Pattaya Spotter

I'm into "love-ins"...it's like the '60s all over again; now where's that flower for my hair ????

But will Biden cheat the actuary tables and live long enough to sign the bill ????

If you're an employer try finding any Thai service workers that can speak English ????

Yes...devil is in the details.

Would you pay US$10,000 for a Thai Airways travel voucher that also came with Gold Status in their Royal Orchid Plus mileage program for 2 years? I received the attached notice that if you basically pre-pay for 10k worth of travel, Thai throws in the Gold status for two years gratis. The main benefit I can glean from Gold status in ROP is two seat upgrades to the next higher level of travel during the Gold status period. (However, the ultra low cost seat buckets often don't qualify for upgrades.) There is also ROP and Star Alliance lounge and fast lane check-in and security/immigration lane access in airports that have them. For me, I don't need these perks because for longer international flights I fly business class but for someone who does a lot of flights in economy, it may be worthwhile to prepay to get these benefits with no wait.

I would have Thailand would have moved beyond stoop labour in the 20 years I've been here but apparently not

"OAP" is that an abbreviation for Old American President or old angry person ????

Maybe the issue was you...many foreigners have been very successful doing business in Thailand ????

The main use scenario for me having a Thai CC is to avoid the foreign transaction fee and sometimes bad currency conversion rates when using my US card for larger Thai purchases. Also, many stores/restos seem to have special discounts and promos when paying with a Thai CC. Like you, I'm a balance payer so never pay any interest fees.

Yes correct, I'm an a "retirement visa." Maybe it's like my first US CC 35 years ago...start with a secured card and work myself up.

That's what I thought too so was a bit confused they used the two different terms. So basically with Thai CCs, there is no "free float" or grace period on interest charges. With my US card, interest charges only accrue if the statement balance isn't paid in full my the due date (usually about a month after a charge is made).

Not too much difference...but the merchant isn't paid immediately (at least from the user's funds) so some leverage if something goes wrong.

I will be getting my first Thai bank credit card ???? (Kasikorn) soon (cash deposit "secured" card) and I am wondering if there is anything unique to them that I should be aware of...basically if there are any major differences from US credit cards. Things like no liability for fraudulent transactions and interest grace period on purchases and the like. I have Kasikorn's English rates and charges sheet which sets forth the basics. One question is it says interest on purchases starts on the "posting date." Is this different from the transaction date...or is the posting date the monthly statement date? Like US cards, interest on cash advances starts on the transaction date. The "grace period" for payment is 15 days from the statement date...for full payment only. So again, it sounds like interest on purchases starts on the first statement date on which they appear (but no interest if paid in full and no balance on the card. The standard annual card fee is 1050 THB, which is waived if I charge at least 20k per year or have 12 or more transactions. The manager also said I can call and have the fee waived even if I don't meet these minimums. Anything else I should be aware of?

Good riddance...only question is why a large Nigerian community is allowed in The Penh.

I wonder if he was working Paradise Plaza...if so, there could be a lot of nervous men checking their genitals over the next few days.

Wasn't it 20M yesterday...another two days they'll be close at 5M or so????

That was dumb.

Like you said...keep out the balloon chasers ????????????

If you think 55 baht for a Coke is expensive, Prime Burger may be out of your budget.

My monthly spend is about 30k in Phuket...and I rent and drive a car ????

Extensions of stay and 90 day reports are independent of each other. If the period to file the 90 day report falls within the 30 day window for doing an annual extension then they can be done at the same time...otherwise two trips are required.

Very impressive...especially for 30-40 category ????????

Yet cashed up foreigners with "retirement visas" have to pull hen's teeth to even get a "secured" credit card with a couple hundred baht credit limit from a Thai bank.

Flying Stateside on SQ bizz in November...nice to see they're not on the list.

Angela Merkel was lauded for years as a steady experienced (and smart...she was a nuclear physicist in a prior life after all) but she made a lot of very poor decisions during her tenure. These include panicking after the Fukushima nuclear accident and phasing out nuclear power plants, green lighting the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, thus greatly expanding Germany's reliance on a single source country for a critical energy supply, fall for "the sky is falling" climate change narrative and pushing the country to adopt a "energi wiend" or transformation to "green" energy sources like wind and solar, which by their very nature are intermittent and unreliable. There is also the issue of her 1% defense budgets, which has left the armed forces hollowed out and completely unable to defend the country or meet its NATO commitments. The lady will go down as a very poor leader in the eyes of history.