newnative

Darn, thought it might have been the Red Bull guy.

Can't they run his fingerprints to identify him? I've lost count of how many times I've given mine going thru the airport.

Great, but let's get same-sex marriage already. Taking forever.

Like you, here 14 years, too. Have experienced no crime here whatsoever. In the US, my car was broken into and another time all 4 tires were stolen--and, no, it wasn't parked in a high-crime area. I feel much safer here than the US.

37 countries breathing a collective sigh of relief.

I had a bad experience this past December, as well, and this was on my 3rd tourist trip to China--this time to the Hunan area. I have a 10-year tourist visa but I was stopped at arrivals and taken out of the line and into an office where I was interviewed by two Immigration police. They first pointed out that my 1-year China tourist visa had expired. I then showed them the other page in my passport that had the 10-year unexpired visa. This part of China apparently does not get many Americans and I rarely saw any westerners the whole trip--although it was off-season. The officers were rather hostile and clearly didn't know what to do with me and they started asking all sorts of ridiculous questions, like what college did I go to and what did I major in. Mind you, my college days were over 50 years ago! Finally, after about a half hour, they told me to get back in the Immigration line but when I got to the officer at the booth I was taken out of line once again and sent to another office, to talk to a more senior official. There was also one other American that was having the same problem as me. This official looked through my passport again for a long time, made a call to someone else, and finally stamped me in. All in all it was somewhat scary as I was being treated like a criminal and I wasn't sure I would even be allowed in. I like visiting China, there are lots of places still to see, but I didn't feel very welcomed this last trip.

I'll stick with the google figures I found. But, even using yours, 46,400 vs. 50, 000 baht would not qualify to be called 'much less' spending by 2023 tourists vs. 2019 tourists.

Actually, if you google 'spending per tourist in Thailand' for 2019 and 2023, in 2019 it was 48,580 baht vs. 50,900 baht in 2023. So, I think it's incorrect to say that the 2023 tourists were spending 'much less' than those of 2019.

Was it the SUV model or the sedan? We want the SUV. Thanks.

Yaa! Hope the judge runs the 34 convictions consecutively. Trump is the new orange. Lock him up. Worst president in history and now a convicted felon. Do Republicans really want this as their candidate?

Agree, you're definitely exuding something.

Airbnb is not illegal. Rentals of less than 30 days are.

Spouse and I are waiting for the Seal U hybrid to arrive.

Agree--14 years here, never asked to move, and my spouse and I eat out a lot.

Maybe not so small. In a 2022 Gallup survey, 19.7% of Generation Z in the US identified as LGBTQ. My generation, the Baby Boomers, was just 2.7%. So, a growing demographic and Thailand is smart to target them.

They deserve each other.

Obviously you have no sense of humor.

Yaa!

I pity the poor neighbors.

In the Thai hierarchy, we slot in right above the Thai guy pushing the 4-wheel cart along the road collecting trash to recycle and we're directly below the Thai guy on the 3-wheel motorcycle selling whatever.

Watched the video and my first thought was where were the police? The Thai man kicking the Brit should be chaged with attempted murder, or murder if the man dies. Security personnel need proper training.

Totally agree. The OP makes it sound like all the 'reserved' tables are sitting empty for long periods of time. That is not the case for the vast majority. Typically, it is like I described. You go in, find a free table, put something on it to indicate it is being used, go get your food, and then return to the table in a matter of minutes. Eat your food and leave. Sometimes, instead of leaving an item on the table, you leave a person at a chair. Same difference. The table is in use. Look for a free table for yourself or eat elsewhere.

I don't see anything wrong with the practice. It's not really reserving a table--that's something that's done in advance. "I'd like to reserve a table for 6 people for 7pm this evening." What you describe is a table in use. My spouse and I will sometimes shop at Lotus's or Big C and have lunch at the food court before we shop. We have our grocery shopping bags with us and we drop them at a free table while we go and get our food and bring it back to the table. What's the difference between doing that or if one of us sits at the table while the other one goes and brings back the food? We sometimes do that as well--both at food courts and fast food joints. In both cases, the table is in use--look for a free table or eat elsewhere if they are all in use.

Pathetic.

Good riddance.