ChipButty

It's a big problem with the OTA industry the price advertised is not always the price you pay, most of these sites allow the Host to add additional fee's and you as the guest are not aware until you book, To some of the major hotel groups it's what they call up selling check out some of the mad things they will charge extra for like Valet parking, In the last 12 months Airbnb have tried to address this problem so before you book you are aware of any additional fee's not added afterwards, The biggest problem I have seen over the year many guest do not read the full listing and what additional cost, such as cleaning fee, pet fee, electricity not included,

Booking.com

A few months back BDC had major problems with their payment system many host were not getting paid, they owed us about 5000 baht eventually we got paid and they sent us $55 cash gift,

Agoda has a global audience but focuses on Asia, with a great response in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Founded: 2005 (Thailand) Short term rental properties: 2 million+ Commission: 15% per booking Booking.com have various rates if they collect payments for you in Thailand it's 17.2% you can choose to pay more commission for more exposure,

The way I understand it "stack" as a host if you are offering different discounts they all stack up

No comment

Most of the Russians I meet speak good English and I've met a few especially if they come from Moscow, it's the older ones who don't speak much, I guess from the days of the USSR,

Should have got a local to do it,

Putin's ally dies falling from his house window 29 Dec 2023 A former member of Vladamir Putin’s United Russia, Vladamir Egorov, was found dead in his courtyard after falling 30 feet. Egorov, a lawyer, was found on Wednesday and his cause of death is being investigated by Russian police. Russian media outlets report his death was under mysterious circumstances. The New York Post has cited the 72-news outlet that reported that Egorov may have suffered heart problems before his deadly fall. Russia has used heart problems as an explanation for the deaths of many other prominent Russian people in the past. The chairman of Russia’s Lukoil oil giant, Ravil Maganov and senior Russian military officer, Marina Yankina both fell to their deaths, and both reportedly had heart problems.

I also found this guy make some interesting video's about life in Russia

I have been following that channel for a while he has mad some good video's

I think so as it is all in Russian

There is a Russian YT channel that really shows how people live outside of the bigger cities, real poverty I must say,

Russian hairdresser's is another one, usually working from home, seems quite well known around where I live,

Don't pi$$ the Farang off too much,

Did the real owner come forward to claim her bag? what about CCTV footage?

I spent many years working around airports, many shopping centers, night clubs and department stores also 5 star hotels, my first thought would be in a high traffic area especially near the toilets, would be a suspicious package, don't touch it, my mind goes back to many years ago in a shopping center in England where they were leaving incendiary devices inside shops. Best to inform the authorities let them remove it.

What happened to finders keepers?

We know a Burmese couple pretty well, and after living here for many years they speak Thai and all their paperwork in order as both have jobs, but they live in fear of what could happen they obviously know more than we do within the Burmese communities, why should that be? as far as I know they pay tax and SS

Was the same with them Uyghurs and Rohingya people, How is it these days with the hill tribe people?

Maybe they have our tree,

Your right, We went for Christmas dinner to Central Phuket normally have a huge tree, not this year hardly any decorations inside this year.

I found the same in Dubai we could share the meals,

I prefer my wifes Thai style pizza, Phat kaphrao

They even get a mention in the "Lonely Planet"