Briggsy

We'll just bring 1000 staff over as we have a construction project that needs doing?

I completely agree with this and it matches my experience. The Immigration who deal with denials of entry work closely with AOT staff or travel agents (not sure) who actually have an office within the Suwannaphum detention area. The first thing they do is see if you have a return ticket. They give you no choice but to use it, even if that means a $200 change of date fee. If not, they want you to buy a ticket with the carrier that brought you in, preferably to the last airport you flew from. I believe there is a stipulation that the cost of the ticket falls on the carrier but the AOT staff or travel agents will tell you that it is not an option. It is pay up or be locked up. I was denied entry flying in from the UK. When I raised the possibility of flying to Vientiane, I was told by the AOT guy or travel agent, "We don't want you to fly there because you will just come in by land."

Actually, for the last 100 years, it is.

Whilst this could work, you need to beware if you do this. Why? Well, I will tell you. 1. Most credit cards charge exhorbitant fees for foreign currency transactions. 2. However, Hummin did caveat this by referring to cards without transaction fees. But even for those cards, e.g. the UK Halifax Clarity, any transaction which can be classed as a cash transaction or quasi-cash transaction immediately has interest charged at an exhorbitant rate from the date of the transaction AND may apply fees to cash transactions. 3. You will still suffer a small exchange rate loss, usually 0.5% - 1% So be very wary doing this using a credit card. It can go wrong, expensively wrong. Exchanging cash at the airport downstairs by the train station is a better idea.

left / discarded (metaphorically) / binned

This. I previously jacked Thailand, sold and gave everything away. This was where I changed my remaining baht into pounds. The rates were surprisingly good. (Then I came back)

Are you of the belief that on 1 Jan every year, Immigration wipe the slate clean and only view your tourist record from the current year? If only it were that easy. I wish you good fortune on your border bounce. p.s. Not me who gave you the thumbs down responses.

He was remanded (at least 12 days) until a 19 May court hearing so he will not be bailed before then.

Are you the prudish Bob?

How long have you spent in the last 12 months, i.e. a rolling year, in Thailand? Did you enter Thailand after 9 May 2024? If so, it is 175 + 81 (up to today) = 256 days. 256 days out of the last (rolling) year on tourist options has a good chance of catching the attention of the Immigration Officer on re-entry. Despite the fact that several well-meaning and knowledgeable people are telling you this, you vehemently deny that there is any chance of you being denied entry. This is a perfect example of seeing what you want to believe rather than seeing the reality, a wilful denial, if you will.

The Telegraph (I have a free subscription, sorry) is very heavy on opinion pieces these days. They love to dive in and comment on American politics. The weird thing is, on any one US story, they always have a piece that reflects the views of the Trump-lovers and then they will have another opinion piece reflecting the much more traditional right-wing view that tends to deplore Trump's ill manners. They may well have a third piece too trying to weave British affairs into US political doctrine, which rarely works. It is as if they have cottoned on to the fact that if you echo your reader's thoughts they will continue to buy the paper. What has been adapted here is the pro-Trump opinion piece.

This thread is about retired British Army major Graeme Davidson, not about the arrest of David Armitage. You and I have no idea what evidence the Australian police have in their possession to suspect Graeme Davidson. However, to arrest him and publicly come out and say he was involved in his wife's drowning definitely means they have something. Also, the decision to remand is not taken lightly. If he is charged and tried, the evidence will be placed in the public domain.

If you read the article, he has actually been remanded into custody rather than reporting on bail.

Ha ha. The majority had degrees. Uneducated. Ha. You may find the tattoo popularity explosion in the UK will surprise you. All and sundry have them. It has become normalised. The UK has probably moved on since you left. When I was young in the UK, tattoos were the preserve of working class men. I think you are still in this mindset. You will find the UK has considerably changed. I am not sure what you mean about me fitting in. I chose not to have any tattoos. Surely that would mean I chose not to care less about following the fashion.

The last job I had in the UK, almost all of my colleagues had tattoos. They have become de rigueur. As ever, I chose to question things and arrive at a different conclusion. It has been my downfall.

3 malamutes in a tiled area, perhaps 15 sq. metres in front of a Bangkok town house. For 10 years, I only saw them moved when spraying the faeces off the tiles. I am surprised they did not die sooner.

It is only 7th May! But up to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KALhynXxKp0

Nice try, won't work. 1. Patchy enforcement. 2. Won't enforce against anybody who seems remotely affluent or connected. 3. Not addressing the root of the problem. The problem is stray dogs and cats. 4. Unwillingness to put strays to sleep when they are sick, dangerous or unwanted. 5. Unwillingness to put the resources into rounding up strays, sterilising them or putting them to sleep. 6. Unwillingness to go after the traders and breeders of dangerous breeds.

Try as I might, I can't quite grasp the meaning of your post. It seems to say Vietnamese are honest because they steal from you whilst Thais are dishonest because they steal from you. And they both steal as much as each other (I disagree with this last bit but we will let that slide) Could you clarify?

My personal experience is that thieving (sneakily not 'barrio gun in your face style') is much much more prevalent in Vietnam.

Tourist visas give a slightly better chance of entry than visa exempts but they are refused sometimes. You have spent 7 months in the last 12 months in Thailand on tourist options (VE & SETV). You would be very well advised to use an agency or service to re-enter. You would be "poking the bear" to try a re-entry on the same day without one.

I count a possible 7 months out of the last 12 months in Thailand on tourist visa options. (May - Sep '24 & Feb - May '25) You may be inconvenienced at the border coming back in and possibly denied entry. You would be better to use an agency to facilitate your re-entry. It looks like you are based in Bangkok. There are options but they do include mini buses, which you stated you do not like. You could possibly meet them at the border travelling by yourself. This is usually negotiable.

The owner of this small hotel (I won't name it) is a very helpful guy. The hotel is very well run. I hope he can get through this.

Yes, you're right. They must have got a handle on those boat trips.

Some facts which may be pertinent : The Chinese do not like to admit they can't swim as this would be loss of face. The result is they seem to drown quite regularly. Alcohol reduces one's co-ordination and impairs decision-taking. Most hotels bar guests from using the pool in the middle of the night due to the higher risk of tomfoolery and lack of supervision. There will be another Chinese drowning next week.