LatPhrao

Ahh yes, a personal wet dream come true. Guess whose... Agent business for as long as necessary vs the crackpot measures know as 'legal'.

Painfully!! reminiscent of collusion or subjugation, pick your poison, that took place between the judiciary and the military junta around the time of the coup, for anyone with an eye to see.

LIES, and more lies. Joe Biden turns out to be a great man and the President the United States needed and needs.

Bravo! Certainly wine has been in Thailand for some time. The comment 'wine arrived in Thailand' was about the period when wine became popular here among Thais and a culture of wine drinking, appreciation, pairing with food in restaurants took hold. In the same way that it did in other parts of the world. Starting as it did in California, the US, Hong Kong, China for example.

I was living here in Bangkok several years ago when wine 'arrived' and became available generally. Restaurants began selling wine by the glass and promoting it with their food. Prices were reasonable. It wasn't the Hi-So filling those restaurant seats but common Thais, a lot of them women. Just as was occurring in other parts of the world. At the time, as elsewhere, people were encouraged to drink wine with food. Then came the Thai BS about wine as a hi-so product, for foreigners with deep pockets and then the outrageous duties which put it out of reach of most Thais - who were really going for it. Stupid, corrupt, and served only the 2 big domestic, connected Thai wine companies. Time passed and it ever got corrected and we suffer to this day paying outrageous prices for a bottle of wine or a glass of wine at a restaurant.

Well said!! It's obscene what they do to the price of a bottle of wine. In Argentina I enjoyed a Malbec under the Portillo brand for equivalent of about U$2.00. Found it on the shelf here in Bangkok for over the equivalent of U$20. All the imported from source wine prices are insane.

Ahh yes, the usual twaddle and slander from right wing opportunists turning a piece of information about the president's schedules into an opportunity to undermine him. President Biden, a great man, a great American president leading the country with wisdom and dignity. Carrying the burden and responsibility daily of his country, in an unstable world, the likes of which would put you snarky, feeble minded punters into an early grave. Thanks every day that it's President Joe Biden and not any of the clown car pretenders grasping for the reins.

Well, a better countenanced reply. And do we need the BTS, more lines, and the MRT - of course and without a doubt. Car traffic just about anywhere in Bangkok is at disasterously clogged levels, day and night, with no apparent signs of government or business with solutions. We welcome the Yellow line becoming full service. That said! 4 years passing of destroying traffic on Lat Phrao and zero efforts to do any fixing of the roads under the overhead lines? Covenient for excess equipment storage? They really don't give a damn. And besides the eternal traffic problems there is the incalculable damage to the businesses that line both sides of Lat Phrao. Post Covid some got their doors open again, many have not. If there is a Lad Phrao business council or such they should be suing the hell out of those responsible for the BTS Yellow line! The question now is, even if the Yellow Line opes, full service - is the roadway below cleaned up, cleaned out and in full operation? 555, amaze me please.

'Petty details' is it? Talk about living in a dream world. It's a 24 hours a day nightmare unless you fancy sitting in long traffic jams on Lat Phrao, in either direction. Take 10 baht and ride a bus along Lat Phrao, reduced to two lanes either way for a bird's eye view of the rocks, boulders, idle heavy equipment and strewed parts of metal work that has been there unmolested for over three years. The new stations overhead are dystopian nightmares of bare metal, a few just within the past week with huge, stark stairways. A few stretches of cement pavement have just sprung up, disconnected and useless, barricaded from use except the motorbike taxi dodging around the deadlocked traffic. And last, hail a taxi from someplace like Sukhumvit and give your destination as Lat Phrao....the taxi window snaps shut as they speed off from you. I have lived here since before they rammed the Yellow Line construction down Lat Phrao, from Ratchada to beyond. Complimenting the Yellow Line is the definition of putting 'lipstick on a pig'.

Living on Lat Phrao near Ratchada we could give a rat's A.. about free rides and 'opening'. As the disastrous road conditions on Lat Phrao under the BTS line overhead continues to be a traffic misery and nightmare - day and night. Something has shaken up construction on the road as it's now 'something' instead of absolutely nothing - for over 3 years. Nuts!!

The article seems to be all about the elephants in the room, the beer monopolies. As it's labelled a 'progressive alcohol bill' would hope that they'll address imported wines and the egregious duties and taxes added on to the cost of goods which makes, must make, wine in Thailand the most ridiculously expensive bottles in the world.

The ability to read can come in handy.... give it a try. "Daily average numbers reported from 2 – 8 April 2023 24* new confirmed cases per day *(including hospital admissions only) less than 1 death per day"

Just to think that I might be around long enough to see this egregious wrong righted and Thaksin and Yingluck back in Thailand, blessings upon them and the Thai nation. Pray that it goes well and goes Thaksin's way. It has been a very long wait.

Fine, proof of ability to pay not 800kin a Thai account. insurance coverage ok, again not 800k in a bank account. Reasonable measures are fine. Extortion in the extreme.... ot on. And so people vote with their feet, other means, not cheap but manageable and relatively simple.

Hats off to the brave who challenge this criminal in nature immigration visa system extorting 800K. The flagrant disregard and use of agents is the sign of bad laws that need to be removed and decent ones put in place.

Bingo!

Let the self justifying whinging begin. Oh the injustice! When the crime is/was requiring 800,000 thb in a bank account, made up by the real criminals. There's one born every minute. fill in the missing word.

555 File under: 'Fry in own words' .... until crisp ... "I try to never disagree with fools, but I will ignore them once identified."

In the case relayed earlier the agent was presented with the conundrum of the distant IO stamping in the visa and the visa seeker/buyer's Bangkok address. And the middleman who defaulted on filing the 90 day reports. So the agent filed a TM30 of his client's actual living address. So the Agent apparently has the capacity to fix that address problem with a TM30 they submit.

I think that post made the point that a difference between the immigration province and a different living address/TM30 address has the potential to raise questions at the 90 day reporting counter. However the issue may be/should be cured by being able to show a very current TM30 - address where you live. Regards the 90 day reporting, it's been reported that the agent will/shoulld also file the 90 day reports on behalf of their client. For a fee. Don't count on it! imho Some may 'lose interest' in your case once they have your money and just leave you hanging in the breeze, i.e., you'll be figuring out how to successfully do the 90 day report yourself. The remedy seems to be, in person filing 90 day report, a very current TM30 at your actual address, copy in hand, and weathering the 90 report agent's admonishments. But the timely TM30 will /should prevail and you'll get your 90 day report accepted. The next one should process without issue.

Based on someone's personal experience living Bangkok....an agent arranged a visa and extension through a northern immigration office, 800K thb went short term into then out of the person's bank account. Passport received the relevant stamps and the payment receipts accompanied the passport when return. That left an impending crisis of sorts at first 90 report. Requiring a new TM30 to be issued for the Bangkok residence. At 90 day reporting it still caused a commotion but reporting agent finally 'fixed it in her computer' and then advised to next time get your visa in Bangkok. On next 90 day report it was accepted without any issues. What will happen at the first extension based on Retirement remains to be seen. Same agent? New agent? New problems? unknown

After my earlier lament on the near collapse of actual metered taxis in Bangkok viz the development of a taxi mafia scenario setting in, I forgot to mention the virtues of the Motorbike Taxis who, in my experience, remain mostly on the square for a fair fare and when faced with getting around Sukhumvit area or anywhere with the endlessly clogged lanes of cars, buses and trucks, they can spirit you to your destination in no time at all with their genius navigations between cars, trucks, buses et al. It's not a comfy air conditioned cab, but it is a satisfying solution to getting where you're going and avoiding the taxi rip offs.

This has become so common now it makes me ill. The taxi cab stops, rolls down window and negotiations begin! - this happens so often it's just common. Or in the rare instance the window doesn't roll down then you get in and the negotiation begins or if you're going short distance they may actually use the meter. Going somewhere out of the way? 200 baht, 300 baht or just refuse to go at all. 2,000 complaints only, unless that's per day it's not a real number! And just to add, if you're looking for a taxi outside the Sukhumvit tourist zone it's worse!

As usual you live in a detached from reality existence. The taxi cab stops, rolls down window and negotiations begin! - this happens so often it's just common. Or in the rare instance the window doesn't roll down then you get in and the negotiation begins or if you're going short distance they may actually use the meter. Going somewhere out of the way? 200 baht, 300 baht or just refuse to go at all. 2,000 complaints only, unless that's per day it's not a real number!

Wear the mask to protect others. Get vaccinated and vaccine boosted to protect your self from the worst consequences of Covid infections. If you choose to live in denial and unwilling to be mindful of others then at the least keep your disgraceful opinions and behavior to yourself here and elsewhere.