khunjeff

Another member has already confirmed that Visa-branded debit cards are accepted. As for the exchange rate, that depends on the card issuer, but the conversion is usually done by Visa itself - their rate is updated daily, and is normally very good. I don't know whether the e-visa validity is the same for all nationalities, but when I got one last month as a US passport holder, it was valid for entry within three months of the issuance date, with an authorized stay of 30 days from the date of entry.

This particular Fast Track lane is no longer available to First/Business Class pax. The sign has been changed, and the officer on duty at the door will send you to the Premium Lane next to the Thai Citizen lane. Correct, this is where Premium Class pax are now sent. Just show your Business Class boarding pass - no additional voucher or payment required.

Thai airports have been getting electronic Advance Passenger Information (API) since 2015. Information on EVERY incoming passenger is sent to Thai Immigration before the flight departs the origin airport, so they already know exactly which flight every person was on. (By the way, you pay a fee of US$1 on every international flight ticket for this fine service.) "Thai Immigration Bureau will pre-process every passenger arriving, departing or transiting through Thailand and reply back to airline with boarding directive Such as, “Board if DOCS OK” or “Do not Board”." https://dcs.aero/product/thailand-api/

This has been discussed repeatedly for years and years. Since the countries involved all have completely different visa policies, though, it's hard to see how anything will ever come of it.

Perhaps you're just trolling, but the sign didn't say "sanam bin" in Thai - it used the more formal term "tha ahkatsayan" (or however you choose to transliterate it).

Virtually every article published these days says the same thing, and yet I can only see 10 lines, no matter how hard I count (even using my toes). Where are these two invisible train lines? (Non-operating lines such as the eastern Orange Line certainly shouldn't count.) Does @Crossy know what they're referring to? 1 - Light Green 2 - Dark Green 3 - Blue 4 - Purple 5 - Gold 6 - Pink 7 - Yellow 8 - Light Red 9 - Dark Red 10 - ARL 11 - ? 12 - ?

As written, it's incomprehensible. They talk about "transferring" operation, yet the Grey Line doesn't exist, and a "Bang Na-Suvarnabhumi airport Blue Line extension" not only doesn't exist, but doesn't seem possible, since the Blue Line doesn't go to either of those endpoints. Meanwhile, there is no explanation of how or why operation of the Gold Line would be taken away from BTSC, other than some cryptic word salad about advertising revenues.

I'm interpreting this to mean that in the past there was no planning at all, while now there's some planning, but it isn't sufficient to meet the city's needs, so a more effective system is required. But, yeah, it's confusing, so I might be totally wrong 🤷

"Chinese tourists now prefer to travel independently. Currently, up to 90% of Chinese tourists entering Thailand are Free Independent Travellers (FIT), while the market for Chinese tour groups accounts for only 10%." https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40028934

Yes, clearly career road-building professionals wouldn't actually complete the project unless a politician "directed" them to do so 🙄

They're not trying to protect the (tiny) local wine industry at all - the levy on wine is just a luxury tax, pure and simple.

There's nothing wrong with providing subsidies, but I wish they would stop referring to them as "gifts". They're ultimately paid for by taxpayers, not magically gifted by the politicians currently in office.

Yes, "ordering" is always the best way to get career professionals to do their jobs - I'm sure it never occurred to them to try to improve traffic flow until his "order" came down.

Obviously the "security" claim is totally absurd, but the official policy of almost every airline is indeed that you can only pool luggage for passengers on the same reservation number. Full service carriers may not bother enforcing that rule when it's obvious that a bunch of family members are traveling together, but the business model of budget carriers is different - they want to give you a low basic fare, but with as many ancillary fees as possible. Exactly 💯

As usual, a lot of hyperbolic verbiage and zero explanation of how this would actually work in practice for travelers from Thailand to HK.

The sidewalk on my soi was completely rebuilt about seven years ago, but you would never know to look at it - the construction was so poor that it looks like it's been degrading for 25 years. Placing the tiles on concrete rather than on sand will be an improvement, if they can really carry through on their promises.

About 20 years ago I went to an IKEA in the middle of downtown Hong Kong, located in the basement of an office building. So no, this is not a new concept "in all of Asia". Since I have an IKEA membership, I was also invited. They asked me to register online, and said the first 500 registrants could participate. I did so, but they never sent any acknowledgment or provided any indication of whether I was one of the lucky 500, so I didn't try to go. Very peculiar way to run a promotion.

They haven't "reestablished" or "reinstated" anything. These are the exact same flights that have already been operating, using the exact same planes that have been flying those routes, except now the flight number will begin with TG instead of WE. Big whoop. They made the same kind of ridiculous announcement in Hanoi a few weeks ago, holding a grand press conference to announce that they were "resuming" service to Vietnam - by which they meant changing the flight numbers on the exact same flights that had already been operating daily since Covid. Misleading the public isn't a good first step towards regaining trust after bankruptcy.

You're confusing visa validity (the period during which you can use your visa to enter the country) with length of stay (how long you can remain in the country once you enter) - the two are completely different. Yes, some nationalities can get a ten year visa, but they must fill out a lengthy application form, pay a fairly substantial fee, and probably make a personal appearance at a consulate or application center. The nationalities covered under the new program can just get on a plane with no formalities and be granted a 15 day stay in China.

Thailand has averaged over 50,000 foreign arrivals per day for all of 2023, so I have no idea what they're talking about. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1423617/monthly-foreign-tourist-arrivals-thailand/

So they arrested and punished disfigured people who are victims of human trafficking gangs? I guess they want to get back on the Trafficking in Persons watchlist, as the last TIP Report noted specifically that "government officials did not identify the majority as trafficking victims, placed foreign victims in immigration detention centers, and arrested victims, including Thai citizens, for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked in these illicit operations" - exactly what they're doing here, yet again.

Rangsit isn't a province - both Rangsit Station (Red Line) and Khu Khot (Green Line) are in Pathum Thani province.

Hong Kong as well.

I get free shipping on Shopee all the time, but you do have to know when codes will be distributed, and then use them before the allotment is exhausted. The rules for each code also differ, so I just keep stuff in my cart and then try the various codes until one works.

The police were taken from the Interior Ministry and placed directly under the Prime Minister about 25 years ago.