MarcelV

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.

Halal coffee is the best. Very good eye for quality alhamdulilah.

Just calling an airport "international", doesn't actually make it so. NST has zero chance of seeing an increase in international tourist numbers any time soon.

Did she cause those waves herself, jumping her big farang body into the sea?

What about Europeans who are not from one of the mentioned countries? Are we still allowed to visit Malaysia by just filling out the MDAC?

We noticed this when driving back home from Hat Yai to Narathiwat yesterday. Lots and lots of Malaysian bikers, treating the 42 and 43 as their personal raceway. Quite a few precarious situations, but thank God we made it home safely.

Disgusting people, the Chinese. Eating plates full of shrimp with their bare hands, pooping in public, spitting on the streets, singing false karaoke songs and butchering female babies, that the Good Lord himself brought into being. Thailand would be wise to just call a stop to the Chinese, Korean, Russian, Indian, A-rab a.o. invasion and allow more white European western caucasian fair-skinned farangs, especially Brits and Aussies, into the country, as well as African-American, retired military, US passport "bros". These are good, rich people that can make lost of beautiful mixed-race babies that can repopulate Thailand and solve the problem of Thai chicks not popping out enough babies by wife-beating, serial cheating, lazy Thai guys, and build many new expensive tier 1 international schools with their foreign money and speed up Thailand's entry into modern society, ready for the rest of the 21st century.

December is the wettest month in the lower south. No surprise here.