kwilco

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.?

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

I'm planning on visiting Laos in Jan or Feb 2023. can anyone update me on the visa requirements and Covid vaccination requirements on entry?

more and more critics of Brexit are being reported - basically as the cloud of covid nd other "excuses" are stripped away the stark reality remains.....

Why is UK struggling MORE? Because of Brexit. Citing other problems is deflection

As the clouds of Covid and economic lunacy clear, what remains is the stark reality that anything the world is suffering from is exacerbated by fir the UK by Brexit...... The media is now reporting more and more of the da.aged caused by this aberration...

Sadly all you can do is cherry pick and move the goalposts when you argument falls flat. I make nothing up unlike Brexit , my arguments are based on evidence and reason things tat are anathemas to Brexiteers. They are NOT training people they have left - what fantasy world do you live in - I have spent the last year looking after elderly people and have seen first hand the problems of he NHS in England I have also witnessed t disappearance of people from the health service at all levels. My best friend from school a retired doctor had to come back into service due to the dite shortage in his area. All you are doing is grubbing around nonsense looking for a plausible alternative to the "bleedin' obvious" (JC) - just admit it Brexit has been an absolute disaster. Depite you efforts to change the goalposts re NHS - it isn't just in the NHS this is happening,,,it's been lorry drivers, catering worker/tourist workers - and many. many more. This is NOT happening in the EU as people there have freedom of movement and can work where and when they want. the only thing "coming back to bite them" is Brexit.