Lee65

4 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

Just say Flat....

Flat and bumpy? 

Has the actual Shape of Earth been decided here yet?

Most people believe the the earth to be round as it's too difficult to say 'spherical'.

And even harder to say 'ellipsoidal'.

Uh oh ...

Figure of the Earth

The project's first 10 years should be spent removing the abandoned concrete buildings that blanket the region.

One maybe counter-intuitive phenomenon is people getting stuck in a place that's the worst for them.

When things are good or OK or not-so-bad we have the energy/mood/money to keep on moving.  But find yourself in a bad place too long and you may not be able to get out.

The takeaway: vote with your feet - before it's too late.

Glad you've rejoined the sentient.

Wait, what?!  From the linked article:

Chaiwat (the whistle blower) and his three former subordinates at Kaeng Krachan national park are facing murder charges for the enforced disappearance of Karen activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen, aka “Billy”, about eight years ago.

13 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Ok, I'll bite. If you mean Cambodia, in terms of the EEC, it is vital safe, robust transport links are established between Thailand and Cambodia. On the Thai side, millions, probably billions of baht have been spent widening and improving the Trad - Klong Yai - Haad Lek highway. True to say, the days of the backpackers trail may have gone, with the advent cheap flights to Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap, but it's still a major border crossing.

 

And Trad is the main town for the Koh Chang archipelago. It has a lot of very decent hotels, markets, malls, eateries, a Bangkok hospital, and other facilities. Even has its own cuisine. Unfortunately, most of the minibuses from Pattaya and Bangkok to Koh Chang and Koh Mak by pass it now, via a short cut to the island piers. The song taews from Trad to same are almost invariably empty. 5 years ago, they'd be full of foreigners.

 

With no regular scheduled bus service, to and from North bus station in Pattaya, for instance, there's little motive to find your way down there. And there's no direct service from Trad bus station to Pattaya at all. It would only take maybe 3 trips a day. Just my 10 satang.

I agree.  The lack of decent, scheduled bus service - BIG bus service - all the way along between Bangkok, Chonburi, Bangsaen, Sri Racha, Pattaya, and Chanthaburi and Trat is a disgrace.

But the "why" of it is dangerous to speculate on - for our own sanity.  My guess is the public sector which could implement a bus route (The Transport Co.?) - and which can do little right anyway - likes the tax revenue from petrol sales to the private vehicles.  And my impression of the private sector bus lines is they also are too wrapped up in corruption, fear, and incompetence to make this obvious route successful.

1 hour ago, bradiston said:

If the EEC is such a thing, why is there yet no decent public bus link between Pattaya, Trad and Had Lek? Only private minibuses. 2 major tourist areas and the Cambodian border with no government bus link or even a big bus. Only 35 Group goes close.

Thailand. "Why" is a question asked only by masochists.

9 minutes ago, grain said:

I've been in and out of Thailand since 1978, I've been on tourist visas, non-imm visas, marriage exts, retirement exts, I've had WPs, and I've entered without any kind of visa and got 30-day stamps. And in 44 years I've never overstayed a minute, not once. 

A man among men!

1 hour ago, Deserted said:

No because my background is linguistics.

Well, you'll find many cunning linguists here!

Living in Thailand is like living in a cartoon.

Friend made this observation years ago and it's often helped.

"Pensions add up to about 6k Euros monthly, so Im not poor, but not rich either. "

To the overwhelming majority of the 8 billion people in the world you are indeed very rich.  First stop on your personal journey in siphoning off of others in retirement is to open your eyes.

A lot of folks are content being treated poorly by authority.  Witness the last 3 years.

Not Bang Saen!  The water is usually filthy, the beach packed with Thai tourists from Bangkok - particularly, but not exclusively, on weekends - and the traffic is nightmarish much of the time.

On 12/9/2022 at 5:47 AM, Lemsta69 said:

In addition to passport scan and scan of your face you'll need one of these secondary forms of ID which they ask for after you've submitted everything else...

 

Add this to 7-11's facial recognition program and Bob's your uncle.

Thanks everyone in this thread for reminding me why I buy almost nothing online anymore.  (Shocker: I didn't need the stuff anyway!)

41 minutes ago, bernard75 said:

 

1 hour ago, Onerak said:

I have not quite comprehended the benefits of using a Wise Card. I am from the USA and never use any debit card for ATM withdrawal, though I have two that does not charge (or refunds) any foreign ATM withdrawal fees. Have plenty of credit cards (more than 100) and a few don't charge any foreign transaction fees. A few even gives me cash back for all foreign transactions. I don't understand the advantages of using a wise card. Can somebody explain to me please that benefits of using a Wise debit card. 

 

Why only "more than 100" credit cards?  Shirley you're missing something?