Caldera

I knew Bangkok will flood the moment the government made an effort to assure us that Bangkok won't flood.

Here we go again...

They come across as unusually trigger-happy, I wonder what's the urgency?

Best of luck, Alice! You're gonna need it.

I'd say compared to the expat crowded we have in Bangkok that is pretty much a good mix of all kinds of people, what stands out in Pattaya is the prevalence of the "bitter old cnut" type of expat who's usually retired, underfunded due to divorce(s) and or vice(s) - and often alcoholic to top things off.

Surely you're joking. With very few exceptions, debit cards are accepted whenever "credit cards" are accepted online. As you've never used such a service yourself, you simply jumped to a nonsensical conclusion.

Not sure why you think that's unusual or noteworthy. Which other payment options would you expect from such an online service?

We live in hope.

Deport the cnuts after giving them a good beating at the police station.

I'm still using Windows 10 on two old notebooks. One will be retired before the support for Windows 10 will end, the other one will be converted to Linux.

I've never planned to leave Thailand and I've never announced such plans. Of course I leave pretty often for a little trip, but on topic, I've never had plans not to return.

If they're serious about it, it shouldn't be too difficult to find plenty of evidence, it's pretty much in your face. More shameless than ever, that guy.

There hasn't been any recent changes. It's still 60 days at land borders.

What you can do depends on your bank(s) at least to some extent, but I don't think there's an option to opt out of contactless payments specifically with any Thai bank. With Kasikorn Bank, for example, you can adjust the limits within the app and also have the option to disable a card temporarily.

The Visa debit card I recently ordered from Kasikorn Bank via K-Plus does have my name on it.

That suggestion is almost too idiotic to take it seriously, but I'll bite for the sake of argument. What would have been the benefit of stopping those Covid extensions, for Thailand? Wasn't tourist spending down by enough already in your opinion? I don't think Thailand suffered an uptick in crime due to some foreigners enjoying a prolonged stay during that special time. These foreigners also didn't qualify for any freebies that were to the Thai people's detriment. By and large, they spent money and seemed to have a great time (or at least a better time than they would have had elsewhere). I think the Thai government's timing for phasing out the Covid extensions was perfect. Praise where praise is due.

I've got to say that I've found Vietnam to be extremely good value, so it's well worth checking out.

Quality tourists have discovered the Northeast. Worrisome.

They probably reckon that the number of foreigners they could attract is pretty low, not enough to make the administrative overhead worthwhile - TM30 notifications to immigration in particular.

Three weeks until the next available appointment aren't unusual. I don't think you can find an agent that gets you an appointment sooner, but then again, who knows.

Yes, still 60 days.

What's pathetic about getting a new passport long before it expires because it's full? That happens to me with every single passport, and it isn't an excuse. What would be the benefit of such an excuse anyway?

They guide you to a lane where the IO is under specific instructions that you have been pre-screened. You will be stamped in, no questions asked.

Not for THAT account, but do you have another account? Then you could just transfer those 1000 baht to your immigration account in the morning, before even leaving home. Skip the CDM machine, just update your passbook. Alternatively: If you have an ATM card for another account, you could also use that card to deposit money into your immigration account at a CDM. The card is only used to identify you the depositor, you can deposit money into accounts the card is not linked to (even other people's accounts at other banks).

Laughable. As they plan to legalize prostitution, surely now would be the time to legalize sex toys as well.