kwilco

If you look at this thread and the one on UK struggling, it is easy to understand why Will Self and others have pointed out that whilst not all Brexiteers are racists, all racists are Brexiteers

All of the polls now show that a clear majority of people in the UK think Brexit was a mistake – mostly around 54% think it was a mistake and 32% think it was a good idea and the ret just don’t know (or can’t bring themselves to admit it)

Brexiteer arguments re always so spurious and ill-informed - especially their claims re democracy - it simply is irrelevant - You can't accept Brexit anymore than you can vote the world is flat

Makes me think that somewhere there is an enormous police station with bungalows, swimming pools and a golf course with thousands of police all on "inactive duties"

Market forces don't exist in Thailand - schemes like this may be devised in murky rooms behind closed doors - contracts involve big money to contractors and graft and corruption flourish. Mega schemes around the world are particularly open to graft and corruption. They happen, not because there is a need but because it is a signal project and feeds the greed of contractors. This could happen and the island inhabitants will have little or no say in it.

so is this totally different from the episode in 2010 or the similar episode in 2017? etc etc.?

Cars aren't magic - an there's no such thing as Murphy's law - that's what it's about... if you or someone who knows what they are doing looks at a car, you can tell with remarkable certainty whats going to happen. There are even manufacturers manuals or parts life etc. If you buy off a dealer they may offer some form of warranty, if it's off a private vendor, you have no comeback from them; so it's a good idea to get a mechanic or better still an engineer to look at the vehicle. Cars are the same all over the world, so are the sellers - some a e straight, some are dishonest. As an amateur buyer you need to protect yourself with a knowledge of cars and an ability to make some assessments of the person you are buying from. Many foreign buyers in Thailand have their chances spoiled by their own prejudices.... well no sympathy there - they just miss out on a good deal.

I bought of a dealer and got a warranty etc etc - the car lasted for 10 years. You could get a freindly mechanic to check it out for you - then if he keeps having to fix it, he will lose face.

If anyone is in any doubt about the lies of Brexit take a;\ look at this article which outlines the lies from Boris to Sunak. https://boris-johnson-lies.com/ The only way to justify Brexit is to claim black is white and pigs can fly. We've gone form "sunlit uplands - to a disaster we will "get by - in. Dunkirk was a disaster we got by on, but Brexit is with us for years unless we see sense and start to rejoin ASAP - Sunak has already has Switzerland's agreement waved in his face.

Just the tip of the iceberg……. London School of economics has been doing research into the effects of Brexit on food prices – apparently Brexit added almost £6bn to UK food bills in the two years to the end of 2021, affecting poorest households the most, research has found. The cost of food imported from the EU shot up because of extra red tape, adding £210 to the average household food bills over 2020 and 2021, https://www.lse.ac.uk/News/Latest-news-from-LSE/2022/l-December-22/By-the-end-of-2021-Brexit-had-already-cost-UK-households-a-total-of-5.8-billion-in-higher-food-bills-%E2%80%93-new-LSE-research#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20calculate%20that%20Brexit%20caused,%2C%20they%20are%20hit%20harder.%E2%80%9D

Before you go just read your answers and check you "visa" - no need to reply - I already know.

...what is your point? Do you think overstay is OK? Are you saying that ll this time you have been on overstay? PS - 20 years, and I pay taxes too.! It would seem that my status and possibly yours have nothing to do with overstay?

Let's face it overstayers are breaking the law - they think they are better than Thai people and above their laws, so what other laws are they prepared to break?.....Thailand simply doesn't need these people with their arrogant sense of entitlement -

So are you an overstayer? or are you just paying your way?

Overstayers don't have that, of course. Burmese immigrants are being exploited by Thai businesses as cheap labour etc Western overstyers are exploiting Thailand - they don't pay taxes etc and don't contribute to the Thai economy and often ther businesses are either baloney or taking work from Thai businesses.

THere is definitely a culture of "entitlement" in gyms and muay Thai gyms etc - not only could the customers be in trouble but I'd love to see the visas /permits for those "working" there - is the job even open to foreigners?

Illegal immigrants - they also upset the local economy and often end up being a load of healthcare etc. If you want to work or stay in Thailand do it legally. I wonder why some people are so "tolerant"?

What do you mean? - do you think this is not the case?

There are so many Brits and other foreigners on Samui without the right visas. Many seem to be working as dive instructors, in gyms or quack yoga or alternative therapy activities - about time they were cleared off the archipelago.

It's not those who will go anymore- it will be by plane to Surat or train or bus. Then people in the South will drive there. the airport on the island will probably close as it will no longer be required - Surat will take over. Samui / BKK line is the only profitable line for Bangkok air - so they will probably go out of business. Don't forge the old "island charm" will not be the attraction it will be a suburb full of quack hospitals and "wellness" clinics - totally different clientele

Completely insane - the island is fast becoming a lump of concrete in the Gulf and this will seal it's fate. I wonder how the inhabitants of Taling Ngam will take te news?

Why do Brexiteers always try and blame everything else BUT Brexit - all the other countries in the world have those problems - but UK alone has Brexit, which is why it is struggling MORE than others as asked in the OP.

The OP is about struggling MORE than others and this is why. Brexit affecting UK immigration changes and damaging the economy on top of other woes. Brexit had ‘significant adverse impact’ on UK trade, says official watchdog https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-had-significant-adverse-impact-on-uk-trade-says-public-finances-watchdog%EF%BF%BC/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20latest%20evidence%20suggests%20that,%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%20finances%20watchdog%20added. “The latest evidence suggests that Brexit has had a significant adverse impact on U.K. trade, via reducing both overall trade volumes and the number of trading relationships between U.K. and EU firms,” the finances watchdog added. The OBR now expects trade volumes to decline over the medium-term, falling to 8.3 percent below present levels in the final quarter of next year. Net migration into the U.K. will meanwhile decline from 224,000 a year in 2023 to 205,000 a year from 2026, according to the OBR, but this is still tens of thousands higher than the levels forecast by the watchdog in March.

someone was trying to tell me that "exchange rates were worse in Phuket" - I can't see how this can be as they appear to be universally applied by each bnk. It seems to me they are confusing the constant changes in rates for regional differentials.

I've visited many times before but this time as a foot passenger - so I'll be entering by land at Vientiane. to catch the new train. I've paid my VOA before and this seems to be operating as usual...it's the Covid restrictions that were worrying me