heiri007

The usual jerk reaction. Trying to do my part by cleaning up the beaches myself, engaging with local authorities about solutions... there can only be betterment by realizing what's wrong, what could be done better and then act. But just accepting anything as is, well, your choice, not mine.

Can't he just wear civilian clothes? Doesn't foster confidence, all these uniforms everywhere here.

PKK has the perfect location, yet bewildering "city planning." The whole beach front is wasted, looks abandoned, not a single restaurant for instance along that long beach road... could easily be the perfect town.

Thailand 5.0, anyone?

Agree... let's keep those hidden treasures secret 😇

Been a while in LOS, three decades to be exact. Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches. Until some years ago, I don't recollect having been warned about PM2.5. Of course there was the slash and burn season. Now? The air in the places we all know is so bad, you can clean the floor daily and you still have a dark fingertip when checking the floor. Oh, and I prefer to stay in a beach town which was rather sleepy until a few years ago. Meanwhile, there was so much development, when schools are off in the afternoon there are Bangkok-like traffic jams. It's a wild building frenzy. Of course, infrastructure is not expanded. The authorities just informed there is not enough water, so tabs are closed each day after 10 a.m. Oh and of course hardly anyone in decision power cares about the future. There is hardly any awareness about the environment. Kids throw away ice tea cups and snack packings, because... who cares. And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal. At least tourism arrival numbers are reaching record levels again... Thais get upset with rage tourists who are not too "krieng jai"... Thailand has become all about short-term profits, with zero vision about a sustainable future.

Wow. Sounds like in Stalinist Soviet Union.

How... will it all be enforced?

They dare yet again once more? I bet not.

You give up so easily, OP? This can happen anywhere with any company. Unfortunately you have to waste some time on this, but you'll get your money back.

Yeah but also very quiet, definitely an oversupply of watering holes along Pak Nam Pran beach stretch ????

Homebrewing law got loosened last year, or is it still not possible for small places to sell their own brewed beer? Anyone in the know?

Heard this from a European embassy, the ambassador told me they'd be supporting a lie in signing such a paper. Obviously there are workarounds. An applicant told me he submitted an own written statement and it was accepted.

Looking for such a place in / around Hua Hin.

To-be-redcarded tourists are certainly a tiny minority. No bashing here, but Thais are world champions in rule-bending, a sizeable part of the population would be red-carded in no time.

Only one desk open? That's not respectful, since it's still kind of high season and visitors are made to wait unnecessarily. Oh and the recent long queues at Suvarnabhumi immigration all the way down to the automated walkways, similarly disrespectful. Staff the desks, problems solved, people don't have to spend a holiday day for paperwork.

True that, just wiped down the mosquito net doors, black, within a few days... weather pattern in general seems very strange this year, usually mid to end of January the wind season changes, also the direction of the waves. Now is March, still no southernly winds and the wave direction is still undecided. So let's bunker down at Bluport immigration and enjoy the aircon. Would usually be kiteboarding this time around, waiting for the change of wind – which bring the clean air.

Not to look down on others like you seem to look down on me.

Yeah 90-day report is probably a different queue letter, not D... Funnily enough, when checking the queue yesterday by chance I met another friend who was stuck. Every seat outside in the waiting area taken and, yes, one officer working. Might have been your lucky Friday 17th!

Just dropped a friend at Hua Hin immigration at Bluport, for visa extensions. Nice shiny office with lots of desks, but only one desk occupied. Long queue, with lots of people waiting for hours. Went there the next day again, just to have a look. Same same. A bit disrespectful, to say the least. Best is to come say 3 p.m., they close at 5, so they'll process the applicant before closing time.

Maybe hardly any naturalizations anymore, so interest is waning?

You are correct there, been traveling to a dozen countries recently and did not consider China. Do they even let in biz people and tourists without long quarantine? So you are spot on, I did not consider China, and am accused of a racist comment now? Beware dimwits. What comes around, goes around. Others might call it karma. Remember in January 2020, Hua Hin was sprawling with Chinese - and then the whole mayhem took its course. So are we to repeat the official Chinese propaganda in here that Covid was brought upon to the world by the West a.k.a. foreigners, as the elderly Thai accused a farang in the Skytrain? It's probably safe to say, but of course not proven, that the virus somehow originated in Wuhan. Even though strains were found months before in Italy and few other places, according to wastewater analyses. In regards to China I don't even mind to be called a racist. Look what they do to their own people and the planet, just to mention their complete disgregard for personal freedoms, wildlife, etc. I wish China could be a source of inspiration. It is not. As to Thais wearing masks before Covid: a few, but certainly not more than 5-10 percent. And then only when PM 2.5 count was very high. I am a firm believer in the self-healing properties of the body, and the immune system can and has to be challenged and trained. At this stage it is likely better for the whole population to face the (weaker) strains than trying to remain uninfected, at the cost of having a non-responsive immune system that's not trained. That doesn't mean I'm an antivaxxer. Recently got my second booster, all fine over here.

What a racist comment. First off, am a local. Second: Just been traveling many countries, you won't see anymore masks. So why should I adapt to the local herd mentality? When more people are dying from regular flu, but no one reports it and baseless fear is upheld?

Disagree with wearing face masks on BTS, there are not even announcements anymore in the trains reminding passengers to please wear them. If a local is paranoid and blames foreigners for Covid, well chances are high he has some Chinese ancestors, the race which might be at the heart of the disease. Not saying, just saying. Of course I wouldn't get intimidated by someone scolding at me for not wearing the mask. So this commentator Tim Newton seems to be more Catholic than the Pope by suggesting people not wearing the mask now are anti-Thai. Saw his Youtube roundup for the first time now, and it will be the last time.

Strangely enough he seemed to type something, obviously the flight number, into the system, but no writing above or below the entry stamp. It's just noteworthy that at the same airport you have different arrival procedures ????