DonniePeverley

If a Russian can kick a pregnant lady and get a 500 Baht fune - then nothing is going to happen to these Russians. Compare this to the Swiss guy treatment.

Kicking a pregnant lady and only getting a 500 Baht fine ?! There's a 'minority' of Russians who are just very annoying and have spoilt the great island of Phuket. It's been to clear to everyone they are working and buying up businesses for nearly a year now. It makes you question more the decision to give them 6 months visa.

I'm surprised he got a tuk Tuk driver to move his arse for more than 200 Baht. They are essentially floating around because tourists like to experience them - until they get the full whack of exhaust fumes in their face from the red diesel busses.

I agree with that too. But it's the same logic giving money to 'British' people who live abroad. Why does the UK allow dual nationality ? I have a baller uncle living in Canada - lived there for 40 years. Get's a pension in Canada , and unbelievably gets a pension from the UK too. He then comes back to the UK to get all his dentistry done too, because as he states 'he's still a british citizen too'. You also have guys in Pattaya, who have never been back to the UK for years, barely done any work in the UK, and are on pensions too, with the added security of returning home. They need to close dual citizenship, and stop being a british citizenship if you live more than 6 months outside the UK. Ridiculous THE WASTE.

No you haven't - they just tell you have made contributions. You still have dual citizenship too, something that should also be stopped. So you have that security of returning back home. If a Thai leaves the country they don't get a pension from the state.

Wasn't this one of the predicted worries of lifting visa free access to Chinese and allowing Russians to stay 6 months.

Is the scheme safe and sound surrounding inflation? The UK and USA suffered badly with inflation over the past few years - in 'part' due to some of the handouts during covid.

I've seen some annoying racist British expats (i mean immigrants) in Pattaya, but nothing is more annoying than the type of tourist who you see at these full moon places.

Personally i've never understood why the UK government should be giving out handouts to people not living in the UK anymore.

I remember many years ago, i saw how many bars would not let Indians in. I remember thinking they could implement policies rather than go straight to banning - for example, they could make Indians pay for their drinks on entry, etc. But nope it was a straight ban. The more i asked club owners about this extreme policy, the more it wasn't really about business and just out right prejudice. Unfortunately now for these places the only main customers in town are the Indians. And sick and tired of the racism they faced they've now gone and built their own super clubs, and reeping it in.

Keep him away from Phuket so he doesn't see the Russian situation on the island.

That's the fear. Now the Russians have had their long term visas stopped, this is a convenient way to come to Thailand. Ghastly news.

Don't believe a word of this.

I'm seeing alot of this aggressive nutty behaviour around - and i'm telling you it's the cannabis. In the short term it's completely fine, but keep doing it for a few days and you start getting aggressive and irrational.

If in a theoretically view they had been stopped two times before, and didn't have the rite license to drive - then erm yeah you need to get of the scooter and get a taxi to continue your holiday. Paying a fine, doesn't give you immunity to just keep going along with the incorrect documentation.

Reason i don't want to use my debit card is of course the security issues. I don't feel comfortable using it in Thailand just yet. I will look up the true wallet scheme.

I noticed how some banks advertised 'gift card' type credits, but when you ask in the branch they say they've never heard of them and 'not have'. But with the country becoming increasingly digital, and also i would prefer the convenience of having my deliveries just left at my condo rather than having to pay cash, i need some form of digital card. Any help ?

They will indeed allow 60-70 millio tourists next year. I predict we will see a massive influx of Indian and Chinese tourists. However, without infrustructure improvements eventually the locals will start to complain. At the moment Bangkok is a nightmare to drive around. Phuket is gridlocked. I see no projects there to say we adding additional roads, new transport models, etc Furthermore, it will make for a poor tourist experience too. Why have they decided to turn Thailand into a tourist state ? It's a massive place to just give up on everything else and put all your baskets into tourism.

Will it be a big year to build alot of infrustructure to accomodate the huge influx of tourists? I see nothing being built in Phuket (eg a tram or further road infrustructure) to cope with the gridlock in numbers. Not seeing much built in other provinces.

All these problems in Thailand ... inequality, pollution, education, poverty, manufacturing, international issues eg Myanmar etc ... and the vast majority of soundbites we here from him is about tourism. He is the Prime minister of Thailand, not the head of TAT.

There is no doubt the numbers Thailand currently experiencing are VERY HIGH. I've never seen the airports this busy. However, not just Thailand - but how do they count the numbers? Is it a case of immigration looks at arrivals / departures? Do they then seperate those who live here, and those with long term visa stays, etc ? Because they also provide seperate numbers for provinces. So how would they could arrivals to eg Phuket ? Would it be flights ? Or say domestic tourism from Bangkok ? I've never really got a definitive answers.

Based on the figures for the first two months, and projections for the year ahead (hotel bookings, flights, etc). It will easily hit 40 million - if not more. You can see it at the airport, provinces the country is VERY busy.

You have TWO COUNTRIES with in excess of a billion people each. And at a whim and panic, you waive all the fees and entry barriers to let in a free for all. I don't even recall a debate, it was just announced. Simply no way they will put the fees and visas back for Chinese visitors now.

What point is too much tourism? 60 million? 100 million? Without the improvement in infrustructure it is a ridiculous high number. Thailand has implemented some very heavy investment in suspending visa fees for Indians and Chinese. If you look at the volume it could be in the billions. The panic to get more Chinese back, and invest billions was short sighted. Chinese tourism was slow all over the world last year, and has only started to resume normally towards the end of the year. There was simply no need for Thailand to stop the visa fees. Then allowing Russians to stay longer term, and now wanting more territories to come. Then in turn they have just let millions of indian tourists too. How do you eventually apply handbreaks when tourism gets out of control ? The country has all these issues - inequality, horrific air pollution, crime, corruption but the leadership just seems occupied with tourism and turning Thailand into a pure a tourist state. Phuket is already seeing complaints from locals and i predict other provinces will soon start complaining. They've started to complain in Japan too and authorities have had to put up curbs. Numbers will continue to go up, especially in my opinion they have waived the indian entry programme.

Chiang Mai lovely place, but the burning crops season isn't great.