khunjeff

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and Nok Air recommend checking in at least three hours early

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This will temporarily close airspace, potentially causing flight delays

If the flights will be delayed, why are we getting there early? 🤔

8 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I do not buy at a supermarket so meh... but one used to be able to buy 10lt's or more outside of selling hours.... is that no more ?

I believe that loophole was eliminated years ago. As you say, it used to be the case that if you bought 10 liters or more, it was assumed to be a wholesale purchase and was allowed. Now, you can officially only make those purchases during restricted hours if you can show an alcohol sales license.

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The root of the issue appears to be a lax enforcement of existing laws

The bigger "root" is that developers keep building huge towers with units the size of hotel rooms. That makes it easier to sell them out at relatively low prices to people who are desperate to be property owners, but realistically there are very few people who want to live long-term in units that tiny (and it's essentially impossible for families). So once you've bought a unit that no one actually wants to live in, what do you do with it? Not surprisingly, tourists who would otherwise stay in hotels are fine with apartments the size of hotel rooms...

I think that in theory it's supposed to be for the last two years, but I know people who only uploaded evidence for one year (because their income had only recently risen above the threshold) who were approved. 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

the province is focusing on tighter screening processes and visa regulations

I wasn't aware that provinces could make up their own visa regulations. 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

the immigration office now conducts bi-monthly meetings with consular officials, ensuring that all new arrivals have no active arrest warrants, appear on no blacklists, and possess sufficient funds and a defined itinerary

This implies that the meetings with consular officers have some connection with the things that immigration is "ensuring", which they don't. "No warrants" and "no blacklist" simply means that arrivals are run through the immigration database, just as they are at every other checkpoint in the country. "Sufficient funds and a defined itinerary" is also a theoretical requirement at every checkpoint in Thailand, but is virtually never checked, in Phuket or anywhere else.

And let's remember that these things are checked in Phuket only for foreigners arriving on the island directly from abroad. For those coming from Bangkok or elsewhere, Phuket immigration never sees them at all.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Smile Bus has rolled out a novel payment system allowing passengers to settle their fares using QR codes

It's so novel that no one thought of it before, other than every market stall, every retailer, and even the Don Muang airport buses...

2 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Security guards in Thailand often carry whistles as a readily available way to attract attention and call for help in an emergency situation, as the loud sound of a whistle can easily alert others nearby, especially in crowded areas or when verbal communication might not be effective; it serves as a quick and powerful signal to potentially deter potential threats or summon backup if needed. 

I assume that was generated by AI. In reality, blowing whistles doesn't accomplish any of those things, because when they are being blown everywhere, virtually nonstop, for any reason or no reason, people stop paying attention to them. Rather than thinking there's an emergency, people assume -usually correctly - that it's just some idiot with an ill-fitting uniform showing off his self-imagined power.

20 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

I take you're not a beach person.  I have a big selection of Hawaiian shirts. 

As do I - almost all second hand from market stalls. And I wear them year round. 

On 2/28/2025 at 4:39 AM, Georgealbert said:

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for operating an unauthorised Thai costume rental and makeup service near the renowned Wat Phra Kaew

Except that they weren't operating a costume rental business at all - they were just (illegal) employees at a shop operated by a Thai owner. But perhaps the police thought it would sound more impressive if they claimed they had busted a foreign-run business...

On 2/28/2025 at 4:39 AM, Georgealbert said:

The officers found two Chinese nationals working as makeup instructors without valid work permits.

On 2/28/2025 at 4:39 AM, Georgealbert said:

The shop owner is also liable for hiring foreign workers without proper permits.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

To simplify the process, the fee will be tied to the impending Thailand Digital Arrival Card, set for a May debut.

Just a few months ago they said it would be tied to the ETA, so that only visa exempt travelers would pay. But now the ETA has completely disappeared from the conversation, and the zombie tourist tax has risen from the grave yet again.

Let's not forget that the supposed motivation for this tax was the millions the government was allegedly losing from tourists skipping out on hospital bills. But even if every instance of that evasion were accepted as true, that loss would come out to less than 10 baht per foreign visitor - so they've decided that 300 baht should just about cover it, and they'll figure out what to use the rest for. Uh huh. This tax is, and always has been, a solution in search of a problem.

Mr. Boon-Anan is living in a fantasy world. Thailand has never had strict screening of tourists, and is not going to start anytime soon. He and his fellow pearl-clutchers seem to think there's "one weird trick" that will magically detect people who will end up causing mischief here, but there isn't.

Biometrics and database checks are all well and good, but all they show you is whether someone has gotten into trouble in Thailand in the past. Unless they want to start personally interviewing all potential tourists and rejecting anyone who looks the least bit suspicious, they will never keep out the troublemakers. Whether foreigners need visas in advance, or get them on arrival, or get a 30,60, or 90 visa exemption, there will still be no checks conducted other than running their names and (maybe) fingerprints through a local database. That's it. 

And his call for a return of the TM6 is patently absurd. There was never any check made of the accuracy of the listed accommodation, and even if there were, what would that prove? Are criminals unable to book hotels for one night? 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a team from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division conducted a sting operation

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"This operation demonstrates our commitment to crack down on illegal prostitution and human trafficking in Hat Yai," stated Pol. Col. Nattapong.

...and yet there's no mention of any human trafficking. In fact, the only person who could possibly have been a trafficking victim - Ms. Khith - was, as usual, arrested rather than provided with assistance.

Oh look, he's awake! Good morning to you, Mr. P!

Better ban them quickly before they can gather momentum 🙄

1) The Bank of Thailand is independent, so the cabinet shouldn't be "urging" it to do anything - just leave it alone and let it do its job.

2) As others have noted, that inflation figure is as absurd as the sub-1% unemployment figures that the government here regularly publishes, so there isn't even a problem to address.

14 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The incident involved a group travelling under the “Village Waste Bank Committee Development and Study Tour Programme,” organised by the Public Health and Environment Division of Phon Charoen Subdistrict Municipality, Bueng Kan...with three buses carrying over 200 participants.

This seems like a fairly arcane topic, and yet 200 people were "studying" it from just one subdistrict? 

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Authorities suspect that the driver may have skipped a mandatory stop at a designated checkpoint, which could have contributed to the brakes overheating.

Can anyone help me understand what this means? How would stopping at a checkpoint prevent overheated brakes? 🤔 

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the plan is to finalize an electronic bidding process. With all approvals in place, the lease contract could be signed by April

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The first 500 buses are expected on roads by August

So we haven't had bidding yet, and the contract won't be signed until April, but 500 buses will be operating by August? How is that even possible?

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Officers are strictly warned against corruption or negligence.

Yeah, that'll do the trick.

Don't they know that you can't sell these "illegal" vapes online? You have to sell them in public from vending tables on crowded streets, like everyone else does 😝

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The operation was spearheaded by Police Colonel Samret Samsitong, Superintendent of Pai Police Station, alongside Lt. Col. Nopphakhun Atthamathamkun and Lt. Col. Kriangkrai Saensali. In collaboration with Pai District Public Health, officers set up a special operations center on Pai's bustling walking street.

Aren't they ever embarrassed by bragging about these "operations" as though they had brought down the Sinaloa cartel? This was some idiots smoking weed in the street. And although they talk about "arrests", I'm pretty sure that the penalty for public nuisance - which is the offense here - is only a 500 baht fine.

"I'll take 'Things That Never Happened' for $400, Alex"