MarcelV

The deadline is this year, specifically October. If I don't get another waiver, it's the end of the line for me in this country. Another foreign teacher already had to leave because of it, and my second colleague kept the honor to himself, after the school had managed to hire him as 'specialist' or something for a few years. Some new foreign teachers have joined us recently. They're still on their first waiver. None of us are properly licensed (i.e. holding an actual Thai teacher license) to teach in Thailand.

I went ahead and bought a Thai Lion Air ticket to Hat Yai, leaving from Don Mueang Airport at 14.45, which will give me a little over 4 hours to make it there by shuttle bus and check in. Only 2.15 hours later than my intended flight from BKK, but that extra time does give me more peace of mind.

Or negotiate peace, without including all major parties, including PULO, RKK, Pattani Mujahideen etc etc. The current side of the insurgents is basically just MARA, which only speaks for certain groups of individuals.

At least I save some baht on a hotel stay and get a free meal on the bus.😛

Only very expensive ones, or with very inconvenient times. My wife will be in Hat Yai, ready to pick me up and drive me to Narathiwat. Thai Airways will end its flights to Narathiwat late March, after which only Air Asia still flies to Narathiwat. Both of its flights are in the morning from DMK, and its prices just before Songkran are very high, whereas a cheap train ride to Tanyong Mat (Nara) or cheapish (less than 1500 baht) direct VIP bus to Narathiwat Town can still be booked online. I dread those long journeys, especially after just flying in from Amsterdam, but what can you do, hey?

No, they won't check my baggage through. I guess I'll just bite the bullet and take the bus or train to my destination.

Probably because the only foreigners people flying there internationally are Malaysians and Singaporeans, and they do not have a layover in Thailand.

I just called China Southern, and apparently, I have to clear immigration and self-transfer at BKK, before transferring to ANY domestic flight in Thailand... That's too bad, but it is the way it is.

Based on this info, I'd be out of luck, because Hat Yai is not on the list. Weird, because there are still flights from Singapore landing in Hat Yai.

No. I will fly with China Southern from Guangzhou to BKK, followed by a flight with Thai Airways to Hat Yai. Hat Yai Airport (HDY) is an international airport, so there is normally a C.I.Q route there through Suvarnabhumi. Furthermore, China Southern and TA are "interline" partners, meaning that CS should be able to through-check baggage to HDY. I do have two separate tickets though, and a layover of about 2 hours, so it will be tight anyway. It would help tremendously if I can forego passport control and baggage pickup plus self-transfer at BKK and do all formalities at HDY instead.

Can I clear immigration in Hat Yai instead? Thai Airways does the C.I.Q. thing at BKK, but I'm not sure about China Southern. My guess is that it wouldn't matter much to them if I were to check my baggage through to HDY.

What about C.I.Q.?

In early April I'll be landing in BKK at about 10.20 AM. Since I'm looking to flying to Hat Yai on the same day, preferably on the 12.30 domestic TA flight, I'm wondering if I could get my baggage labeled through to Hat Yai and go through immigration procedures there. Mind you, I fly into BKK on China Southern, which does not seem to be in the same alliance as TA. I am, however, worried about not making my flight to HDY if clearing immigration at BKK takes too long, so if I can just skip immigration there and go through the procedure at HDY instead, it would save invaluable time. What do you think?

I do not teach English, so my options are much more limited than those of a random ESL teacher.

My understanding is that Thailand only wants foreigners who have proper teaching qualifications in their home countries to come and teach here. Well, to that I say: good luck! Prepare for Thai schools' English programs to disappear and for the students' English skills to take a nosedive. The dinosaurs will have their xenophobic wishes fulfilled, and see the rich-poor gap widening, as only the rich parents will be able to afford education delivered by foreigners. Btw, I have already been offered jobs elsewhere in other countries, but have turned them down until now. My time here is running out though, so I might be inclined to actually take one of these - much-better paying - jobs at some time. These countries (a.o. Russia, Vietnam and several South-American ones) don't seem to be so stringent when it comes to education degrees and value experience more. And pay way better too. Just too bad my wife could not possibly leave her government job here, but, hey-ho, I have to think about my old age too.

I'm not gonna do that, or any other course not offered by the TCT anymore. First, I live and work more than 1000 km away from Bangkok and I'm not willing to move there. And second, I already have a diploma in teaching from St. Robert's Institute in Bangkok, which was a course that was offered online back during the Covid years. The institute is, however, not accredited by TCT, so that diploma accounts for nothing. This year marks my eighth year teaching and if I don't get a fifth waiver, it will be probably be game over as my school isn't gonna go through the hassle of shifting my formal position to a non-teaching role. I am hoping for leniency by TCT. Not just for me, but for all people in my situation. If not, I fear I must leave my Thai wife, our cats and most of my worldy possessions behind to emigrate and find a teaching job in a country like Vietnam or Kazakhstan.

As a farang who is living in the deep south, I'm hoping for better days around the bend. We are all afraid here of when the next incident might occur. To end our fears and give the people hope for a different future, peace talks as well as strengthening the relationship between Muslims and Buddhists are necessary.

Living in Narathiwat I am afraid nothing will change this year, or the next, or in the foreseeable future for that matter, and bombs, shootings etc. will still be the order of the day here. Only God can intervene and end this conflict.

Provinces in the far south are usually best for air quality. Places like Satun, Pattani, Yala. Also, islands like Koh Samui and Phangan.

Exactly. Let's just agree that Bangkok is number one, and Nonthaburi number two. The other cities rank different on each list.

There are like a thousand top 10/20/whatever lists of city size in Thailand, and I've never seen two lists that are the same. Most vary wildly, depending on a whole bunch of factors, like area size, source and year.

The only way the dinosaurs could be truly defeated is by a bloody uprising, a revolution. Unless the blood of the martyrs paints the Democracy Monument red, the elites will keep their grasp on society. May the hearts and minds of the young Thai be opened and the hopes of the nation flourish!

Nah, dude. She probably smells like a combination of sweat, weed and feminism. Too much to handle for sure.

Bagpackers be deadpackers.

Don't worry. That bridge will never happen.