VBF

I don't think the airlines will need to be involved. Here's how it could work, and this is only "IMO" The fee for the envisaged ETA could effectively form this tourist tax. IE, if you have a visa, you will have paid the fee for the visa and therefore don't have to pay the tax. This, as far as I can see will include tourist visas. But, if you're arriving visa-exempt, then you must (when it's introduced) get an ETA, the fee for which will be regarded as the tourist tax. So effectively, you either get a visa OR an ETA. Or possibly, if you choose to get a Tourist Visa, than you might have to get an ETA as well...BUT..... who is going to bother getting a SETV that gives 60 days when visa-exempt plus ETA also gets 60 days? As for METV....I have no idea. About now, I suppose I should apologise for being logical and forgetting TIT 🙄😞

You asked for some examples for the novices - I posted where to get a comparison of alternatives to MS Office and gave my opinion that the source I quoted with reviews of said alternatives was reliable. That's all.

Well to be fair, the notes on that video say "We sent a crew to a Trump rally" You figure out the likely proportion of stupid people present! 🙄 Mind you, as a Brit, I haven't got too much to argue with.......we elected Starmer FFS! 🤬

Put the following into a search engine e.g. Google office alternatives free One response was https://www.techradar.com/news/best-microsoft-office-alternative I would be inclined to trust "Techradar" as a knowledgeable site

Couldn't agree more!!! Even without the items you mention, nobody gets near the settings on my computers / devices except me....full stop!!! One can buy a "licence" on eBay or Amazon, or search around the torrent sites for some active keys. EDIT I see that some MORON posted a "sad" emoji. Now you fool, what is sad about my comment - be brave and actually reply to it!

Nowhere mate, but I do agree with @ballpoint. There is some moron who's confused at everything. I wish our names appeared against reactions as they used to! I wonder if perhaps Mods could restore that functionality? There's nothing like anonymity to bring out the stupid and / or intentionally irritating 🤬

Only 2 so far....plus one "sad" - he may be right!

You did...and I misread it

I'm confused - why not? Seriously what is so difficult about a sweater / sweat shirt or similar? Thai long distance buses and trains too, by the way, are always freezing so i just have one such garment (and a pair of socks!) in my bag.

That joke's "Supreme" - well done 😎😂 (Let's see how many people that confuses! 🙄)

In the words of the 1920s novelty song: "I scream, you scream, we all cream for Ice Cream" 😆

And what's more, we didn't have the "help" of the ****ing Health and Safety Executive!!!! 🤬

Correct assuming you are from one of the (many) countries eligible for visa exempt entry. I am - UK Thank you Sheryl 👍

Pardon? I've been to the Bamboo many times - the women in there are all freelancers so the Bamboo has no say in what happens - no lady drinks or bar fines. What the Bamboo does do is take payment for drinks as you go i.e., no bar tabs. Is that what you meant?

I did ask this elsewhere but no replies, As the ETA is not yet up and running, may I presume that if I fly to Thailand with a return ticket within 60 days, that's all I need? No other advance paperwork?? Any news of airlines causing problems at check-in?

Perhaps if you weren't too lazy to copy it into Google (or whichever search engine you favour), you'd see it's popularised by and often attributed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt You can thank me later 😆 And, getting back on topic, the restaurant owner needs to be seen to physically throw a couple of these beggars out, or have a friend do it....IF they enter the restaurant. The pic in the OP though, dhows one standing OUTSIDE and looking in to beg. This has been happening in Pattaya for as long as I can remember.

Agreed....and we all fell for it 😆 The OP says "Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, a supporter of NIT, has indicated that formal implementation might be several years away" In other words, several governments away. 🙄 And, just to be serious for a moment, such a scheme could / should provide assistance / benefits for needy Thai people. Most Western countries have such schemes which are used by many and abused by some!

I regards that as encouraging prostitution, Me too - great isn't it 👍😎 But actually, encouraging the ladies to work for drinks is not prostitution - what may happen later is between consenting adults. Let's be honest here, legal or not, that is what most bars in Pattaya are all about and always have been.

May I correct you....... Pedestrian crossings on Phuket in Thailand are simply strange patterns painted across some roads. Better? 😎🙄

Not at all old chap....see my reply to @mstevens 😆😆

Precisely.... Meagre is the King's English, not some colonial attempt 🙄😆 Joking aside, the spellchecker on here agreed with me as I said - of course my computer is set as English (UK)...quite right and proper, doncha know ☺

It's meagre, not meager - even the spell check agrees! 😎 And if you care to read my post, I was referring to a salesman in my example.

Part of the business model is that they get a basic wage and work for the rest. The girls know that when they take the job. Bit like a salesman getting a meagre salary and earning commission on his sales to make it reasonable.

You had hope to begin with? Seriously, the GBD was useful and appropriate as a workaround in the absence of vaccines Then when vaccines arrived we had a true scientific route to follow. But I don't expect you to agree, my evidence is that everyone I know personally has had vaccines and boosters and is thriving. Lies, dammed lies and statistics on all sides - I'm taking the empirical view. So far it's serving me well.

As I recall, the GBD was issued before we had a working vaccine and I did believe in it to some extent at the time because it seemed the most pragmatic route to follow. However once we got the vaccines, then I chose to take them anyway, so relinquished my belief in the GBD.