StayinThailand2much

A hint that our data are all right there in their system. But we still have to regularly write them down, or send them to Immigration again and again...

That's fine. After all, greed rules over everything else...

Which might be the real reason behind it... Big publicity stunt of freeing some tourists from the visa fee, then using this as justification for charging all tourists, to generate a multiple income of this 'lost revenue'...

Yes. Only makes sense if the remote worker is retired, plans to marry a Thai national, or makes millions to justify a million(s)-baht investment into the Elite program, meaning NOT a "fantastic destination for remote work" for most remote workers...

And your explanation is?

A few days shouldn't lead to someone being treated as a criminal. When I was new to Thailand, many years ago, I overstayed for two days (because I had already extended my VFE), and later, accidentally, for one day (actually for about 2 hours, as I passed through Immigration before midnight, but my flight didn't leave until after midnight). I nowadays make sure not to overstay even one day. - Yes, people who purposefully overstay for months or years should be punished, but not for only very short overstays, and certainly not being chased when already at the airport.

My bet is on the check-in staff, who, maybe(!), are told to check the visa status, and, perhaps(!), are even offered a reward, so that they can catch the overstayers before they get to passport control. Again, this is my guess, as, conveniently, this happened in the departure hall...

Some of the long holidays in China were earlier this year, and the economic situation there has just worsened recently, with people spending less. Doubtful whether a free visa will make a difference.

Yes, one just needs to read the OP; 93% of Chinese outbound tourists opting for short-haul destinations (not incl. HK, Macau, and Taiwan), and (only) 3% choosing Thailand, meaning that by far most of those tourists (almost 90%) favour other (short-haul) destinations, some of them, (like Japan and South Korea) more expensive than Thailand. Wonder, what other countries are more attractive to them than Thailand... It took a long time for Europeans to find Thailand unattractive or boring ("Hasn't everyone been there yet?"), but, perhaps, the Chinese got to this point quicker.

Yes, there are reports that esp. the car batteries of Chinese ones like to go up in flames. Was the one in the OP made in China?

Things have really changed. 20 years ago, a couple of Thai words or phrases would get applause from Thai girls, but nowadays, tell them you can speak Thai and/or live here, and they will instantaneously lose interest in you...

Sadly, in Pattaya, the 'Beach Promenade' is a construction site, a good number of former bars on Walking Street are boarded up, and the prettier girls offer their services online. I personally find Pattaya way less appealing now than it was 15 years ago.

I can confirm that. During the pandemic I mostly stayed at home, eating, among other things, a lot of potatoes, and sweets stuff, but also eating, basically, all day out of boredom. I gained a lot of weight. After the pandemic I tried for five months to lose weight by hiking, which, however, didn't help. Instead I have been slowly losing weight after I returned to Thailand by sweating the weight off, i.e. by often not turning on the aircon, amazing, but true.

Reminds me a bit of HIV. Reportedly, in its origin countries in Africa it is not limited to homosexuals. HIV started that way with homosexuals being the first to get it in the 1980s. Interestingly: "... international research finds that 98% of those infected by late June (outside Africa) were gay or bi men." - Would be interesting to know how many of the 14.2% rate in Thailand ("not being homosexual") are women. Also, strange that numbers still about double every month in Thailand, while the WHO declared the end of the 'worldwide epidemic' back in June.

Seems impractical when one isn't home for hours, but maybe the way to go if it spreads.

Good luck, Thailand!

Great. Next date: "Undress so that I can see whether or not you have monkeypox..." (And yes, I'm referring to the 14.2% rate 'with women'.)

I was originally planning for Tasmania (hiking N to S), but there as well camping would be necessary (and the weather colder and, possibly, wetter).

Spot on. It took them years and a lot of effort to alienate snowbirds, telling them 'you spend too much time here', and now they desperately search for any other groups to (temporarily) replace them with till they get tired of those too... (But yes, the arrival of the world's billionaires, expected to line up for settling down in Thailand is just delayed.)

Oh, goody. Some may turn into drama queens if IOs tell them that they 'stay too long and come too often'...

It's Thursday... Easy to remember; Monday - 1 day, Tuesday - 2 days, Wednesday - when?, Thursday - third day of the week...

I've never bought a tent before, but I figure I could put it into a large bag. How many kilograms should I plan for?

Agree 100%.

Which place is better for buying a cheap 1-person tent (one-time use) for hiking in Oz (Australian Alps) - Bangkok or Melbourne? And what shop?

Good for you being rich. If not, getting 'happiness' from money, Thailand is probably not a good place, as most foreigners don't get rich in Thailand. But as surveys have shown, such 'happiness' related to money loses its edge as soon as people live comfortably, i.e. more money beyond that comfort level, and it won't lead to any more 'happiness'...