grain

I read so many negative comments about Phuket. I understand Patong has gone to the dogs but are there any beaches that still offer a pleasant holiday for a few days? A less touristy beach, not interested in shopping or bars/clubs, just need a quiet beach with a few nice resorts and some seafood restaurants on the beach where wife and I can have a tasty seafood dinner and a few cold beers in the evening. So any recommendations for me?

I've watched him a few times on his YT channel, I actually agree with much of what he says, but he's such an annoying bastard, always shouting and ramming his point of view down your throat.

All this is about separating Thais from Foreingers so they can get their bloody 300THB foreigner tax up and running. They've been talking about this 300THB tax for ages but didn't know who to work it. Charging foreigners an entry fee at the airport on arrival would be a nightmare. The obvious solution is just add it to the airfare, but then Thais will also be paying it, and what about the foreigners who arrive by land? Then BINGO. Bring in theTDAC, this separates Thai from Foreign. That's why you can't put Thailand as country of residence. Doesn't matter if you have PR, been working in Thailand for 25 years, married with 10 kids and converted to Buddhism. Unless the foreigner has Thai citizenship and a Thai PP, they pay 300THB on every entry. Problem solved. Yes it's free at the start while they get it running and iron out the wrinkles, but in a few months they'll introduce the 300THB fee.

OK, understood...thanks.

and if I stay at a hotel that files a TM30 (which I will do next entry, as I always stay 2-3 nights at a BKK hotel before heading home to Korat) does that change anything?

I always carry 20K THB with me whenever I make a trip to Oz, so I've got that money on me when I fly back in to BKK. I've never once been asked to show it, but there's always a first time, anyway I need Thai cash immediately upon arrival, and 20K is not such a large sum.

I'm on the annual retirement ext with a multi-reentry visa, I make a trip to Australia for a couple of weeks, 3 days before returning to Thailand I do this TDAC and receive the QR code. Therefore I have notified Thailand that I am entering (returning) on such and such date and will be living at such and such address. Do I still have to go to immigration within 24 hours to notify them that I've now returned and back at the same address? Or does this TDAC remove the need to do a notification within 24 hours?

And PR holders will also have to pay the 300THB foreigner tax when that is linked to the TDAC in a few months time.

Who remembers The Three Roses, and Rosemary 1 & Rosemary 2 bars on Suk? They were the best.

They've been wanting to bring in this tourism tax of 300THB but didn't know how to apply it. Paying by cash or card upon arrival will be a lengthy process and cause longer waits. Applying it onto the price of the airfare will mean Thais cop it too. So this TDAC solves that problem. And that's why no Thailand on the country of residence list. Everyone filling this in (free for the time being) will before the year is over also have to pay a 300THB foreigner tax at the same time or else the application will be rejected and you won't get the QR code. In all likelihood airlines won't allow you to board without checking the QR code. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), replacing the TM6 form, is free to submit, but foreign tourists arriving by air will be charged a 300 baht tourism tax, while those entering by land or water will also be charged 300 baht but can enter multiple times within 30-60 days. Here's a breakdown of the TDAC and the tourism tax: TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card): Purpose: To streamline the immigration process by allowing travelers to pre-register and submit their personal details online before arriving in Thailand. Mandatory: The TDAC is mandatory for all foreign visitors starting May 1, 2025. Free: The TDAC itself is free to submit. How to Apply: Travelers need to visit the TDAC official website, fill out the required information, and save or print the confirmation receipt to present at immigration. Benefits: Faster immigration processing, less paperwork, and a more efficient entry process. Tourism Tax: Fee: 300 baht per person. Who Pays: Foreign tourists arriving by air or land/water. Multiple Entries: Those entering by land or water will be charged 300 baht but will be allowed multiple entries within a 30- to 60-day period. Purpose: To fund visitor insurance and infrastructure. Implementation: The tourism tax is expected to be implemented later in 2025. Payment Method: The tourism tax is expected to be linked to the TDAC and paid through the e-visa system. Key Takeaways: TDAC is free, but the tourism tax is not. The TDAC is mandatory starting May 1, 2025. The tourism tax is expected to be implemented later in 2025. Foreign tourists arriving by air will be charged 300 baht per trip, while those entering by land or water will be charged 300 baht but can enter multiple times within a 30-60 day period.

It's a building that just collapsed at Bang Sue, Bangkok, apparantly due to the earthquake. There's no more to tell at the moment as it's only just happened but it'll be all over the news soon.

We're in Pak Thong Chai, Korat and felt nothing at all here. Is the video of the big building collapsing at Bang Sue connected to the earthquake in Myanmar, or a different reason?...OK, I read now it collapsed due to the earthquake. Jesus wept, there's bound to be many lives lost in this.

I'm in rural Korat (Pak Thong Chai) went for a morning walk today and the air is terrible, so dusty and hazy, we really need some heavy rain to clean the place up. The air irritated my sinuses this morning and brought on a lengthy sneezing attack, really horrible. Now I'm inside and will stay so for the remainder of the day.

It was an old regulation, long ago, and a pain in the butt it was too, but it's been dropped and no longer required. They may well bring it back though, the 90 day reporting thing was a dormant regulation when I first came to Thailand in the late 1970s, and nobody was required to do that, but then it was brought back in again.

There have been a few incidences of tough farang tourists fighting Thais recently, and those videos get around fast on all the Thai social media and the Thai TV channels, so they may well be more of these terrible assults on foreigners as Thai males are no doubt seething that some farang have been whacking their fellow Thais. To them it matters not who is right or wrong, or if the farangs were acting in self defence, deep down they despise us and welcome any excuse to attack. Considering this savage beating on the German in Pattaya and the death of the Englishman in BKK, all farang males should be extra cautious at the present time.

Just tell the school some BS. You have to go back your country for some reason. You're very sorry. And leave it at that. The possibility of them taking some legal action - when you aren't currently working for them and the start date isn't for 3 more months - is so remote I wouldn't worry about it.

I can't remember the last thing I ever bought that was made in the USA. Maybe a Fender guitar I bought about 25 years ago. Everything else I've bought was made in China, or elsewhere in SEA, or perhaps India and Bangladesh. When I'm in Australia everything comes from China, or was made in Australia, sometime NZ. I think in my whole life the only things I ever owned that were made in USA were Fender and Gibson guitars. Even my Levi jeans were made in some other country but not USA.

Well with that very detailed physical description of Robert everyone in Lampang can now be on the lookout for a man with short black hair and a limp, and if they get close enough, a pong.

That's it exactly. If we are required by law to get tax numbers and do tax returns and pay some tax because we are tax RESIDENTS, then we are no longer tourists, visitors or guests, we are residents. Therefore we should be issued with resident ID cards that distinguish us from tourists, so we get the Thai price at national parks and hospitals and all the other things that have dual pricing.

If a neighbor's dog is ruining your life in any way don't complain. The neighbor will not agree with you and do something about it. Instead you will become the hated one. The neighbor loves his filthy stinking noisy animal more than you, especially so if you're a farang, and the problem will continue. Then you can't do anything further because if the dog suddenly became ill and dies they will immediately suspect you and call the police as you have identified yourself by complaining. So don't ever complain, deal with it yourself.

blah...blah...blah.

I actually have 2 X DTAC sims in my phone, one I've had for many years and I keep that current with some credit on it because that number is registered with bank accounts and officials and it'll be hassle to change the number. I get these 12 month sims purely for the data, though having free calls with them is a good bonus, but I rarely use the calls as about 95% of the calls I do make are done using internet apps like Messenger or Line or Whatsapp. I'm currently in Australia (go back to BKK this coming Friday) and here with Vodafone I get unlimited free calls but rarely use them, only if I make a doc appointment, all my social calls to friends are via FB and Line.

I actually have 2 X DTAC sims in my phone, one I've had for many years and I keep that current with some credit on it because that number is registered with bank accounts and officials and it'll be hassle to change the number. I get these 12 month sims purely for the data, though having free calls with them is a good bonus, but I rarely use the calls as about 95% of the calls I do make are done using internet apps like Messenger or Line or Whatsapp. I'm currently in Australia (go back to BKK this coming Friday) and here with Vodafone I get unlimited free calls but rarely use them, only if I make a doc appointment, all my social calls to friends are via FB and Line.

Are DTAC and TRUE the same now, in terms of reception and signals and speeds? In the past I've only used DTAC sims but are TRUE sims the same as DTAC now or are there some differences?

Thanks for the info Andrew, only 6 Mbps isn't much, I want at least 20 mbps, more would be better. I think I'll better get a 60gb or 100gb a month deal and get the faster speed.