Robin

Airlines often give a discount to agents who book with them. If the agent wants to pass on the discount to you, good luck. If you are booking with a real person in the travel agent, they might consider matching the airline price to keep your custom. Discount used to be 9%

Thanks for the insights. Rather as I suspected. Even the cheapo ticket on offer does not tempt me. I have been caught in a poor J class before, thinning how much I would pay to get out. You get what you pay for, if you are lucky. Am i the only J class passenger that is upset by being charged for seat selection. Seems that this was started by BA and now being taken up by other airlines.

I see many low cost dals for Saudia Business Class to London on Expedia et.al. Anyone with recent experience of these flights? I usually used Qatar or Emirates if I fly to LON. always J class. Would Saudia be a disappointment?

Nobody ever simulated an economy by raising interest rates. only strengthened the Baht, thus making imports cheaper and exports dearer, Not helping the 'poor farmers' one bit, but making the submarines cheaper.

Only once every 2 months. Sounds as if you have solved the problem.

Flew LON-BKK last year on TG business class. I regularly use Business class on this route, but have not flown TG for years. I can't remember details, but lasting impression was that THI were desperately short of money and economising on everything; Food, IFE, Drinks, etc.. Sleeper sets were OK as was Service, but I would prefer other airlines, that I know give a better impression. Poor old THAI need all the help they can get.... but I would not chose them again over Qatar or Emirates.

Earlier threads on this subject stated that the new laws would be issued on 1 Jan 2024. it is now 6 Jan 2024 and I have not seen any posting here saying what the new laws are. Does this mean that the Thai revenue dept. has not issued any ruling? That would not surprize me, but what can we do until the ruling is issued? How can we make plans for the year ahead if the RD will not say what the rules are to be? Is this an indication that RD has realised that they are opening a 'can of worms' and are backing off?

In UK there is a time limit after which convictions are automatically removed from your record. I do not know if thi applies in USA, but check

When my K bank card was refused at a travel agent the Owner advised me to try SCB as her experience was that their credit cards were 'better' Never followed this u, but I have been frustrated by Kasikorn for years. Despite what they say at the branch, the Cards they issue are Debit Cards, with the full amount deducted from your account every month, and no separate statement available for the card usage. I remain unimpressed by the service and attitude of my local Kasikorn, but put up with it as that is where my 800KBaht for retirement is. I find that I still have to keep my UK credit card for use internationally and for on-line purchases. Regretfully, my experience of Thai Banking is that it remains in the Stone age with no concept of customer service or the world outside Thailand. I was hoping that this thread would produce recommendations for a bank with a truly international standard credit card.

My experience is that Kasikorn tell you it is a Credit Card, but it is actually a Debit Card, and full repayment taken from your account. I have also had rouble using my K bank card on internet purchases, and it has a low, and unspecified limit.

If the truck owner and driver both had to face manslaugher charges after each and every 'brake failure' they might consider maintenance and keeping awake. As it is 'beake failure' is a convenient excuse,so nobody is to blame TIT

Speaking as a fellow landlord, I think anyone who is stupid enough to sign a rental agreement when he does not have a Visa to reside in Thialand deserves to loose his depositt. Could depend on what, if anyhing, renter signed, and what the landlord agreed with him. Normlly a deposit is only offered as proof that the peson is going to honour the greement, so if he does not, then he loses the deposit.. Morally, though he pobably does not care, he should lose the deposit. If you, the landlord, keep the deposit, what can your renterr do?

Look at the picture; Do you see and 'large waves' that caused the trouble? No. it looks as calma s a hotel sweimming pool. All pintss to the bot not being sea-worthy. " Loked safe" A new coat of paint, whihc did not make good structural dmage?. Note that marine engines shoud normally operate when ewet, or underwater. {asseners might havebehaved correctly. "In an emergency, obey the Captain's orders" But what if he has not been trained as to hwo o rect? How many of these ferry "captains" hve ha any training in safety or any qualification to be incharge of a passenger boat?

Despite what the news would have us believe, thereare NO 'humensous waves' in the gulf of Thailand. 3-4 m is the maximum possible given wind strength and distance for he waves to build. What there is an abundnce of is unseaworthy boats , incompetent captains, untrined crew, and probably lax safety inspections. Until all of these are addressed, there will continue tobe marine accidents.

The video clip shown on thai TV last night show just ht a shamble this accident was. Crew jumping in the wate without any life jakets; passsenger in the wate instead of being trnsferred frm life raft to rescue ship.... Did anyone at the scene have any training in marine safety or rescue? it looked as if a buch of monkey could have done better. Dare anyobne inspect the other itner island ferries? Would there be any point?

Obviously, this warning did not reach teh KohTAo ferry, or the operators chose to ignore it

So much specultion. Until the definitive law is passed (on jan2 2024?) we do ot know hiw this will pan out, so I think poinles to spennd t much energy working out ways of avoiding something that might not hppen. As a precaution, I hve transferred wht spare cash I have saved in oerseas bank, o my Thailbank account. No questions asked aout this transfer, which with my wife's income should keep me going for the next year. i can use my UK credit card fro any travel outside Thailans, By then we should know waht is actually going to happen, and what will, or will not be taxable income, and wiich Tha Agents will be offering work-arounds. My personal opinion FWIW is that this will prove too difficult to enforce, so will be forgotten or drastically modified. I I understand it correctly, it will put an end to Thais workign overseas, and end Thaialnd as a Retirement destination I have never met a Thai who pays any tax, so is thia going to change? How much does Sreetha and his cronies pay in personal incme tax.

Somebody will have to pay for all hs? Any ideas who hat might be.

So much speculation about this new tax, but who really knows what it will be?? Last week, I trnsferred US$ 50K from my Singapore account to my kasikorn account in Thailand, 'just in case' I would rather have the money in Thaialnd that stuck overseas by some new law tht might or might not taxx transfers. Money now safely in kasikorn, but the transfer was delayed (by Kasikorn) as it exceded their limit on funds transfer. Singapore bank gave me a BKK phone number ( kasikirn?) to call about the trnsfer. LOts of questions; mainly irrelevant, (did I want to be paid in Baht or $ did I accept the exchange rte that Kasikorn were using...) I gave reason fro transfer as "livin expenses and medical expenses" ) Interesting to note that neither may bank in Singapore, no rkasikorn appeared to know of any plan to tax incoming money transfeers Whatever happens on 1/1/2024 now I have enought money in Thaialnd to surive, so will wait to see what, if any thign, actually happens. To me the whol eidea is stupid, as it will kill Thaialnd as a retirement destination, and Thailnd as a source of cheap labout overseas. I seem to remember that when I tarted livign in Thaialnd I read that Farangs did not have to pay tax on income earned outside Thailand, whihc is one reason why I picked LOS. As for DTA, how do Ipove haatany oney I bring to Thaialnd has been taxed? Moneyin Singapore bank has not beentaxed, and what about money from UK that is tax exempt? No point in speculaing and worrying, let's wait ans see what happens.

When I had an account at HSBC, I did not have a passbook. CW Immigration usually took the confirmtion letter from the Bank as acceptable. One I/O asked fro a banksatement and checked that I had alwasy had > 800K in the account. Never seemed to be problem, so long as you hd had the money in the account.

DEpends if they declare iut.

Im in the same situation. Wife, home and pets in Thailand, and UK becomes less attractive on each visit, as does long flifh home. Unil Sreetha came up with his new 'tax the farang' scheme, I was preparign to sell u in UK and live on the proceded. Now I am waiting to see waht Sreetha can come up with before making a move. Leaving aan empth property in UK really needs a trusted freiend o make regular checkes on in.

What iss so magical about a 15 month visa? I find that 12 months, with re-entry permit, is quite adequate. Very easy to extend fro another 12 months in the last month of the visa. No agent needed and nohign to pay except fro visa fee.

"the owner of the karaoke bar was forcing girls working at the bar to have sex with customers and keeping part of the money paid to the girls." What was his crime? Frocing the girls o have sex, or keeping their money?

Who are you aiming t? Few tourists get to Phayao, so probbly only local clients, pobbly covered y local enterprise.