dageurreotype

Anyone who's been here a nanosecond will be familiar with the Thai 'Where are you from? How old are you? how many children do you have?' When I tell them I didn't feel the need for them as my country has a welfare system ( ), they then ask if I ever get lonely ..

Vietnam has every reason to distrust Americans, but creating a visa on arrival would be more beneficial. The length of visa is not so much the issue, as having to deal with the corrupt Vietnamese visa system.

Absolutely 100% agree. This is one of the reasons I have not gone to Vietnam and first started going to Thailand. Visa on arrival when my job makes planning difficult is the bee's knees.

As you will see from my previous post, a friend had visited as part of a trip of SE Asia and hadn't had any visa difficulties. I'm not saying people haven't experienced any, but I'm certain he and his friend didn't or I wouldn't have heard the end of it

Vietnam is easing its visa policy this year as it tries to boost the tourism.

This is great news...it will put pressure on other SE Asian countries to loosen up on the visa restrictions...

Vietnam is an up and coming tourist destination in my opinion...

Then why this?

Vietnam is easing its visa policy this year as it tries to boost the tourism sector after consecutive declines in arrivals.

I see this 'tourists not returning' to VN everywhere. A friend visited on a whirlwind trip of SE Asia, but hadn't much to say about Vietnam, only that there were many Chinese there too, so seriously, why don't people return? I haven't been there so don't know,the one time I'd tried it was shut (Tet) And my friend and I ended up visiting beautiful Burma instead.

It seems to me that whatever is putting repeat tourists should be fixed before bothering issuing longer visas.

The Andaman Clinic in Chalong will be able to provide you with home nursing assistance. They are on the Chao Fa East Road about 200 meters past the Chalong Police Station on the right hand side next to the THMB Bank beside 'Beautyland' and the large pet store cat hospital.towards town. Hope this helps.

Just more of SAME SAME !

Corruption & SCAMS @ Thailand Immigration.

Yes, isn't it great. In other countries, with stricter enforcement of the rules, the OP would have been turned away for not having adequate funds. That could have cost him a lot more than the 200 baht tea money.

Are those countries developed? That is to say, not third world? Where there may be a chance some visitors may take advantage of their generous social welfare systems? If not, name them.

The latter. Next

In developed countries those who have been warned that they must adopt new measures in order to improve environments/education/judiciary prepare for any upcoming legislative measures to do so. That's how they got to be developed. Here, they simply complain and ask for postponements/handouts and nothing ever changes.

Together with the Euro.

Then it's a jolly good thing we British weren't persuaded to adopt the bloody thing, wasn't it.

Last Saturday I had lunch with a group of Thais who all agreed that they could care less about the US and what they think or do. There was open hostility towards the US and it's interference in Thai internal affairs. The consensus was that Thailand was far better off with Prayut running the show than either the Yellow or Red shirts. These Thais were quite happy to let the NCPO run the country for as long as the NCPO wanted to.

The Thais I was with are all university educated, many educated outside Thailand and some hold down influential government/quasi government positions. They all speak English fluently. Granted maybe not your average under educated Thai, yet it does show that there are people who think for themselves and don't believe everything in the news or on the net.

And they don't give a rat's arse what the US says. I heard the word hypocrite used more than once (referring to the USA).

Typical Thais without a clue about how the rest of the world lives. Beaten into oppression so much so, they dont realize it.

I can assure you they do realise it, it's simply they feel powerless to do anything about it. As to the US, if relations were on a 'razor's edge', how is it they've just installed another ambassador here instead of a mere consul?

THIS ought to be interesting, given the ongoing years and decades of neglect to address a fundamental flaw in this country: a proper education system.

Built upon what exactly? The 12 commandments? Given that the education system here continues to use nationalistic rote learning I wouldn't hold your breath.

PS: Have to say that in Hua Hin at least this culture of lawlessness is injected into school kids at an early stage. Unchallenged by the police as 14-year-olds drive their motorcycles, mainly in school uniforms without helmets weaving from lane to lane. You get the feeling that some of them hone their genes here to become the bad boys glorified in movies.

I think you may have a point. Yesterday I heard a loud rasping noise moving up and down outside and turned some little kid had flattened a plastic water bottle and stuck it between his little bike wheel and the frame to emulate a motorbike He couldn't have been more than seven or eight. Good example to the younger kids these racers set.

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

Seriously??? Healthy eating should only be available to the rich and supplied by the poor using slave labour.

So be it, because the alternative is that there is none left for rich or poor. This way stocks can recover and the poor can enjoy fish again later on.

Again, the problem is the unregulated catching of fish whereby fish fry, aka trash fish', are caught before they are able to mature. This is the very simple problem that even the simple minded are able to get their heads around.

Plus no quota.. no sanctuaries ect, its quite simple less fish has to be caught and small fish fry should be allowed to escape and grow. But however you look at it fish prices will go up and too bad for the poor but going on this way would also not help them.

Obviously. But hey! You're one of those posters who always want the last word so, go on then

If this ban is strictly enforced it will reduce the amount of fish caught. Great for the preservation of fish stocks but it will mean fish prices will likely soar.

Good. Fish will then be more properly priced. It should be a luxury only affordable by the few until global fish stocks recover -- and then they should be fished sustainably. A pipe dream perhaps, but the only sane way forward.

Seriously??? Healthy eating should only be available to the rich and supplied by the poor using slave labour.

So be it, because the alternative is that there is none left for rich or poor. This way stocks can recover and the poor can enjoy fish again later on.

Again, the problem is the unregulated catching of fish whereby fish fry, aka trash fish', are caught before they are able to mature. This is the very simple problem that even the simple minded are able to get their heads around.

If this ban is strictly enforced it will reduce the amount of fish caught. Great for the preservation of fish stocks but it will mean fish prices will likely soar.

And rising fish prices will be very good for the fishermen....they won;t have to catch as many fish to make the same money as they do now.

Well you can use that argument about the lazy arsed taxi drivers on Phuket - 'It's a good thing that they charge ridiculous prices in a closed shop as they then needn't work more than an hour a day'.

The price of fish here is commensurate with prices back in the UK, it's by no means cheap. The 'trash' fish is the big problem here. In the EU we have quotas and sizing which are strictly adhered to. Here, not so much.

If this ban is strictly enforced it will reduce the amount of fish caught. Great for the preservation of fish stocks but it will mean fish prices will likely soar.

Good. Fish will then be more properly priced. It should be a luxury only affordable by the few until global fish stocks recover -- and then they should be fished sustainably. A pipe dream perhaps, but the only sane way forward.

Seriously??? Healthy eating should only be available to the rich and supplied by the poor using slave labour.

The only problem now is the NACC as an agency needs a massive boost in staff and funding in the short term to be effective, a dedicated powerful court system could also help, over time as corruption levels decrease these agencies and courts could be downsized to meet dropping demands, for now it remains a massive task to "investigate" "seize" and "convict" those responsible

Not really. I have an upcoming case where the defendants bribed a police captain and a local prosecutor, both of whom were 'transferred'. On receiving the list of charges against them, not one was the already on the statute 'bribing a government official', even though it's patently clear they did. These transfers are also mentioned in 'hushed tones'. They don't want to actually admit a Thai official was capable of any wrongdoing and apart from a paltry handful now being named with accompanying crowd pleasing fanfare, they never will. It's their laughable 'culture'.

I am actually looking to counter sue her as she is buried in debt,

Christ you sound like a real sweetheart. I was in the same position around ten years ago and paid 40K even though I was driving with due care and attention but I'd just picked my vehicle up from a mechanic who'd buggered the gearbox up. Try claiming negligence against a Thai mechanic here. Pay up and watch where you're going next time.

A new regulation tossed up at the last minute causing people who work in Thailand grief. Never heard of such a thing.

Yes BUT this one isn't new and was petitioned against last month, so this isn't news, it's simply the fishermen thought they'd never go through with it as per. hopefully no U turns on this one.

In other news, article 44 is invoked to clear Phuket of ALL taxi mafia and a new public transport system is implemented

Best to keep quiet, and let the current "government" continue to work their economic "magic" (or voodoo).

Agreed. It's working for me

I am sure the Thai bashers will have a lot to say about the PM regarding his comments. I do agree that a Democracy does need to be re-established, but it must be done correctly. Time is running short for the PM before the people will demand the return of an elected government. I will say however, to those Farangs that like to Thai bash, has the coup made your life worse, better, or the same. If worse, can you tell us in what way please? Thank you......

Immigration are continuing to find ever more creative ways to make our farang hides even more miserable on the back of the General's insanely nationalistic rhetoric. Frankly, after all this time here, I give a rat's for the exchange rate and not to be unnecessarily bothered by officious peasants in uniform. As to the rest, as I'm constantly reminded, not my business.

Given the usual idiotic public announcement, she'll be long gone already.

Why not keep quiet and just arrest her?

I wonder if she's wealthy, has connections blah blah blah..?

You do not need to be particularly wealthy to bribe an immigration official to ignore your arrest warrant here. As to the length of time having passed to actually bring this case to trial, I have a trial coming up next month with a similar time span.

Oh my, what a stupid idea. Do they really think tourists, especially foreign tourists, would be interested in coming to Thailand to see a copy? Real tourists travel to see the real thing.

Another stupid idea from another brain dead bureaucrat. I wish these guys would stop having their brain farts in public.

If they want to see the real thing, they should visit Cambodia where it was obviously originated. Seriously, look at it and tell me the Thais built that.

'Peaceful demonstrations are part of democracy'

Sure, ok, so why haven't their been any? Of the bigger "protests" over the last decade or so, they've all been violent in one way or another.

Maybe a Thai's definition of "peaceful" and/or "protest" aren't the same as what I think.

No, they haven't. I remember the PAD 2008 rally was conducted very peacefully and a video of an American man saying the people of the US could learn from the Thais as to how to conduct peaceful protests going viral. The Taksin fueled (no pun intended) Red Shirts of 2010 however was another matter. Not affiliated with either, simply stating a fact.

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Sorry to dash any hope of being accepted here, but many Thais echo the government, all of them, in spouting we whities 'have ruined Thai culture'. I hear this from my Thai neighbour and, unsurprisingly, given the intelligence quotient from more than a few the of long term stayers (there are no 'expats' here, no matter how you delude yourselves).

Remember that this is an uber nationalist country, kept so for the benefit of the big bosses.