Date Masamune

You must go to the Amphoe in your area and talk to whoever is in charge.It could be as easy as providing a few photocopies of passports, visas,chanote, and a single witness, or actually impossible, based on your circumstances.

Remember most people posting here are not Americans, who are likely like me to hold medical insurance. Have emergency medical costs here on Holiday in Thailand I have to pay out of pocket and apply for reimbursement later except for a very few Hospitals , but Aetna or whoever are going not to pay for an upgrade to Business class to hold your kids leg elevated! They would expect you to delay travel until Medically able.

The NHS of the UK for example is not an insurance company. Residents are provided treatment in the UK only or maybe EU is some cases. So when a young lad here “on Holiday” gets in a major accident (with no fancy private cover) he is on the hook for all costs and could be totally screwed!

Thus the need to apply for “travel insurance”, to cover medical costs one might incur while on Foreign vacation prior to departure. The plans are

Very reasonable. Eventually it will be mandatory here here as it is in many countries as more and more hospitals complain about foriegn tourists skipping out on the bill!

Quite right. And almost always...perhaps every time...when a person has a revelation or a vision, it is the deity they were indoctrinated with. A Christian sees and/or hears Jesus. A Muslim sees or hears Allah and/or Muhammad. A Hindu...Vishnu, Krishna and/or Ganesha.
 
Don't hear of any cases where a Christian has a revelation and says...WOW, HAD IT WRONG ALL THIS TIME! THE REAL TRUTH IS ISLAM and the Holy Koran or HINDUISM and The Vedas and then converted.  Nor the Muslim turning to Christianity or Hinduism. Nor the Hindu changing sides. It always seems to be their own flavor of superstition. 

It is up to the French but I’d say not a centime of public funds should be used. All you hear these days is “austerity” and cut taxes on the rich but suddenly they have huge amounts pledged by the same. So to go watch old people in costumes practice some superstitions?The Catholic Church has plenty of money let them pay for it.

Scientists to this day, use the best and finest instruments at their disposal to understand the universe, but they can only go as far as making educated guesses. Or are you happy with the Big Bang explanation? The theory tries to describe something, but it doesn't really explain how everything came out of nothing. 

When I was young, I learned that matter was made of atoms, atoms made of electrons, neutrons, protons and the smaller particles where just being discovered. After that, even smaller particles were discovered. Now it seams that everything is in a state of flux, quantuum physics says that there is entanglement among particles, meaning 2 entangled particles can instantly affect each other even if they are on the opposite sides of the universe. 

This to show that science evolves and with it the understanding we have of the universe.

People look back at the dark ages and deride the geocentric worldview, yet treat science as the ultimate holder of truth now, as if we have reached a point where everything has been explained. Far from it.

So you still need a good dose of belief in what others tell you.

 

Has science explained the rising of the kundalini for example? It's the force/energy that resides at the base of the spine and can be released through meditation, or a strong trauma or psychotropic substances.

No it hasn't. Yet this energy has been described for thousands of years in India and is as real as it gets.

 

Science draws maps of the outer world.

Zen, all the different types of Yoga, contemplative meditation, shamanism etc, have drawn maps of the inner worlds. 

Just like the experiments in science, the stages of development one passes when meditating, are repeatable over time and different individuals, and the experience gained can be scrutinized by those who have walked the path before them (peer review). 

 

One is not better than the other, both hold a piece of the puzzle and both should work together instead of being divided.

 

A great post. best argument god believers have is old strawman. “There are complicated unexplained things so there must be a magic creator”.

Truth is not a single bit of evidence in all of human history has indicated the existence of any gods, Then they’ll give you another strawman “Well then it isn’t disproven either” You see, I don’t ask the question. Considering the existence of god is an indulgence of primitive people I don’t bother with. I see it has already been considered by Philosophers over thousands over years? Who do I think I am Plato, Pascal? People follow religions for social reasons and to fit in, most just taking up the sect where there parents are. Let’s just say Christianity is right and Islam is wrong. Go to Pakistan, millions and millions of innocent children born to go to Hell. All rubbish and utter tosh!

This is being reported all over, including Thaivisa. All Emoney instruments must be registered just like your mobile. 
 
This is a government initiative and also applies to those who have a SevenEleven card.
 
You only need to register once, then reloads will be as normal.

Totallly agree with you. Pregnant women in America are also horrible smug and self indulgent expecting everybody to fawn over them. I’m not a child psychology expert but business class should be child free, and none of these goddamn fake service animals. (No kids under 7-8 years of age) so there is no crying and screaming.

Just think of the rant in the OP had the kid required a dedicated air ambulance and they got charged the typical $50,000- $100,000. This is for a Large Business Jet that only needs one fuel stop.

 

That's when travel insurance is really handy.

 

A one off private charter from Bangkok to Los Angeles is more than $150,000. Don’t ask me why I know. Quoted for a large

Business jet that only needs one fuel stop.

Sure an air ambulance flight ( nurses and other costs) would be more. How much?

My niece just flew to BKK on Delta. Delta from the States to Seoul, Korean Air from Seoul to BKK. All booked as a Delta flight with Delta on all the documents.

Incorrect information.  Delta flies to Bangkok from many different locations in the US including Detroit and Houston.  I have used Delta to fly to Bangkok after flying into Detroit from Toronto.

'nuf sed.

You are suffering a fundamental misunderstanding. Thailand is a backward tourist destination they can’t make money on. No US airline flies to Thailand currently. TG does not fly to North America anymore either. Any flight to Thailand bought from DL is a codeshare with another airline Delta being in Skyteam alliance I guess it is China Southern.

On the other hand tiny little Singapore has two daily non-stop flights on United from San Francisco alone.

Economics.

I assumed that. Maybe I missed it but the Skyteam partner would be China Southern. They are having some issues trying me to defect and join OneWorld.

Cathay opposes it and has veto right to entry of any China carrier.

No. Not the slightest evidence has ever been shown to prove the existence of any Dieties or supernatural processes.

Who pays to have this hazard to navigation removed and for any environmental damages?

FB feed yesterday. Multiple violations of the Computer Crimes Act widely shared among thousands. Thailand’s reputation in tatters over some bikini tops. Heavy fines and Jail !!!

Which has been demonstrated to be utterly ineffective way of funding a park.

Many countries national heritage attractions museums parks etc are FREE to nationals and foreigners alike as the benefits are seen to come with the numbers of visitors extra spending not by charging them. The contribution that entrance fees make to most national parks is minimal.

I wouldn’t know where I’m from we have unlimited resources for Military, Police and surveillance but State and National Parks are funded mostly by high user fees.

 
If you stay 5 years of less you can claim all your income tax back, it is not a fallacy that foreigners pay hardly any income tax.  Anyway, this is not about who has already and will continue to contribute, this is about a way for the parks to raise much needed funds without excluding poorer locals.  What can they do, if they give us the cheaper rate then have less funds and if they up the prices for Thai's then they exclude some local people, I have respect for the people and the environment of the country I have chosen to live in, so personally I am proud to make my contributions to the parks.

A great post above in the US if any business was publicly charging more for visitors because they were not Citizens, people would be really outraged!

It is ridiculous that the 800k cannot be used. (except 50% for a few months). The whole original point of it was to show that you had enough money to live in Thailand for the next year.
 
[mention=306267]MeePeeMai[/mention] Many farangs living in Thailand are elderly retirees and it is a fact that many die in Thailand. I'm sure the authorities will have thought about this when setting this rule. For the many who have not made a will in Thailand, where does that 800k go?

There are some fundamentally flawed arguments being presented trying to dress up Double Charging as something other than what it is... 
 
It is not comparable to pensioner discounts. 
It is not comparable to residents discounts.
It is not an issue of money, the money amount is irrelevant to the principle. 
 
When someone is charged extra because they are not from a specific nation the policy is xenophobic.
 
Other fundamentally flawed arguments listed on this forum: 
It happens in other countries. So does kidnapping ! - the fact that it happens elsewhere doesn't make it ok. Using such an argument is flawed.
 
'If you don't like it go home' was one argument used earlier, again, highly flawed, it brings nothing to the debate and quite clearly people wouldn't go home because of a silly double pricing policy. 
 
 
The fact of the matter is that when people are Double Charged it leaves a poor impression especially when that double charged is based on nationality. Especially when the excuses for Double Charging are extremely flawed.  
 
A Westerner Working in Thailand paying taxes should not be double charged at parks.
A Westerner Retiree on anyone on a Non-Immigration Visa should not be double charged at parks.
 
I can't even see a very weak justification for Tourists to be Double Charged for without these very tourists these attractions / parks etc would have significantly less revenue - its akin to biting the hand that feeds you. 
 
 
Now... this Double Charging is not a show stopper... It doesn't stop me from going to Khao Yai or Koh Samet etc...  But, it does leave a poor impression when I'm charged 10x what my Wife is Charged.
 
This also happened to me a Chiang Mai Night Safari - traveling with Thai friends. 
The staff at the gate tried to double charged me. I showed my Thai Driving License and they still wanted to Double Charge me. My friend showed his Police ID and told them it is Illegal for a Private Company to Double Charge foreigners and requested to speak with the Supervisor (Double Charging is actually against the law in Thailand except for a decree which permits double charging at parks) - I was let in for the Thai Price but they were still trying to stiff all the other tourists. 
 
They try the same at Safari World in Bangkok, but they let foreigners with a Thai Driving License in for the Thai Price. 
 
Ultimately - the whole idea of Double Pricing is wrong.... There are no excuses which can dress this up. 
 
 

Manyof the don’t trust Thai banks crowd crisply have PLENTY of funds but are very very stingy. Dress in rags, drink self bought beer at mall food courts, cheap food only, mostly cooked on a hot plate. “Don’t like air-conditioning” Perhaps they grew up poor and have a mental problem?

4 hours ago, uhuh said:

Asian tourists pay Thai price

wrong

The bottles of water sold at duty free shops are not imported goods, or luxury goods like a Ducati bike, subject to import duties. For example a bottle of water that can be had at any Thai convenience store for 12 baht. In fact they are only incidentally provided as a convenience, and a steep markup.

I don’t know why people shop at duty free stores anyway? Last time I saw some Bose headphones for $277 dollars that are sold now at $ 169 on any US website or walking into a BestBuy store.

Duty free shops are under local regulation, the criteria for the UK is shown above. You can see that export shops, previously known as duty free shops, can also sell other goods but must see the boarding card for all goods.

32 minutes ago, xylophone said:

A good post and somewhat mirrors my experiences as a boy and my growing up years.

 

I do remember going to the local shop with a little book to get stuff that was on ration and the little bags of this and that that were weighed out in front of me were taken home with much glee.

 

Despite the fact that there wasn't much food around, I don't recall it ever being a problem because we just made do and I had some great times picking blackberries over in the very large field on my council estate, so that my mum could make a blackberry and apple pie and although she was an extremely poor cook, this was great.

 

Times spent exploring in the woods, climbing trees, making camps and hunting for sticklebacks in streams and little pools, then catching newts and watching them grow in little containers, before setting them free.

 

Never a care in the world and it was not a problem walking many miles to school and back, no matter what the weather, because that was how it was.

 

In essence, we made our own fun and explored everything which was out there to be explored, and I don't know that this is how it is now this especially as in my hometown a lot of it has been developed and I doubt if I could find my way around these days.

 

The reality of our situation dawned on me when I had to wear clothes from a jumble sale to my grammar school and was ridiculed for it because they really didn't match. No matter I just upped and left at the age of 15.

 

After that it was all adventure and exploring and finding a job, and living in the 60s was a blast in just about every way possible.

 

Through all of this we made our own fun and never really worried about TV or anything else, because life just went on at a fantastic pace and in my opinion, growing up in that era where everything in the world seem to be changing – – music, the space race, landing on the moon, the Vietnam war (not that I viewed that with anything other than disdain) and the fact that no matter at what pace the world changed, there was always social interaction and discussion and the fact that if you wanted to work you had to look for jobs, and although never always easy, I always found something.

 

For me personally I explored the Sahara desert, Nigeria and also worked in the oil industry around the place and although initially it was a struggle to get a mortgage, it was the aim of most people in my group.

 

I could go on and on but I won't, but looking back now I don't think there was a better time for me to have experienced life on this planet and no doubt things will change even further before I pop my clogs, but what I do despair about now is the fact that IMO there is the feeling of entitlement by the youth of today, that the state will look after them and that they don't need to work or learn or indulge in social intercourse/social skills, because everything is done via a small handheld electronic device.

 

I'm just so lucky that I was able to experience so many life shaping and changing things in my time. IMO I had the best of times and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

 

PS. Just adding a postscript to this because I believe some of the "problems" these days and in the not too distant past have been the result of overindulgent parents!

 

At the end of my career I was managing and running an investment division for a bank and I outlined our offer and so on to a group of influential customers at the presentation I was doing, and at the end of my presentation a tall and very well spoken and dressed man with a distinctly upper-class English accent stood up and thanked me for the presentation and then had a question for me, "I have my investments and plenty to live on, and I have some spare money, what do you think I should do with it?".

 

My answer, albeit initially tongue in cheek, was, "I believe in the SKIN principle – – spend kids inheritance now – – and do whatever your heart desires with that money and I say this because I have seen many people in their later years scrimp and save and barely get by on the money they have, because they want to leave an inheritance for their children. It is my belief that money that is earned rather than inherited is valued much more by offspring".

 

However I did add that he should sit down with one of our qualified investment advisers to look at the bigger picture and see what his other alternatives were!

 

A great post and the fact that there are blacks and muslims in britain now who can walk the streets without being called <deleted> or ooga-booga man does not take anything away from your experience does it? Other poster here seem obsessed with it like it is some of kind of problem.