Robbie Dye

This is not all doom and gloom, the Emirates base fare for a year to London for example is 34k plus taxes BUT I am told that this is really only posturing as they wait for others to put out fares after Christmas, they are just trying to pocket as much as they can in the Xmas season. Etihad and Qatar STILL offer 3 and 6 month tickets, so no need to panic. As a Brit running a travel agency in Pattaya feel free to communicate any time. Emirates never have seats on bangkok Dubai most of the time anyway, i find Etihad much easier to get on with.

Cigarettes have inelastic demand curves, price changes have little effect on demand.

Don't agree here.... ATALL. Smoking in Australia has gone to very small percentage of the population spearheaded with massive pricing increase... it is the major factor affecting the take-up of the habbit.

Agree totally that higher prices cut the take up but it will be whole generation more before those who have never started get to the age where they top of the tree with nobody younger smoking at all, it will happen, but the current older generation like me will NOT be put off by price rises ! We all know we are bad boys but we started at an age where smoking was encouraged!

So nice of Thailand to honour my years in TH by dedicating a holiday to me on my birthday. Thank you Thailand !!

Two days before mine but I might move it! Hope the bars can stay open though.

Just a footnote.

Any Visa to UK can gain entry to Eira under Anglo Irish Agreement, circa 1985. Re-entry is under same rules. She can actually travel (as you can) with any photo ID, rather than passport. Some ferry companies don't even need this, but it is advisable.

I beg to differ, last year my Thai wife was with me in UK, we flew to Dublin and the immigration man asked her where her visa was, and I stepped in and also said I did not think she needed one, but she DID. Luckily we had return plane tickets to London for the Sunday night of that weekend so he gave her a stamp that said allowed in but don't even think about trying it again!

17 July, 2007 Adjust font size:

Tourist injured in Pattaya attack

PATTAYA - A tourist and a security guard were injured by a man armed with a machete-like weapon at a Pattaya shopping mall in the early hours of Monday morning.

Police using rubber bullets and high-powered water jets eventually subdued the man.

The 26 year-old assailant was seen prowling in front of popular Mike Shopping Mall armed with a one foot-long knife.

He attacked suddenly, slashing the tourist on the arm and severely injuring a security guard who tried to intervene.

The Pattaya Daily News reported that the two victims were subsequently taken to Pattaya Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment.

This appeared on Travelmole this morning! Poor guys, police got there too late.

I am coming in on this one a bit late, but nothing unusual in that. I understand what they are doing to the football, but it now seems more serious. I found out thansk to a v good friend on this site that the UBC magazine for July has no listings for channels 65 and 66, ie ESPN and Star, and that in fcat those 2 channels are scheduled to be dropped fully. OK so the footie which is not my bag moves to other channels and we press the language button for english commentary, not the end of the world, BUT if the channels disappear we lose:

Tennis

Formula One

Moto GP bikes and things

Guinness Premiership Rugby

6 Nations Rugby

Presumable the Wolrd Cup Rugby in Sep/Oct

and also any PPV Cricket which is also Star Sports.

I can remember getting promo stuff from True Visions about 6 sports channels, now about to shrink to 4.

I wonder if breach of contract exists in Thailand coz I paid my subscription for a year in advance, and if they cease broadcasting those channels they have advertised to me and I have paid for then surely they are in breach and I am entitled to compensation...yeah some chance!!

Seriously though the bars are often packed out (relative term at this time of year) with people watching F 1 motor racing and bike Grand Prix stuff, and when recently in Phuket there were 321 people watching crciket (Steve from the Aussie Bar counted them i reckon!)

If all this goes then Thailand will have managed at a single stroke to regress 20 years with its sports coverage.

I too am off to get a new satellite dish.

I emailed True Visions several times but got no reply..."we love you to contact us" their slogan says!!!

Today I was sufficiently peed off to fax Subscriptions and Marketing departments with a recommendation that they rename themselves No Visions since that is surely a more appropriate name. I don't think Thais understand sarcasm but if I get any replies I will post them!

it will make it easier with a child.

Thank you! :-)

Nice to have this!

I believe you have misunderstood what Lopburi wrote.

No having a child will not make it easier to stay or obtain a job.

Translation:

“Nein, mit einem Kind wird es nicht leichter, Arbeit zu finden.”

Whether you have a child or not makes no difference when it comes to finding employment in Thailand. Perhaps it makes it easier for you to obtain a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa category O. You have to ask the Thai consulate in your area about this.

--

Maestro

Sorry, but wrong translation/falsche Uebersetzung

Es wird weder mit einem Visum noch bei der Arbeitssuche helfen dass Sie ein Thai Kind haben.

That means it does NOT help you with visas or jobs just because you have a Thai baby!

Does anyone else find that heading offensive?

He may have been a Thai citizen, albeit a farang.

Idiots - he's hardly going to be in a guest house if he is 420,000 richer.

I remember when the UK queen was here - the police were searching the KSR guest houses looking for IRA - idiots.

Yeah, you must be right - bank robbers and IRA terrorists always stay at the Marriot

Maybe he just wanted it to have 400,000 in the bank for his visa application, so went and paid it in to another SCB Branch the next day, with 20k for his trouble?

Singapore currently will issue a multi with proof of 400k in a bank account somewhere and normal marriage paperwork. There is one report that Penang is also adopting this procedure but no first person reports of that. KL has been known to provide even without any financial evidence.

I organise Penang trips, and my Malaysian Visa Agent in Penang called me last week to say that Penang IS now issuing one year Non Immig B and O, subject to correct paperwork. I am trying to get a list of that stuff so I can advise my clients. Will post when I get it isan

Guys, I think right wing accusations are a wee bit over the top. I do however feel that those of us who pay taxes here and stick rigidly to the laws often at great expense in order to try and scrape a legitimate living are entitled to feel aggrieved with certain elements who place our positions in jeopardy by their actions. It is not though in any way fair to make comments or statements when not in full posession of the facts!!

It would be ideal that we all stay within the rules but when the powers that be keep changing them it is just more time consuming and irritating.

How can a govt freeze assets outside the country? this sounds pretty dodgy to me.

Propagander at its finest.

It will indeed be very difficult for the AEC to try and freeze Offshore bank accounts. It's a long process.

Apart from that: tax fraud and/or corruption allegations are not exactly on the list of those Offshore Banks in order to cooperate with requests to freeze his accounts...(hard) drugs are.

LaoPo

So he probably has enough loose cash to buy Man City then, we can relax!

Thanks both of you, really helpful and appreciated. a Thai was telling me you don't need one for playing music that isn't Thai but he then told me he got an undercover visit, they waited a while and then asked staff to put on a Thai CD and then arrested him!! Cost him 8000 Baht. I/we are taking no chnaces.

Still reckon the thread was started by Mr Jo King. Whilst totally approving of steps to curb drunk driving of which many farangs are more guilty than they would care to admit, and I know of several lunatic escapades here in Pattaya, have never heard of points on a Thai licence!

I read in last weeks Pattaya Mail about the legal requirement for a licence to play music in a bar, just like the PRS licence in the UK which even applies to music on hold on a phone system over there. Since I am hoping to open a little bar soon I would rather like to avoid any visitors demanding 80,000 Baht or aresting my girlfriend/manager! Anyone have a clue how one gets one of these licences please?

Thanks for all and any advice as usual

Do we know what time tomorrow the ruling/judgment is supposed to be made?

1pm

I hope my caddy tomorrow is not politically motivated as I tee off at 1 pm! Seriously though I think we are in for some rough weather as it were and with the 31st being a big Buddha holiday and most people not working there will be ample opportunity for those of evil disposition to get up to some mischief. i totally agree, keep our heads down. The rest of the world will be watching too. I do not think that elephants pose too big a threat here in Pattaya.

Just a note for anyone looking at travelling for a non imm O.. But Thai air are offering 19,900 baht return flights to London for 7 days last minute..

Pretty cheap way to go and sort a non imm O out..

Where did you find out about this one ? V interesting and usefu. Thanks for info

65 year old Australian who has lived here for 13 years and has managed to get a Non Immig O every year by popping back to Australia has been told by a Thai consulate (I don't know which city) that he has been refused due to insufficient funds in his bank account. He lives with a Thai lady and her kids and everyone is in a right state over this. He is not married. The consulate told him that the rules changed on 3 April. Can you give me some words of wisdom to pass to him ? he is stuck in Australia now but could come back on a tourist visa but with his limited funds this would only be a short term fix. I have heard that Brisbane is issuing visas without problems, so i am guessing he is in SYD or MEL.

Thanks for any news/info/advice that I can pass on to him

the rule says to board the plane you must have a return ticket with a date that stays within your visa rights.

There is no such Thai Government visa rule.

Absolutely NO requirement for a return ticket is also shown on airline reservations systems under the TIMATIC section, which i asked for visa and air ticket requiremenst for Swedish national flying to BKK.

From experience with clients leaving from Suvrnawhatsit you need not worry at all...one day is still NOT charged, there is a sign saying that, and I have had 2 clients fly out the mroning after visa expired and they just walked thruemigration like anyone else. They were flying on the first available flight after midnight on day of visa expiration and had no hassles at all. As long as you are not flying say 0100 of the day after the day of expiry (eg expires 1 April and u fly 0100 on 3rd) you might get a one day charge but I have never known them put an overstay stamp in anyones passport for this either. They do seem to understand that flights are really busy right now. Hope that reassures you

When will this country catch itself on as to how totally stupid it comes across to the rest of the world with the draconian, pathetic, not to mention stupid, laws and policies it comes out with.

Totally agree, the banning of alcohol advertising is just pathetic. Goodbye Bangkok Rock 2008, and alos major sporting events like the Johnny Walker Classic and others. Back deeper in to the Third World we go, why can they not wait for a democratically elected government to deliberate on major issues like this?

The best warning they could ever give to tourists is to inform them that the roads are unsafe. More tourists die on the roads than anywhere else.

"We continue to receive reports that terrorists may be planning attacks against a range of targets, including tourist areas and other places frequented by foreigners," Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said in its latest advisory."

Where did they get these reports from? Who issued these reports? If they have been "receiving" reports like these for quite a while, and they were credible, then why didn't anything ever happen in Pattaya or Phuket? EVER!!

I think maybe somebody Down Under was bored and was looking for some senationalism. Seriously though the reports one reads of young Thai kids purportedly trained by Muslims in Malaysia to be insurgents does give this concept some credibility. Speculation is dangerous but would anyone be really surprised if the Australians are right? Would provide perfect reason to retain military rule etc etc. I worry a lot.

Private sector confident central bank will manage to curb baht volatility

Private-sector representatives have expressed confidence the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Thailand will manage to prevent the baht from strengthening to an extent that exports are affected, according to the Federation of Thai Industries.

Speaking after leading representatives of seven exporters associations to meet and discuss with the central bank governor Tarisa Watanagase, FTI’s Chairman Santi Vilassakdanont said the exporters were confident upon the discussion that the ministry and the central bank would be able to curb the baht volatility and prevent it from affect exports, which are the country’s main economic sector.

He said the central bank chief insisted the 30 per cent reserve requirement is a temporary measure, which could be adjusted to changing environment.

The bank would not come up with additional measures since no grave concerns are found for now.

Since the capital controls were imposed, he said, the baht had become more stable and purchase orders for products had also increased.

He viewed the exporters felt satisfied if the baht hovered around 35.80 to the US dollar.

“Even so, the exporters need to help themselves as well by adjusting a production process to reduce costs and finding new market channels. They cannot rely solely on the currency exchange rate,” he said.

FTI Vice Chairman Adisak Rohitasoon said the appropriate level of the baht for the export promotion is 38 to the dollar and wanted the central bank to come up with more measures such as an interest rate cut to make the baht weaken.

He viewed the capital control measure had both positive and negative effects on various industries.

Source: TNA - 7 February 2007

Who kidding who now?? This morning the USD dollar at 33 and a bit, the Pund at 64 and a bit and Euro equally hit, just WHAT is going on??? This is devastating for tourism as well as expats!

One of Wilco's questions in the original post asked which airlines will be using which airport. Or is it still unknown?

Still unknown but it is a safe bet that we have at least 2 months to play with b4 DMK gets in to all computers and then it will be easy to know eher you are going from and to, and your travel agent will know as well.

2 airports for international use....This is what should have been done in the first place.

Apart from the benefits for incoming and outgoing tourists in better baggage handling, less time taken for processing etc...It would have given them time to sort out the teething problems and ensure that the new airport was viable before they were committed to full use.....

I suggest all European and Russian flights go to the new one and flights from the Asian pacific areas go to the old one.

The fun and games we can expect haven't even begun yet. Firstly it is impossible to have 2 airports called BKK, one or other will have to be recoded, and that is not an overnight job, will take months and have to be input on all flight reservations and airport systems and thousands of pre booked passengers suddenly find they are going somewhere else. Domestic connections will be chaos! The fun will start soon

thanks for your answers

jm

BUT I would place a small bet that you will be able still to get a flight from Suvarnabhumi since international connections are vital to all the airlines serving Chiang Mai.