KhaoYai

Roughy what is the cost of this insurance? And am I correct in thinking that there is no insurance requirement for a retirement based extension of stay?

Hmmmmm it seems the ChatGPT moderator is already hard at work, removing any reference to the date.

However folks. Have you noticed what day it is yet?

Have to say that I agree with you - although I will continue to be a lurker as the site is useful for information. If this is true, I'm outta here.

Perhaps a poor choice of words. Let's say - developed countries. Clearly those with a free healthcare system (which I think is most). You are, I believe, correct to state that the quality of care varies by area. I've heard good and bad stories about the treatment a normal, working class Thai person can expect if they rely on the state hospitals. The private hospitals are certainly 'state of the art' and some of the state ones seem pretty good at treating some illnesses but bad at others. Still, its come on a lot in the last 20 years. I guess I've just got used to living in a country where I know, that no matter what kind of illness I have, I will receive up to date treatment and it won't cost me a penny.

It may be a great health system for you - because you can afford to pay. Its not so good for Thai people who don't have the money to pay - especially if they have a chronic condition. I knew a Thai female 20 years ago who had Lupus, SLE as it is known in Thailand. Lupus is a condition that cannot yet be cured but 99% of people live a normal lifespan and the treatments available in civilised countries ensures that they live a near normal life. The girl I knew - my sister in law, was often sick and had a pretty much awful time simply because she was rarely given the correct drugs and when they were available, they were far too expensive for her to afford. Death from Lupus is far more common in Thailand than it is in many other countries and that's a real shame. A girl I'm seeing at the moment has a kidney problem and has to have her kidneys drained every four months. When I checked out her condition in the UK, it looks almost certain that it can be cured by a minor (ish) operation. Thailand's medical system for its own people has definitely come on in leaps and bounds over the 21 years that I've been involved with the country but it also has an awful long way to go. However, the required improvements need to be funded and much of the population doesn't pay social security. They will have to tackle that problem before any serious improvements can be made. Until then, Thailand very much remains a country where a person's entitlement to good health (Western style) very much depends on their ability to pay.

I use Travelsupermarket.com and I've never had a problem. I have occasionally had a price come up during a search and when I click on it to go to the agent's site - a higher price is offered. However, my experience with Flightsupermarket.com is that 99% of the flights that came up during a search were available at the price offered - and I've made a lot of bookings through them. One area where there can be problems is that included with the price listings on a search, there are often adverts for your chosen destination from agents that have not included their price in the search. They make claims of very low prices that I doubt have ever existed and sure enough, when you call them, the price is not even near the 'from' prices in their advert. One notable company in that regard is Flights Guru. They were recently advertising flights to Bangkok from £345 or somewhere around that. When I called they quoted me closer to £1800 for such a flight!!! I have a rule though, I always check a flight price found on the site against going direct to the airline. If the airline are less than £30 more expensive, I book with the airline. When you book on Travelsupermarket, you normally get a comparison with the airline but I don't trust that. I'm not accusing them of anything but I have found discrepancies between Travelsupermarket's 'airline price' and the price on the airline's website. That could be down to the airline though. I also won't book with any agent that does not have a working telephone number. I'm not flying as much at the moment but pre-covid I was traveling to Thailand every 8 weeks so price really did matter - that's why I am prepared to use an agent rather than the airline. I mentioned the £30 difference above but I would guess that on average, I save £100+ per flight by using an agent. I think though, that the airlines prices are slowly getting closer to those of agent's. My last 3 flights have all been direct.

They must have their reasons. If for example, tourists of a particular nationality were well known for damaging their rooms, it may be good business sense to exclude them rather than take the risk. Note: that is an example, I have no idea why some Thai businesses refuse to accept Russians - but they clearly do.

In other areas of the airport yes. Last time I changed money down near the train station, Kasikorn's rates were the same as Superich's. Imagine how someone who doesn't know about the booths down there is going to feel if they'd just changed money at a Kasikorn upstairs then see the same bank offering a much better rate downstairs?

Well how else was she going to explain her pregnancy to her husband?

When did that happen? The Senators being selected by the military was the main item of contention when the referendum was voted for. It was widely held that the Thai population was duped because campaigning was banned at the time so most didn't know what changes the new constitution included. If what you are saying is correct, that's quite a big amendment and a real step in the right direction.

They don't need a coup again - ever. Didn't anyone see the new constitution in 2018? The Senate - (upper house of the goverment) must approve any election winner before he/she can become Prime Minister. The Senate is not an elected body - guess who chooses The Senate's ministers. The new constitution ensures that ultimately, The Military controls the country forever - hence they can say "No More Coups"

And how would you know that Mr. Holyer than Thou? Were you doing a survey of Soi 6 - purely for statistical purposes of course. I have absolutely no doubt that you are in Thailand for the temples and sight seeing or maybe you've converted to Buddhism? There seems to be quite a few people on here that are in Thailand doing exactly the same as you. And like you, they seem to know an awful lot about the bar scene - which seems strange when they call other people 'sex tourists'. FYI. I was also a 'sex tourist' when I first visited Thailand and I still have a dabble from time to time. I have no problem with saying that. Unlike some who claim this or that, yeah right!

I'd like to think that a tourist staying an extra 15 days will make far more for Thailand than the 1900 baht extension fee. I haven't seen any figures but I'd guess that quite a few people have stayed longer - more than would normally get an extension.

Whilst I don't doubt there are plenty of 'good Russians', the type of people you might like, the fact that 70% of the population support Putin's war tells me that I wouldn't want to be too friendly with them at the moment. That said, it is hardly surprising that they are the way they are - they've been fed a hell of a lot of propaganda for the last 24 years or so. Told the West hates them, the West has turned most of the world against them etc. etc. Their news has been highly censored and concocted. Any opposition to Putin's regime that starts to become even remotely popular is rapidly stamped out. Their leaders are imprisoned on trumped up charges and some have faced assassination attempts. I don't know if anyone saw Stephen Sackur's recent interview with Evgeny Popov on the BBC's Hardtalk programme. If that man is a typical Russian - I don't want to know any of them. Much like Putin, he's in his own parallel universe. I'd like to believe however, that Popov is not a 'typical' Russian. It would be useful to know, not that we ever will, what the thousands of Russians who are currently in Thailand, privately think about Putin's war. Regular readers here may remember the photo posted a while back, of a hotel in Pattaya with a sign outside saying 'No Russians'. You may not like Brits Mr. Goat, you may even prefer Russians to Brits but I'l tell you one thing - you've never seen a hotel in Pattaya with a sign outside saying 'No Brits'. Frankly, its of no consequence who you like or dislike - as a Brit (English actually), I won't be losing any sleep over it.

Oh dear, I'm so upset, I won't sleep tonight. I must try to change my nationality.

There's always someone here willing to slag off other nationals. The vast majority of the population of any country are around a paycheque away from broke - so what? Some of the nicest people I know (any nationality) are just normal people - not wealthy. By contrast, the most selfish, miserable people I know are all quite well off. You measure people by their wealth? Sad, very sad - there's far more to life. I am not nor have I ever been, impressed by wealth - it just doesn't matter to me. I measure people by who they are, not what they have.

Why slag off people who choose to live out their days in the sun rather than the cold and rain back home? 'Broke', 'Eeking out'?? Many of them weren't wealthy in the first place so what? Their savings, meagre or otherwise and pension will still go much further in Thailand than it will in the UK. Hat's off to them I say, I know where I'd rather be if I didn't have any money.

It is not incorrect. There have been several documentaries recently and plenty of reports on the internet. One of the main ones and I can't remember the names involved but it was on the news a month ago - was about a State Oil company that was sold off to a Russian who has just had his Superyacht confiscated under the current sanctions. This guy bribed the official that arranged the sale and his cronies even arranged the finance through Russian banks. One the business was his, he immediately sold it for a huge profit. Maybe the state regulations were that state owned assets would be shared by the population but do you really believe that happened? There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. How do you think so many people became so rich overnight? It was supposed to be a communist country remember. Putin himself is a former KGB officer - in a communist regime remember. He is now said to be worth billions - how did that happen I wonder?

Long before. Remember the Soviet Union? Everything belonged to the state...didn't it? When the USSR collapsed all the state run enterprises were carved up and 'sold' off - hence the amount of oligarchs. From Oxford Languages: oligarch /ˈɒlɪɡɑːk/ noun noun: oligarch; plural noun: oligarchs 1. a ruler in an oligarchy. 2. a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence (particularly with reference to individuals who benefited from the privatization of state-run industries after the collapse of the Soviet Union). "it seems more than a coincidence that former employees, advisors, and allies of the billionaire oligarch have been parachuted into such positions" ???? Clearly most of the Russians in Thailand are not up to Oligarch level but the same methods of attainment applied + a lot of corruption and other highly dodgy business since then. These people are not stupid, they knew their cash was never safe in Russia - they'll have had it out of there years ago. Foreign accounts/Offshore accounts/........now probably Thai accounts. There's always a way - if you can pay.

I have no doubt that the unions and their activity played the biggest part in the collapse of the motor industry in Britain but let's not forget the complacency issue. The industry failed to modernise, lived of its laurels and failed to meet the threat the was coming from Japan and elsewhere. Just as the Honda 50 gave the working man what he needed to get to work - it was cheap, did zillions to the gallon and most of all was very reliable. The Japs (initially) produced cheap, reliable cars that had a high level of equipment. I remember when my mate's and I would go off for weekends on our bikes - the amount of times we'd be stuck at the roadside because the lads British bikes had broken down. They even had to have trays placed under them in showrooms because of oil leaks. Likewise it was in the car industry. I remember the first Datsun Cherry - complete with reclining seats and a radio! Carpets thoughout, tinted windows etc. etc. etc. Yes they rotted like hell for the first few years but so did British cars - I made a living out of welding them up. The Japs soon sorted that problem and began bringing in more and more different models - most equipped with items that were extras on British motors - they were cheaper too and far, far more reliable. European manufacturers, the ones that had any sense, also got their act together and gave customers a better deal. Internationals took a look at the union activity going on in the UK and either closed or drastically reduced their UK operations. A lot of British names had already been swallowed up by BMC, British Leyand, Leyland Cars or whatever name they'd changed to on the day so when they took a dive, those companies did too. So, whilst the unions did finally screw up the motor industry in Britain - it hadn't been a viable concern for a long time. We were turning out utter <deleted> - the Japs and Europeans had beaten us at one of the things we'd done best for many years. We just failed to invest, failed to modernise and failed to give the the customer what they wanted. We produced, what was considered by many, some of the best cars in the world - and they probably were in their day - that's why foreign companies clammer to buy up the rights to former British brands and model names. BMW now own Rolls Royce and produce the Mini, the Indians own Landrover, and even the Chinese bought the MG brand. We totally screwed it up.

Just to add to my previous post. There may be some young girls who actively go looking for sex work, I doubt there's many though. But even with those that do - I'm guessing that a lot here have daughters and/or have a modicum of intelligence? How many of you think that a girl under 18 is adult enough to make the decision to enter the paid sex industry? Its a documented fact that the things they experience and the shame many experience later in life can seriously affect their mental health. Those that work in an establishment are rarely allowed to pick and choose their customers - perhaps you can imagine what they have to accept? Yes, I'll be the first to admit that a fully developed good looking 18 year old can be very attractive but does she have the capacity to really know what she is doing? I doubt it. Its a business that can never be stopped and why should it be as long as all parties are consenting? But I'm not at all sure that young girls really have the capacity to consent - even though it appears that nobody is forcing them. The fact is that these places employ youngsters because they know there is a demand for them and they probably charge much more for their services. Not sure if this still exists but when I first came to Thailand, bars would often have 'Cherry Girls'. They were said to be virgins and the bars would ask a fortune for them. It probably wasn't true in most cases but the thought that a young girl's introduction to sex could be a sweaty, drunken foreigner with cigarette breath sickened me. I was in Hua Hin a couple of months back and did a trawl of the bars. I sat down in one and ordered a drink - within minutes a girl in her twenties brought a girl over to sit with me. I know Thai girls often look much younger than they are but this girl was underage - I'd say 15 or 16 but with a lot of make up. I didn't want this girl to lose face but I couldn't even explain anything to her as she didn't speak any English. I noticed that there was at least one other girl in the bar who also looked very young. I drank up and left, moving to a bar a couple of doors down the street where I struck up a conversation with a girl in her thirties who spoke good English and was good fun to talk to. The conversation turned to the girls in the bar I'd just left. The girl I was talking to told me that the bar I'd been in had been reported by other bar owners and was due to be raided. It certainly was - less than an hour after after I'd left! Pretty sure I had a very lucky escape - the police carted 3 or 4 girls off plus what looked like the mamasan - they'd probably have seen me as a 'meal ticket' if I'd still been in there sat with the young girl. Its most likely that a bribe would be paid and very little actually done but it just might have put the youngsters off the business.

My wife can't.........we're divorced ????

1998 BMW 325TDS Estate - E36 Series.

I think readily accepted may be pushing it a bit. Many resent Thailand's worldwide fame for its sex industry. Whenever I've asked Thai's they've said its more or less tolerated - it is very widespread though. The part that services the foreign market is said to be only 10% of the total market in all its guises. No idea how true that is but there are a lot of variations on the same theme - we don't get to see most.