Woke to Sounds

Quality tourists?

UPDATE: To my surprise I didn't need to upload a bank statement 😜 Wonder if the application process for Canadians was modified when the site went offline for maintenance yesterday? They asked me for only flight tickets and proof of accommodation. Had to send to Ottawa embassy, unfortunately. Was hoping for Vancouver because I heard faster processing times. As it stands, 25 business days to process according to embassy site. Wonder if they'll bust my b@lls over accommodation. I sent only my first 11 nights (nothing else booked yet because, duh..... traveling!) Will update.

Seems to me in lockstep w those certain govts fawning over the ideologies of the Schwabinator, the whole "you'll own diddly, eat bugs and smile" crowd. They can't force you to stop traveling but they can price you out of it. Or shame you out of it.

Don't forget the so called mentally ill. I've often wondered if Kanada - like Aus and NZ - are test labs for, you know, the "whole build back better" and "you will own squat, eat bugs and smile" agendas. At the very least, all that money and manpower into a euthansia programme smells like population control to me. I read Brave New World in high school. Didnt expect to be living it.

MAID = Medical Assistance in Dying. Shortages of GPs, long wait times for specialist treatment BUT plenty of money for euthanasia! Expanding like McD's. Woe Kanada.

Paradoxical isn't it. Cry over lack of tourists but then make the evisa process unnecessarily intrusive and cumbersome. If I wasn't going for personal / family reasons I'd give it a pass altogether. The SETV application asks for only the most recent month's bank statement, at least in my case.

@Des1 May I ask if you flew Air Canada? I heard rumours of AC hassling passengers at the gate if no RETURN ticket is booked back to Canada - even if you have a tourist visa and an onward ticket out of Thailand to a neighbouring country!

Thanks to everyone for their input. I talked w my bank today. October monthly statement available in a few days, so I'll submit that.

I hear it's been a nightmare for many of those applying from the UK. Hopefully the one for Canadians will be less onerous.

Yes you do. I did that too at the Vancouver consulate - 15 years ago. It was easy peasy. The clerks were friendly and welcoming. Now everything has gone online via the eVisa. Personally would rather deal with people and the postal system but it is what it is.

Hi folks. About to apply for my SETV from Canada. Can I submit a bank statement from ANY month in 2023 or will the system accept only the current one at time of applying? (In my case, October 2023.) I checked out Bob Sultan's excellent YT video from last year but it wasn't clear to me how recent the bank statement needs to be. Not wanting to start my application till I've gathered all info. Thanks

But if you say any of what you wrote in Canada you are pounced on, declared "racist" and immediately canceled.

@Liverpool Lou Yes finally reached them by phone today. Thank you sir! Glad to hear they survived the pandemic.

Long time guest of KT Guesthouse near Huai Khwang MRT. Their website has been down for several days and no response to my emails. Can anyone confirm if KT is still up and running? Thank you.

Anus behavior I would say. They are not to be trusted. A real eye opener for me was reading Wild Swans (1991) where the author recounts Mao's many disastrous policies and how her family - her father in particular - was denigrated by the Party and sent away to rot, all for being incorruptible. The book is banned in China. Speaks volumes.

In step with 2030 agenda goals. "You'll own nothin and be happy." AI replaces hundreds of millions of workers. You will get your digital breadcrumbs, enough to keep you in soup and little more. Every month your credits reset. Nothing to see here folks...

@koolkarl Beat me to it. Are digital nomads expected to fork over the cash to buy a Privilege Card?

Chinese tea is the best - BUT I still prefer green tea from Japan. Absolutely positively do not add milk or sugar to any of em! Tea grown near Chiang Rai was somewhat floral, at least the ones I sampled at Choui Fong. Check it out if you can. Chinese red tea (i.e. black tea to westerners) grown in Yunnan province is spectacular. Easily get 10 gai wan pours from 5 gr of tea with certain types. Aged pu'er very tasty too. Vietnam grows tea, in the northwest I believe. In Hanoi I was buying the local version of Earl Grey. Very good and a fraction of the price of imported Twinings. Also quality teas grown in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from what I've sampled.

Why bother wasting your breath? The tyranny is already here, at least in former first world countries. Most folks have cognitive dissonance...

Thanks for your insights @London Lowf and @DrJack54

So if I count back 90 days from my arrival in BKK, that should be the day to apply for the SETV. Figuring it might take anywhere from 1-6 weeks to process my application, based on what I've heard.

Hi folks, Regarding the SETV, how far in advance should one apply? I've already bought my ticket from North America to BKK, arriving 11 January 2024. Thank you!

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has kitesurfed in Thailand, and if so, where are the recommended spots?

What about kitesurfing in Hua Hin? I've been reading it's one of the best places to do that in Thailand.