scorecard

'Open' to me means there's no quarantine whatever on arrival, at any airport, in Thailand and no quarantine if the arrival quickly flies/travels to another part of Thailand. Arriving at swampy from Australia on Dec 9 and hoping no quarantine. this will be the case

Yes, you did understand, thanks for sharing. Seems to me that debit cards are nowadays used/accepted very broadly and that usage will probably increase. If no funds in the a/c debit card declined, no risk for the bank or the 'trader'. Whereas credit card may well be accepted but then later customer defaults on paying the credit card bill. Much more risky for the bank.

I have a MASTERCARD based debit card and I will transfer a large amount of funds from my main bank a/c to my debit card (same bank), so 'declined' can't be because of 'lack of funds'. On the other hand another option (to pay my final payment on ASQ booking (if 7 days quarantine is NOT cancelled back to 0 days), is to just transfer funds by internet banking from my Thai bank direct to the hotel. I somehow doubt any hotel would object to receiving payments (instantaneous) by bank transfer.

Sure, I have same thoughts. I have a Thai Certificate of Residence (23 years) and my name is in family Tabien Baan book, bank has copies of both, but of course that's not a firm guarantee that any cc debt would be cleared.

I'm coming up to 77, credit card issued by Thai bank coming up for renewal end of Nov 2021. Credit card issued 28 years ago, late payment in 28 years once or twice but only 2 or 3 days and fixed. Has any member ever heard of card not being renewed because of old age, either Thai bank or any bank anywhere? Please share. ____________________________________ Different question, has any member used a MASTERCARD debit card to pay for something abroad? e.g. Second/final payment for ASQ hotel Bkk: - First payment, deposit, paid using VISA credit card issued in Thailand. - Second/final payment, hoping I can use debit card issued by mainstream bank in Australia. (Second payment not yet paid, waiting to see if quarantine for 7 days is cancelled.) So anybody ever used a debit card to pay a bill in Bkk but debit card issued in another country? Was it accepted/did it work? Please share, thanks.

You don't mention that the global virus/pandemic/epidemiology gurus have been saying for months that boosters will be needed and probably every year. You don't mention there's been news reports that some drug companies claim they're making progress to develop an annual booster pill covering both Influenza and Covid 19.

And, from recent experience, if you contact TAT and ask them for information or ask them who to contact about travel inside Thailand on arrival from abroad, they don't know. After 2 days of waiting they sent a facebook message confirming they don't know and suggested I call the Thai embassy in my departure country and ask them who to contact. I can't believe they don't know which agency to contact inside Thailand for this info. Very poor service indeed.

"...whereas the results of the PCR test take time (and are usually forwarded by e-mail). If you want to have results in a few hours there are a few options (but sometimes at a highly inflated cost)...." This seems to be coming very common, often at the departure level of major airports. In Sydney, Australia: - Passenger can book in advance or walk-in, lab has full international certification, just 15 minutes drive from Sydney airport. Report by e.mail guaranteed within 4 hours, for higher price AUD300. Or report next day before 12.00 midday AUD150. But for this price passengers informed, where applicable, timing of report cannot be guaranteed when there is high workload. Or passenger can walk in to lab situated inside Sydney airport, full international certification, on departure level, 3 - 4 minutes walk to check-in rows. Fee is AUD150, swab takes 1 -2 minutes, client guaranteed to receive report within 1 hour by SMS/e.mail/or printed report.

Not sure I buy this. Seems to me they will keep trying, day by day, to float every idea/dream anybody can imagine to try to get tourists in, started already.

I searched for comments re Changi because I have an SQ booking with Changi transit in early December. I found other reports/comments that the Changi Airport Transit Holding Area is well set up, quite comfortable, regular polite checks if transit passengers had any needs/concerns. Drinks / some food available at reasonable cost, all handled no contact. Checking/processing of documents handled professionally, friendly, any questions well answered. One comment mentioned that a transit passenger asked if he could better details/clarification about regulations/process at his final destination (not mentioned). Immediate response 'we will check and get back to you, about 10 minutes' this happened with good valuable printed details, and very professional, caring friendly conversations and attitudes. Walk to the next flight departure was single file but with help if needed, nothing unpleasant/nothing unfriendly. One comment mentioned one transit person in a wheelchair with an attendant, who was waiting (with SQ w/chair) at aircraft door in total ppe, head in a totally enclosed full helmet, wheeled the passenger a small distance away from the aircraft, stopped and politely asked the passenger if he had any special needs, and stayed with the passenger until seated in the next aircraft. Bottom line, vast majority of comments indicated that passengers transiting in Singapore were satisfied/impressed at the professionalism and the caring attitude.

AirAsia now require all passengers to prove double vaccination, and 72 hr PCR negative test on their international routes. QANTAS now require the same, both domestic and International. Singapore Airlines same plus passenger must have PCT test no older than 48 hrs, for passengers arriving into Singapore and same for transit passengers. Malaysian Airlines recently made similar announcement. Bhutan Airlines same. Plus many more and the list is quickly growing...

As mentioned many/most universities in Thailand have their own schedule of semester dates plus some has summer programs as well and again dates vary uni by uni. You need to contact the specific uni.

Ever heard of privacy?

Yawn...

And/or was the price paid inflated and part of the process was commissions, paid to the 3 names, their family members or close cronies?

Good points, this is not an easy situation and there's no point in spending community funds and billing an owner who will never pay the bill and has possibly moved on to other activities etc., and will never even see the bill.

You want comments but only comments that are within the parameters you set.

Odd that anybody can put sand into the fuel tanks on vehicles purchased to control crowds. Why no locks on the filling pipes? Surprising that when they are in use for crown control their mobility can easily be interfered with/stopped.

Agree, e.g. very friendly and helpful officers at the Thai embassy in Canberra and the Thai consulate in Sydney. Always good listeners on the phone and always clear answers.

Is love compulsory?

Was there any reason who you should mention 'judging her'? Seems to me whether she was or wasn't paying him a daily rate is totally private to the couple involved. After all, many western (and other men) give their wife a monthly allowance or give their wife total access to the money earned by the husband (where the husband is the only one earning an income).

It's their call, in either direction. A side point; It's not only western woman who go to Bali to meet / form relationships with young Balinese men, many Japanese woman do the same.

No, I don't have any reactions like that because I believe it's their call/their business. End of story.

I suggest that plenty of western men are the cause of their own not wonderful, not valid relationships/lifestyle, coming from their own deliberate actions and their attitudes. But is this 'standard' across all of Thailand? NO, of course not. However seems to me it's much more prevalent in places like Pattaya and Phuket.

Wow, so judgmental, so negative.