Blumpie

One should never fad diet. They have been around since the 1930's and they have all been proven as unsustainable and not good for you. These are the same people who sell exercise bikes, rowing machines, stair climbers, etc that just get disused and tossed in the trash eventually. Eating properly and getting exercise is the only way to keep weight off and stay healthy. Be it walking, running, or break dancing it doesn't matter. Losing weight temporarily does nothing for your health if it all comes back on.

Believe it or not they do. i find in Thailand they love their kids (of course!) but do they really teach them to eat healthy? Sadly I know first hand they do not.

i read a report that 10 percent of Americans have diabetes. They are unaware of it - it's late stage onset. Just to let you know, diabetes will make you have your limbs amputated, make you blind as a bat, need dialysis, and give you a heart attack. Also it increases bone loss and your arteries get "crinkly". This is not a disease to be taken lightly and yes, you do need to get checked for it. You don't want to go blind but clearly some either don't care or cannot afford adequate health care. Sitting around drinking sugary drinks like they do in Thailand should be discouraged. Sugar is one of the worst things you can put in your body.

It's far more convenient. And Thailand is much safer than Vietnam which is sad for Vietnam. They all have their pluses and minuses.

She has travel insurance, but let's just pretend she doesn't so we can gabber about this for 30 pages. ????

HEY! Thats the ballon they shot down over the USA!!!

If by research I fear it may be real world experience. It's amazing how many people know about blow up dolls. No insinuation at all here, no. No no, no. No. No no, no.

have you had problems with them popping? ????

If I put lipstick on my right hand and glue a wig on it and call it Shirley could I marry her? So many questions, so many questions. Ah, the coffee, it talks. Oh how it talks...

Tourism will recover, make no mistake. That's easy - it came back from nothing. ???? The pent up demand is nearly over for this year and the hot season is coming. Next year will be interesting. It won't be 40 million. I mean it could be... but I sincerely doubt it.

COVID? That disease that turned into a cough?

THB was manipulated and the .. wait for it... united states insisted that they change their policies otherwise it would be on the list of manipulated currencies which would be far worse. Contact the U.S. government if anyone is unhappy with the THB the last 10 or so years.

That is really really sad.

Why are they dragging their heels paying this out? Is it because she doesn't have a motorcycle license, an international drives licence, and is therefore breaking the law and the insurance company will not pay at all? That sounds more likely. Do I know for sure? No.

Absolutely and past 2024 I have no predictions. In the short term tourism will chug along but its nowhere near the numbers that they are hoping for. 50 million people in Thailand would be terrible. They were at capacity already so I'm not sure where they are going to stay. And when it gets over 40 million prices will further increase. I mean it is what it is and I could very well be wrong.

It's weakening because the greenback is so strong. recession fears. When the recession ends or doesn't arrive the THB will go right back up as will most currencies.

Many people take several trips a year. I foresee them taking one instead, if at all. I agree that pricing in arrival fees is silly but that's not what a traveller sees when they want to go to Thailand, nor do they necessarily care. The airfare and the hotel cost is going to drive down demand, I guarantee it. And its hardly a profound statement, its not only common sense it's something that we are seeing in all countries around. It is no longer easy, fun, or inexpensive to fly. Indeed it's the opposite - its stressful and expensive now. Id be very pessimistic on buying stocks related to tourism. (airline stocks are not included in this)

We're seeing a lot of pent up demand in tourism but the numbers are hardly strong. With the recession as good as booked (a few are saying soft landing but most say this is nothing more than wishful thinking) it will be far harder to fly about. Not to mention the pilot shortages. The days of cheap flights are completely and utterly over. All the money the airlines lost in the pandemic will be made up by travellers. theres a lot of drag out there and frankly I just dont see any way that it will come back substantially for a few years yet.

I wonder if Tattoo will be there to greet them?

I guess it would be paradise if you're from a really awful part of the planet. 80 million people a year, no thank you!

COVID peaked weeks ago there and is definitely a non-issue now. We will have to live with it now, and that's that. I don't give a toss about it now.

A country based on not bringing foreign workers in will have to change their tactics, and we can see this playing out. Put simply, Japanese have no workers to fulfill these positions.

Well that's true - Thailand is a rip off asian country, everyone should know that when they book their tickets there.

That is true. Don';t antagonize. I did this - just asked for th meter please, he said no and I said thank you and hopped out. Then he said he would use the meter. Never attempt to get them angry and think that it will end well. It's the first thing that one should understand going to many asian countries.

I know. I know.... ????