Kalasin Jo

When flights were virtually non existent to Isaan and or because I knew no better I used the bus alot. Grim, especially the dreaded "VIP" service by Chan Tours to/from Pattaya on their double deckers. My recent bus ride from Kalasin to Bangkok was definitely cheaper than flying KK to BKK. But it took all day of course and then I had an expensive taxi ride from the terminal to the hotel near Swampy which may have cancelled out any saving.

Quite. But most of us neither have rights nor an immigration status as resident. A permission to stay that has to be renewed every year satisfying the same conditions as previous years and even then being at the discretion of whichever IO you are dealing with is not a status of residency. Europe, including even after brexit the UK, does offer residency as a foreigner living in one of those countries after a number of years, including for their family members. I'm a Brit and my wife, who is Thai, was granted French residency with the right to work in France because I had met the conditions and been a " permanent resident" for some years.. Here there is no chance of me being granted permanent residency although married to a Thai citizen. Of course with that residency comes an obligation to join the French healthcare system AND register with the French tax authorities and make tax declarations there paying any tax assessed as due. The other issue is that you don't have to have immigration status as resident to be considered tax resident. In ,ost countries the basic rule is that if you live in the country for more than 180 days a year you are considered tax resident To me this seems grossly unfair. Tax status should mirror immigration status. So Thailand if you want to tax us on income wherever it arises I urge you to give us residency for immigration purposes and stop requiring us to apply each and every year for extensions of stay, the forever 90 day reporting throughout each and every year that we live here and the requirement that our Thai spouses must register us as an alien residing in the homes that usually we have provided and share with them. Also give us the right to ownership of the land on which those homes are built. I will end with a question: does Thailand have a double taxation treaty with the UK, which is where my ( pension ) income arises so that we will only be taxed in one of them? That was the case between France and the UK, so I was only required to declare and be taxed by France. Now, as I no longer live in France, I am declaring in and subject to UK taxation by HMRC.

There isn't much wild life except in the national parks. It's all been eaten, except for the huge snakes that regularly feature being wrangled from the drains, someone's toilet or septic tank, even from behind the dashboard of a pick up truck.

No one but my son in law runs in our family. 555

Fat chance 555

And a big basket of fruit ????

Next they'll be charging extra for sugar in your tea or coffee. Restaurateurs and celebrity chefs had it so good for so long as eating out, not in, took off with a whimper at first, then a roar. Just look at Stein, his Padstow empire and TV shows. Jamie Oliver, that sweary former rugby player. All had chains of restaurants and TV shows. And in the UK all those eager staff from the newer EU member states to service them Now in the UK at least the going has got very tough for them. Cost of raw materials, of energy, can't get the staff. Not really that sad for them. <deleted> happens. Be it a war, a pandemic. But worse if they or their clientele voted for it. Yeah, I'm talking brexit.

In fact, why not make your own and buy nice big bottles of ketchup and vinegar, a jar of tartare sauce, a tin of mushy peas, if these float your boat? That's what I do these days. Chips too, not the frozen in a bag ones but potatoes hand cut by me to the size I want, cooked to the crispness I want. No deep fat fryer for me. I use a large wok. Perfect. The house does smell of cooking oil for a while though ???? I don't know about Padstow these days but I do know you can get chippy fish and chips to take out for around £12 in England... I used to visit Padstow for holidays annually with the kids 30 + years ago. Steins was very upmarket, very expensive even then, but enjoyable. I went with a mate once who likes beer by the pint, to his consternation they would only serve him by the half. Posh, you see. After some comments my mate got over it and enjoyed his meal. Then I understand Stein virtually bought up Padstow, opening a bistro, a deli and it seems from the article a chippy. Anyway if you can afford to pay £20 up for fish and chips, why begrudge an extra couple of quid for sauces? Would people moan if he charged £22 with " free" sauces ? And I thought his wife got all these businesses as part of the deal when he traded her in for a younger model ( as some of us do).

Me too.????. Same when I lived in rural France. Yeah it's alot cheaper except for the need for a car unless in a Mueang. But it needn't be an expensive new model. And I've found I used a car only once or twice a week even in the sticks/ boonies/ countryside. We have a beat up pick up 18 years old. Fine for short runs. I wouldn't dare drive to Pattaya in it though!! The locals do love their massive shiny new beasts with all the bells and whistles though. 1.2 million and way up brand new. The massive tyres alone must cost a fortune to replace. Still, very handy in the current rains heading down mud tracks. Ours isn't up to that as I found out to my cost once. How do they afford them? Round here cash is still king although some of the newer shops do accept phone scan payment. Cash being king is a problem when the nearest ATM is not yards/ metres away and just round the corner, but several kms, there's only 1 and it's often empty for days on end, necessitating a 60 km round trip.

Now that is a very good point????

Is she paying you? If not, in my book that's worth a full front, back and sides and 2 shots.

Just love this! 29 cops partying at home of corrupt local bigwig. Doubtless all gambling though that's not mentioned. The bigwig host asks one of his bigwig cop guests as a favour that his nephew, presumably a cop then, be promoted and is rebuffed. So his "aide" just shoots and kills the bigwig cop. Host and aide plus cops various then flee the scene together. There isn't a Wild West film bar scene that could compete with this! TIT...Thailand is it seems the Wild East. Even more extraordinary than the news story of 2 gangster guys at a wedding party who had a shoot out in the car park of the venue and succeeded in killing each other and wounding one or more of their molls.

I nearly always fly Thai Smile. Force of habit but also several flights a day KK. It's possible, if one must, to fly in and out of Bangkok the same day and get done whatever needs doing in Bangkok. Did it once with the wife to get her a Schengen visa which like the UK visitor visa requires an in person attendance ( on that Thailand is way ahead with its e-visa system, trying though it is to get the right documents uploaded). I like that Thai Smile includes a hold bag in the price so avoiding a perhaps heavy carry on and fun at security. They also offer a " free" snack in flight. Usually a filled bun or small sandwich of some kind that is pleasant, bottle of water, wet wipe and if you dare a cup of tea or coffee. They also have a senior citizen discount. These flights are usually packed but only book up in the last few days. Thais are foresaking the beloved ( not!) bus it seems. I used the Nakonchai Air bus back in May ( don't ask why). Half empty.

I'm a Brit and yes UK seems pretty awful. I spent from May to August there. June was a very good month with everyone saying how hot it was. As a person who spends more than half the year in Thailand I laughed and said hot? Nah this is pleasant at about 26°C. July and August were crap, cold cloudy, loads of rain. Now back in Thailand and it's cooler, wetter and very humid at the moment but still I wear only a t shirt and shorts. In the UK I was wearing socks, jeans, shirt and light pullover most days whilst the locals sported t shirts and shorts. So yeah these days at 71 yrs old I'm a hot climate man. Just the thought of a British winter sets me shivering. That said, when it's really hot and dry with cloudless skies every day here in Thailand between April and June air conditioning is essential to my survival here.

Yes, I'm not sure yet about the new airport building either. As you say the old one was fine. I use KK airport alot, Roi Et is slightly further for me. When were you last at KK? I last came through it on 24 August. Big change since May when I last used it. They have opened up more and it is better than at the half built stage. I think there is now a functioning good court, but didn't actually check it out. The new building is so much bigger than the old one now that more walking is needed.....but nothing like Swampy. I do miss the restaurant at the top of the old building. Very handy to grab a very good bite as there was not much airside.

And not forgetting the whump whump of Huey rotor blades. Not in Isaan.

Will you be doing it again this coming October? That's when I might do it for visa at Savanakhet.

Like Laos or Cambodia? But Laos has a law against Lao nationals having sex with foreigners unless married, so beware. Cambodia has a thriving but illegal 'chicken farm" industry, so beware.

Yeah. I hate grilled to death and beyond burgers. I like mine à point ( medium rare like my steaks) as the French say. I am also very fond of steak tartare. Which is rather like a raw burger but should be made with good quality minced steak not cooking mince.

Or more. Had to obtain two residency certificates this year. First time I was charged 900 baht. Second time it was free. From the same office. Go figure.

And why would you need it here. Mobile data coverage is excellent almost everywhere in Thailand at a reasonable price. Knocks the spots off European service providers. And fast fibre is available even in the boonies and has been for several years. Anyway I'm biased against anything that has a whiff of musk about it.

Ha! Ha! Me too!

Anyone know if there are such services? Online search reveals nothing. I am unable to get to the bus station to enquire at the moment. If there are such services what are the frequency, departure times, journey times and the cost. Many thanks

And yet nearly all road signs are in English as well as Thai.

TIT. You will get a different demand or even none depending not just on the Amphur but even the official you deal with. When getting a blue book for my wife the helpful young lady at the desk offered me a yellow book there and then if I could produce my passport. I didn't have it with me.We went again to get the yellow book but a different person behind the counter and I was told they needed the ID page certified by the British Embassy ( Embassy stamp she said). I didn't pursue further.