Robin

"and will have to complete a health declaration form, to prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as yellow fever." Just how do these idiots dream up these restrictions? Yellow Fever? has this ever been required for LOS? surely Africa only. How many 'normal' tourists will have ever thought of Yellow Fever Vaccinations?

There are companies that offer face to face flight bookings and ticket purchase. Flight Bookers used to be one. or you might find a travel agent. Most likely you will pay more as on-line booking has less overheads. "Time Out" magazine used to be the place to look for cheap icket and trrael agents. I suspect that now most people use Expedia or Kayak, where the best deals are to be found. Like most things, you get what you pay for.

Soil quality is most important. Most hai soild that I have seen have been heavy clay, difficult to work and not good for veg. consider mixing your own soil as soil bought from 'garden centres' can be variable quality. Clay need plenty of humus, rotten manure ( ox, buffalo, pig,) or ground up coconut fibre, from your garden centre, and sand to improve drainage. Sand from local river bed with small stones, <6mm, is ideal, and sieve o remove large stones. Possibly some lime, (eggshells?) if th soil is acid. Gren veg will need plenty of fertilizer with high nitrogen content. Plot needs to be in the sun, but with scope to shade the bed to protect newly planted seedlings. Slug killing pellets are essential to protect your plants. Decide if you want to be totally organic or use chemicals. difficult to avoid pests in a concentrated small bed.

I would try to get an extension before you leave, based on not having time when you return. Go ask Immigration and see if they will allow this. i did this once, years ago, and I/O (the old soi Suan Plu office) helped with application. I had to write a letter to I/O giving reasons why I wanted an early extension. I think it is always easier to extend a valid Visa that to start again. You never know how the rules have been changed.

if you are going to make a life in Thailand; i.e, settle down and buy a property, spend money on car etc., then you want stability and assurance that you can stay, and come and go as you want without jumping through hoops like Thai Pass and quarantine insurance. Long term visas, like Retirement do at least require a minimum wealth and this requirement is easily enforced. Making genuine tourists spend lots of money, a long term dream of TAT is not easy when there is nothing for them to spend on. if the old model of Bars, Massage, and Girls is not acceptable as the image of Thailand, then What?

I do not believe that many genuine (high spending?) tourists come for more than 28/30 days, as they probably have job to go to back in home country, but all such (mythical) creatures are put off by nonsense like the Thai Pass. allowing 60, or even 90 day visa free entry might only bring back the cheapskate sex tourists and other attracted by Thailand's reputation for cheap and easy sex for sale I think hat most genuine long term stayers have now got themselves more reliable long term visas (retirement, etc.) whihc have minimum wealth requirements. Just how could Thailand enforce a policy of 'only the wealth can stay longer'? Tourist will only spend more if either; 1. Everything is more expensive. 2. There are more nice things for hem to spend their money on. 1. Will only drive away tourists. 2. Most probably beyond the imagination of TAT, and would require drastic reform of Thailand. What is wrong with going back to the pre-Covid model? it more or less worked and made Thailand money

I wa always told that income earned outside Thailand was not taxed in Thailand. All my income, even if paid into my Thai bank, was not taxed. Thai bank will deduct tax on the interest from your savings account, and fro any Thai's savings account. IMO, not worth keeping too much money in Thailand, except for that required by Immigration. if you have a decent nest-egg, think about asset management in some where like Singapore, where it will no be taxed unless you live there. Many Thai assets, like property, vehicles, are very illiquid and i can be difficult to get your money out again.

This is one of the reasons why a Thai driving licence is superior to a UK driving licence. Thailand demands a medical cert. UK you self-declare fitness to drive. When I got my Thai licence, the Dr. took my blood pressure, asked if I ever got dizzy, and charged 100 baht. About a rigorous and useful as the Thai diving test.

Immigration rules are deliberately left vague so that I/O's can make some cash on the side. All part of the Thai System.

Thank you. Now, what chance he rumour in BKK Post today, that Thai pass will end on 1 July? Wishful thinking by TAT or similar, or prediction of government policy, Why not simply end the nonsense and get some tourists back?

There is an article in BKK Post today, saying that Thailand Pass will cease on 1 July. Nothing on this site, as yet, but could be worth waiting until 1 July to see what if any changes happen then. of course, it might be just wishful thinking like the TAT arrival predictions. I am in UK and was planning to book return to LOS in early July. Now holding off, and waiting to see if there will be any definite changes. I do not want to waste money on compulsory insurance if I can avoid it.

Is a hotel reservation still require for the Thai Pass, or, once in Thailand can I travel straight o my residence? Entering on Non IM O retirement and have ife and house in Thailand.

I would say that the OP has grounds for complaint. I have never had the 'pleasure' of staying in 'high-end' Thai hotel, but even 3 Star hotels in Singapore do much better than this. It might have been more productive o complain in person to the Hotel manager.

Enough to scare off any potential Iranian spies! Just what are hey coming to spy on? Potential bargains in Go Go bars?

I believe that there is a 'window' of 7 days either side when you can do 90day. What is the fine for not doing one? Personally, I would not risk not doing one, as there is scope for I/O o make trouble at departure. Might be something simple like overstay when you used to be simply take aside and had to pay the fine, or might be more involved now. I guess it is your choice; take the trouble to go to immigration and do 90 day, or do nothing and hope to get out easily. Some memory tells me the fine is 2000 Baht. What is visit to Immigration worth to you?

Probably no-one dares to post anything about the lines at Immigration

I have been receiving updates on Thailand pass requirement from Thai Embassy in UK, and latest tells me that no quarantine for full vaccinated arrivals from UK. Since I have had full program of Vacc. in Thailand and have yellow Vaccine pass book, I believe that I qualify as 'fully vaccinated' Information on Thai land pass also still talks of 'proof of hotel reservation.' Can anyone here explain this? I would normally arrive in BKK and possibly stay 1 or 2 nights to recover from flight in my normal (cheap) hotel before flying to home(Phayao) or I might fly direct to Chiang Rai, my nearest airport and then to Phayao. is a hotel stay still needed in Bangkok, at approved hotel? And Why? I do not see any requirement for Covid test before leaving Bangkok. I will be coming to Thailand soon, and do not want to book more that actually needed, like insurance. Is this hotel thing another Thai scam to get more money from tourists? and push them to government approved hotels. Embassy information directs me to Agoda, who I have never used. if I fill in Thai pass application and ignore hotel bookings, what will happen? I'll be coming in on a Re-entry permit with Non IM O retirement visa.

Thailand is a very minor playing in World oil trading, where the price is fixed. Local Thai production is negligible compared to imports, so Thailand will always pay something near the 'free market' price. So what does Thailand have? Some oil and gas in Gulf of Thailand, more gas than oil, and some, very little oil onshore near Chiang Mai. Possibly coal (dirty lignite) as well. Electricity is generated by (dirty) coal fired power stations and some gas powered one. The potential for electricity from water power is blighted by the environmental damage caused by damning the Mekong and other rivers, either by Thailand or neighbours. Neighbours Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia have surplus oil and gas, but will they share on favourable terms? How much environmental damage will the Thai-Myanmar Gas pipeline do?

Who benefits? if the Baht is high against the $ or other major currencies, imports ( luxury goods, Benz's, Submarines, ) are 'cheaper' Thus the Elite will be better off. If the Baht drops against $ then exports bring in more money ( baht) The farmers and tourist workers are better off. where do you think the Baht will be going?

I thought this was one of the rules that were kept in reserve to allow I/O to reject any 'undesirables' who showed up. Only enforced if you looked as if you did not have 20K. I have rarely arrived in Thailand with 20KB in my pocket, but plastic to give me access to more than that. Never been questioned. Like the old requirement for a ticket out of Thailand? IMHO, anyone coming to Thailand with less that 20KB to his name is taking a big risk and possible not one of the 'high net worth' 'hihg quality' tourists that TAT wants

In UK at the moment, so I called into my local Santander Branch and met a real human who actually knew what she was talking about and was will to give me time. She confirmed that Nat West and some other UK banks no longer allow overseas addresses for account holders, possibly due to UK leaving EU, and that many expats living in Spain are suffering from this. She also confirmed that Santander will accept an address in Thailand, but... To open an account with Santander you have to be a UK Resident. I then went on to Santander web-site and opened an a current account. Actual requirement is that I had to be a UK tax payer, which I am as I pay tax on income from rented property. Filled in the form on-line and an account was instantly opened, using my UK address. I have account number etc. Now waiting to get more info and on-line banking, ATM card, etc. before I start transferring money to that account. I'll keep the Forum updated . Also confirmed that to change to my Thai address, I needed to fill in form and bring copy to branch. Suggested that falsely claiming to be UK resident would not not work as bank checks that I am on UK electoral roll and have a registered address. General warning to all UK expats with banks in UK. If you give them your Thai address they might close your account. Nat West did not give a reason for their behaviour despite numerous complaints from me. Many banks offer 'International Accounts' base in Channel Islands or such, but no idea how easy to open one of these. Santander international have a minimum deposit limit on their International Account which might be a problem for some. Moral seems to be, that if you have a UK bank account with UK address, do not change to your Thai address unless you really need to do so

My experience: I have had a nat West account in UK for years and continued to sue it when in Thailand on Retirement visa. Last year I had to change the account address to my Thai address to get a new Debit card sent to me. This year, with no warning or explanation, NWB wrote to me and said they were closing that account. Could be that they do not like Thai address, but no explanation. Researcch while here in UK has suggested that UK banks do not like overseas addresses, and are more vigilant on thsi since UK left EEC. Todau, local Santander branch told me that address in Thailand is acceptable, but suggested that it had to be set up with their International Dept. I am in the process of setting up an account with Santander and will keep the Forum updated about any problems. it seems hat it might be possible to set up account with my UK address and then notify them of address change when I return to Thailand

Thai banks have been ripping off customers at every chance for years. Thais do not complain, so they carry on and get away with it. Thai banking sector in need of a big shake-up with foreign competition allowed in, but Thai banks, and rich families have too big a say in how the government is run, so ordinary Thais and tourists suffer

Difficult to get inside small connectors, but un-plugging and re-plugging connector will help. Could also possibly be a bd connection with the wire going into the connector, since these are usually only crimped. Squeezing each crimp with long-nose pliers could improve this. Contact cleaner spray could be available in any of he major electronic malls in BKK. Just spray into the open connector and re-make. I would worry about poor crimped connection first.

Do you need a car at the airport? If not consider looking far a rental from car hire firm local to you stay. Almost certainly cheaper than the airport national groups. yellow paages/ internet search. Cheaper still would be a light van from similar company