Robin

"He said that the burden of fuel costs has forced him to work harder " That will not do him any harm. he could always go back to growing rice. How much tax does he pay on his earnings?

Flight offers come and go. Best to check on one of the cheap flight web-sites. I used Expedia, but others exist. some days are cheaper than others. I have travelled j class to UK regularly for some years. Some airlines do not allow seat selection, or charge for this (BA). Other have perks. like free taxi service at each end (Emirates?) use SeatGuru to see what seat you will get and which are best to pre-book. flat-bed are always better IMO Some transit airports are o large you can walk miles on transit, particularly ME airports. Direct flights are limited, so check before booking My experience has been that QR are the best, but Doha is not transit friendly, and that BA have the most cramped and uncomfortable seating, and charge £50 to select your seat. Otherwise "you pays your money and takes your choice." I have noticed that prices have gone up and choice more limited in recent weeks, as I am looking at flights for next month

My suggestion is that you think very carefully about what you take to Thailand. Many things from UK, like older furniture, will not survive the Thai humidity. Do you want to find your treasured heirlooms rotting away, or falling apart in LOS? better to give them to someone who will appreciate them and care for them and see the ruined. I would consider starting afresh in Thailand and disposing of your UK stuff before you leave. There is also the other problem of bringing stuff back from Thailand if you change your mind What you ake to Thailand will stay in Thailand.

I had to leave my car in UK for over 1 year, parked in my garage. On return earlier this year, the only problem was 'stale petrol' I had left the car with nearly empty tank and modern 'E' type fuels, (all petrol sold in Thailand) will separate out into water and other muck in your tank. Car started OK but ran badly until some fresh petrol was put in the tank. Then refilled the tank with fresh petrol (E10) but the damage had been done. Old petrol had got into the carburettors (SU) and partly clogged them up. It would run, but not properly, so I had to have the carbs. cleaned out. Now running correctly. I have now found out that this can be avoided by putting an additive in you last tank of petrol, called 'fuel modifier' which is also used in UK for petrol powered garden mowers and such that might be left unused for months. Easy to get in UK, but I do not know about in Thailand. Only other suggestion would be to fill your tank with fresh fuel before you start up, or if that is not possible, hope that fresh petrol will flush your fuel system clean when you use the car. Brake discs should clear with use, but you might check that coolant hoses are in good condition. As for UV light on your tyres, they are normally out in the open so, as long as your tyres are still in date, which you can check from marking on the sidewall, they should be OK Being unused will not have done the battery any good, but it might have survived. No point in replacing it if it still works. In UK, you can buy battery conditioners, sort of battery charger that you can leave connected when you leave your car for a long time, and claim to keep the battery in good condition.. Some people recommend inflating the tyres to a higher pressure when you leave he car for a long time, to avoid flat spots.

The sudden insistence on Covid insurance for almost every means of entering Thailand, and pushing Thai companies which will provide this insurance, could suggest that the well-being of tourists is not the primary objective of these policies. A scam is some ploy which gets your money under false pretences, often offering something too good to be true. Compulsory Covid insurance is not this, it is more Thai opportunism, trying to extract more money from fewer tourists. Would it be preferable if Thailand was more transparent with this and simply charged 10,000 Baht for a tourist visa. BKK Post gives daily figures for new Covid cases in Thailand. How many of these are Farang tourists who entered under the Thailand Pass scheme? As every 'tourist' entering Thailand now has to have been vaccinated, insuring against them catching Covid might be quite a good risk.

Many thanks for all the comments. I think I now know what I need to do to get back to Thailand. Just to clear up what i am trying to do, I am entering with a re-entry permit for my retirement visa, and all I want from 'Insurance' is a piece o paper to get my Thai pass. I would look on the cost of that, (650B ?) as being an extra visa fee thought up by the Thai gov. as an other way of getting money from the (missing) tourists Now Europe seems to be opening up again, i do not see many Europeans being in a big rush to jump through all the hoops that Thailand keeps in place when there re easier places to visit. One attraction of Thailand used to be that you could show up at the airport and get a 28 day entry with no hassle

As the title says, I am still totally confused by health insurance requirements for Thailand Pass. I am hoping to enter Thailand in early June, with a Non O retirement visa, expiring 22 July, and then extend visa when in Thailand, but cannot understand what medical insurance I will need to buy. Do I need to get insurance for up to 22 July only? How does the 14 day waiting period work in practice? If I buy insurance starting on my departure date, do I have to get a PCR test before departure and send that to insurance company and get valid cert. before I fly, or do I show PCR cert and insurance policy on check-in or arrival? I see that the medical insurance company suggested by Thai pass has an age limit of 70? years old. I am 77. Any suggestions for a company that will insure me? I am assuming that I will be able to extend my Non O visa without any insurance requirement, as on previous years Any information or experiences will be appreciated. I get the impression that this insurance requirement is making too much money for Thai companies to be changed any time soon, and is left ambiguous to allow fro 'discretion' by I/O or their agents, and is part of the general "we really do not want you unless you spend a lot of money" attitude by Thailand. I would much prefer a simple "pay xxxBaht for exemption for visa aggravation"

The more you read the details the more stupid it gets. How does a Farang get to own $500,000 worth of property with no security of residence? I am getting the impression that someone is making big money from health insurance, hence the sudden insistence for everyone to have health insurance

Read the link to the detailed survey results. This suggests that the results given here are nonsense. e.g. worldwide only 2% have IQ above 130, so do not believe that Thai children are so much above the World average. probably got the data from the same source as Anutin's tourist arrivals figures Waning to Prayuth et al., Too intelligent a population might see through all you B/S and hold you to account.

Thailand is doing it best to keep tourists away, and until there is a change of attitude, there will not be any return to the previous 'mass' tourism. Thee current obsession with 'quality tourists' will ensure this. people will come when visiting Thailand is easy; as easy as booking a flight and going to the airport. Visa free entry on arrival, and no travel restrictions. So long as Thailand keeps up the Thailand pass or any other entry restriction, tourists will be looking fro easier places to visit. Let Anutin keep dreaming of the millions of tourists that he claims are queueing up to visit Thailand. They ain't coming until entry is easy.

His real crime? Showing that there is no proper security at Thailand's airports. he should be commended for doing this. Ignore this warning at your peril, and allow Terrorists a weak point to get on an aircraft. Remember 9/11 ? happened because security at US airports was rubbish at that time and Terrorists knew that and took advantage.

I am becoming more and more confused as to what insurance I will need to enter Thailand. it is all a scam anyway, so why doesn't Thailand come clean and simply impose an entry fee for all non-Thais, of 1,000-10,000 Baht or equivalent. Pay the money direct to Prayuth's or Anutin's bank for all I care, I just want to go back to the days when it was possible to travel to Thailand with just a visa and flight. Thailand might actually get more tourists, and money, doing it this way

Recently, Khun Anutin, a member of the present Government, said......End of Thailand Pass coming soon. Luckily I did not rush o by my ticket to Thailand. It is difficult to think that the present government wants any tourists to ever come o Thailand.

Sound as if your G/f would be better off without a selfish <deleted> like you pack your bag and leave if that is what you want. If you cannot make up your mind, you do not need others here to tell you what to do

To be paid for with all the money from the tourists that will be flocking in soon.

Do we have any reason to believe anything Anutin says?

I have a perfectly good mobile phone that lets me make and receive hone calls and take photos, but nothing more. Why should I want to change it just o satisfy some stupid Thai regulation. Just another ay of discouraging visitors, it seems to me. Last year, prior to flying BKK CEI i was asked to scan a QR code before boarding. Showed the lady my phone. She shrugged and waved me through. Similarly on arrival at CEI. perhaps one day Thailand will realise that there are not millions of people dying to visit Thailand at any cost.

I hope to be entering Thailand in early June , using my Non O retirement visa re-entry permit. Visa runs out on July 22. i would hen hope o be allowed to renew it for anoher 12 months. I know I will be needing health insurance for my Thai Pass, and will buy it from one of the recommended supplier on this forum. Question is how long should the policy be valid for? The time until my visa needs to be renewed? That is less than 60 days depending on my entry date. Or for the likely time I will be in Thailand? Possibly for 12 months or longer, depending on my visa being renewed. I am fully vacced, in Thailand ( 2 jabs + booster) and have Thai vac passport (yellow book)

Ambiguous requirements? if I enter Thailand with re-entry permit on 1st June when my Non O retirement visa expires on 22 July, do I only need 60 day policy? I have never been asked for insurance when extending my RV. I cannot understand the 14 day requirement. Does it mean that if I enter Thailand on I June, then policy has to start 14 days before? Who is going to check if I have had Covid in that 'waiting period'? It would be interesting to hear from TV members who have entered Thailand using this insurance

Since both of these insurance companies are Thai, I suspect that the Insurance policy requirement will be in force for some time, to allow Thai to make some more money from inbound 'tourists.' Quarantine has been a huge money making scam to Thailand and they will not want to give it up easily. Has anyone tried to claim on these policies? Will all of these millions of Chinese and Indian tourists have an insurance policy?

I also have been coming into Thailand for many years on O retirement or normal 3 month O visa, and before that VOA. I have never ever been asked to show any return ticket or proof of funds on arrival. i think that these requirements are a hang over from the "Hippy traveller" days when there was an entry restriction for "Suspect Hippy" Anyone remember the description of a "Hippy" posted at Don Muang arrivals area? Or the Singapore warning that anyone with 'long hair' would be served last at all government offices? "Suspect Hippy, in Transit" (<deleted>) stamped in your passport by Immigration. Covid has allowed this mentality to resurface with the Thailand Pass restrictions

Bought a new Vios 4 years ago, after being disgusted by the 2nd hand rubbish I was being offered. Bought from Toyota Phayao. who had no idea about customer service; Getting any information about options was near impossible, and I wondered if they actually wanted to sell me a car. Impressions of Vios:- Low cost car for 3rd world markets; you get what you pay for. Competent and reliable, as would be any modern vehicle, but.... I cannot believe that anyone in Toyota developments ever drove the car. 1. Ventilation is hopeless, no through flow air when the windows are shut. Demising hopeless unless the fan is run continuously. 2. Dreadful wind noise and buffeting when driving with any window open 3 Impossible to read the minor instruments in sunlight. 4 Headlight alignment hopeless and Toyota seem unable to improve on this So, should I have expected any better? Typical of Thai "nearly right will do' attitude. When I come to replace it I will no buy the same again but an 'international' model, probably a Honda Civic, which will, I hope , have the features I expect from a modern car, and also I will be able to purchase a serice manual in English, so I can find out how to do minor repairs

Another Clampdown? Looking forward to a clean air Bangkok, resulting from this.

Unless you are going o be moving your freezer around the house, why not do the job properly and get a permanent connection like a fused spur with warning neon, so no way that your freezer can be accidentally disconnected. With 1.8A consumption here should not be any problem overloading any existing junction box in you house. Get a proper electrician to do this for you, not the local Sombat who owns a neon tester and insulated cutters.

Can be done, but remember that you will not have had a common upbringing with your partner. probably applies to most Thai/Farang marriages. So no common experiences from before you met. But... it can work with good-will from both sides, and a desire o make it work. Married 35+ years to Thai lady, and intending to carry on for another35