NanLaew

Decent treatise there. Now, comb-overs and halitosis aside, why do (some) men chose to become (serial) punters?

Really? You need to get a grip on the modus operandi of the coconut bar girls before getting into any sideliners.

If you need to ask.

Stuff of nonsense. Only seven years? They haven't changed one iota but you have. But I totally agree that a couple or three getaways each year makes it easier to keep everything in perspective: a reality check so to speak. Since you've already consigned your incomparably superior homeland to the skip, don't EVER go back there for your reality check as your jaded opinions of how rubbish the UK is will only amplify your hopelessly skewed sensibilities about Thailand.

It really was a Land of Smiles when I first arrived on the shores of paradise on earth. It departed long ago though. I wonder if the OP has been in LOS less than 20 years, or just noticed. Or maybe it was that traumatic and awkward personal relationship experience?

Ever lived in a rural area a 4 hour bus journey from a big city where you were the only farang? I have and the smile was as lacking there as in any tourist town. Maybe it wasn't you though. Maybe it was that woman you were with (again).

Notice for the noobs and neophytes among us, correctly recognizing this gesture is an essential skill not easily mastered.

The only serioulsy impaired deposit deduction was when my wife relocated while I was overseas and she couldn't find the spare keys (we had re-keyed/locked the place on move-in). Fair enough as the landlord would need to change all the locks again. Otherwise, the deposits were returned in full after waiting for the last water and electric bills to come in. NB: make a note of meter readings when you vacate and turn off the breaker and stopvalve as it makes the final reconciliation on what you actually used much easier. I moved out at 5 am and send pictures of the meter readings to the landlord. Maybe business leases are different but my wife had an open-ended lease on land for her restaurant that was going gangbusters back in 2016. Two things happened in quick succession that changed our plans around 10 months into the venture. The first was Prayuth's second round of “return happiness to the people” when he handed out random national holidays willy nilly. By summer of 2017, the locals realised that unpaid holidays meant unpaid bills and a retreat from dining out...and a surge in CP microwave dinner sales from 7-eleven! The second was her getting pregnant (my bad). The lease did have a clause that stated the deposit would only be refunded in full if a minimum of 12 months had been paid. Anything less and it would be a total forfeit. He was a great landlord, young Thai chap, UK educated and running the family business. We toughed it out for 6 weeks while selling off furniture, fittingsd and getting rid of staff and got the paid whole enchilada when we took the signs down, folded the tent and moved back to Isaan.

Furthermore, I would suggest on making sure you know exactly what any government or private hospitals are going to disclose to any prospective insurer to prevent any surprises. Around the time Covid was abating, I acquired new health insurance. Signing up at under 65 years-old, there was no need for a medical, just a personal disclosure "honesty" checklist. Six months later, I needed an emergency procedure: the first time in my life anywhere so I needed to make sure I was covered. In order to fast-track the approval, I signed permissions for the insurer to obtain medical records from the two private hospitals here in Thailand where I had bi-ennial medical examinations for offshore work dating back over 10 years. I had the procedure, it was successful and it was covered. However, a few months later, the insurer drew my attention to a single instance of elevated blood pressure, commensurate with stage 1 hypertension, recorded at Bumrungrad in 2017. None recorded before or since and absolutely nothing to do with the recent emergency. Accordingly, they requested an add-on premium load of 10,000 baht for this act of "non-disclosure." Upon renewal 12 months later, my premiums rose by another 12,000 baht. Needless to say, I will be shopping for a better deal next time around. I would also advise the OP or anyone out doing first-time health insurance shopping is to have a good medical examination including comprehensive lab work done FIRST. Ideally, take onboard any dietary changes or exercise regimens recommended seriously and then get a second medical maybe 6 months later. Then annually. This way YOU get surprised first but more importatntly, you gain a better idea of how rapidly you're falling apart.

what for? Gurning.

This is NOT world news. This is Daily Mail news. Get a grip!

I wonder who said that? Regardless, they're probably dead right.

Even if she was only guilty of unknowingly breaching a weakness on inbound immigration cat-herding, there's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Not at HKT anyway.

I recall reading a previous story or two about how some arriving international passengers somehow managed to take the wrong route off the end of an escalator and inadvertently bypassed immigration at the abomination of an airport that is called HKT. Maybe this was the same unfortunate mistake this person committed but to make those oxygen thieves in uniform sound all super sleuth and efficient, this story is made up to look like it was the passenger being nefarious? I'll admit the last time I transitted through there was over 12 years ago but it was a bit of a shambles both international arrivals around mid day and departures around midnight. The immigration staff's brusque and surly demeanor easily outdid the most cantankerous passport stamper at DMK.

Huge covered shed on the left hand side, about 420 meters from the turn-in and before the immigration and customs buildings. Drive slowly as there may be semi-trailers either side of the entrance and obscuring the parking sign (in Thai). They'll assign you a slot, charge you 250 baht/day and you keep the reciept as you'll need that to get out when you get back. It's the yellow-circled building in the appended.

Only ten people in this morning's (Tuesday) queue, including two couples. Back in the hotel before 9:30 (20 minute walk... it's that easy). Yesterday, I grabbed a local driver with an airconditioned pickup after I parked up (250 baht/day covered and secure). He wanted 1500 baht all the way to the hotel (used to be 1000 baht several years ago). Did a deal and for another 1000, he'll pick me up tomorrow, wait while I collect the passport and get me back to the Mukdahan parking lot. I saw a bunch of people waiting for the bus as we whizzed through yesterday afternoon: less than 30 minutes between my parking, clearing Thailand and Lao immigration (eVisa) and customs and checking in at the hotel. It was good to witness the procedure for getting his Thai vehicle through Customs with the purple 'passport' and the QR code scan. Next year, I may try the whole drive myself.

She broke the law because the immigration made mistakes or did not do their job??? Correct, same as me except I manged to do it TWICE.

So policemen aren't normally required to report to the station? I see.

Update: bailed up at the Consulate in Savannakhet this morning, ninth body in a queue of ten (including couples). I produced EXACTLY the same documents as the OP recommended and was on my way in less than a couple of minutes, striding past couples that had been in the queue ahead of me but had been knocked back and were frantically filling in extra paperwork and playing 'phone a friend'. The only question I got was, "Where's your wife?" which was answered with a polite อยู่บ้าน

Dutch passport holders qualify for visa-exempt entry. I left the airport in Benin and the border at Savannakhet without being 'processed' in properly. I am astounded that my stupidity easily defeated the lazy immigration jobsworths in two totally different countries. This is too easy... because (like me) she broke the law.

Yeah, don't forget that other Trump nothing burger served up to the dullards in Iowa back in 2016 "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" As evidenced by the Capitol riot, it's not Trump who's the danger, it's his dullards.

No, but Trump obviously does or he wouldn't have conjured up such a bizarre picture in the first place. Here's the actual picture he posted and subsequently deleted from his own social media platform. Now, what's your 'interpretation' of the picture? Why did he delete it?

So you are suggesting that the OP and others facing UK domestic bank account challenges should relocate to "Most of the EU, and the Philippines" and all their issues will be over? Ummm, thanks.

I mentioned earlier that to open NEW accounts in the Isle of Man or Channel islands, one needs one to be resident there. If Barclay's (or any other mainland UK bank) haven't offered transferring to these jurisdictions as an alternative to account closure, it's probably because it's NOT an option.

Maybe to illustrate that cost-effective, 1-year data SIM packages are (still) available on't internet? Not something new. Anyway, @JJBloke reactivated this thread by saying he's paying 120/month with an AIS SIM package but wants more speed. You have correctly pointed out that these aren't available in-store but can still be had (for around 1500-1600) baht through the online marketplace. It does look like DTAC still seem to be pushing more than AIS in this regard but maybe it's a "buy now before they're gone" strategy since they eventually will merge fully with True [insert puke emoticon here]. I recall a member on another thread (maybe you?) recommended that anyone interested in a data package for primary home internet should try a short term test of each of the providers offerings and suss out what one delivers the best speed and reliability.