StayinThailand2much

Probably tourism, later working for the TAT...

Yes, if I overtip, usually barbers too. Used to be, until a few years ago, that my haircut cost 60 baht, and me tipping 10 baht, meaning 1/6th. I still usually tip 10 baht, but at 150 baht now, it is less than 10 percent. (Same barber, though, so over time it worked out for him.) Not keen to raise it to 20 baht, and a 15-baht-tip would probably result in being called 'cheap' ('Why didn't he tip a twenty?') behind my back, so, for now it is still 10 baht. - Sometimes I overtip taxi drivers, rounding up with more than 10 percent, either because they are friendly, or me not bothering to wait for them to search for coins. (Exceptions for taxi drivers from the airport who refuse to use the meter; they get no tip.)

Many locals don't tip, or slightly round up (e.g. bill is 590 baht, and they tip 10 baht). I personally used to tip about 10 percent, but over time 'went native', i.e. usually now just round up as well. More for good service at the barber, restaurants, or a taxi driver helping with the luggage (which has become rare). No, or minimal tip for mediocre service.

And Thaksin coming back on the 22nd, at the latest. What a coincidence... Interesting times, and (most) Thais should not expect to be better off economically for the rest of the decade.

Never mind that, but all laundering (incl. of money) is a job for only Thais.

Looking forward to read about tougher application procedures. But they will probably just raise the price, cause 'rich people cannot be criminals'...

Thailand seems to become a scammers' paradise... Greed meeting gullible people who never learnt to think independently. Nuff said...

True. Brothels and karaoke bars (not primarily for the songs) all over the place. But as soon as it is online, or the neon lights show up in more touristy areas, suddenly Victorian morality kicks in. What a hypocrisy!

"YMCA" - I'd rather listen to Phoebe Buffett's songs...

Wonder, who did rat him out...

So, minus the 1.25 million withdrawals, they could have gotten almost 5 million, but seems they needed only 400,000...

Still 3,000 short...

Picking up the easy targets, but leaving the protected ones alone?

I mentioned that I pulled a guy out of the water in Pattaya earlier this year. It took the ambulance more than half an hour to arrive. And their equipment was sub-par compared to other countries. I hope for you, if you need first aid here that it is not life-threatening...

I found a barber shop by accident 23 years ago. Still going there despite the fact that the price of a haircut went up from 60 baht to 150 baht, and the guy who still cuts my hair, years ago cut right into the collar of my shirt...

Thanks. Sounds like either an accident (slipping and falling into the pool) and/or alcohol-related...

I guess, this happened on another day. Sad that no-one saw him at 1 a.m., if this is when he drowned. I personally pulled out a guy a few months ago in one of Pattaya Beach's swimminng areas, who survived, even though he had been at least for 20 min. with the head under water, possibly even much longer, as no-one saw what happened. So, if the guy in the OP had been found earlier, perhaps he could have survived too. 1 a.m., strange time for a swim...

I had the most fun in Pattaya when there was no YouTube yet. That was in the early 2000s. As with anything else, whatever you watch or read online should be taken with a pinch of salt, esp. if it is overly positive...

Some of the food I buy here is between 50% and 100% up in price. But yes, I'm just a foreigner, so who cares... Also, my point was that people who borrow a lot of money from money lenders, or banks, to pay for a new car or smartphone probably have other problems than 3 baht per kilo of rice...

3 baht?? Damn, that will push many, already highly in debt, over the edge...

That's another excellent idea, with Singapore probably a safer place with international banks, and only a short distance away.

And if it proves wrong in retrospect, they will blame it on 'decreased wealth' in the West, moon phases, or the 1883 Krakatoa eruption...

There's the possibility of the Non 'O' Retirement Visa/Extension. (Whether such visa options remain 'friendly' is anyone's guess, but my personal view is that things probably won't change much for the next 8 to ten years.) As for bank accounts, depending on your 'wealth', you might want to check out offshore bank account options (e.g. Channel Islands, Isle of Man, etc.)

Unlikely that Immigration will, but there's a good chance that the airline does. Asking there might be an option.

Many will probably blow the 10,000 baht in a week...