London Lowf

I withdraw at the counter but make sure that it's well over B30,000. so that they can't redirect me to the ATM. No fees from the bank or my card provider back home and the standard decent MasterCard ForEx rate. It does show as a financial transaction on my statement but is not subject to a daily cash limit, just my overall credit limit.

Maybe your friend hasn't exactly got his/her finger on the pulse. Tiger has been rebuilt and is now fully open. I walked around it last night and it is similar to before but tidier and more spaced out. Bangla last night was reasonably busy for an October Wednesday - the staff and owners that I saw seemed reasonably happy with life.

That makes perfect sense to me - better to be the master of your own destiny, particularly if you have a terminal physical or mental condition.

Delete that - it seems yuou can provide proof of funds in lieu.

That's not how I read it. Maybe the OP meant "the most efficient units in the Daikin range". I believe that Daikin is a good brand and maybe the OP thinks the same?

Also, if you obtain a Non-O visa purely for a 90 day holiday and don't get the retirement extension then this might ring alarm bells if you ever want to apply for another visa (of any kind) in the future - the embassy may judge that you have abused the system. Note that I said "may judge" - I'm only guessing but I personally wouldn't take the chance.

The Non-O visa is £150, the tourist visa is +/- £45 including the extension. You need health insurance for the Non-O, you do not for the TR.

You're confusing everyone - well me at least! Do you just want to come on holiday for 90 days? My answer was based on that assumption in which case a normal tourist visa plus extension fits the bill. But, others are assuming that this is part of a plan for a longer stay/multiple stays in Thailand. What do you actually want to do?

A shame that the emoticon reactions are no longer identified on here - it would be interesting to learn which clickhead found my post amusing.

Get a 60 day tourist e-visa plus 30 day virtually automatic extension a couple of weeks before your leaving date.

Yes, I use a selfie against a plain pale green background as that's the colour of my lounge wall. The last two applications it popped up with something along the lines of "Your photo may be rejected as there is more than one person" after I uploaded it!!!!!! I just ignored it and it has never been an issue. As stated, some questions are totally irrelevant but you have to upload something or else you can not proceed to the next stage.

I have no problem with displaying appreciation for good service with a tip and a "Thank you" but (in my opinion) a wai is a traditional way for Thais to show respect but seems to have been cheapened, much like the handshake in the west.

The supplier feedback is usually published, either on their own website, on the selling platform (e.g. ebay) or a review website (e.g. Trustpilot) and as a result it is "informing others".

Nowadays, every time I buy something online, I get a "How did we do?" email a few days later. So, you took my money and correctly supplied the goods/services that you advertised and you want me to congratulate you? I should be the one getting the praise for being a customer. And the one that really grinds my gears? Guys that spend a small fortune on ladydrinks and then give the bar staff a wai on the way out - totally pathetic. (Rant over)

Well, that was fun! Handbags at dawn or a p-ing contest come to mind. Makes the pain of Bob Smith hiding away easier to bear.

I'm impressed. It looks like a Thai version of the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. From the startled expressions on their faces, what have they just spotted on the long-range scanner?

A couple of years ago I applied and paid for a METV but, unbeknownst to me, they weren't issuing them at the time - they gave me a £25 SETV and kept the whole £125. Last year they spelt my surname wrong by one letter on the visa despite it being correct on all of my documents and even on the covering email. Got a polite reply from the embassy but nothing they could do and in the end I had to start again from scratch and pay again. On the plus side, my visa for next week's trip is fine but I always apply very early just in case.....

Rare for someone to leave positive comments and there's a reason for that - why should you when things simply happen as they should? Check that they've spelt your name correctly and also the accuracy of your passport number - if they are wrong then it's tough **** - they will not/can not change it and you have to start and pay all over again.

Fail!

I use Nord and a Chromecast to watch geo-restricted UK content (All4, Eurosport, ITVX) when in Thailand and then switch to a Bangkok server when I'm back home to watch Formula 1 on my very cheap BEIN subscription. The latter suffers some buffering (them or me?) but otherwise no problems.

I've never been one to buy into the "alcohol made me do it" defence - alcohol relaxes your inhibitions and self-control and lets the real person emerge. I'm not a fan of yours, to put it mildly, but good luck - we will see!

I am happy with my Samsung - it does everything that I need - but I have nothing against Apple if folk think that it is a better system and higher quality item. In fact, I hope that they thrive as a fair chunk of my retirement pot is invested with them. But.... a phone as a status symbol..... in Thailand? I'm glad that I don't move in those circles.

As I've aged my comfortable temperature range is very narrow - 25 to 30 degrees. Daytime on Phuket (usually around 32) can be a bit too hot on a clear day unless in the shade or riding the scooter, but from dusk to dawn it's perfect outside but I do turn the aircon on (at 29 degrees) to sleep as I must be undercover. I'm back in the UK at the moment and it's low 20's where I live on the coast but, apart from a few good days from July to September I do not want to be here. I find excess heat physically uncomfortable, but I find anyting below 20 and the constant grey skies most of the time in the UK not only physically uncomfortable but also mentally miserable and depressing. I hate being stuck indoors with the windows closed and the heating cranked up.

I just tried to copy and paste a Thai script word from a website into one of my spreadsheet cells (formatted as Text, Calibri, 10 point) and it worked fine! I pasted into the formula bar and also straight to the cell - no difference.

For my last two TR visas I just upload another copy of my annual lease agreement, which shows the landlord's name. The system is a PITA and a joke, but as long as they can see that you are genuine I think that they do cut some slack. Just count yourself lucky that you didn't suffer the Sandbox application straight after Covid - TR is a walk in the park.