Speedhump

14 minutes ago, lovethai123 said:

Thnx for clearing it up. Now I understand that those who can show 400k/800k in a thai bank have no issues staying in Thailand. 

 

People I have met in the bar keep complaining how they cannot do visa runs anymore and other things. 

Yes I'm sure that's correct, that loophole has been tightened. People wanting to stay long term should act like it and get the proper visa. Again, I have no problem with that. I personally don't know anyone who flits across borders to stay in Thailand long-term but I know they exist. 

5 hours ago, lovethai123 said:

the thread was about pattaya, retirees and local businesses who haven't closed because retired farangs are supporting them. but somehow the topic got diverted.

You made a clear point:

"I wonder why the authorities are making it harder and harder for the retirees to live in Thailand". 

I only pointed out that that's not correct, commenting specifically on your post, no diversions.

The junta may be **** at running a country, but they don't have it in for retirees who can support themselves. 

I shipped in all my and my wife's effects in 2016. A 40 ft container, absolutely stuffed to the doors (the mattresses had to be jammed in to close the doors). Paid very little duty. All were used personal effects. International removal company who actually have their own Thai office so they know well how to handle customs officials. Door to door, removal company packed everything, and at this end unpacked everything we asked them to (the big furniture), even reassembled a huge 4 poster bed. Very little breakage, just a couple of clay pots. I was surprised. They accepted responsibility. 

For me, the key is paying up for a professional international company. 

This is only rich retirees, right? If I flew to UAE to see my kids, I would not comply with the 'millions in the bank' requirement to return. So I'd be trapped outside Thailand, with my English wife trapped inside. 

This is not about COVID now, is it? 

WHAT IS IT ABOUT? 

Just now, alyx said:

Sorry, I do not understand what “of course not” is referring to 

I never said that TV was waging any campaign. Of course not. Can you stop posting now? 

56 minutes ago, alyx said:

That is another matter. No campaign from TA then

What? Of course not. 

20 minutes ago, alyx said:

That is not a campaign: it is a statement by one prominent touristic site that one hotel's guest was arrested for his negative comments. As for the last laugh, I think that this person had a traumatic experience and, although the hotel is now in dire trouble because of its reaction, the hotel is getting the last laugh or at least a "compensation": the guy is certainly blacklisted in Thailand ( if not already, he eventually  will as I guess that the hotel will formally bring charges against him and have the guy condemned: that would be an utter mistake from my point of view). Everyone, under the current situation, gets a glimpse at what it is to be unable to travel to such or such country.

The campaign was the guest's; a series of very critical reports on a single stay. This should certainly be against TA policy, if it's not then TA are at fault also. One experience: one report. 

27 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

I have never seen popular hotels with no negative reviews unless they are seldom booked.  

And in which case they are not popular! ????

You are right, anyway. 

1 hour ago, alyx said:

Context ? A guest has been arrested for negative comments about a hotel...that is what happened. The fact that the guest may have lied or posted in numerous sites does not even have to be mentioned  

Yes. It should. No one should mount an acidic campaign over a matter which even had been smoothed over at the time and then be allowed to give the hotel bad publicity by TA themselves. I'm sure he feels he has had the last laugh. 

33 minutes ago, alyx said:

No they don’t: they exactly wrote what the hotel did 

WITHOUT CONTEXT 

3 hours ago, mark131v said:

 

Proper drama queens on here, honestly it's scary!

 

All you drama queens and hang em highs need to go and give your heads a good wobble, it’s pathetic and stupid and I am really glad Sea View have been found out…reap the whirlwind bitches!!!

 

 

Nah, TripAdvisor just buttering their own bread, their name was in the matter so they decided to make themselves look good. They didn't mention that the guy was conducting a  campaign against the hotel. No-one should want to or even be allowed to write more than one review for one stay somewhere. 

He got what he deserved. And I'm sure anyone who reads the hotel's very detailed and well written reply to his last comment (and to other comments) will understand that the hotel doesn't usually report guests to police. They seem to be quite attuned usually to guest complaints. 

I'd stay there if I thought the hotel was up to my standard generally, because I'm not a complete Tuesday who gets drunk and mouths off about hotel policy, and so would be fine. 

5 hours ago, OliverKlozerof said:

 Hi Mr. Hump,
The best air purifier in Thailand, in my opinion is the little Hatari unit, which is available at Home Pro.
https://www.homepro.co.th/p/1020791

 

 

Hi Oliver, 

It's very kind of you to write such a detailed reply. I'll check Home Pro, they know me very well, I've spent a fortune in there over the years! 

Thanks again. 

6 hours ago, alyx said:

it is definitely the duty of TripAdvisor. Do you think that such a big company has based its decision on hearsay: they have been more than well informed about the case, I guess

No, it is not doing its job by not mentioning the highly unusual circumstances, as I clearly said. They almost make it sound as though it's a regular occurrence. 

6 hours ago, alyx said:

you should read all the posts....this not the point

I don't need to read 22 pages of posts to reply to one. The hotel was pushed beyond endurance by this aggressive man's highly unreasonable and sustained online attack. If the law is there to stop him then they certainly had the right to use it. 

Laws on defamation and similar in the UAE also are strict, and people learn by their mistakes. But it's still a major holiday destination, COVID excepted.

This is a fart in a teacup. 

6 hours ago, mark131v said:

 True, but, and there's always a but...

 

I have followed this from the first report because I know the hotel and have stayed a few times and even took my family with me when they visited I always regarded it very highly, not anymore..

 

I have seen all the online reviews that Barnes posted and he may very well be a bit of a plonker but they are benign and who is to say if he is wrong with what he saw or felt, it was a negative review and certainly not deserving of jail time

 

There is no racist/xenophobic point all he does is point out one of the managers nationality and infer that the staff seem miserable and maybe badly treated, wouldn't be the first time I have seen staff mistreated in Thailand or other places for that matter

 

Some is inflammatory but that is beside the point there were four online reviews one of which TA had taken down, this only became news when the hotel themselves released it during their damage limitation statement. If the hotel had done the right thing this would have had zero impact, but they didn't

 

Trip Advisor say in their report that it was they who paid Barnes's legal costs and got the hotel to sit down and negotiate, to me it seems like the Hotel were happy to go all in and if the foreign press hadn't got hold of it I believe they would have

 

Any business that gets a former guest jailed for this do not deserve to be in business, the harm they have done to themselves but also tourism in general is shocking, there is undoubtedly going to be a massive financial impact from this owners stupidity

 

The only positives I see is that it has shined a light into the murky world of Thailand's control laws that are blatantly a tool to protect the rich and powerful and the more people in the world hear about this abuse of power the better 

 

The saga has also shown the Thai national weakness that is 'face' and shown they are absolutely some of the most petty and vindictive people when they perceive they have been wronged or slighted, a good warning that they are willing to trash their entire business so long as they don't lose face, medieval thought process really ...

His posts were not 'benign' they were rants, attacks, and did not 'infer that staff were maybe badly treated', he accused them of employing slave labour.

I can see that by dubiously defending him you only want to slur Thailand, where in fact their character is only that of most Asian countries in the region. You can get into trouble in many countries around the world if you throw your weight around and act the loudmouth, at least here it's dealt with by the law and no other way, harsh though you may find it. 

3 hours ago, OliverKlozerof said:

Seems to confirm what I suspected. I've enjoyed leaving the sliding glass door on my veranda open, just leaving the screen closed, during this cooler weather (here in Udom Suk; upper Sukhumvit). But looks like may be good idea to shut the door for a while. I have an air purifier which works well that I'll turn on. That ought to help. Cheers.

Oliver which air purifier do you have, I think I should buy one. 

15 hours ago, OliverKlozerof said:

I’m somewhat allergic to dust and other things and it acts up from time to time. Last couple days I’ve been sneezing and blowing my nose, as if there’s some new allergen in the air. BKK air quality index appears fairly moderate currently, especially in my area of upper Sukhumvit. However, I searched for allergen levels in BKK and the readings for ‘dust and dander’ (things that can specifically bother me), were in 4 to 5 range. Just wondering if anyone else has had their allergies triggered in last couple days of no rain and lower temperatures? Thx

I'm having a terrible time in Hua Hin the last couple of days. It's very cold here so I don't know if it's that. I sneeze a lot when my body gets chilly, and then suffer from badly blocked sinuses for a few hours. Usually in the evening.

I already take a hay fever tablet every morning without fail as I've started to suffer from that since I moved here. 

I think the reaction to cold can be an actual medical thing. It's starting to get me down a bit. 

30 minutes ago, northengr said:

No matter what a jerk this guy might have been, and I mean bringing outside stuff to a restaurant is pretty ignorant, no matter, Trip Advisor is right to warn us of the Hotel's fragile ego and the awful Thai laws they can and did use in this squabble. Right on TripAdvisor. 

 

He wrote a HIGHLY defamatory review of the hotel. What part of that don't you understand? I think using him as a salutory lesson for lying online loudmouths is absolutely fine. 

17 minutes ago, bimmerbob said:

complete 'a***hole' thinking, so typical of them not to understand basic supply/demand.

And you believe this comment was true? 

3 minutes ago, mark131v said:

Are you sure?

 

I only ask as the name of the hotel is Sea View and NOT Sea Lodge

 

I too have stayed several times but never again they have shown a dark side that I find repugnant...

Perhaps you weren't a guest with an aggressive and confrontational attitude? 

The Thai government is starving its people. Jobs are so scarce now because no tourists to cater to. 

One thing to think about, when you see one dog run out of bushes in front of you and cross the road, be prepared for another hidden one to follow. Or even some puppies. 

One dark night on an pitch black country road I turned a corner and was confronted with a huge white cow standing sideways on across the road, stock still, staring at me. Like a marble sculpture. Or a terrible ghost. Did it sh"" me up or what! 

PS - female dogs (I'll avoid the proper word in case) only come into heat at one time of year? ????

2 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Really stupid.

Disgusting, actually.