khunjeff

I remember the announcement that they were "going to" implement that system, and had wondered whether it ever really happened. Since typically no new system is put in place at any AoT airport without a dozen press releases, speeches, demonstrations, and announcements that the event makes Thailand the best in the world, however, and given that there has been no such circus, I'm inclined to think that the system hasn't been implemented. Inline baggage x-ray systems do exist, and are largely automated. At Incheon in Korea, I've had my bag come out with a little device bolted to the handle and playing music. When you go past the customs officer with that device, you're sent to a nearby station where another officer looks at the number on the device and pulls up the x-ray image that triggered the inquiry. (In my case, it was a few bottles of wine which I was permitted to bring in, so the guy simply removed the music box and sent me on my way.) So yes, it's not unrealistic to believe that BKK could also install and operate a similar system - though whether they've actually done so is still unclear.

Ya think so???

That's entirely dependent on your individual bank and its policies, so other people's experiences won't tell you what might happen in your particular case. If your card has no foreign transaction fees, there shouldn't be any additional charge.

Your case isn't unusual at all - many people have done exactly what you're planning to do, and there is no requirement for you to get the visa at an embassy instead of at BoI. That shouldn't be an issue. They will likely give the final approval within a couple of days after you upload the information, and the appointment schedule is usually wide open. Don't overthink this, and don't bother trying to upload your passport pages until you're actually here - they want to see your entry stamp into Thailand.

Those were the only mass market Thai beers that I ever liked, so naturally they disappeared after a very short time 😞

No, it doesn't. They made exactly the same complaint before the visa exemption policies were changed, so clearly someone who wants to be an illegal guide can do so just fine on a 30 day stay. Hundreds of billions? Seriously? Pull the other one, Paisarn! Sounds like the Russian was doing just what Paisarn suggested was "feasible"...

The transit lines themselves don't charge anything extra, but the card-issuing bank abroad might have foreign transaction fees.

You can use any Visa or Master Card. This works on the Blue, Purple, Yellow, Pink, and Red lines, but unfortunately not on the Green (BTS) lines or the ARL.

Since when do they have any interest in violations of traffic laws?

Indeed, which is why I'm baffled when they talk about turning it into an international airport - what was it when it had flights to Malaysia, if not international?

The fact that anti-coup legislation is even remotely controversial tells you a lot about Thailand, and none of it good.

And actually US immigration at most ports of entry stopped routinely stamping passports for visitors a couple of years ago, though those people still have to see an officer.

A distribution network that only sells to teenagers. Uh huh. They cleverly disguised their vape-selling operations as sidewalk tables openly selling vapes. Fiendish!

Yes, because civilian overreach has been the real issue behind Thailand's political instability 🙄 What on earth does this paragraph mean? 🤔

Talkatone lets you call US landlines and cell numbers for free, and will give you a virtual number that you can maintain as long as you use it once in a while.

Clearly AI, and they should set the software to tone down the overuse of "clever" and "cute" modifiers. If this was a drug raid, so be it, but otherwise these were consenting adults whose activities and proclivities are irrelevant and almost certainly legal, even in Thailand.

This almost certainly means that a foreign police or intelligence agency knew about these two and informed the Thais - there is essentially zero chance that local authorities would have paid any attention to transit passengers otherwise.

Always good to give the criminals a schedule in advance 👍

Referring to this as "transnational crime" is a bit of a stretch, given that the content is perfectly legal in most of the countries where it's eventually viewed.

Thais do not eat those - they push them aside or leave them in the bowl.

Unlike some immigration offices, BoI doesn't try to force applicants to use agents.

Unless this was a self-driving truck, I don't think this excuse holds much water. Yet another overloaded pickup and a speeding driver, what could possibly go wrong? Exactly this, I guess...

I assumed this incident was entirely the pickup's fault, until I read this. Were these the typical faded, dark, nearly invisible warning lights that most trucks have? And did he stop on the shoulder, or just leave his vehicle in the traffic lane?

Or just stop this checkpoint nonsense once and for all. Static checkpoints are probably the least effective method for routine enforcement of traffic laws - other than just staying inside the police box and never coming out onto the road at all, which is the most popular strategy here...

The upgrade is necessary for Thai carriers to start flying nonstop to the US, but not sufficient. (The Category 2 rating never prevented airlines from the US or other countries from operating between the US and Thailand.) If Thailand-registered airlines can't see a way to make a profit from nonstop US flights, they won't operate them - no matter what TAT wants. 1) Thai Airways was never "deemed unsafe". The FAA rates countries, not individual airlines. 2) A Category 2 downgrade doesn't stop existing flights to the US - those are "allowed to continue operations at current levels under heightened FAA surveillance". It only forbids new or expanded services. https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/iasa/definitions