Caldera

Considering that this pandemic is still ongoing in most of the world (and in fact accelerating in many regions), I think any talk of recovery is premature to the extreme.

Tourism is a good example. You cannot possibly talk about recovery as long as the borders stay shut to tourists with no end in sight.

One of the saner "hub" proposals I've seen. Thailand IS popular with digital nomads, or used to before staying for long periods of time on tourist visas became too much of a hassle. That's something Thailand could cash in on, if done right. What are the chances though?

Another unworkable proposal. If you cannot even step outside of your hotel to visit the nearest 7/11 on your own, why visit a foreign country at all?

Also, what about all those Thais who will get in close contact with those tourists? Waitresses and bus drivers, the likes? Will they need to be isolated from other Thais? Otherwise it's easy to see how an infected tourist could spark community transmission in Thailand, even if the tourists themselves are "shepherded". Who shepherds the shepherds?

Do we even know if this vaccine (or any other vaccine against Covid, for that matter) actually WORKS? Being able to produce and distribute it at scale is all very well, but unless I've missed something, none of the vaccines in development have been proven to be "effective enough" yet.

What you presumably have now is an "under consideration" stamp till October 12th (nothing unusual about that, as you applied in September), but they haven't received the approval yet and told you to return on Friday (again, nothing unusual, it happens).

Just wait and see what will happen then. I have no idea how they would justify an overstay fine.

I'd imagine that a Thai of considerable wealth can easily assume the identity of a fellow Thai citizen of similar age who has passed away. Heck, even migrant workers from neighboring countries have been caught doing just that.

Then there's of course there's also the option to buy another country's passport. Thanks to the ineptitude of the RTP, he's had plenty of time to buy many!

It's not an uphill road. Without foreign tourists in vast quantities, there's simply NO road back to the kind of revenue they've gotten used to.

What domestic tourists spend pales in comparison and household debt is already sky-high, so there's no hope that they will be able to spend significantly more.

It stands to be argued that the real trouble for Thailand's tourist industry still lies ahead - with the upcoming "high season" that will be anything but.

Next they'll find out what happens if you leave cooked 7/11 rice in the fridge well past its expiration date... Something new to learn every day in Amazing Thighland...

I can't really say that this latest twist surprises me. Too many lies, too many times!

RIP to a Bangkok expat who was a real character.

Must have been great to arrive in Bangkok in the 1960s. Far less comfortable than when I arrived some 40 years later, but also far more exciting I'd imagine.

I think she will do a good job, and I say that as someone who despises the clown who nominated her.

I didn't realize that this qualifies as newsworthy. I could have posted the same from my local Tesco Lotus in Bangkok many weeks ago. Always fun to watch the confused faces of old ladies who cannot navigate the gate.

1 hour ago, 2530Ubon said:

I emailed immigration ([email protected]) to ask if tourist visa extensions applied for prior to the 26th of September are eligible for the 30th November stamp, or if it only applies to people who had an embassy letter. I shall post any update as soon as it comes in. Pointless arguing between ourselves when we can ask immigration directly!

Division 1 immigration (MTT) did not issue tourist visa extensions last month, so don't be surprised if they will find your question confusing.

This issue concerns only those immigration offices that actually still did issue such "regular" tourist extensions (Ubon, Chiang Mai, a few others?).

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

yep,  nothing like spending 3 months as a useless leech on society, robbing poor people each morning of what little food many of them have, in lieu of something more positive and worthwhile. 

While I'm not really a fan of the Thai clergy, saying that they are effectively worse than even Thailand's dishonorable military really takes the cake.

The OP seems to have no delusions of glory associated with Thai military service. Good for him.

He's an interesting guy who has got a lot of great stories to tell. I hope his stay in prison will be brief and a source of another round of great stories to add to his collection. Tax evasion, crypto fraud, good stuff.

I'm in favor. Now that Thais have defeated Covid, what's a little sea bridge? I'd even use it myself.

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

For example Germany only issues passports abroad if you official unregistered from living in Germany.

Not really. The German Embassy just has to ask the local passport office (where the applicant is registered, in Germany) for permission, which adds a few days to the process. There's also an additional fee.

This hardly comes as a surprise. It would be cleaner if Cambodia just became another province of the PRC. Oh, scratch that, then Chinese couldn't go there to gamble anymore.

The biggest abuse that happens at Thai schools is that they provide more disinformation and brainwashing than any real education. Unless that changes, they will continue to produce generation after generation of Thais who are poorly equipped for what's needed both at work and as citizens.

So effectively this is a visa for Chinese who have bought, or are being "encouraged" to buy, a condo in Thailand.

Nice, that was quick. Now I'm curious what spin immigration will give it on their latest and greatest flyer...