it is what it is

but the backup power source was temporarily closed for testing by the airport’s engineers. what if the power to the air traffic controllers went down? why switch off the back up system when the airport has flights arriving? do it during fight down time.

sounds like you're lacking in social etiquette. be polite, make an effort, you never know the other people might actually be interesting, and you might even enjoy yourself.

i guess that's what you'd call an unhappy ending.

well, yes and no, most people weren't going anywhere on holiday during covid - not even in their own countries, thailand was not alone in that. though thailand was slow in coming out of covid and tourist arrivals were behind the worldwide tourism recovery curve. tourist numbers are improving but as tourism is only around 18% of GDP it's a mistake to focus too much on that sector. as i see it the main issues with the thai economy are low productivity, the rapidly ageing population and rampant endemic corruption none of which are quickly fixed. but thialand is not alone most countries are currently suffering economic woes.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or insight that anyone can give me. not sure why you need to ask... get your passport renewed asap.

and frankly, never will.

have been using both ebay and paypal for years, never had a problem, both easy convenient to use. miss the good old days when the GBP/TBH rate was favorable, i made quite a bit of money selling thai goods to the uk/europe.

i bet the price reduction is minimal as the retailers increase their mark up

not a thai thing at all, i do this all the time. i lived in london, the same experience. OP, maybe just chill, and live and let live.

actually there's quite a lot wrong with the roads, the use of U turns is particularly dangerous, the the highways heading out of bangkok that are not flat but have humps make driving uncomfortable and perilous

i get where immigration are coming from and assume they want to stop people recycling 'income' be crediting and debiting the same amount between personal accounts. however, proof of the credits, from the pension source, in the home country account should be accepted? anyway, to save hassle just put 800k in an account and have done with it.

been coming here over 25 years, tbh can't say i've ever experienced bad customer service from an IO at the airport or immigration centre, they are certainly friendlier than some of the central american land borders i've crossed. if you're continually getting poor customer service you need to manage your expectations, these are civil servants doing a responsible but ultimately repetitive, boring job. i'm a believer in what goes around comes around, maybe you need to look at your attitude?

who cares? really, who cares? live and let live.

agree, my thai friends at the recent coldplay concert estimated only about 15% of the audience were thai, they said they felt like they were in a foreign country. 😄 there simply isn't the local demand for big western bands, and i like that, supporting local bands is great

why try to be a smart alec with immigration? if they wanted a google map they'd ask for one. just do what they ask, how hard can it be? ...and we wonder why some IOs get fed up with foreigners... 🙄

What Thais fighting over money, gold and an inheritance, I never, really! Who'd have thought? suggest you replace thais with people, as this happens all over the world. my financial advisor back home has told me how many families fight over money

one day in three. despite what many locals believe i'm not here for the food, give me indian, mexican and decent italian before thai any day.

of course they can see laptops, because if they couldn't see laptops in your bag then how could they suddenly see them out of your bag?! i'd suggest a laptop's electrical components/battery may prevent other items being seen clearly.

agree, definitely make up your missing years, it's a bargain.

i think i read that nine of the injured were under 15 years old, however crazy we find things here, what is going on in america beats it hands down for sheer stupidity and lack of respect for human life american get your act together.

someone here on a simple tourist visa (in and out in 30 or 45 days) you mean visa exempt?

yes, if it's the only way to visit somewhere, two examples; i wanted to go caving in NZ so had to go with a group and guide, and traveling across the salar de uyumi from chile to bolivia i had to join a group with guide traveling in land cruisers. both excellent trips.

living the american dream nightmare.

indeed, it creates a mindset that encourages people to get into debt because the government will bail them out. capital investment in financial management education, starting in the classroom and offering debt management support to those in debt (not paying off debt) would be effective first steps debt is not a thai problem, it is a big problem in my home country too despite many steps to alleviate the problem. the solution is a long process, the govt needs to be in it for the long term.

not only thai banks, my home bank app and web site don't like vpns, tbh given that scammers often use vpns it's not surprising. anyway, it's no bother to turn off the vpn when using my banking app. other web sites are similarly vpn sensitive.