the shtf my insurance aint worth dick

i dont get it, if it truely is an accident why would she pay anything?

has she been charged with a crime?

Anyone who has watched the behaviour of the red-shirts will know that they will NEVER take to the streets on their own because of any unjust politics (like the people of Bangkok did after the amnesty bill).

It will only happen when somebody hires all the busses and arranges the venues for the parties so that people will get a free holiday and not have to spend anything themselves.

Then the paid thugs can mingle with the regular people and do what we have seen so often already.

So the only question is when the UDD leadership get the order and the funds to make it happen. And I don't see that happening while the junta are in charge because the entire plan depends on dirty police allowing it. I remember at the start of the last protests when the red-shirts were in a stadium near my condo. The police withdrew completely to allow them to carry out their murders and violence - and even guarded a bridge for a sniper.

I think a LOT of plans are being made for when the junta are gone - especially if the reds don't like who is in government.

funny i don't remember the people of bangkok getting on buses and going up to Udon to protest, paid or otherwise. i guess its different when you only have to step outside to be counted :/

need to ban temples if people keep getting shot in them

you moved to the wrong place, hua hin is not for beach lovers i'm afraid

maybe head down to the islands. lots of nice beaches there, can swim nearly every day

What truly bothers me is that xylaphone claims he has lived here for 9 years. So obviously he is fluent in spoken Thai, and yet he still likes to sit in beer bars.

Guess he really does just love the layout.

why would he be fluent in spoken thai? maybe he still has english speaking mates?

and no need to go native

the fact that nearly every discussion on thaivisa recently descends into a "this government vs last government" trolling match shows just how far this country is from solving its real underlying problems.

a country divided

video please

Tour companies that provide or employ illegal guides are destroying the tourism industry."

and just like that a scapegoat was found

@Snig27: that's rubbish. Main reason for export slow down is the economic weakness in China and other Asian countries. Other countries are similarly impacted and those with a larger commodities/mining exposure even more so. This is not about politics.

Vietnam exports are up 9.3% year on year

http://asemconnectvietnam.gov.vn/default.aspx?ZID1=8&ID8=39117&ID1=2

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Actually it would - if you talk to many of the tourists coming to Thailand they are no longer just coming to see Thailand. With so many other countries in the region, they are simply using Thailand as a base for exploring the region. With it's excellent transport links and superior road infrastructure and flight schedules compared to most neighboring countries, Thailand is a natural base for transiting the rest of the region. Someone might land in Bangkok, head to Siem Reap 3 days later, do Cambodia, then head over to Nam, cross into Laos, back to Thailand, spend a month or so here, then Myanmar, then Thailand again, then Malaysia. Although it is possible to do that now using a visa waiver, first of all, some nationals only get 15 days visa free which may not be enough and secondly, there is less scrutiny applied to visitors in possession of valid visas (of any type) than visa free visitors so this visa will likely eliminate the whole visa run fiasco that started last year.

A multi-entry visa also helps retirees and other long-term tourists who might want to spend 3-6 months in the country (usually during their colder months back home) without having to apply for permits, visa extensions or even new visas altogether. It's also flexible in that they can still go to see say Angkor Wat, without going through the whole re-entry permit business, even if they're not difficult to apply for, but they can be a nuisance especially for older people not so well versed in these things and who prefer to lead a more streamlined, less stressful life, especially when they're on holiday.

" without going through the whole re-entry permit business "

where did you read under this proposed new Visa that it will no longer be necessary to purchase a re-entry permit each time you leave the country?

multiple entry visas don't need re-entry permits

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Sorry to dash any hope of being accepted here, but many Thais echo the government, all of them, in spouting we whities 'have ruined Thai culture'. I hear this from my Thai neighbour and, unsurprisingly, given the intelligence quotient from more than a few the of long term stayers (there are no 'expats' here, no matter how you delude yourselves).

Remember that this is an uber nationalist country, kept so for the benefit of the big bosses.

there are expats here that have permanent residency

great news for those wishing to spend their cold european winters here and for backpackers looking to reclaim thailand as the hub of their asian travels again.

just a shame that even in 2015 some still don't consider these two groups as "genuine tourists".

i look forward to the added diversity and local income income both groups will bring.

great news and a solid step forward

The global economy, is it?

Why has Vietnam had export growth of 10% year to date then? Would it have anything to do with removing the 49% cap that foreigners may own in businesses? Would it have to do with business friendly policies? Link

Thainess.

10%, whete did you get this figure from?

yea 10% is ridiculous its actually 18.6%

wait, unpossible the junta said everyone in the area suffering.. hmmm

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2015/07/14/strong-export-growth-in-vietnam-masks-underlying-challenges/

"They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country"

I hope something has been lost in translation here. If the above statement is true, does that mean that the incoming traveler either "banned or blacklisted" will be reported back to their country of origin as having evaded detection leaving that country before arriving in Thailand?

Excellent if that is so. Lets hear from all the "Thais can't do anything right" camp now...............................

Well put in your places IMHO.

well i'm only half way through page 1 and already 2 people have pointed out major embarrassing loopholes lol

this is gonna be tough for TAT to spin

Chinese tourists #1 in visitors, #9 in daily spend per capita.

do you have a source for this?

(not trolling you i am genuinely interested)

They don't say whether the farangs are old, fat and bald as per usual, or young hunky men.

They did, try reading the article again.

Instead of old rich men, they prefer young and educated men and their economic background matches their education.

Quite right. I missed that.

Well there are not many young hunky farang men in LOS that would be wanting to be tied down when they can have all the sex they can handle without being committed ( pun intended ), so I would say there aren't going to be that many marriages in the OP's category.

funny thing about having all the sex you can handle it gets boring quickly. about 3 months in my case and then it was time to look for something more meaningful x