newnative

Chaos.

My first car was a Fiat, bought used around 1968. I was in high school and we were living on Okinawa, Dad working for the US Army. It was a horrible car. The hood of the engine compartment had vents. Every time it rained hard, something in the engine got wet and the car would not start. When rain threatened, I had to run out and open the engine compartment and cover the engine with plastic. Of course, I daren't drive it in the rain, for fear of being stranded somewhere. There were other problems but, luckily, repairs weren't too expensive. A very unreliable car, and proof of the correctness of the meaning of FIAT--Fix It Again Tony.

Agree. And, it's burning being done all over. I am on the Darkside outside of Pattaya and almost every morning my terrace has black soot on it from the burning in my area. We smell the burning most evenings, sometimes so bad we have to stay inside with the windows closed and the aircon on. Absolutely nothing is being done anywhere by anyone to curtail this. Just blah, blah, blah talk and useless things like free Metro for a week in Bangkok--like that's going to do anything, in Bangkok or anywhere else.

Yes, it was awful on Sunday--never seen it so packed. Horrible. 45% increase in usage but no increase in the frequency of the trains and no increase in the number of cars per train.

Totally agree. Spouse and I were on the MRT yesterday, Sunday, and it was a miserable, horrible experience. I've never seen the trains so packed. Facebook told me today that the MRT had 451,000 more riders yesterday--I think they were all crammed into the car we were on. Ridership on all the lines was up by huge numbers. I can't even think what hell it must have been trying to take the Airport Rail Link out to the airport with luggage--that train ride is awful even in normal times with the huge increase in the local riders now using it--and sometimes only 3 -car trains. The powers in charge make it free but did they consult with the operators first? Did they add extra cars to the trains? No, same 4 cars that are inadequate to passenger rider numbers even during normal, paying non-rush hour times. Did they make the trains come at more frequent intervals? No, it was still the same long wait between trains. It's madness that they are still using 4-car trains. Our condo is next to the Phetchaburi MRT. This area, including the Rama 9 area, has seen huge growth in both condos built and people working here. Just one new condo, One 9 Five, has 2000 units. Multiply that by all the other new condo projects, throwing new riders on to the trains. Plus, new office buildings, including a very large one next to our condo. If they want to get people to give up their cars, they need to make riding public transportation a pleasant experience, not a nightmare. We are visiting from Pattaya this week and will be using our car or taking taxis--and I'm sure we will not be the only ones. So much for reducing pollution.

Speaking Thai should not be a requirement to get a long-term visa.

Well, that's actually good that the majority of Thais are opposed to casinos. Makes it easier for the government to restrict entry to the casinos to foreign passport holders only. Neatly solves the problem of those braying that the casinos will only be harmful to Thais and put them further in debt. And, also neatly solves the problem of the already established, powerful gambling forces losing their revenue--Thais will continue to gamble with them since they will be barred from the casinos. That was easy.

Neither.

That's not 'bold action'. Far from it. That's just pretending to do something. Make a little publicity while not having to actually do anything. While not having to actually make some bold decisions, some tough decisions. Easy peasy. Free transit, for a week. Count 'em. Ok, that's done. Meanwhile, what's it going to be like riding the subway--with its way too inadequate packed 3 and 4-car trains when riding isn't free? Spouse and I only ride non-rush hour and even then it's way overcrowded. How are you going to get people to give up their cars when public transportation is a miserable experience at rush hour?

Boo hoo.

Yes, really.

Total non-answer from the government spokesman. At least go through the motions . . .

Two words "NO ENFORCEMENT" !!!

Why do they need 50 more days to 'study' what has already been examined to death for years and years? Just get on with it already. Meanwhile, private industry isn't waiting for the government to get it in gear. Bangkok Mall, slated to be the largest in southeast Asia, is now under construction. In addition to the mall, there will be hotels, housing, an IMAX theater, other entertainments, and a 16,000 seat music and events arena. Sounds like an 'entertainment complex' to me.

Not just a problem with Pattaya. I remember the first time my Thai spouse and I were in Bangkok, years ago when I first arrived. I noticed 3 green iron poles spaced across the sidewalk at intervals where we were walking. I turned to him and said, 'I don't know what the city was thinking. The poles are spaced way to wide apart from each other to prevent a motorcycle from driving between them on the sidewalk.' He replied, 'Silly, the poles aren't to prevent motorcycles from driving on the sidewalk, they're to stop cars from driving on the sidewalks.' Oh, ok. Noted. And, yes, when we walk in Bangkok on the sidewalks we have to be alert for motorcycles or they'll run right over us.

One thing that continues to impress me is Thailand's road system. Spouse and I have traveled fairly widely over Thailand and it has been mostly on good motorways. I still remember visiting Cambodia and, at that time, a lot of the roads were dirt. Siam Reap had horrible roads, very bumpy, some just gravel. On my last visit I noticed the roads had improved a lot but I'm always grateful for the good roads when we go traveling in Thailand. However, some of the vehicles on the road . . .

I'm wondering, does Trump's official Presidential Lying Tally get reset to zero for his second term or does it continue where it left off, at 32,736,495,102? Sent by God . . . Add another one, either way.

Already answered the last time you asked this on another thread. See Nixon pardon. Try to keep up.

The 'future of Jord' should be a quick death.

John F. Kennedy Inaugural speech: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Donald Trump Inaugural speech: "Drill, baby, drill." The worst president in US history just gave the worst Inaugural Address in US history, lazily digging out his tired and stale campaign speech from his back pocket.

To echo a previous poster, Pattaya's for you. Lots of neighborhoods, lots of variety, lots of housing choices, several good malls, cheap transportation, all sorts of restaurants and inexpensive food courts, and still close to Bangkok if you want to visit now and then--as my spouse and I do.

I certainly hope not! My eyes! My eyes!

Thanks. That was my thinking, too.

I found your post confusing. But, in any case, having to pay taxes in Thailand, and likely not a big amount, would certainly not be my reason for ever leaving. I suspect the move to somewhere else would cost tremendously more in relocation costs than staying and paying the taxes, should I ever have to. So far, I see no evidence that I will be required to file, let alone pay, any taxes. So far, my latest check with several bank managers here in Pattaya resulted in the same answer they gave me before--nothing new with banking regarding taxes. So far, there is no requirement that I produce a tax return to obtain my annual extension. So far, my strategy remains to do nothing. Don't obtain a tax number. Don't file any taxes. In other words, my strategy is the same as most Thais living here. I think too many are letting themselves get too upset and too bothered over something that, so far, isn't even happening and, perhaps, never will. Buh bye bye to the OP.

Where are all the other people supposedly in 'clear view' of the incident and supposedly 'outraged'? I only see the Indian group. For the record, this Pattaya resident is holding his outrage for something a little more outrageous.