stoffel45

I am a frequent flyer with Thai.

But because of their HIGH pricing have not flown with them for a few years now.

Have used Qantas, Singapore, Cathay ALL with stop overs from Brisbane.

BUT i just booked a flight with Thai BRISBANE- BANGKOK- BRISBANE in November Return January for $ 830 cheaper than the ones i mentioned.

Will see what the service is like before i give them the thumbs up.

Three of us flew TG Business Class from Brussels to BKK. From boarding to arrival - it was excellent - even the food was good.

THAI is a great airline with a great past (I used to do cross country in the USA - just to find a TG flight to Asia).

But the price is a killer. It is now nearly 3,000 euro return in Business class. Finnair - we booked business class - BRU - BKK-BRU via Helsinki - for 1604 euro. OK that jumped up a couple of hundred euro. Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss all offer around the 2,000 euro mark. So do Etihad and Emirates - but then deduct 100 euro each way for the free taxi to the airport service.

It is so SAD - to see THAI in such a mess. To see them grubbing for really bottom of the market business in China. But certainly from Europe they have priced themselves right OUT of the market.

The Dutch will vote against the EU in this public test of anti-EU sentiment.

It is just plain silly that 500 million people are ruled by 32 un-elected bureaucrats more famous for their corruption, gross incompetence and absence of any honesty than anything else.

Molenbeek is famous now for its very large, very militant, very anti-West muslim population.

Yet Molenbeek is probably 7th or 8th in terms of jihadist muslim enclaves in Belgium.

Incidentally those of you who are worried about Abdsalem's defence attorney - Sven Mary (it's a man)

"His clients include Fouad Belkacem, spokesperson for the radical Salafist organisation Sharia4Belgium, who in 2015 was sentenced to 12 years in prison for helping provide jihadist fighters in Syria; Michel Lelièvre, sentenced to 25 years in prison for being the right-hand man in a notorious pedophilia ring run by Marc Dutroux in the 1990s; and Murat Kaplan, nicknamed “The Getaway King” for his multiple prison escapes."

Yes he is Belgium's number one defender of the Bad Guys - but looking at his record if I was a bad guy I wouldn't want him representing me - would you?

Hilary is too much "Clinton" - dishonest from the soles of her feet to the roots of her hair.

Trump is just SO un-Presidential material - but after Presidents like Bush and this grotesque Obama - he could be good.

No matter, Trump IS going to be the next President of the United States - so good luck to him and all of us.

So Bernie Sanders is ashamed of his Jewish roots - so what?

Sanders is going absolutely nowhere - he won't be President, he won't be Vice President.

So cut the cackle he's not important.

A word of caution for those using the "Big Name" car rental companies - this from personal experience.

Yes, there is no doubt you can rent something like a Vios for about 800 - 1000 per month with full insurance.

You are asked for a Deposit of around 20,000 baht. That's OK. The agency confirm this deposit will be cancelled from your credit card at the end of the rental period.

So far so very good....

BUT....

When your rental is finished you will be told that the Rental Agency will hold your deposit for a further 14 days - which turns out to be around 21 to 25 days - interest free.

It means if you depend on that 20,000 to pay your bills whilst on holiday - you're sunk.

Tom, suggest you have full tests for Diabetes.

A typical SNP person.

Most of the "Indian" Restaurants in Pattaya are those fit to please the English Saturday night take away types.

Now if you want a really delicious meal, served in lovely surroundings then may I recommend "Indian by Nature".

It's up on Thap Phraya Hill on the way to Jom Thien.

It is excellent in every way and later, you may well compare every Indian Restaurant you visit to its splendour.

Perhaps you may comment, "No this "Indian" Restaurant on the Edgeware Road isn't a spot on the quality of Indian by Nature in Pattaya."

Indian by Nature,

You can book - 038 364 656

or check out the menu at

[email protected]

Enjoy.

Those monkeys - they know you know.

Shame on the Police and Military officers, arresting these elderly people and carting them off to jail where they were forced to pay 5,000 baht to get out.

Shame on Thailand if the people responsible for this act of ignorant barbarity are not publicly exposed and dismissed from office.

Shame - Shame - Shame.

Phuket - it really seems like a place to avoid.

Phuket and Pattaya - birds of a feather.

Whether it's Bangla or Walking Street the area is choked with literally thousands and thousands of tourists. They walk down the road, their cameras go click click click. And they walk out the other end.

They very rarely buy anything - they look and look - take selfies endlessly and that's it.

High volume - low value/spending tourists are death to any resort - no matter where. Mega-huge fleets of coaches block the approaches to - well - everywhere, roads too tight to turn, these great diesel belching slugs make life unpleasant for everyone.

But TAT can say, "Numbers Up again - an extra 1.6 million Chinese tourists this year.

Sometimes the "Throng" will take a left into a bar - a hundred will follow without thinking. Inside they photograph until the "bouncers" ask them to leave. None of the "Throng" wants to understand. Eventually the music stops and the stage is empty. Exit the "Throng". In the 20 minutes of prime time they were in the bar - business just stopped. The "Throng" never buys.

Soon the word gets round Bangla and Walking Street are full of Chinese groups. End of.

The other "new tourists" are Indians. They don't like to spend either.

So yes, plenty of people - but no buyers from these groups.

Well, there is some history here.

Recall if you will the enormous stacks of spectacles, used clothing, hair, prosthetics, false teeth, empty suitcases, furs, it wasn't nice then so how can it be right now?

Much better is to tell all these economic immigrants, that Merkel made a mistake and has been taken into custody for endangering her country and let them know that no more will be given entry and those there will be returned to camps in Kurdistan awaiting repatriation.

Police arrest local mayor after gunfire shooting at Had Rin beach on Koh Phangan Island

SURAT THANI: -- A local mayor is facing attempted murder charges in connection with a shooting incident that appeared to have been triggered by a noise complaint on the full-moon party island of Koh Phangan.

Police, armed with a court warrant, on Friday evening arrested Chanin Phetsri, 54, after searching his home in Tha Khanom municipality in Khiri Ratthanikhom district on the mainland of the southern province. He is charged with hiring two men to fire shots into a resort next door to a property he owns at Haad Rin beach on Koh Phangan. Mr Chanin is also the mayor of Tha Khanom.

Charged with carrying out the shootings at Palita Lodge early on Jan 12 were Sihanart Chaipinit, 62, and Jirat Khuadkaew, 38. The incident caused panic among tourists but no injuries were reported.

Shortly after the attack, police arrested Jarong Hongthong, 38, manager of the Chang Phuek bungalows and Similan bar, which are located next to Palita Lodge.

The Chang Phuek bungalows and Similan bar are owned by Mr Chanin, who leased the bar to a Russian businessman to operate, said Pol Maj Gen Apichart Bunsriroj, chief of the Surat Thani police, who led the search of the mayor’s house.

Seized from the house were .38, 9mm and 11mm pistols and some bullets. Police also searched the houses of the two accused gunmen and found a .38 pistol allegedly used in the attack.

Police charged Mr Chanin with hiring others to carry out a crime in a premeditated attempt to kill others. He denied all charges. The officers also charged Mr Sihanart and Mr Jirat with colluding in the attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms without permission. Mr Sihanart was arrested earlier but Mr Jirat has fled.

Full Story Here – Koh Phangan News

-- Samui Times 2016-01-18

Oh .....THAT Mayor.....not the one from Koh Tao.....yet.

SHAME and INJUSTICE is in the DNA of the Thai 'In-Justice System".

No surprise there.

Another travesty of justice in LOS.

SHAME on Thailand.

SHAME on the travesty of a Justice System.

SHAME on the Police.

SHAME !

Let the sanctions begin.

lets not clutter up this thread with predictions and theories, wait until the verdict is released then we can comment

So nobody should post on this thread for the next 3 days?

basically yes, try doing a search on the forum and you will find hundreds of posts on the topic many of which just go in circles repeating the same stuff over and over, as of right now we know nothing more since the last thread on the topic was closed - so yes wait 3 days and we might just have something new to discuss

Do not argue with a fool. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

There is more than one way to look at this. Is it good for the EU and/or is it good for the UK?

Who would benefit most by a UK exit?

Clearly the people of the UK would benefit most by leaving the EU.

1. Is a return of the Sovereignty of their Parliament - where they can fire the MPs in the next Election.

One cannot fire the EU Commission because it is 100% not elected.

The EU Commission styles itself as "The Government of Governments".

2. Though the Cameron Government have been found to be cheating on the numbers of Immigrants - the new figures based on the number of new National Insurances issued say that the figure for the Incoming Immigrants is close to 1 million. Not the albeit disgraceful 630,000 claimed by the Government.

Mass Immigration for such a small country as the UK is lethal to all of its services like Schools, Hospitals, and of course, the ubiquitous Welfare Payments.

The List is very long and not very nice.

Add to getting rid of the EU nasties, as above, there is also a massive financial gain. Over £50 million per DAY! Plus - EU costs of legislation to businesses - over £3 billion pa.

Then the British people must consider the effect of leaving the EU.

Will it interrupt or stop Trade? Of course not !

Will Mercedes or BMW or even Volkswagen not wish to sell cars to the UK - their biggest single market? Will the French car industry, perfume industry and wine industry stop selling to the UK?

But if you remember the panic when the EU thought Greece could leave the EU......they are beyond poop scared that Britain will leave.

I will venture that more than 60% of Britons will vote to leave the EU.

After which close watch must be kept on the EU's UK Manager David Cameron not to fiddle the books again.

By crikey, I wonder if players on here just want to dash down Thai Air. Its not their fault. They are the same as they were last week before the ruling.

Its the Thailand Air Officials....not individual carriers fault.

@tigermonkey ....good on you mate ...you understand it.

Some dick on here wants to cancel his holiday because of it.

It is so easy to understand, why don't these barstool donkeys get it?

Hey Nuddy do you even know how the certification system works? It has been around for a LONG time. It's PRIMARY function is to ensure passengers and crew and the folks on the ground are SAFE.

This "dick" as you put it didn't cancel his holiday - he and his family choose NOT to fly on a Thai airline because they did NOT do the paperwork they are committed to to run an airline and so neither the CAA nor the FAA can be certain that they are SAFE.

We Do No want to "do down" THAI or any other Thai airline.

We CHOSE to fly THAI - (DESPITE its incredibly poor ticket value and on board amenity.)

But we will not fly with an airline which cannot demonstrate to either its own (very lax) CAA nor to the FAA that it really IS safe to fly.

I just wanted to point out that it was the Thai Civil Aviation Authority that was downgraded...not any individual airline. As I worked my whole life in aircraft maintenance I recall many times the "Fed's" showed up on the ramp and wanted the documentation on my activities. I can only imagine how it works here...but like everything else here I already answered my own question.

A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means that the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority - a body equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures.

Thank you - your point helps clear some of the fog generated by the media reports.

OK so THAI have not been particularly censored - this applies to all the Thai Airlines - including THAI.

As a result of this article my wife, quite rightly told our Travel Agent not to proceed with our December booking - which is due to be paid tomorrow - for three of us in Business Class.

All of us love to fly Thai airlines, as my wife says, "It's almost like being on holiday before you leave the ground."

But this downgrade also proclaims THAI is not as SAFE as Internationally agreed standards say it should be - and that means booking with THAI is irresponsible - until it gets its act together and regains certification.

Plus the fact, we will save nearly 2,300 euro flying with say SWISS or Lufthansa - dull, boring, but cheaper and SAFE.

Both Thai Int and Bangkok Air are compliant with a top mark of 7 for their aircraft audit it is their administration that are failing the tests along with the administrating of Thailand's aircraft carriers the DCA.

I am sure they are compliant - if they says so - well - they must be.

When a maintenance check is done - the results are recorded in triplicate. One of those copies must be ready on instant request from a visiting officer. If it is not......then it is assumed that the maintenance was either not done or not done as necessary.

Unfortunately for THAI and Bangkok Air - this family's favourite airlines - if there is NO paper trail - and an incredible arrogance which ignores it - we are left with a petulant "Well of course we do all the safety checks but just not writing it all down doesn't mean they were not done."

This is an old problem for THAI and Thailand.

They have lost the American rating and next month they will lose the EU's .

Their response? 'Mai pen rai - only one third of revenue is from and to Europe.'

It is time to totally clean out THAI.

Every single Board member has contributed to this dereliction of duty. Every record keeper has contributed to the International downgrading of their national Airline.

Get rid of the lot of them.

so those who fly Thai will have to pay even more for a seat (increase in leasing costs, and insurance premiums), the other carriers must be rubbing their hands together and enjoying this.

The problem is going to be that those who go to other carriers will find it hard to go back to Thai once they have tried airlines like Qatar, Oman, Eva, Emirates, Etihad just to name a few.

Three of us in Business Class were due to fly THAI later this month. My wife canceled it this morning and we are all a bit sad, "It's like starting our Thai holiday from the moment we board the THAI flight" says my wife.

A few months ago we flew Austrian - only because, in business class it was a saving of 2,800 euro compared to THAI.

The lounges in Brussels and Vienna were like work cafeterias, the service on board Austrian was appalling, though the food was good. Their lie flat beds are not as good as THAI.

I agree with you that Etihad and Emirates offer a far superior product.

Baggage allowance with THAI in Business Class is 40 kg. British Airways offer 96kg and even Austrian 64 kg.

But the ultimate NO NO - is when we are faced with a decision to fly THAI based on SAFETY in accordance with International standards.

Now come on THAI - sack your whole Board - the LOT of them.

Replace them with people who KNOW how to run an Airline - even import some farang with experience.

Copy the Mid East airlines - they have the BEST product in the World and they are flying full. (ISIS permitting)

It is a huge DISGRACE to be downgraded to Cat 2.

Those who are saying, "Well it's no big deal really - we don't have flights to the USA any more" - Fire them first!

I just wanted to point out that it was the Thai Civil Aviation Authority that was downgraded...not any individual airline. As I worked my whole life in aircraft maintenance I recall many times the "Fed's" showed up on the ramp and wanted the documentation on my activities. I can only imagine how it works here...but like everything else here I already answered my own question.

A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means that the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority - a body equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures.

Thank you - your point helps clear some of the fog generated by the media reports.

OK so THAI have not been particularly censored - this applies to all the Thai Airlines - including THAI.

As a result of this article my wife, quite rightly told our Travel Agent not to proceed with our December booking - which is due to be paid tomorrow - for three of us in Business Class.

All of us love to fly Thai airlines, as my wife says, "It's almost like being on holiday before you leave the ground."

But this downgrade also proclaims THAI is not as SAFE as Internationally agreed standards say it should be - and that means booking with THAI is irresponsible - until it gets its act together and regains certification.

Plus the fact, we will save nearly 2,300 euro flying with say SWISS or Lufthansa - dull, boring, but cheaper and SAFE.

The EU Commission and a Shinawatra.

Could this be a Competition for the Most Incompetent and Corrupt.

Though it will be a close run thing - I think the EU Commission has the edge don't you?

I don't care where people come from nor do I care what they look like.

But I DO understand WHY people in the UK and France are reacting negatively against any person who looks muslim.

I believe the author of this article is wrong to say that there is no element of muslim connection in these attacks.

Sorry but these are Muslim Jihadis - and that is ONLY the muslim "faith".

No Buddhists, Hindus, Christians were involved - only 100% islamic terrorists shouting their death cry of allahu akbar.

The ONLY way to tackle this problem is to do so honestly.

All this Political Correctness nonsense is what contributed greatly to the muslim problem in Europe - and don't even think of trying to suggest there is no such problem.