NanLaew

From the article linked in the OP: "According to Ms. Moey (alias), a 17-year-old passenger on the motorcycle who was not injured, she and Ms. Suphansa were returning home after visiting a nearby market when the foreign tourist stepped onto the road from the central island allegedly without looking properly, leaving Ms. Suphansa unable to stop in time. ..." Since when has a 17 year-old riding pillion on a scooter in Thailand NOT been looking at their bloody smartphone?!

The sun was in my eyes. Back on topic, Atttila the Hun. Killer conversation.

So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong all these years? No wonder my kill count is low. Time to up my game.

...electric...shocked...

Like being a traffic cop maybe?

What effing income tax? You don't need to get suicidal until January 2025 when the RD sends you their bill.

Howard Stern? Didn't he become a 'shock jock' only because he wasn't very funny?

Don't forget, it's all the 'girls' fault these days as they're older, fatter and only want to play with their phones.

What do you mean "we" clueless? If it's all too challenging, get your missus to book like @KhunLA does. Better still (or if you're single), get his missus to do it for you? Apparently, you'll get a better rate.

...and it shows.

So, what's keeping YOU here?

Three pages already and running like the wind...

Online booking websites have always been notorious for being used by the clueless.

Of course she does because that's what she tells you, right?

OMG!...now someone's laughing as well. Consider your emoji button well pushed.

Already ordered. In the meantime, I have borrowed the DTAC SIM from my youngest lad's Christmas present Imoo watch to tide me over. The Grinch giveth, and the Grinch taketh away. When I was talking about the 'phone number', it was specific to sending USSD codes from the modem/router's SMS messaging page in order to keep the old SIM ticking over until the new one shows up this weekend.

The 1-year DTAC data SIM (bought on Lazada from Simnet Agentplus) in my 4G modem/router has just expired. I read in other threads that some have managed to top-up and extend for another 12-months after expiration, but that may have been unique to AIS? I checked the SMS messages and there was no offer to renew before the expiration and since then, only the short-term day/week add-on data package offers. On another tack, I did a quick 50-baht top-up to see if that worked but I was unable to apply one of the packages and the balance was gone soon after. If I type the data package code into the Phone Number box in the modem/router's SMS New Message menu and hit Send, does that do the trick? Thanks.

Thanks for the information. I will only turn it on when I am expecting 2FA and the like. I live here so my AIS data package is what I use. Again, thanks for coming back and confirming that it can be done while out of the US. It does seem to be the likely reason why others struck out. Thanks, all very helpful and reassuring.

@DFPhuket said earlier that activating it wasn't possible here or in Doha and was only possible once it registered on a US network. When you say you set it all up from Thailand, I am assuming the ordering process and receiving the eSIM was all online but that also included 'installing' and activating the eSIM while in Thailand? I am not arguing your experience, just looking for some clarity. Thanks. Specifically SIM or eSIM? Thanks.

I recall when they started asking for boarding pass stubs years ago when BKK was newly opened and it being reportedly due to some nefarious foreigners simply slipping into the air-side after checking out of the country, lurking there for a few hours, and then re-entering without actually leaving the country. Maybe that was a cheaper option than a burned AirAsia r/t to Cambodia? Who knows? Anyway, that was before the ICQ (?) channels were enabled to make sure those who had come from Thailand's other international airports and truly were in 'international' transit didn't clog up the BKK and DMK immigration lines when they didn't need to. I agree that most countries don't and probably, with better immigration and security in place, BKK and DMK doesn't need to do it either, but you know that old habits die hard in this enchanted realm.

No, no need @BenStark. I'm happy knowing I am now inside your head. It's quite roomy in here.

Got that right. Anyone gurning about BKK or DMK, either inbound or outbound, obviously hasn't had the pleasure of travelling via LAX... either inbound or outbound.

I recall many years ago, I needed to show it for visa-on-arrival at Baku, Azerbaijan. But regardless, does it really matter if any other country's immigration doesn't care to see the inbound passenger's boarding pass stub? Unless of course it's just for another easy but vacuous pop at [insert Thai entity here].

Thanks for that follow up, much appreciated. Yes, getting a UltraMobile SIM on eBay and getting a friend to activate and send to me was an option I explored earlier. The Nokia G60 isn't marketed in the US, so my guess is it wouldn't come up as any sort of listed device. However, it is a fully eSIM compliant handset and that technology isn't unique to the handset manufacturer. I understand that it's a QR-code driven/activated set up.