geisha

Chinese new Year also attracts Singaporeans , Malaysians , which are relatively good spending tourists in contrast to Chinese . Also a good few fromCambodia and Laos, they’re not all migrant workers. Quite a lot of rich ones .

And don’t forget cannabis shops all over the place !

Not at all.This story has hit international headlines everywhere.. Tourists in Thailand. Even having a e cigarette ( vaping?) or having had a few drinks is no reason for the police to come down heavy handed on tourists . Trust of the RTP flew out of the window years ago , as thousands of tourists or expats will confirm. Of course there are good ones, and ones who want to change things. .But It’s from the top down, as seen by the Chinese mafia and immigration officers headlines. That the police go to Taiwan themselves is a good move . Things should be taken seriously. Ot should the better police continue to turn a blind eye to scenes such as plastic bags over heads to extort money ?

Not interested, but the cinemas are so cold I’d appreciate a clean packed blanket .

Lots of strange things happen, I think that we unconsciously want them to. Once, when I was about 12, I had a very strong déjà -vue. It was nothing important, but it did really surprise me , and I didn’t want to tell anyone in case they thought I was loopy, or making it up.

A friend from Phuket called to tell me not to come .Last year Jan FEV March spent 3 months there ,I left because I was bored stiff plus daily storms . This year it’s over run with Russians and other tourists, great problem for the restaurants who can’t cope, beaches crowded with chairs everywhere, so I won’t go back there. I’ll be in Jomtien in a quiet area, super small building and great pool , been many times in the past . And so not to spend Songkran in Thailand , will be leaving to Bali . With all my respect to Bill Heinecke, Thailand seems very busy . I don’t see why the Thais should give free vaccins tô tourists , its free in our own country. So they must be for the Chinese ?? Or are they old vaccins end of date ? This years vaccin is specially for new omicron variants .

Before Covid you had ´to pick up the next day. With the thousands of longstayers that have apparently descended on Phuket since November ( so busy you can’t get a table in a restaurant , or run on the beach , reported by friend who lives there for 30 yrs yesterday) there might be long queues . So better check.

What on earth is happening ? And being underpaid doesn’t cut it for me. Not a week goes by without some poor farmer being bankrupted / destroyed because some crazy pit bull/ dog has attacked killed his child. Chinese being police escorted to their hotels, tourists being held in the dark in frightening situation , immigration officers taking bribes from Chinese criminals , drugs added to that , photos of small kids with a bong near the beach in broad daylight ( and please do not put all that down to bad tourists !!) . It’s a breakdown of Thai society , it’s falling apart.

The police have given the best story they came up with. Hot air. Any interrogations should be carried out under camera at the police station.

And yet, whenever there is a headline naming Pol Maj Surachate Hakparn , lots of foreigners on A Now get on their high horse and complain about him doing his job , which would be normal in any other western country and be welcomed. This is exactly what he’s trying to stop, potential corruption in this case ( until we know more) and definite corruption in the many other stories just this week. A good few years ago, I was pulled aside leaving Thailand, and nastily told and warned that next time I need the correct visa, and why was I staying so long ? The younger immigration officer literally told me off loudly. I’d had one Tr visa 2 months from France, and the same from Penang. ! Completely legal, and I was leaving to France ! I’m not saying he was corrupt, but he was out of order !! An officer like this would really scare me if I was out in the night , pulled over, threatened . Anyhow, I’m a lady like these Taiwanese tourists, the police/ immigration behavior is disgusting. Should be stopped, quick .

Compared to the present leaders ?

This man just might have found his happiness, after being in a closed mind society back home, with difficult family members ,who care more about themselves than him. He probably led a very lonely life.Good luck to him, he s found someone and a family ! How great is that. And don’t knock rubbish collectors, they pick up your s ..t .

Yes, He wouldn’t risk coming back if it meant him being arrested. I’m quite sure that he has the best Thai lawyers and high ups to back him. The clowns need to go before they totally ruin the country.

Could be that the investigators already know who and where . You know the media can only print what the top orders. Maybe on the Taiwan website.

I don’t think the media is going to drop this , and so it shouldn’t. Let’s hope for a good outcome for justice , despite the many naysayers.

For once, a decent policeman does good, and a lot of you wingers start off. Is he perfect, probably not, who is ? It’s not him who’s going to press charges on these 80 officials, it’s the anti corruption committee, Mr Surachat is leading the investigations . Please tell me what’s wrong ? Who wants to be overrun by Chinese ( or other nationals) crooks, drugs , gambling, under age prostitution, illegal casinos and clubs , boiler room set ups, online scams , by the sounds of it lots of you don’t care. Do you really bother about newspaper photos of him , if so, why.

Years ago when Koh Lanta was just starting up, I took a van there from Phuket. It was ok ish . On the way back, different van driver company, all the foreigners got out of the van about an hour after we left the island. I cannot tell you how terrified we were , most probably drugs , didn’t look drunk. Since that awful day, it’s big buses for me , and the good companies, never at night . Though since air Asia and more flights I prefer that.

The Burmese that I personally know are all legal in Thailand, have their papers and follow rules . Cooks, waiters ,cleaning staff , great people . Maybe the construction sites that employ foreigners mostly poor Cambodians etc fiddle the books , but they should also be made responsible.. Apparently the fishing industry is one of the hardest and cruelest industry in Thailand, told to me a few years ago in Hua Hin.

I wouldn’t wait until last minute, anything can happen. Do well before .

Well I’m quite surprised.Very quick on the mark. I’m not in favor of the death penalty, but this guy and his cronies need locking up for a long time .If only to discourage others doing the same. I very much doubt he’ll get the deathly penalty, probably quietly extradited at some time., Anyhow’, good riddance and well done Mr Chuwit and police who followed up’..Maybe things will change for the better.

Thank you all, I’m printing it all out just in case.

Yes, my card was used in America, I was in France. The transaction was refused luckily. This card I only use for airlines / good hotels, and due to Covid I hadn’t used it for ages. The bank found out exactly where it was used and the date etc. They get the info from card company I think. How the scammers got the info couldn’t be explained .

I have 2 separate accounts, one I use for petrol,stations, small stuff. I don’t buy online ( very rarely) but if I did I’d make sure there was a minimum of credit on the second account , which is also a different bank. Top up when I need, easy. And I never use telephone banking !

Yes thought about that, but would mean fixed dates . I can do it though, a paper at check in Emirates will avoid the hassle of explaining. I’ve been an emirates member for years , traveling often, and it’s always the same old rigmarole,

Ive had a good look , but can see only forums, publicity and FB.