newnative

If only cars would also avoid it, especially on weekends . . .

I don't think I set up my phone to require photo ID--I hardly use it for much and mostly use my laptop. I did go to Bangkok Bank to do the photo ID/facial scan thing so perhaps at that point photo ID got linked as a requirement when I use the online banking. Just a guess.

It was on June 23rd, a transfer of $5,000 from a USA bank to a bank in Thailand. I first wanted to send it to my Yellow bank account but got a message that the amount was over 50,000 baht and amounts over 50,000 baht could only be sent to Bangkok Bank and one other bank--I can't remember what the other bank was. I also have a Bangkok Bank account so I selected that bank. I then got the message that I needed to upload photo identification before the transaction could be processed. The choices were: passport, national ID, drivers license, and there might have been 1 more choice, can't remember. I used my passport and Wise wanted a downloaded photo that showed both my passport photograph and my signature. I also had to upload a face photo taken with my cell phone. I never had to do any of this before with lots of Wise transfers. I was using my laptop and cell phone but I think a transaction can be done using just your cell phone. I've cut and pasted below the emailed message I got from Wise: Follow these steps to verify your identity using your phone Open this email on your mobile device Tap on the button ‘Verify your ID’ below Take a clear photo of your ID Take a photo of yourself — make sure your face is fully visible Go back to your computer to finish Verify your ID If you don’t know why you got this email, please get in touch so we can fix this for you.

Stay the course. Medians are needed on some of the major roads as Pattaya continues to grow--along with the traffic. Get the initial work done and then see what improvements can be made--which could mean adding a few more U-turns and upgrading the U-turn lanes with designated turning lanes separate from the traffic flow, to keep traffic moving. And, it could mean moving some of the U-turn lanes that might have been poorly placed.

Fingers crossed. Thailand so needs to move forward already.

I think with lots of things in Thailand, it depends. I am required to have photo verification with my Bangkok Bank in order to do money transfers on-line. I just did a money transfer yesterday and in order to do it, I had to snap a photo on my phone, which then verified the photo with the one on file at the bank. The transfer then went through. I also recently did a money transfer using Wise and discovered that Wise now requires extra steps, including uploading a document with photo ID before the transfer would go through. I also discovered that I could only send money over 50,000 baht to Bangkok Bank and one other bank which I can't remember the name of. I don't know if this was always the case or has something to do with the photo verification thing.

No, the Ministry absolutely did not aid with 235,000 baht! Wrong. 200,000 was woefully inadequate, penny-inching cheap insurance. Try a paltry 35,000 baht as the correct figure the Ministry coughed up. Disgusting! Some 'aid'--and let's not even mention the tiny 5,000 baht for the injured students. Hope the families all sue, as they should.

Boo hoo.

What you describe has not been a problem, to my knowledge, with Pattaya luxury condo projects. Royal Cliff Garden, built in 1997, is certainly being maintained and is not a 'slum'. Ditto for Saranchol Condo, built way back in 1994. Or, the even older Garden Cliff condo, built I think in the 1980s. In addition to Saranchol and Garden Cliff, Wong Amat has several other older luxury condominiums that are also being well-maintained, including Park Beach, built in 1997, Silver Beach and Baan Rimpha, both built in 1990, and Sky Beach condo, built in 1992. Somewhat newer Northshore condo, built in 2006 and just a few years from your 'slum' deadline, is also being well-maintained, as is the also somewhat newer Ocean Portofino. More examples abound, including Jomtien Complex, Metro, Baan Haad U Thong, Golden Sands, Coconut Beach, and others. I think you will find that the majority of the non-luxury condo projects in Pattaya, with a few exceptions, are also being maintained adequately and have not become what you describe as slums.

You 'wonder' where the 49,500 baht China spending figure comes from but, apparently, don't wonder where the higher spending figures for Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East come from. A bit selective in your wondering. In reality, even someone on a budget tour contributes to the Thai economy. In regard to the Chinese tourists, the majority of them, in 2019, were independent travelers, not in tour groups, budget or otherwise. So, that was over 5 million Chinese independent tourists in 2019--traveling and staying wherever they wanted, spending wherever they wanted. That's far more than the number of visitors from the Americas, at 1.7 million. It's less than all of Europe, at 6.7 million, but far more than any individual European country.

No.

Nonsense. Several Pattaya roads have median strips in the middle with designated turning areas. I guess you have never been on Thappraya Road or North Pattaya Road or Jomtien Second Road or Sukhumvit Road or . . . I actually think the median on Thepprasit is a good idea but they should have planned designated turning and U-turn lanes and not have them in the thru traffic lanes. This could have easily been done by eliminating parking in those areas and adding another thru lane to have 2 thru lanes and a designated turning lane. But, I know, it is anathema to ever suggest eliminating a parking space, even though that is what needs to be done on heavily congested roads like North Pattaya Road.

Saw the heading with 'Bullman' and thought they had finally nearly caught the Red Bull cop killer.

Explore all you want, risk your life all you want, be reckless and 'rule-breaking' all you want, but not with civilians on board.

Your 15 minutes were up long ago.

What we know is it should never have been allowed to be launched. Period.

Yes, more parking in the form of parking garages and public lots on empty land so parking lanes on major roads can be converted to traffic lanes--especially critical on North Pattaya Road. Instead of the horrible monorail idea, use the money to complete the two underpasses that were planned but never constructed or use overpasses--as they are doing south of Pattaya and have done in Sri Racha.

Isn't that charmingly optimistic, using 'alleged'.

Agree.

Actually, it's more like 2 to 1. According to Statista, the biggest international spenders in Thailand in 2019 were from the Middle East, spending around 81,000 baht each. Spending the least were visitors from ASEAN countries, spending around 41,000 baht each. So, two of them spent about the same as one highest spending visitor. China, by the way, came in at 49,500 baht each. Europe and the Americas were around 71,000 and 69,000 baht. So. less than 2 Chinese to equal the spending of 1 of them. As I've said before, if you're Thailand, do you want a few Middle East visitors spending 81,000 baht each or do you want 11 million Chinese spending 49,500 baht each? In reality, Thailand wants both, and visitors from Europe and the Americas, but the China market is far more important revenue-wise--to the tune of over 500 billion baht in 2019, the most, by far, of any individual country.

I didn't see any 'new strategy'--or any strategy at all.

A kiss is just a kiss.

Boo hoo

Over 500 billion baht spent in Thailand in 2019 by Chinese visitors, the most, by far, of any country. Not exactly 'zero' baht and a good reason why Thailand wants them back

Given the choice between official data and 'facts flying in my face as I walk down the street', I'll choose official data, because I know what I am observing as I walk down the street is just a snapshot of a particular point in time, at a particular place; and an hour or a day later the snapshot might look entirely different, and certainly could in different areas. Questioning something as being accurate or inaccurate doesn't imply lying, rather it questions whether information is actually correct or not. It's only human nature that observations will color our thinking. If someone had asked me sometime ago if I thought there were more Chinese visitors to Thailand in 2019 in tour groups rather than independent travelers, I would have said yes, more in tour groups. That was based on my observations of seeing a lot of tour buses and a lot of Chinese walking around in tour groups following a guide with a flag on a stick. In reality, as I have since found out, there were more independent Chinese travelers in 2019--they just weren't 'flying in my face' and not as visible. I wasn't lying with my answer, I was just inaccurate in my observations, which lead to an incorrect answer.