Digby Strong

2 hours ago, 2long said:

There IS some sense in it. Read on...

Common sense would suggest that the reason for banning the booze is to prevent Somchais from sitting in groups and drinking, then after killing some brain cells going off to do other inappropriate things which would spread the virus, such as returning to hug and kiss family members.

Without 'generalising' I think it's fair to say that the government mainly target low-income Thai males as the target group to control in this case. From experience, these guys are completely incapable of buying in advance and rationing the booze for even a few days, never mind a month. This is partly because they don't have the money, and mainly because they can't control themselves or trust their buddies not to cheat. They drink all they have until it's gone.

In this sense, the 2-day window and a new ban makes sense, allowing expats and more wealthy to stock up and ration.

Yes, I understand the reasoning, here, but don't quite "get" the TIMING...

(a) we still don't know whether May public holidays, including that on Friday (Labor Day), are going to be cancelled (to encourage continued social distancing), and

(b) why just TWO days duration (maximum panic buying, minimum social distancing)? Authoritarian muscle flexing?? 

Liver applauding, but brain leans towards conjecture when in need of a beer!!

On 3/2/2020 at 12:17 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

My God, they are sooo thick.

 

The allure of Koh Samui is that it is an island.

 

If it is connected to the mainland by bridge, then it is part of the mainland and thus merely a group of hotels and restaurants near the sea. Just like all the other resorts on the mainland.

 

Again, for those too thick to get it, the allure of a tropical island, and thus its appeal to tourists, is that it is an island.

 

How did these people get elected?

 

Agree 100%. I would just like to invite the planners to visit Samui, and take a look at the existing traffic on the ring road anytime during the morning and afternoon rush hours. They can then decide whether a bridge, which brings a significant amount more road traffic, will just end up being an expensive parking lot,  because it will be grid-locked. 

Why, unnecessarily, put the ferries out of business? They're not at full capacity most of the time. Invest more in super-fast passenger ferries, and fast rail links to ferry ports from Surat Airport. 

I also agree fully with those who suggest this....For a whole lot less money, pay off the Samui Airport monopoly, and open the airport to budget airways. 

Samui already has too much road traffic... a bridge would just be an expensive car park (parking lot). If you're going to spend tens of billions of US Dollars of taxpayer /borrowed money,  why not help the eight percent of the Thai population who live below the poverty line? If you really want to invest it in tourism, then put it into conservation, and stop people clearing all the trees on Samui hillsides. That has longer-term benefits (for locals and tourists, alike) after a few rainy seasons.

But, of course, I agree with the comments about ceasing the monopoly on the existing airport. It has been open since 1989. Since then, the owners must have paid back their investors several times over.

Introducing budget airlines, for internal flights,  might not be catastrophic for the existing incumbents, if they can step up to the mark, and focus on their existing international routes from Samui. Admittedly, open competition on all routes should be the ultimate goal. 

Other than that, there's always the option of borrowing Uncle's submarine!!

Depends WHERE you get your O-A Non-res Visa. 

I have previously got mine from the UK. The Thai Embassy in London  need an "income letter" from whichever company is providing the money, dated and signed within 3 months of visa application date. 

That PLUS bank statememts showing the money coming into your UK bank account (certified correct by your bank or a solicitor /notary public,). 

I think the general gist to read into this, anywhere you apply, is make sure your evidence of income can be proved to apply to the last 3 months.